Google Gets Into Content Recommendation With AdSense Matched Content

Google is getting into the content recommendation mix with a new tool for AdSense publishers. Matched Content gives publishers access to the familiar style of widget that appears at the bottom articles.

Google’s version includes only internal links within a publisher’s site, for now at least. Keeping visitors on the site, of course, increases ad views and the potential for ad clicks. But it’s conceivable that Google might expand this functionality in the future to include paid links to external sites á la services such as OutBrain and Taboola or ads in the fashion of Yahoo Recommends, which includes links advertisers’ sites via native ads.

Google’s entry in this realm is a bit late, but an easy implementation and the prospect of increasing page views and ad revenue may get many AdSense publishers already using a competing content recommendation engines — or the related posts widget in WordPress — to flip the switch on Matched Content in their accounts.

Google recommends the tool for sites with long-form content that have associated images. It also recommends publishers place the unit above or below an AdSense ad unit because “Matched content units can improve the visibility and engagement rate of your ad units”.

Matched content units also have their own reporting metrics, centered around content engagement rather than revenue.