Dive Brief: 

• Google has announced the launch of AdSense Direct, a sales tool allowing publishers to sell ads directly, marking the tech giant's first step into working with small publishers. 
• AdSense Direct is particularly useful for publishers who aren't big enough to want to deal with the complexities of DoubleClick for Publishers.
• Currently only available in the U.S., AdSense Direct allows publishers to sell directly to advertisers, whether they are on AdWords or not. 

Dive Brief: 

Even though Google is taking a 15% cut from the direct sales, in the long run, it shows that direct sales are actually more lucrative than traditional AdSense ads. It makes sense that publishers would be interested in the program. The Google name can put advertisers at ease when buying direct from small publishers, as well.