Google ad targeting

Mentioned in passing in the recent Phorm thread. It seems that Google ads will now be based on the user (computer) rather than the page hosting the advert. I think this is how doubleclick target their adverts.

As an advertiser I have found the existing Google model works very well on my sites and produces far more revenue than any other ad network I've tried. This seems to me to be a massive leap in the dark and not one I particularly like. Ads that follow the subject matter of the page blend in with the rest of the site content well and get a good click through rate.

Hi,

We're writing to let you know about the upcoming launch of interest-based advertising, which will require you to review and make any necessary changes to your site's privacy policies. You'll also see some new options on your Account Settings page.

Interest-based advertising will allow advertisers to show ads based on a user's previous interactions with them, such as visits to advertiser website and also to reach users based on their interests (e.g. "sports enthusiast"). To develop interest categories, we will recognize the types of web pages users visit throughout the Google content network. As an example, if they visit a number of sports pages, we will add them to the "sports enthusiast" interest category. To learn more about your associated account settings, please visit the AdSense Help Center at http://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?t...

As a result of this announcement, your privacy policy will now need to reflect the use of interest-based advertising. Please review the information at https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py... to ensure that your site's privacy policies are up-to-date, and make any necessary changes by April 8, 2009. Because publisher sites and laws vary across countries, we're unfortunately unable to suggest specific privacy policy language.

For more information about interest-based advertising, you can also visit the Inside AdSense Blog at http://adsense.blogspot.com/2009/03/driving-monetiza...

We appreciate your participation and look forward to this upcoming enhancement.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

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Just had the email for my site, no sign of any option for me and farina1 to opt out

So what are your early thoughts on the new method of targeting?

My initial reaction is "if it ain't bust don't fix it".

The help https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py... say you can opt out but it looks like they haven't implemented the option yet.

Edited by kwikbreaks (Fri 13-Mar-09 08:32:35)

Many people didnt like DoubleClick before, so now that will transfer to Google

I may move some of my pages to not have ads, or the option for that, interesting to see which proves more popular. It does not make a fortune but pays for electricity and new PC to run it every few years (this is my personal site not tbb we are talking about here)

The only incentive I have to run my main site is the ad revenue which greatly exceeds the money it brings in from paid entries. The other sites just add a little to that revenue and would not be worth running alone.

If Google screw it up (or for that matter if Adblock plus becames widely used) I think I'll just retire from being a webmaster and shut the sites down. The same is probably true for a lot of small sites. All that will be left are the huge commercial sites and die hard hobbyist sites.

Very true, can't think of a similar programme, is there any?

Most of the other ad networks serve banners which I don't want to do. I did try some before google started up but they looked terrible and didn't bring in much revenue at all.

I presume that google have studied this carefully before introducing it so it may work but I really don't like the approach at all even if it does. Analysing my web pages is fine but I don't like the idea of them analysing my visitors.

In reply to a post by kwikbreaks:

...or for that matter if Adblock plus becames widely used

I can't see that happening anytime soon. IE is still the dominant browser.
Also I, and I hope others, turn off adblock on sites I use regularly, though it doesn't help 'hit and run' sites when I just have a quick look and then go on my way it does, hopefully, help the sites which I consider valuable to me.

It only helps if you click the ads - just displaying them pays nothing (well for google ads at least - it may be that some sponsorship type ads monitor views). I use ABP on my 3G to conserve bandwidth but don't block any at home. It's rare I click any though unless deliberately feeling generous to some site or other.

In reply to a post by Error:

I can't see that happening anytime soon. IE is still the dominant browser.

But you can block ads in IE too.