The ability to search for ads is being rolled out to the Ad Review Center, part of the new AdSense interface. Right now, only a small set of publishers have access, but Google says they’re working on extending it to more as additional publishers are invited to test the new interface.

Publishers will be able to search for ads a variety of ways including:

• keyword
• display URL
• destination URL
• placement targeted to their site
• AdSense for mobile
• AdSense for feeds

Publishers will then be able to filter their search by allowed, blocked and new ads.  Read more... (119 words, estimated 29 secs reading time)

Google is attempting to appease paid content providers with a couple of new updates to news search features.

First up, they’ve added restrictions to the First Click Free program. This has allowed publishers of paid content sites to let users gain access to an article without shelling out a dime. Google is only allowing users 5 free accesses per day. Previously, it was easy to game the system and access a bunch of pages on a site without paying. (Call me crazy, but individual organizations don’t own the news. Can’t access something on Wall Street Journal? Fine, I’ll visit some other financial news site.)  Read more... (193 words, estimated 46 secs reading time)

Google AdSense has launched a new interface that is currently in beta testing. But they’re giving a glimpse of it over on the Inside AdSense blog.

Here’s what to expect:

• More detailed performance reports
• View daily stats as graphs
• New metrics including amount you’ve earned from various ad, targeting and bid types
• Enhanced Ad Review Center
• Streamlining common tasks. For example, changing several ad units simultaneously

Here’s a screenshot, per the AdSense blog:

Google has released updates to Friend Connect that will help the tool be more, um, friendly to both web developers and their site visitors. They’re using the interests that users note in their profiles to help deliver a more personalized experience.

Custom newsletters – Friend Connect now offers newsletters. You can select to send them to your entire Friend Connect audience – or send newsletters according to interest.

Google Ads – If you have AdSense on your site, Google Friend Connect will now use the interests of a Friend Connect visitor to help serve up more relevant ads.  Read more... (138 words, estimated 33 secs reading time)

Click Forensics is enhancing their audience quality measurement platform with real-time capabilities. Now, online publishers and ad networks can identify good and bad advertising traffic in real-time.

“In its simplest form, our real-time audience quality tracking capabilities make it possible for publishers and ad networks to immediately block bad site visitors from seeing ads, and show the right ads to the real buyers,” said Paul Pellman, CEO of Click Forensics. “This instantaneous audience quality determination is an important step in transforming the results that search, display and social ad providers deliver to their clients.”  Read more... (182 words, estimated 44 secs reading time)

Local search site CitySquares has rolled out new local feeds for online publishers. This is a great feature to place on your site if you have a local blog, newspaper or community site.

With the local feed, you can do things like list local restaurants on your website. The feed is free. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to CitySquares.com and type in your city.
2. Look for the categories listed on the results page.
3. Click on a category you’re interested in
4. Click “Get this feed” at the top right corner in the results column.
5. Plug the feed into any widget platform (or build something yourself, web developer).  Read more... (142 words, estimated 34 secs reading time)

A week ago, ClickZ’s Zachary Rodgers broke the news that Google would soon launch its new online advertising exchange. That news is now official.

Google is boasting that its DoubleClick Ad Exchange will be a time-efficient way for publishers and advertisers to get their respective jobs done with regards to online display advertising. Publishers will make available unsold inventory and advertisers will bid in real-time. Google handles all the billing and payments.

Google says it has three primary objectives with the ad exchange:

1. Simplify the system for buying and selling display ads.
2. Deliver better performance that advertisers and agencies can measure.
3. Open up the ecosystem  Read more... (263 words, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)