Great analysis, Jez. The deep dive on Google's Offerwall is compelling, but it triggers a strong sense of déjà vu.
Your point about tech giants offering lifelines is spot on. Nearly 20 years ago, it was Yahoo promising salvation for newspapers. Today, it's Google's Offerwall. While the tech (like Supertab) is more sophisticated, the fundamental dynamic feels familiar.
The real test isn't whether this can generate a 5-15% revenue lift in the short term, but whether it fosters long-term publisher independence. The irony is reading this alongside your other highlights: AI bots scraping content with impunity and legacy SEO becoming a "troubled new reality" as Google captures more value directly.
These tools can be useful, but they risk being a tactical distraction from the strategic imperative: building a resilient business model based on a direct, unique relationship with your audience.
Thank you, it's always rewarding to receive feedback like this. One of the U.S.' leading media consultants told me, "Interesting that it's integrated with Google Ad Manager instead of Google Publisher Center. This is not going to bode well for their monopoly case." By the same token, I've tracked this story for years, as it has been in development for that long, and I know just how much effort has gone into it - and the true passion of the people behind it. I hope it's a success...
Great analysis, Jez. The deep dive on Google's Offerwall is compelling, but it triggers a strong sense of déjà vu.
Your point about tech giants offering lifelines is spot on. Nearly 20 years ago, it was Yahoo promising salvation for newspapers. Today, it's Google's Offerwall. While the tech (like Supertab) is more sophisticated, the fundamental dynamic feels familiar.
The real test isn't whether this can generate a 5-15% revenue lift in the short term, but whether it fosters long-term publisher independence. The irony is reading this alongside your other highlights: AI bots scraping content with impunity and legacy SEO becoming a "troubled new reality" as Google captures more value directly.
These tools can be useful, but they risk being a tactical distraction from the strategic imperative: building a resilient business model based on a direct, unique relationship with your audience.
Thank you, it's always rewarding to receive feedback like this. One of the U.S.' leading media consultants told me, "Interesting that it's integrated with Google Ad Manager instead of Google Publisher Center. This is not going to bode well for their monopoly case." By the same token, I've tracked this story for years, as it has been in development for that long, and I know just how much effort has gone into it - and the true passion of the people behind it. I hope it's a success...