Search Engine Journal

Google AdWords API to be Released to AdWords Advertisers

This might be one of the biggest announcements for the PPC community in a while. SiliconValleyWatcher.com reports that Google [is] to provide AdWords API to Advertisers. The report discusses that this will probably only be available to larger advertisers at first, as well as 3rd party companies (none named in report) such as Did-It and Atlas One Point.

What this will allow is the greater flexibility in managing ones AdWords campaigns, allowing advertisers to write very customized applications to control an infinite number of possibilities with price fluctuations. The possibilities are endless with this, competition, creativity, technological wits and PPC smarts will all come into play. It should make for an interesting future for the PPC industry.

The Silicon Valley Watch reports:

For the first time, the search giant will provide its advertisers with an application programming interface (API), which will enable them to link their computer systems with Google and control parts of the mammoth Google ad delivery system. The API will allow advertisers to self-administer the delivery, the timing and the price they will pay for their text ads.

This raises the bar in the online advertising market as Google turns to technology to try and outwit and pull ahead of media savvy competitors such as Kanoodle and others. Kanoodle says its average click-through revenue is twice as much as that of Google’s because it gives online publishers greater control over what types of advertising is displayed, at which times, and is better matched to page content or search terms.

The release of the API marks a transition for Google, from an online services company towards that of an IT platform for global ad delivery. The types of sophisticated management tools that will be available from Google and third parties should also help tie advertisers into its ad network.

It is but a short step from the global delivery of simple text ads to carrying commercial transactions also. This would pitch it against companies such as eBay and other online retailers.

I posted a thread on this topic at Search Engine Watch Forums and it is also being discussed ThreadWatch.