Lesson 3 of 8 · 9 min read · intermediate
Related Search on Content (RSOC)
RSOC puts related search terms on an article and ads on a second-click results page. The mechanics, the referrerAdCreative and terms rules, explained.
Related Search on Content, RSOC, is the product most Google-based search arbitrage runs on today. Google's own name for it is "related search for content pages". It became available to AdSense for Search partners in early 2022, and after Google wound down parked domains it became the main route for bought traffic.
The two screens
Google's help page describes a two-stage funnel.
- Screen one: the content pageAn article carries a related search unit: a block of related search terms connected to what the article is about. No ads appear in the unit.
- The first clickThe visitor chooses a term. This is their expression of search intent.
- Screen two: the results pageThe term opens a search results page on the publisher's site, where Custom Search Ads show sponsored listings for it.
- The second clickThe visitor clicks an ad. Only now is an advertiser charged and revenue earned.
That structure is the two-click flow. Reporting follows the funnel: requests and impressions of the related search unit, clicks on terms, then ad impressions, ad clicks and revenue on the results page.
Three ways a search feed appears
A search feed lends a search engine’s advertisers to another website. Google has offered it in three main shapes. They differ in one thing: how the visitor’s interest (the search intent) is established before ads appear.
- One ad pool, three doors: A search feed lends a search engine’s advertisers to another website. Google has offered it in three main shapes. They differ in one thing: how the visitor’s interest (the search intent) is established before ads appear.
- Door 1: the visitor types a query: With AdSense for Search, a site has its own search box. The visitor types what they want and the results page carries search ads, drawn by Custom Search Ads code. Like a shop assistant answering the question you asked.
- One step from query to ad: Because the visitor wrote the query themselves, intent is clear and one ad click pays. Rules are strict about where the query came from: a query the visitor never typed or chose is not a real search.
- Door 2: the visitor reads first: With Related Search on Content, the visitor lands on an article. A labelled block suggests searches related to what the page is about. The page must have real content; the block is an add-on, not the whole page.
- Two clicks: topic, then ad: Tapping a suggested term opens a results page with ads for it; clicking an ad is what pays. This two-click flow is the format most paid-traffic arbitrage uses today, because the visitor’s own tap confirms the interest.
- Door 3: a domain with nothing on it: A parked domain is a web address with no real site. With AdSense for Domains, someone who mistyped an address or followed an old link saw a page of keyword links and ads guessed from the domain name alone.
- The door Google closed: Intent here was weakest: the visitor never asked for anything. Google Ads opted advertisers out of parked domains by default during 2025 (flipping the usual advertiser opt-out) and removed them from its search partner network on 10 February 2026.
- The clearer the intent, the safer the feed: Typed query, chosen topic, guessed topic: advertisers pay for intent, and the formats that prove it survive. That is why policy keeps pushing arbitrage toward real content and a genuine choice by the visitor.
Getting it switched on
RSOC is not self-serve. Google's help page lists the conditions: the publisher must have completed contracting for AFS, must ask its account manager to enable the feature, and must submit a mock-up of the implementation for approval. Publishers without a direct contract get RSOC through a feed provider that has one.
The parameters that matter
| Parameter | Role in RSOC | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| relatedSearchTargeting | Tells Google this unit sits on a content page | Must be "content" |
| resultsPageBaseUrl | The results page a clicked term opens | Required; the chosen term is appended to it |
| relatedSearches | How many terms to show | Below three, nothing is shown |
| terms | Terms the publisher suggests | Optional; if used, referrerAdCreative is required |
| referrerAdCreative | The text of the ad that brought the visitor | Verbatim; required for traffic from sources you control |
| rsToken | Carries the term click through to the results page | Removing it breaks funnel reporting |
Where the terms come from
By default Google generates the terms. It crawls the article, typically within about an hour according to its help page, and picks terms related to the content. Publishers may also suggest their own through the terms parameter. Google treats these as candidates: it filters them for relevance, engagement and policy, and reports back which were used. Sensitive categories are filtered automatically.
This is the lever arbitrageurs care most about, because a term such as "compare business insurance quotes" attracts dearer ads than "what is insurance". It is also where abuse happens. Suggesting terms unrelated to the article in order to attract expensive ads is keyword stuffing, and it breaches the RSOC policies.
referrerAdCreative: show Google the ad
The newest and most demanding rule concerns the ad that brought the visitor. referrerAdCreative is a field in the request where the publisher passes the wording of that upstream ad.
Google asks for precise and complete creative text, meaning a literal transcription. Its developer reference lists the title, description, body text, button text, text inside an image or video, any audio transcript, the account handle, and any other wording that appears in the creative. The field is not for organic visitors. It was already compulsory whenever the terms parameter was used; from November 2025 it applies to all sourced traffic.
The purpose is simple. Google can now compare three things: what the ad promised, what the article says, and what the search terms offer. If the ad says "free solar panels from the government" and the page offers quotes, the mismatch is visible in the request itself.
Rules for the page and the source ad
- The page must have enough original text to stand on its own, and the unit must complement the article, not dominate it.
- Placement must not mislead. The unit cannot be dressed up as navigation or as the article's content.
- Claims in the source ad must be accurate and describe what the visitor will actually find.
- Offers must be readily available on the landing page. For informational articles, Google's guidance favours wording such as "learn" or "find out".
- Promises that cannot be fulfilled are prohibited, as is basing claims on ads the publisher does not control.
Restricted access: the 2025 tightening
In 2025 Google introduced what it calls Restricted Access Features. Trade press reported that the system was announced in June and became active on 25 August 2025. Google's help page says that any ten in-scope policy violations, or a single egregious one, count as a strike, and that strikes put an account on probation, then restrict it, then remove the features for good. As reported by Domain Name Wire, restricted accounts are limited to one related search block per page and five terms per block, with reduced styling options and fewer reporting channels. Google may restore full features for partners in good standing.
Key takeaways
- RSOC shows related search terms on an article; ads appear only on the second-click results page.
- It requires an AFS contract, account-manager activation and an approved mock-up, or a provider that has these.
- Google generates terms by default; publisher-suggested terms are filtered and must be relevant.
- Since 1 November 2025 the verbatim text of the source ad must be passed in referrerAdCreative for sourced traffic.
- Accounts with repeated violations face restricted features such as fewer terms and blocks.
Questions people ask
What is RSOC in search arbitrage?
RSOC stands for Related Search on Content, Google's related search unit for content pages. A visitor reads an article, clicks a related search term, and lands on a results page showing Google search ads. Revenue is earned only when an ad on that second page is clicked. It is the main Google format used with bought social and native traffic.
What is referrerAdCreative?
referrerAdCreative is a parameter in the RSOC ad request containing the exact text of the ad that brought the visitor to the page. Since 1 November 2025 Google requires it for traffic from any source the publisher controls. It must be a literal transcription, including headline, description, button text and any words in images, video or audio.
Can I choose my own keywords in RSOC?
You can suggest them through the terms parameter, but Google decides which appear. It filters suggestions for relevance to the article, user engagement and policy compliance, and reports back which were accepted. Using the parameter also makes referrerAdCreative mandatory. Suggesting terms unrelated to the content to attract expensive ads breaches Google's policies.
What is the difference between AFS and RSOC?
AFS shows search ads on a results page after a user has searched. RSOC adds a step before it: a unit of related search terms on an article page. Clicking a term leads to an AFS results page. RSOC is therefore a feature of AFS, not a separate feed, and it needs an AFS contract.