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September 28, 2007

YouTube Video Units


Google tested last year a way to embed videos from different content providers and monetize them with video ads (only MTV participated in this test). Basically, you had a video channel that displayed a playlist selected by the content provider. The playlist was changed every three to seven days and it was an opportunity to deliver premium content that keeps your visitors on your site more.

Google wants to use a similar idea for YouTube. The new YouTube video units will let you create a video channel related to your site's content a monetize it with text or image ads. It's not clear what kind of videos you'll be able to add, but it's likely the videos will be from YouTube's content partners. Music labels and other important content owners already had a special YouTube interface that included AdSense ads, but they didn't allow to embed their videos because they didn't gain revenue from the embedded players (or at least not directly).

"[Relevant, premium content] Deliver high quality video content to your site. Choose categories or have Google target your site content, and decide which categories you want to exclude.

[Targeted, non-intrusive ads] Earn revenue from ads targeted to your site content and to the videos being played. Ads appear as part of the YouTube player and outside of the video content to ensure a smooth user experience."

The new video units are an extensions of the custom players, so they're customizable and look better than the standard YouTube player. The option to create a video unit is not yet available for everyone, but you should be able to see it when you generate the code for a custom player.

{ spotted by ProBlogger }

Update (October 9th): The feature is now live in the US. Video content comes from some small YouTube partners, including: TV Guide Broadband, Expert Village, Mondo Media, lonelygirl15, Extreme Elements, and Ford Models, but Google hopes to add bigger names in the future. "There are three ways to choose video content:

* Selecting individual content providers, YouTube partners who have chosen to distribute their videos to publisher websites along with targeted ads
* Selecting content categories, topics and themes of video content you'd like to show on your site
* Automatic targeting, in which the video content you display will be automatically targeted to the content of your site. You can assist the targeting by providing relevant keywords. (...)

Video units may display two types of ads: text overlay ads, which are displayed in the bottom 20% of the video as it plays, and companion ads, which appear above the video content within the player. The ads displayed can be either contextually targeted or site-targeted, and may be paid on either a cost-per-click or cost-per-thousand impressions basis."

11 comments:

  1. "You must first associate your account with adsense"

    How can I do this ? (I don't want to create a new AdSense account)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I see the same message. I suppose YouTube will add this option in your account's settings. This feature wasn't announced and it's probably not ready for prime time.

    You're not allowed to have more than one AdSense account, so you shouldn't create a new one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know, that's the main reason why I didn't want to create a new one actually :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think we need a little 'how to' on the whole Youtube-adsense shebang.

    How about someone knowledgeable jotting down a point-list for activation and such needed to gain revenue from youtube adsense?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, if "someone knowledgeable" finds the page that links your YouTube account with your AdSense account, please post it. Until then, this is just a piece from an unreleased feature.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think they are going to announce this option in adsense and then have a link from youtube point to it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. To set it up and start earning $$, go into your Google AdSense account (if you have one), click on the tab for AdSense Setup and then scroll down to Video units. "Get great video content from YouTube for your site and earn extra revenue along the way"

    ReplyDelete
  8. Does anyone have real data around the increased revenues for videos compared to general adsense units?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. Check out my channel & Post a comment! Subscribe if you like it!
    Go 2 www.youtube.com/user/itsjeffreyshow

    ReplyDelete
  10. im form malaysia.. why my adsense dont hav video unit for youtube partners ?

    ReplyDelete

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