Changes in Google’s policy for its AdSense business, particularly AdSense for search, has negatively impacted the growth in clicks, Google’s chief financial officer & senior vice president Patrick Pichette informed during the Q4 2014 earnings conference call. Pichette mentioned that these policy changes have resulted in fewer clicks, but also higher Cost-Per-Clicks (CPCs). Paid clicks: Pichette mentioned that Google's global aggregate paid clicks were up 14% YoY, while aggregate CPCs were down 3% YoY. In terms of monetization by property, the Google site paid clicks were up 25% YoY and Google sites’ CPCs were down 8% YoY. For Google's network businesses (this includes AdSense, AdMob, AdExchange and DoubleClick Bid Manager among others), network paid clicks were down 11% YoY, but network CPCs were up 6% YoY. Google's monetization metrics were impacted by a number of factors, including geographic mix, device mix, property mix, foreign exchange, and the ongoing product and policy changes. Local advertising and new measurement tools: During the conference call, interim chief business officer & special advisor to the CEO Omid Kordestani said that in October last year they announced the launch of product listing ads and local store front. These products provide customers real-time information regarding products in stock in stores near them. Retailers like Macy’s and REI used this local inventory ads during the recent holiday season. Google also focused on creating new measurement tools, and recently launched estimated store visits metric to their estimated total conversations measurement suite. This will provide advertisers an estimate of the number…
