YouTube to sell video ads on search pages

YouTube made another play to monetize its enormous online video library Wednesday, announcing it will sell sponsored video ad spaces alongside video search results. The ads will be sold in auction style, a clear example of corporate parent Google's influence on the online video powerhouse.

The new service, to be called YouTube Sponsored Videos, will be managed by Matthew Liu. "What we're trying to do is bring the best parts of Google and the best parts of YouTube together," Liu told the Los Angeles Times.

Advertisers will bid for their created online video ad to run on the results pages for certain keywords. The system will be self-service, similar to Google's AdSense platform.

Early adopters of the service claimed high click-through rates and exposure for relatively little expenditure, according to YouTube. The price of ads, since it is auction-based, should increase as advertisers clamor to get placement next to hot keywords.

The new ad format is the latest in a string of innovations for YouTube, including a click-to-buy beta and the introduction of long-form, ad-supported content on the site. The company is trying new ways to capitalize on its industry leading 5 billion-plus video streams per month. 

For more:
- see the Los Angeles Times article here 

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