Yesterday when I was posting this question: A question on implementing the "Search box" (since I didn't get a straight-forward answer here on DP forums) ... on Google Groups - AdSense Help - AdSense Basics, I came across this topic: Is AdSense Search Worth It? What About Hidden Fees?. If you're not a member of this particular group, here below is the quoted text. So is this true, i.e. that the revenue is offset at the end of the month ?? I must confess that I am not even totally sure what this means; however, I suspect that it has something to do with loosing your earnings if they are not above certain level ... tayiper
I think this may happen if all your visitors use the search box for plain search and no-one clicks on the paid ads at all.. in that google you are using google resources and google is not getting anything out of it.. but if you are earning something (means google is also earning) then there is no problem. I am using it from the start, but never had any "so called offset" at the end of any month. If any one else had it, please share.
If your users use your search engine to do a lot of searches, Google has the right to start charging you for those searches. I've never heard of this even happening, because no one uses those Google searches nearly enough for them to start charging. Is that a "straight-forward" enough answer for you?
I guess thats a method to stop any site from trying to look like being a google search engine. Is that a possiblitly?
I'd be curios to know how they calculate the cost of performing a search. Total searches across all sites including their / total capital and operating expenses = cost per search? $0.00001 / search ?
Bottom line is that Google will only deduct money for searches from the money you've earned from the searches, and doesn't charge more than what you currently have in your searches account (if they charge at all).