The pilot phase of Google’s Publication Ads component of AdWords has debuted online and is available currently by invitation only.
It looks like there’s more to the Google ads in print beyond the potential of their appearing in Chicago newspapers. AdJab posted a link to Google’s Publication Ads, and it looks like Google has serious designs on offline advertising.
In the past couple of months, Google has placed ads in a couple of tech magazines, each full page ad featuring a few advertisers with unique phone numbers assigned as part of their contact information. Google uses those numbers to track response rates for the ads.
The Publication Ads site describes the service further:
Use target demographics, circulation details or keywords to create a list of relevant publications. Compare each publication’s details and pricing information to select the publication that’s right for you.
Verify your ad and publication, then submit it with one click. We’ll review your ad and provide it to the publisher for their approval, and when it runs, we’ll send you proof of publication and an invoice for payment.
The creation process, adding text and images, all looks like it happens online as part of the process.
One commenter on AdJab found nothing special about the initiative:
We are not impressed. Part of what makes adwords so special is that you can start it anytime, pause it anytime, test a million and one different ads and choose the ones that work most.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
