I have finally updated Smart Ads to version 2.0. Smart Ads is an intelligent advertising plugin for WordPress. It allows users to automatically insert advertisements before and after their blog posts as well as in custom locations using built in shortcodes. Why is it called “Smart”? You can configure the plugin to only display post that are a certain number of days old, a great way of rewarding regular readers while monitizing on search engine traffic. You can also limit ads based on wordcount (to avoid short posts being dominated by ads), categories, and on a post-by-post basis. You can also exclude all ads from registered members.

So whats new in version 2.0? The latest version of Smart Ads allows you to insert your ads directly into the options menu. Previously it required pasting your ad code into a seperate PHP file and even having to escape the input your self. It’s now easily managed right from your blog. Also implemented is the use of shortcodes for displaying custom ads. And finally, it is fully compatible with WordPress 2.7 and earlier (back to version 2.5).

The update was much needed as many users were experiencing problems with the latest WordPress versions. Plus, I hadn’t found time to update it since May of 2008! I’ve also added a support forum dedicated to Smart Ads for those who have any support issues. You can view the plugins official page here.