Google launches video ad program using YouTube

Google on Tuesday set out to profit from its $1.65-billion purchase of YouTube by letting websites use advertising-laced videos and then share in the revenues.

Google's "video units" program enables publishers to embed YouTube videos on their websites using a customized player and then make money from overlay text ads that fade in and out as videos play.

The move is Google's initial foray into squeezing money from YouTube, which it bought last year in a stock deal, and marks the first time the US Internet titan is serving up content along with ads.

"Nowadays, website publishers realize that getting people to visit your website is only half of the equation," Google product marketing manager Christine Lee wrote in a posting at the company's website.

"Growing your audience is important, but keeping your audience engaged and staying on your site longer is just as important, if not more so."

Ads are matched to video content and revenues are shared with website publishers as well as Google partners that provide video content, according to Lee.

Google said partners providing video content include TV Guide Broadband, Expert Village, Mondo Media, lonelygirl15, Extreme Elements, and Ford Models.

Video units are available in the US for English language websites but the program will be expanded in coming months, according to Google.