Google AdWords: Changes; then AdSense blocked by Microsoft

At the end of last week, Google announced changes to their AdWords/AdSense program, which would effectively put a bottleneck on the number of affiliate advertisers. However, joy of stronger AdWords compaigns was muted this week by news that a new patch for Internet Explorer blocks AdSense from being displayed.

According to the AdWords release on Friday, the new rules effectively mean that affiliates bidding to send traffic to the same URL will find themselves cancelling each other out, as only the ad with the highest AdRank will be displayed..

General users of AdWords have generally given their approval to their changes: in Google AdWords Affiliate Ad Policy Change, Aaron Wall of SEO Book fame comments on how eBay affiliates had effectively been polluting the AdWords markets, and reprints the full AdSense changes.

However, in the latest patch for Internet Explorer, Jensense reports in Highly publicized Internet Explorer fix blocks Google AdSense from displaying that the new high security settings that Internet Explorer will be set to prevent display of AdSense adverts in Internet Explorer.

It is uncertain whether this is intended as a direct attack by Microsoft on its major internet rival, but Norton anti-vorus software has also been recently found to block AdSense ads from displaying.

This latest patch could prove costly, not only to Google, but also for the large number of small webmasters who effectively pay for their hosting fees via AdSense publishing.

ADDENDUM: Widespread evidence has yet to be seen that Internet Explorer is blocking AdSense publishing. Quite possibly, the original reporter was having problems with Norton. :)