When content publishers think of Google and advertising, they almost always automatically thinking of AdSense for content.  You know… the little contextual advertisements slathered across millions of webpages?  To raise awareness of another AdSense option, and to announce two developments related to the program, the Inside AdSense blog has posted information about the AdSense referral program.

The referral program allows you put buttons and links to products on your site while earning money each time you refer someone to the service or download.

The Inside AdSense blog post covers the creation of a new tips page that gives ideas and suggestions for maximizing your AdSense referral program as well as a case study demonstrating how one website has used the referral program to generate upwards of 50% of its AdSense dollars.  The website, GrownUpGeek.com, has integrated the referral buttons into the actual content of the website.  Instead of treating the referral links as advertising, GrownUpGeek has created a website that endorses the products in the program and offers the ability to download them as a service.

This is really a smart approach.  Some people don't like clicking on ads.  But the way GrownUpGeek has done it, you don't feel like you're clicking on ads.  You feel like you're taking advantage of a service the website offers.  This approach isn't restricted to just AdSense referral products, though.  You could do the same thing with any number of referral and advertising services.