Google Backs Pixazza: Earn Revenue Through Your Website's Photos

Google has committed $5.75 million in a series of funding to Pixazza, a service that looks to turn the photos on your website or blog into a new revenue stream. Publishers can visit the website and insert a line of Javascript into their site and Pixazza "product experts" will go to work. The product experts match products with images so that when a user mouses over a price tag icon on the image, a window appears with links to those, or similar products (see image below). When a user buys the product, the publisher earns a commission. Once the code is inserted into the publisher's Web page, the product links will take effect on all existing images on the website, as well as new ones.

Becuase humans are at work, the products are not limited to exact matches to the images, but similar or supporting products can be displayed. The product experts also earn commission on sales - a nice control method so that the best possible matches are featured on the images. You can apply to be a product expert on the Pixazza website.

Advertisers can apply to have their products included in Pixazza and can pay through either CPA, CPC or CPM models. For an advertiser this could be a valuable way to expand the reach of their products to thousands of outlets across the Web. Advertisers already in the mix include some big names such as Amazon, Zappos and BlueFly. But links are not limited to products. Just about anything has potential. For example, a photo of a beach might display a boat icon in the water. With a mouse-over a link to a travel package could be offered.

With Google backing, expect this technology to make in impact, both immediate and far-reaching.