Google started the monetization of blogs

With blogs becoming the next Internet advertising platform by many counts, it's interesting to look back a few years and see how it all got started. It seems that Google's AdSense platform, which rides along with its AdWords program (the text ads you see on a Google search page) was the kicker -- and I agree here.

I remember seeing Google AdSense ads and columns on blogs back in 2003, and -- as usual -- they were relevant to the content on the blog page and were unobtrusive. Being unobtrusive to the visitor/reader cannot be understated. In fact, my opinion is that this type of ad presentation is actually much more visible to the consumer than flashy, annoying and distracting graphic and flash-based ads.

But, are blogs destined to become the shifting point for traditional ad dollars as more and more customers seek non-network and non-corporate sources of information? The power of news is rapidly shifting to the people and away from larger corporate masters, as agendas and opinions are dissected by bloggers and readers alike, leaving very little ambiguity and bias in the news. This is just my opinion, but forming a set of facts from several sources is way better than relying on a few networks for news -- of any kind. Blogs are attracting readers in droves due to this and the niche audiences they recruit, which is prime for ads -- and, for Google.

Brian White has worked in various executive positions in technology and telecommunications and now focuses on editing and writing.