"Revenue from AdSense for search may be offset at the end of the month by costs associated with performing searches." It's the first time I've really noticed this. Does this give Google carte blanche to reduce payouts as the 'costs associated' are never declared?
I'm pretty sure that's explained when you actually sign up. I'll try and find the link that talks about it.
I assume that for 90% of users, that statement doesn't apply to them. It's most likely a blanket statement for the occasional publisher who happens to send an insane amount of searches through their Adsense search box. I bet they do this because not ever result that shows is a paid result, and if no one ever clicks the paid results, they're throwing resources out the window.
No this has to to for the adsense search box... This has been there forever. Basically, if you put it on your site and people use it but do not produce clicks on the sponsored results then they will offset your adsense for search earnings against the cost of resources used by allowing your users to use their search box. I think this specifically applies to when people use it to search within a given site. They will only offset the money made by the adsense search and not money made from adsense in general.