Google Moves Into CPM Business

[WPW_Feedbot]

Google announced today a "limited beta" for AdSense that pretty much declares Google's intentions in the advertising business: The company is going to compete with everyone, on every front. The new program allows advertisers to select where their ads might run and, just as importantly, let advertisers run image ads, a feature that has been in testing, but never as a CPM buy. Advertisers can also run animated gifs. Not to put too fine a point on it, but this is Google as DoubleClick, Web 2.0 style (ie with an auction and with massive scale). Any pretense this has to do with search should be put to rest. This is an advertising play, pure and simple. This move also shows Google is growing up, acting more like a business with its own agenda, as opposed to a engineering-driven playground where the coolest idea wins. The Merc reports....

Read more...