Google is now holding online auctions to sell ads that will appear in about 30 magazines.

Advertisers can bid on space, ranging from a quarter-page to a full-page ad, in publications such as Car and Driver and Martha Stewart Living. There is no minimum bid.

Google has been testing the placement of ads in magazines such as Budget Living and Maximum PC since last year.
Initially, it sold the space directly to advertisers, rather than pitting them against each other in an auction.

The auction was launched late Wednesday on Google’s Web site and will end Feb. 20. In a message to its advertisers, Google said the auction is open to U.S. AdWords customers, who may bid for full-, half- and quarter-page ads in various upcoming issues of the magazines. Participating titles include Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.’s (MSO) Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Kids titles, Lagardere SCA unit Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Inc.’s Ellegirl and Car and Driver, and International Data Group Inc.’s Computerworld.

Google will notify winning bidders by email by March 3. These advertisers will not be able to choose where on a page their ads appear, but they will have creative control, as long as ads conform with Google’s editorial guidelines. Google said it will not track the performance of the ads.

Posted: 02|10|06 at 10:05 am. Filed under: Auction News.