Google on Thursday unveiled a new product for publishers dubbed ‘Contributor’ which will let them earn a monthly fee from readers who are rather ready to pay for content than see ads.
Using Contributor, described as an “experiment in additional ways to fund the Web”, users will need to pay $1, $2 or $3 each month in exchange for getting Google-served ads removed from their favorite sites, and get them replace them with a “thank you” message or a simple grayscale pixel pattern.
“Today’s Internet is mostly funded by advertising,” Google wrote on its Contributor site.
“But what if there were a way to directly support the people who create the sites you visit each day?”
A portion of the Contributor money will go to the participating websites with Google keeping an unspecified portion. All payment information will be handled through contributor’s Google account.
“When you visit a participating website, part of your contribution goes to the creators of that site,” the search engine giant noted.
“As a reminder of your support, you’ll see a thank you message often accompanied by a pixel pattern where you might normally see an ad.”
Currently, Google is testing the beta product with ten online publishers, including The Onion, ScienceDaily, Urban Dictionary, WikiHow and Mashable.
For now, Google Contributor is available only on an invitation-only basis in the U.S.
Publishers interested in adding their website to Contributor can contact Google at contributor@google.com. Users can request for an invite as well.
