Google launches an offerwall in an attempt to reimburse website owners following a decline in visits brought on by artificial intelligence
To lessen the effect of AI-powered search features on website traffic, Google has released a new tool. The program, known as Offerwall, enables publishers to make money by providing alternatives to conventional display and advertising models. Techcrunch reports that the formal launch happened on Thursday.
Offerwall, which is free and integrated into Google Ad Manager, gives users access to content in a number of ways, including micropayments, ad viewing, surveys, and newsletter subscriptions. The business affirms that additional complementary access channels can be set up by publishers themselves.
For more than a year, the tool has been tested with 1,000 media outlets; however, aside from one example in India, Google has not disclosed any specific success stories. When Sakal Media Group implemented Offerwall on its website, esakal.com, it saw a 20% increase in revenue and up to 2 million more impressions in just three months, according to data the company shared with Techcrunch. According to Google, the average revenue increase for publishers using Offerwall during the test period was 9%.
Although publishers are free to choose their own criteria, Google also uses artificial intelligence to decide when to show the Offerwall to each visitor in order to maximize engagement and revenue. Metrics like estimated Offerwall revenue, number of messages viewed, user engagement, and subsequent traffic are all included in the reports that Ad Manager generates.
One way to access the content is to watch a brief advertisement, which includes revenue sharing using the standard Ad Manager system. In order to customize the advertisement, readers are also urged to choose subjects that interest them.
Google is looking into new ways to implement Offerwall's ideas, even though many of them—like micropayments—have been tried before with little success. For example, the company is partnering with Supertab to allow micropayments to unlock content for a limited period of time, such as 24 hours or a week. This feature, which is still in beta, also offers subscription options.