Remember those stories a week ago to the effect that there was a shortage of Google AdWords? (I don't think OneWebHosting will mind my linking to that illustration, especially when I link to their own ad as well.)

I noticed, on these pages and on my own newsletter's home page, that this is no longer the case. In fact, many technology terms are now going begging. I know this because Public Service Ads from Google have been appearing in both locations.

All of which gave me an idea for "gaming the system."

Simply take careful note of whether you have real ads, and what those real ads are advertising, especially if (like me) you have a site that lets you go "inside" for a second bite of the Google apple.

As I was writing this, for instance, I found that my two items on the Tour d'Lance are very popular, drawing all the ad space for the main blog page. But that interest is short-lived. Click to the inside page of the link above and you get empty space, and an ad for French hotels (which will soon be off-season).

All this is subject to change-without-notice, of course. As you read our main page, you may find other ads, or no ads. The same is true for all inside pages.

But if you're observant you will see patterns. My recent item on the Russian-British effort to crack down on hackers attacking gambling sites drew political ads against President Bush. This tells me those avails are seeking demand, they're not getting enough relevant content and thus sloshing over to other subjects.

And, of course, a blogger could game his own performance to ads, noting when content draws valuable ads alongside it and delivering more along those lines, or noticing when content draws PSAs and doing less of it.

For a blog like this we're talking beer money. But if you have a large site using AdWords, and some flexibility in content, it can mean real money.

The same is true if you're an advertiser. The same is true, in spades, if you're a Google competitor. You can learn about their algorithms, their patterns, and the types of advertisers they're drawing, just with some careful clicking.

There is no shortage of online ad space. There's just a shortage of imagination.