AdSense gives publishers more ad control

Google AdSense's recently announced “Ad Review Center” is yet another feature aimed at giving publishers more control over the format and content of ads displayed on their websites.

While the filtering will only be applied to ads that are placement-targeted, it does add to Google AdSense's growing arsenal of features that allow publishers to fine tune the advertising their visitors are subjected to and to deal with unwelcome ads such as those from competitors, or with offensive images or undesirable products.

The Inside AdSense blog warns that, while there is an option to manually review ads before they are allowed to appear on a website, publishers should consider using the “auto-allow” preference because “ads don't participate in the auction while they are awaiting review, and ads that you have blocked cannot compete in the auction either”.

When a publisher blocks an ad, they are asked for the reason for their actions. This will help advertisers adjust their messages to best suit the publishers they wish to target.

Tags: Ad Review Center, AdSense, Google, placement targeting, search advertising