Google is testing out a metered ad wall for publishers

This is a pretty nifty idea, one that Salon actually pioneered in the early 2000s. What if instead of hitting a paywall, you were given the option of watching a 30-second ad before accessing content. This is the sort of engagement that an advertising brand would pay a premium for:

The Rewarded Ad Gate will serve up to a visitor on their fifth page view of each month. If the visitor chooses to view a short ad, a video or image ad will play for 30 seconds or less.

A “Thank you” message will appear after the ad completes. The visitor then gains access to the site after the message plays.

If the user chooses not to view a short ad, they won’t be able to access the site until their page views reset the following month or they choose to view the ad.