Google Unveils New Revenue Option for Web Publishers

Google really wants to save the digital publishing business. In fact, the search behemoth will roll out a new product aimed at helping struggling traditional and digital publishers to make money on their Web content. The new product, Google Customer Surveys, is being billed as an alternative revenue model for publishers weighing whether to erect paywalls on their sites.

Here’s how it works: When users visit the Web sites of partners like the New York Daily News and the Texas Tribune, they’ll find some articles partially blocked. If they want to continuing reading, they’ll have to answer a question, or microsurvey, courtesy of Google. The multiple-choice questions will be on market research, along the lines of "Which of these types of candies do you usually buy for your household?" The choices for that question include "None, Hard candies, Jellies, Licorice, Toffees." Another question: "Have you had personal experience with filing lawsuits? Please check all that apply." What’s in it for publishers? Advertisers pay Google to run the surveys, and Google pays sites 5 cents per response. For sites with a lot of traffic, that can add up to serious cash. Publishers can implement Google Customer Surveys on as many stories they’d like or in a metered, frequency-capped fashion.