by LANWANMAN

Created on: April 25, 2009

Introduction

Before 2006, Microsoft's MSN relied on Overture (now Yahoo) as its ad revenue ally in competition with Google's AdWords program. These pay per click (PPC) ads provide a way for advertisers to target key audiences by using search engine marketing techniques.

Obviously, ads would be boring at best if not bundled within quality content. Hence, there has been a need for publishers of quality articles on a wide range of topics. In a field once dominated by freelance writers, new opportunities have opened the doors for the advent of ad revenue web sites.

Search Engine Marketing

In November 2006, Microsoft bought Canadian company DeepMetrix, a producer of web analytics software. Microsoft has used the acquired technology to produce AdCenter Analytics. In short, Microsoft seems to have an answer for every aspect of its rival technology.

With Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo as the world's search engine giants, Microsoft got a late start with Microsoft adCenter for selling PPC advertisements to advertisers. What is Microsoft's answer for quality content from publishers?

Initially named Microsoft adCenter Publishers (beta), the Microsoft pubCenter Beta program is Microsoft's challenge to Google AdSense. AdSense provides residual income for business and personal websites and blogs, ad revenue websites, and freelance writers.

Now, with Microsoft pubCenter entering the arena, opportunities for publishers to earn money online will be even greater. Moreover, despite current world economy and unemployment rates, freelance writers will enjoy increased earnings as others enter the search advertising market.

What This Means for Now

With Microsoft pubCenter (Microsoft adCenter Publisher) still in beta, the program it is not yet open to all web site owners at this time. This new offering provides text ads for display on web pages, with a wide variety of design and reporting features. "Publishers control how the ads look, evaluate their performance, and adjust settings for relevance of ads, page content, and audience" (Microsoft About adCenter Publisher Help).

Microsoft pubCenter is ideal for use on large to small websites and blogs. Publishers can sign up for adCenter Publisher and participate at no cost. Earnings occur for ads clicked or for the number of gross impressions the ads generate on the publisher's site.

Conclusions

Microsoft has always been a formidable opponent. If Microsoft does not acquire technology through acquisition, then Microsoft will develop it on its own. Microsoft seems to let other firms pave the way, taking all the risks, until Microsoft takes over all but the entire market.

As a freelance writer, I intend to follow close on the heels of Microsoft as they expand their presence into the world of search engine marketing. See me soon on MSN!

Resources

For more information about Microsoft pubCenter (Microsoft adCenter Publisher), please visit https://beta.pubcenter.microsoft.com/.

To learn more about Microsoft adCenter for advertisers, please go to https://adcenter.microsoft.com/.

See some of the great tools available on the Microsoft adCenter Labs website at: http://adlab.microsoft.com/default.aspx.

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