Google tests scrolling AdSense units

by Brad Linder Dec 12th 2007

We don't know about you, but we can't count the number of times that we've visited a web site, seen the limited number of ads in the sidebar and thought to ourselves, "wouldn't it be great if there were more links I could click on that would take me to pages where people want to take my money?"

OK, we might be kidding (or we might not, you be the judge). But Google is apparently testing out a way to let web publishers insert a larger number of ads in a small space. Here's how it works. Google adds little up and down arrows at the bottom of the new AdSense units. If you click on the down arrow, the ad will scroll and you'll see a whole new page of contextual links. Hit the up arrow to go back to the first page.

Now, the reason AdSense works so well for Google and web publishers is because people do click on ads sometimes. If you're visiting a web site about widgets and there's an ad for a widget generator, that link might be as relevant as anything else on the web page. But we're not sure we know too many people who will go out of their way to scroll through the ads to find more paid listings. That'd be sort of like flipping channels when a TV program resumes just so you can find more commercials.

[via Google Blogoscoped]

Tags: AdSense, advertising

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