Google Adsence Ad Links

March 22, 2005
By Staff Writer Rudy DeDominicis

Google announced today it will be offering Google “Ad Links” along with its normal Google AdSense Ad Formats
An example of Ad links are below



These ads seem to target just the keyword with no copy. What kind of message is this sending to both publishers and advertisers? Is Google saying that strait text links can increase click through rates? These ads also require two clicks by a user to produce any revenue for both Google or the publisher.
At the 2005 Search Engine Strategies Conference in New York Matt Cutts from Google specifically advised webmasters to NOT purchase text links as they will only hurt your rankings. Does that exclude Ad Links?
Even though Ad Links is not a strait link there must be some empirical evidence that suggests text links receive a higher click through rate or Google wouldn’t be offering this format to its Adsence publishers.
This format could also be a way to yet again feed the demand of advertisers; the links follow to a page with a list of more defined ads. As internet usage continues to remain flat and advertising demand for adsence increases Google will need to come up with new creative ways to deliver the number of clicks that are requested. More advertisers are joining Google Adsence each day but is there enough of a search demand even with its Adsence partners to deliver?