Google rolls out offerwall to support publisher revenue beyond ads

Google has officially launched Offerwall, a new feature within Google Ad Manager that allows publishers to monetise their content through multiple access options beyond traditional advertising.

Offerwall enables publishers to offer site visitors various ways to access content, including micropayments, completing surveys, watching ads, and signing up for newsletters. Publishers can also customise the tool by adding their own options, such as newsletter subscriptions or site-specific offers.

The feature follows more than a year of testing with around 1,000 publishers and is now available at no cost through Google Ad Manager. According to Google, the system uses artificial intelligence to determine the optimal time to display the Offerwall to users, although publishers can choose to set their own display thresholds.

Google is working with third-party provider Supertab for micropayment functionality. This integration allows readers to pay small amounts for temporary content access, such as 24 hours or one week. Supertab also supports subscription sign-ups and integrates directly with Ad Manager.

The Offerwall can be customised to reflect a publisher’s branding and offer various options to users. The default setting includes an ad-viewing option, which generates revenue through Google’s existing ad revenue-sharing model. Another option involves allowing users to select topics of interest, which are used for ad personalisation.

During the testing phase, Google reported an average revenue uplift of 9% for participating publishers. Ad Manager users saw revenue increases ranging from 5% to 15% when using Offerwall features. In one example, Sakal Media Group in India reportedly saw a 20% revenue boost and an increase of up to 2 million impressions within three months of implementation on its website esakal.com.

Publishers can access detailed Offerwall metrics within Google Ad Manager reports. These include estimated Offerwall revenue, number of Offerwall messages shown, engagement rates, and post-Offerwall page views.