Newspaper clipping with Ads By Google

Google makes 99.99% of its revenue from online advertising. Now, Google, the kingpin of online advertising, is applying its technology and ad network to make money from ads in print publications.

What you see here are Google Adwords (Google Classifieds ?) that appeared in the December 12 edition of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper (sports section).

Since the Google ads are displayed in the sports section of the newspaper, the ads are about ticket brokers, White Sox apparel and Chicago Bears memorabilia. Google is making sure that, just like Google Adsense, the ads remain contextual in nature even in Print media.

The ads are similar to Google’s text-based AdWords advertising found on search results and include the words “Ads by Google,” at the top.

Google has earlier placed print ads in computer magazines PC Magazine and Maximum PC. Google also placed a group of ads in the November issue of Budget Living magazine. See Google Ads in PCMagazine print edition.

Inksite, which sells printer ink and toner, paid about $1,000 for a one-quarter page ad in the Sept. 6 issue of PC Magazine. By comparison, a text ad in search results for “printer toner” might cost as much as $2.25 per click. AHS Systems paid $4,000 to $5,000 for its ad to appear in PC Magazine for two months, compared with the $3,000 that a typical ad that size would likely cost in the magazine for one month.

The Google Publication Ads program would allow advertisers to purchase ad space in the papers through Google’s AdWords system. Existing Adwords publishers can use their Adwords credentials if they receive a Google Invite.

Ad buyers can choose print publications either by circulation details, demographics or keywords and then create the ad using text and graphics. The ad will then be forwarded to the publisher for approval, and when the ad runs, the user receives a proof of publication and a bill.

Update: Google Confirms Testing Ads In Sun-Times Newspaper. “We’re looking at developing new ways to provide effective, useful advertising for our advertisers, and this test is part of that continuing effort,” a Google spokesman said. Google however declined to discuss details of the test or the advertising.

A spokeswoman for Orland Park-based MPI Home Video, whose Google ad for DVD copies of the Chicago Bears “Super Bowl Shuffle” video appeared in the Sun-Times, said Google invited the company to participate free in the test because its ad, which had been on Google for the previous 15 months, had drawn a high number of hits. Their sales of the DVD increased about 50% after the print ad ran, although that figure may also have been boosted by the Bears’ successful season and a larger marketing push.

Source: Chicago Business | Google pays to run ads for its own advertisers | Google newspaper ads | More Print Ads by Google | InformationWeek | Adage.com