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March 11, 2009
Google Beta Tests Interest-Based Advertising
Google is launching a beta test of "interest-based" display advertising. What that means is that Google will use information from your browser to offer up relevant ads on their partner sites and YouTube. For advertisers, the obvious benefit is (hopefully) reaching a more targeted audience, better traffic and higher conversion rates. For Google, the obvious benefit is mo' money.
Of course, the inevitable reaction to such news is "WHAT ABOUT MY PRIVACY?"
Personally, I like this type of advertising. If I'm researching cruises and an ad pops up with a deal better than the ones I've found, then that really helps me out as a consumer.
But I know there are those of you who are the opposite of me. It creeps you out that a big company like Google is checking into your browsing behavior and history. Here's what Google has to say about that, verbatim from the Official Google blog:
- Transparency - We already clearly label most of the ads provided by Google on the AdSense partner network and on YouTube. You can click on the labels to get more information about how we serve ads, and the information we use to show you ads. This year we will expand the range of ad formats and publishers that display labels that provide a way to learn more and make choices about Google's ad serving.
- Choice - We have built a tool called Ads Preferences Manager, which lets you view, delete, or add interest categories associated with your browser so that you can receive ads that are more interesting to you.
- Control - You can always opt out of the advertising cookie for the AdSense partner network here. To make sure that your opt-out decision is respected (and isn't deleted if you clear the cookies from your browser), we have designed a plug-in for your browser that maintains your opt-out choice.
What are your thoughts? Do tell in the comments.
Related Reading:
Google GeoTargeting Patents Show Influence of Language, Location
Google AdSense Releases News Widget
AdSense Publisher Sues Google - And Wins
Posted by Nathania Johnson on March 11, 2009 9:43 AM
Comments
kiran March 11, 2009 12:16 PM
This is very important step in right direction! Basically , it’s telling me that we are on the edge of a new era in advertising While Google try to catch with similar features on Facebook released a several month ago, it’s a pretty shaky for SEO and internet advertising industry.
The notion that advertisers could reach people only by responding to user submitted keywords is over.
There is something more coming up – what people are interested, what are their “interests” and lifestyles? Interests, hobbies, lifestyles – are more stable, more fundamental characteristics of human behavior, thus it could be a way to dive into this new “universe of human interest”
However list of interest in Ads Preferences Manager is very primitive and does not reflect natural diversity of interest. For example it list only 3 hobbies!
The next step will be using cross-reference of interests. Like if you are already indicated interest in X you should be also interested in Y. The only site that has a list of practically all interests and cross-reference of them is http://www.interestmatrix.com
Alex D March 11, 2009 2:18 PM
It is definitely a good solution for better targeting which comes with higher surfer satisfaction, higher conversion rates and therewith more success for advertisers, leading of course to more money for Google and the Service Providers. But now think about the hugely growing Social Media space. If you integrate that system into all the blog service providers then every blog can be provided with this solution. By doing that you would completely cut the content/blog owner out of the value chain. Meaning no more money for them... And while people like me surf through their friend`s blogs, they may not want to see the same ads on every page, just because I said I like Fitness and all of my friends have something related to fitness on there. Especially these personal sites should remain a personal thing and EVERYTHING should be chosen and setup by the content owner. - Why not letting him choose which ads to be displayed on his blog which best describe himself.
Having said that I don`t mean to hammer on googles solution - I think it`s good, but we should not forget about the smaller content owners of the Social Media.
Eagle March 12, 2009 12:49 AM
I hope that this will help publishers to earn good ROI.
Chetan March 23, 2009 12:44 AM
Looking interesting...waiting to see this.