Google Tests Cost-Per-Action Ads

Search giant Google has launched another limited beta of Pay-Per-Action (PPA) advertising, a model that allows advertisers to pay for a specific consumer activity, like signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

The cost-per-action ads will appear only on the AdSense publisher network. Partner publishers are allowed to choose whether they want CPA ads to appear on their sites. Over the next few weeks, Google will begin inviting publishers and advertisers to participate.

Google first began testing Pay-Per-Action ads in June 2006. During that test, the CPA ads did not compete with regular AdSense ads. They were displayed on a different network, dubbed the Content Referral Network.

CPA ads offer publishers a lower volume-higher-cost option on their AdSense ads. While there will likely be fewer actions, the revenue realized per event will probably be greater and much greater in some cases. Publishers have a great deal of choice in the program and will know exactly how much they'll make on any given lead or action originating from their sites.

It will be interesting to see how both advertisers and publishers respond, and whether both sides embrace the program almost uniformly. Google is offering PPA in new ad inventory that complements traditional AdSense, so publishers in the near term won't lose any click revenue as they test the performance of the new program.

Update by Sunny: Well, with the CPA model Google will definitely offer a better ROI to marketers as compared to the traditional CPC model. The big question however remains that, will this model overthrow the traditional model of Paid Advertising and create a new dimension for marketers to explore better search opportunities?

Source: MediaPost