Are you seeing double? In-Text Advertising by Deirdre Cavener

As many of you know by now, content is “king” when it comes to online success from the standpoint of both the readers and the search engines. The problem with online publishing today is that articles are littered with untargeted, irrelevant advertising and spread out on multiple pages - the last being my biggest pet peeve. Why does a 500-word article require 4-5 clicks in order to read it in its entirety? I am not sure how online publishing got so muddied. Maybe it originally started when scrolling was considered bad (when your mouse couldn’t scroll), but those days are long over.

Who is making the rules and why are they doing things online that make absolutely no sense? The entire system of online publishing needs a shot in the arm and must get off the bandwagon and stop grasping at straws. My philosophy is: offer great information in a clean environment and then add complementary products and services that enhance the user experience.

So what are publishers to do? Step back, think, and execute programs that actually maximize your advertising dollars!

Is in-text advertising carving out a spot in the ever-evolving field of Internet Marketing?

In-text advertising is not new, first launched in 2004, but the technology is being fine-tuned by a few industry leaders and is now appearing on websites throughout the Internet.

Distinguishing an in-text ad from a hyperlink is elementary. A hyperlink has one line under it and most in-text ads have two. When a reader places his mouse over the in-text keyword, a small window opens with a relevant ad linked to the advertiser’s website or a specific page within the site. The ads can be static or rich media forms of advertising including video, audio, flash animations, and interactive forms promoting events, products, movies, music, TV ads, music videos, and services.

The in-text ad program works by finding the occurrence of particular keywords that are of interest to their advertisers; when a match is found the program places the ad. The ad is only viewed when the user places his mouse over the keyword making this type of advertising 100% user driven.

In-text ads are monetized for Website publishers. When a reader clicks on one of the links the publisher earns revenue.

Examples of In-Text Advertising

“Replacing florescent light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs can save you money over the long run while helping the environment.”

If you were to mouse over the underlined text it would show an ad related to the keyword phrase “energy efficient light bulbs.” Unlike with banner and contextual advertising, the user has the option of whether or not to view the ad. Not only does this type of advertising clean up web pages, it can save the reader time if it is something that interests him. If the in-text advertising wasn’t there and you were interested in the keyword you would have to leave the site, go to a search engine, enter the search, and hunt for the product … very time-consuming.

Types of Websites that would benefit from In-Line Advertising

There is a lot of controversy brewing online about whether in-text advertising makes web content less credible and intrusive to readers. Is an underlined word more distracting than a display ad in the middle of an article or having to read one article on multiple pages? I think not! If a user is engaged in the content and you can offer him a “deeper” experience while saving him time, I would consider that revolutionary. As in-word companies improve their ability to target keyword advertising I see this as a viable and innovative way for publishers to monetize their sites and advertisers to promote their products and services.

Don’t abandon something new because you don’t think your readers will understand what to do. Instead take the opportunity to educate them. Remember that not so long ago the majority of the population didn’t know what a search engine was, let alone a hyperlink!

For more information on In-Text Advertising visit the following:

Are You Seeing Double?