My—how YouTube has grown. First, the site announced they will start offering downloads. Now the company says it will expand its e-commerce efforts. Apparently, Google wants to get its money’s worth.

Last fall, the site started to incorporate “click-to-buy” ads, which allowed viewers to score impulse purchases via Amazon and iTunes. Now, the company will add iTunes links in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

Apparently, the plan is working. According to MediaPost, the click-to-buy program helped boost sales of Monty Python DVDs by 23,000 percent. Is that even possible? That’s what YouTube says. The classic comedy troupe launched its own YouTube channel last November.

For now, YouTube is adding the links in the form of semi-transparent overlays at the bottom of the video. Apparently, the links don’t pop up on embedded clips. However, they are still toying with how ads will be displayed.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.