Google's popular AdSense advertising service is now being opened up to Bloggers, as well as main stream websites. Announced via Blogger (a Google subsidiary), Bloggers will now be able to gain revenue from their online web logs.
AdSense has been a major stream of revenue for Google. Offering non-intrusive text (and now image) based adverts, content publishers (like this site) have found them more preferable to more traditional forms of adverts. Previously, the service had been limited specifically to non-blog sites. Although launched via Blogger, the service will not be limited to blogs at Blogger.com - Google will be offering the service to all.
The blog post announcing the launch gave a clear warning to would be fraudsters. "Have you ever seen those signs people post near swimming pools to prevent a few misbehaving kids from messing up everyone's fun? Yeah, well we're putting up a sign too: "Welcome To BlogSense, No Fraud Please... We want everyone to have a fair shot at blogging for dollars."
Opening the service up to bloggers is a smart move for Google. Primarily because it'll give AdSense much more clout; first, because they are the first to do this, and second, because of the massive potential increase in advertising space Google will be able command. However, Google will have to content with some serious issues. Most critically, the massive potential for abuse. They'll have to work a lot harder than before to keep fraudsters from being rewarded by the system. Google have laid down some clear rules that they expect bloggers to follow if they want to stay on the AdSense (BlogSense?) program. Whether they'll be successful is open to speculation.
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