Google is offering a $100 incentive for publishers who refer advertisers to apply for its natural search advertising program, AdSense.
Publishers can earn $100 each time a user signs up for AdSense from a referral button placed on their Web sites. They also receive up to $1 each time a user installs a version of the Mozilla Firefox Web browser that includes Google's Toolbar.
“This is a feature our publishers have requested and is a natural extension of AdSense,” said Google spokesman Barry Schnitt.
Google launched a pilot referral program earlier this year, intended for a few publishers.
“However, when word got out, the response was overwhelming. This experience helped us to decide to provide this kind of option,” Schnitt said.
Meanwhile, this is not Google's first referral program for publishers. Its AdWords referral program, in beta, gives Web sites $20 for each advertiser they refer to AdWords, its paid search advertising program.
