Microsoft Gets Ready To Compete With AdSense
It looks like Microsoft is getting around to the idea of letting publishers advertise legit ads from MS to their own site (*cough*Google AdSense*cough*). This is according to TechCrunch, who got a response from the Microsoft adCenter via email. Here’s what they received:
Thank you for your recent completion of the self-submission form on the Microsoft adCenter site for this program. The pilot is small and not public, and participants will be asked to agree to a Confidentiality Statement before taking part – this means that you will not be able to write about the program or discuss it outside of your company…
- You may also use Microsoft ads on the same sites and pages as Google ads as long as you do not have a specific exclusivity agreement with them.
This is good to know! More (possibly double) income for publishers!
- Only publishers who are U.S. based may take part; completing a W9 form is necessary to receive payment.
Too bad…
- Click rates will be closely monitored during the pilot and publishers whose click rates give cause for concern or are anomalous will be removed from the program and will not be paid for clicks on their ads.
Sound like they are being just as serious as Google.
- Microsoft can make no guarantee regarding the amount of any payments you may receive for the ads shown on your website during this test although the purpose of the program is to monetize your site with contextual advertising.
Well… they are testing, their could be some flaws with the payment system, right?
- For the purposes of the pilot, you will be limited to a single account but you may implement ads on up to ten approved web properties that comply with the Microsoft adCenter editorial guidelines.
Good for people with multiple sites.
Best regards, XXXXXXXX (for Aditi) at Microsoft
Not bad at all if I might say! Here is more info that CNET was able to obtain from Microsoft.
“Microsoft’s self-serve advertising offering for publishers is still under development and is currently in a private pilot phase, being tested by select publishers who met the participation requirements,” ”The private pilot phase began earlier this year.”
To bad I live in the Great White North (I’ll reiterate again, for the moment it is only for U.S. residents)… I would have been the first to jump on this new ad system. If you are interested in this ad service by Microsoft, sign up for the trial. But publisher beware! If you are lucky and chosen for the ad program, do not post information on adCenter (it breaches the contract)! Feel free to comment here!
One Comment
Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course
July 19th, 2008
at 7:00pm
It’s interesting, but not surprising that Microsoft is limiting this program initially to the U.S. (where it is based), but I would hope that it would eventually go global (and I’m sure it will, based on past behavior). However, I am interested to know more about its plans for the future with this idea. Hopefully Microsoft will learn something from the testing phase and figure out how to best serve those that take part in the future. If its recent changes in partner programs, communication with customers, etc. (a great deal in reaction to problems with Vista) are any indication, hopefully it will do ample work to develop the best program it can before releasing it worldwide.