09 October 2007

Google launches AdSense video units

Google has launched a video unit service for companies who use the search engine's AdSense programme.

The new video units will allow AdSense publishers to display videos from several YouTube content partners.

In a company blog, Google states: "The video units are ad-supported and the ads are relevant to both the video and the site content, as well as unobtrusive."

YouTube content partners and AdSense publishers will receive a share of the revenue generated from the advertisements, "so video units enable both groups to earn incremental revenue", it adds.

Google sees the new service as its first move into content distribution on AdSense and says that it will provide distributors with the opportunity to enhance their websites with "interesting videos".

Meanwhile, YouTube content partners are set to benefit from a new means of distributing their messages to target audiences.

With the new service, website owners can choose categories of video to target their sites, select from individual YouTube partners or can have video automatically targeted to their site.

Writing on the AdSense blog, product marketer Ryan Hayward stated: "[Google is] excited about the launch of video units - a new way to enrich site[s] with quality, relevant video content in an embedded, customizable player."

Run by Google, AdSense is an ad serving programme which allows website owners who enrol on it to enable text, image and video advertisements to appear on their sites.