• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 14, 2024

Google has shifted AdSense to an eCPM payment model, which is based on impressions instead of clicks. Publishers now will receive 80% of ad revenue after the platform takes its fees, whether that be Google’s buy-side or third-party platforms, rather than a fixed 68% revenue share.

The Ads liaison for Google confirmed the transition in a post on X, and pointed to more information about the transition on Google's AdSense Support page. 

"We believe our revenue share is extremely competitive," according to a post on Google's AdSense Support page. "However, revenue shares alone can be misleading, so we encourage you to also consider the total revenue generated for your site. With the vast number of advertisers competing to appear on AdSense sites, our system ensures that you're earning the most possible for every ad impression you receive."

When Google announced the move in November it said the change would provide a more uniform way of paying publishers for ad space across Google’s products and third-party platforms.

The change should not influence the type or quantity of ads publishers can display on websites, and are still required to adhere to both the AdSense policies and the Better Ads Standards that do not allow practices like pop-ups or interruptive ads that take up the majority of the screen.

Google, this year, seems to have put a higher focus and consideration to publishers and partners based on the revenue streams they create for the company.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in a blog post published last week shared that the company 

In the same post he wrote about how generative artificial intelligence (GAI) will drive another "evolution that raises critical questions" about how to express creativity.

YouTube partnerships will grow in importance. The company plans to develop entirely new ways of increasing creative expression, managing rights, and driving revenue.

Shorts average more than 70 billion daily views, Mohan wrote in the post, and the number of channels uploading Shorts has grown 50% year over year. 

But don't call them "user-generated content" creators. This group of entrepreneurs have become some of the finest storytellers.

One of the most important changes in Mohan's thinking, creators should be recognized as next-generation studios because they are “redefining the future of the entertainment industry with top-notch storytelling that can’t be dismissed as simply ‘user-generated content.’” Not just for the entertainment industry, but for world leaders. 

Last fall at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce sat down with creators, including Toby Hendy, Liah Yoo, and Humphrey Yang, to connect with their audiences. 

This year, YouTube plans to help policymakers and partners across the industry see the economic and entertainment value that creators bring. Being a creator is a full time job with an international audience, and YouTube's executives believe creators should be recognized for