Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast. Episode 77: Gokul Rajaram on building AdSense and Facebook ad platforms
Jun 21, 2024
Former AdSense lead and Facebook ad products head, Gokul Rajaram, discusses challenges introducing image ads at Google, acquiring DoubleClick, differences in Google and Facebook ad strategies, AI in marketing, retail media collaborations, event networking on yachts, open web programmatic struggles, and industry impacts of company strategies and acquisitions.
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AdSense Origins
- AdSense, originally Sergey Brin and Susan Wojcicki's idea, mapped web pages to keywords.
- Gokul Rajaram joined as product manager to help bloggers monetize their content.
Content for Ads
- Early AdSense users strategically tailored content to attract high-CPC ads.
- Gokul Rajaram recalls writing about New York City tourist packages for this purpose.
AdSense Challenges
- Google's resistance to third-party pixels hindered AdSense adoption among large advertisers who needed targeting capabilities and view-through impressions.
- Publishers prioritized direct sales, relegating AdSense to remnant inventory.