Is Adsense Killing Google?
from the flipping-it-around dept
Last Friday, the Motley Fool had an interesting article that's getting some discussion about how Google is killing the internet. The argument is basically that Google killed its own golden goose of Adwords, with its introduction of Adsense contextual advertising for other sites. Once that began, so began a huge (and ever growing) industry of creating totally bogus sites whose only purpose is to run Adsense ads and collect money. Because of this, the author feels, the internet has become so cluttered with crap, that basic things like search are no longer particularly useful. That's a bit extreme, and while the article claims Google's overwhelming position atop the search leader boards makes it impossible to "self-correct" that seems unlikely. If advertisers feel they're getting bogus clicks, they're going to start to opt-out of buying ads on content sites. The real issue is that there still hasn't been a great competitor to Adsense. However, that may be changing. Yahoo and Microsoft have been planning such competitors for ages (Yahoo's been testing one such competitor). Amazon has talked about coming up with its own Adsense competitor as well. However, it seems like the real challenge is much more likely to come not from a copycat offering, but from something that provides a different and better experience. eBay, who is increasingly competing with Google, is getting set to launch an offering that will let people put auction content directly on their site, allowing the site owners to make money from successful transactions. It's a recognition that there's more to monetization than just Adsense. However, in the meantime, with so little competition, the vicious circle of the Google search/advertising machine could be chipping into its own armor. As more bogus sites put up more Adsense, and then try to game Google, does it increasingly hurt Google not just from advertisers getting pissed off at worthless clicks, but also worsen Google's organic search results? So far, it hasn't seemed that way, but it's interesting to think that Google's own success in helping others monetize websites could cause it additional problems as well.
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Ummmmm...
I agree that there are a bunch of bogus sites out there trying to turn AdSense into $$$. However, there are also a lot of quality sites out there with no previous way to cash in on their content and AdSense provides an easy and nice way to do it.
The problem is enforcement of the TOS. Google AdSense has strict policies and guidelines. There are people out there taking advantage of AdSense and until Google ups the ante on policy enforcement, there will be webspam.
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Re: Ummmmm...
Techdirt is a website that has a lot of interesting content, adsense helps support it through ad revenue.
What it is talking about is when you google something looking for a relevant website, and all you find is page after page of websites that have no real content.. only a bunch of adsense ads.
I think that google should crack down on these bogus sites a bit more in order to preserve the quality of google and make the internet a slightly better place
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your right!
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why is it their fault
whether it be google microsoft yahoo you will always have the leaches who can't make money and will always try the easy money scam.
google cannot be responsible for other people's actions.
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eBay will be WORSE
People are parking domains with eBay affiliate garbage as well. Just like they do with the adsense ads. And it's worse because the links do not give you any information an any item, merely links you to a page on ebay where there is an item listed with the search term in the title.
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I advertise with Google and the crap ads keep pushing my ad deeper and deeper down the list. It ends up costing me more to advertise with Google because I have to increase the cost per click rate just to move my ad up the list in hope it will be seen (and then clicked).
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So that leaves only other sites anyway, Adsense or no.
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They are working fast and hard...
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No, not Ebay, please
Anyway, great post, and quie an interesting take at GoogleAds.
Cheers
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Wasn't there a study on these lines?
Anyway, the study was done by tracking eyeball movements and mouse clicks and the survey found that there was a disctinct F-shaped pattern in the eyeball movements and the clicks.
The result was that Organic Searches were more trusted by the users and the Sponsored listings were almost ignored. Well actually, the sponsored listings received as much attention as the 10th listed organic Result.
My take on the entire thing? Well, if the sponsored listing gets only as many clicks as a #10 organic search result. Why pay for the listing then? Surely, one can manage a #10 on the Organics?
Maybe my theory is flawed, maybe there's a huge glitch in my reasoning. But in my defense I'll say that I don't usually click the Sponsored listings. I'd rather check the #10... But then, may be I am stupid.
Regards,
Shri.
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AdSense and AdSense Spam
As long as these no-content sites are indexed undetected they will thrive.
Cracking down on them is in the interest of everyone (ok - maybe not in that of the perspective SpamSite owners) but I sure hope that the bots of all major search engines will become a bit smarter to eliminate this annoyance.
So will AdSense kill Google? Naaah - as long as other SE's are fooled by Spamsites I don't see that happen.
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Re: Wasn't there a study on these lines?
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Most people don't, but enough do to make it worthwhile for compaines to advertise.
Google really needs to review and change some policies on what constitutes acceptable page content for AdWords. An organic search listing that goes to a page full of Adwords ads and other crap doesn't do anybody other than the page owner any good.
As an AdWords buyer I bailed out on the content network a long time ago. Too many low quality clicks and just not worth the grief.
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People still see ads on the web?
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RE: AdSense and AdSense Spam
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'report bad link'?
naturally only the spam pages high enough to get page views are thus 'rated' thus the rubbish no one sees anyway is ignored cutting the work load down.
oh yes and some sort of system whereby a page that has recently been 'human reviewed' after being highlighted is immune for a while would be helpful to cut work down even more.
to help cut out spam bots 'reporting' each other to clog the system up you get a 'report page' asking why your reporting the site (the code behind which changes every few days, with a broadly similar appearence to fool bots). e.g. you can report whats wrong with the page.
the first search engine to crack the 'rubbish pages/spam pages' problem will do well.
i.e. a way to filter out pages of links, and other rubbish unless you want to see them.
also allows you to specifically *include* such link lists in your search etc.
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it does hurt search
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The notion that splashing billboards all across the Internet was inevitable seems to me to have shown a lack of imagination.
It might help to remind each other that there was a time when there were no advertisements on the Internet.
Are great technical advancements, such as myspace, worth the overarching sadness of having every single location on the web now befouled with sales pitches?
It didn't have to happen this way.
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The Value of both.
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Google and China
Freedom? Chinese are freer than us in some respects. Have you heard of the movie fearless or New Police Story? Did they come out in the theatres where you live? Talk about censorship.
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This problem is getting much bigger
http://www.socialpatterns.com/google/adwords-adsense-arbitrage-video/
I've landed on some of these pages before. Specifically, I remember landing on a site that proclaimed to be an "automotive" specialty search engine. Interestingly enough, entering in keywords for "pizza" and "sex" in that same automotive search engine yielded reulsts as well. So it's a generic ad-serving engine, which has several different faceplates that they snap onto it, based on the domain names they've registered.
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RE: Pope Ratzo
You are absolutely right, it could have been much worse. Thing is, with broadband just now starting to become mainstream there was not was to deliver the interactive type ads. Now that broadband is getting widespread we should end up seeing new ad types and such. The other main reason ads are billboards is because it is a tried and proven method. Works on highways, in magazines, on TV, etc. So why try something new that would take research, money, and time when you can just put up a billboard on your site and start making money?
I would say the one who comes up with the next great advertising scheme will be the one who wins the spam wars problem.
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You'd think..
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I dont get it
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ARE YOU CRAZY?
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For whatever reason, Google search results have become less useful. Google is turning from a library or education kind of search engine into a commercial or storefront search engine.
I have been using the internet since from when it first really began to take off. Google was great for finding all kinds of unique things. About 3 or 4 years ago I noticed the search results were starting to get cluttered. I did not get the satisfaction from searching that I did before.
Now, I can search for an explicet 3 word term and the first reply at the top of the search is some commercail ad that contains one of the 3 search words. I might have to go to page 2 or 3 before I find a match to all 3 search words.
What the heck is that all about? Before, if you keyed in 3 search words in Google, the first reply contained all 3 keywords and was probably exactly what you wanted.
Using Google now is like going to the library, then having to force you way thru a crowd of people offering things you do not want until you finally make it to the doors of the library to where the information you really want is kept.
I can only see it getting worse in the future.
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Re: Wasn't there a study on these lines?
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Ad Block
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2.) Place AdSense ads on that search page.
3.) Profit.
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Re:
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ads
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I agree - Google is not as useful anymore
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Re: Ummmmm...
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info
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any code search gives classic splog results
all the splog site does is go scrape content from a user forum, then re-serve that content but with oodles of adwords around it, and the more people click on the link to browse the splog the more the link rises in the search result, its a rigged game unless u know ahead of time what is/is-not a splog.
also the splog will not retain the structure of the forum post in terms of previous/next posts or topic so u only get snippets of a forum out of its orig. context, which is useless but serves the adwords game quite well.
the answer of course is to use a better search engine for what u want, like for code searches use:
http://beta.krugle.com/
(dumbazzes had to copy the google vowels!)
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Out of about a dozen sites, not a single one has had their account terminated or suspended.
It's pretty clear that the ad networks don't really give a crap.
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Re: Opting Out of Content Network
Google's response to my inquiry about the surges and the suggestion of fraud was "prove it or pay". In response, I stopped all advertising at AdSense sites.
Until G can improve its fraud detection, it's probably limiting its AdWord revenues, but I don't see that they have hurt the organic search results.
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Us too
But it doesn't touch search or click ads on google itself so no effect there.
thanks - dave
ps - if you are on digg please vote for free screenwriting software
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How to report spam to google
Just go to:
http://www.google.com/contact/spamreport.html
The best way to combat Adsense "spam" - those bogus sites with zero content and just ads, it to click on the 'Ads by Google' link, you will be shown a page about Adsense. Click on "Send Google your thoughts on the ads you just saw" then select "Report a violation"
I know its a bit long winded, but at least you can bring the site to google's attention.
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Bloggerkit profiled at Techcrunch
"BloggerKit asks for your Amazon affiliate ID and provides a few lines of javascript code to paste into your template. Each post can then be ended with keywords that will determine which Amazon products appear beside it. Keywords are inserted using something like the following: “bk_keywords:canon camera, apple ipod.” Couldn’t be much simpler"
Bloggerkit.com
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This is only true for some keywords
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ads are not the problem
The web has grown to a point where it is now about finding quality content versus finding content period. These days when every person and his dog can do a website for pennies, it makes it easy to game a search engine - after all the world revolves around capitalism. My god if people could open a restaurant for the price of a website there would be dozens cooking up shitfood on every block.
I personally can't find crap for a search because Google for one has so many damn rules and penalties for a website to follow (which are not disclosed of course) that only hardcore gamers and spammers can figure out out to get high rankings. So the good content gets buried. It is a flawed algo. Google's PR is also flawed because its monopolistic. This is why amazon, ebay and bizrate come up for all product searches. To be honest, Googles algo actually caters to large corps and spammers.
Google has fed the machine that encourages low quality content and low-quality website design. Google has so many conficts of interest going on, its a wonder they have any credibility at all. They make money from ads, so why would they care about publisher quality - as long as the ads are relevant? If a adsense site comes up high on search results is it there because it is relevant or because Google can make more money? And the biggest problem - do poor search results encourage people to click on the relevant ads? If so, then poor results are profitable - and to hell with providing websites with a free ride with organic results.
Another issue is every country in the world targets the USA for making money online, so a majority of these fluff sites with adsense are made in other countries where a small revenue to US standards is much more in the other country. I can bet that these issues discussed here barely exist in other country search results.
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better filtering
a browser ad on that looks at the current page and then 'evaluates' the links on it, maybe highlighting the 'good' ones could work. yes its not exactly going to be fast, but combine it with a degreee of local results caching. result?
run it on your google search results page... and with luck you'll get back a 'filtered' list with the crap links marked in some way as 'spam', where 'spam' basically means "a site i'm not interested in".
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Re: Ummmmm...
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I hate google and adsense, i've had nothing but problems.
Read here:
http://site.sc0rian.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1150187836&archive=&sta rt_from=&ucat=1&
Ben
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back to yahoo
1) The company that one of my friends works for banned employees from using google for internet searches (not just the desktop, but any online stuff) because google's terms allow them to monitor the searches from particular servers (e.g. IBM corporate offices) and then mine this information for internal google purposes. Apparently, companies are becoming concerned that google could be using their employees search information to help google compete against other companies. That scared me enough to stop using them for personal stuff too.
2) Google's results have become so poor for most things that the sponsored links are the only way to find what you need most of the time. I'm not sure if this is because the scammers are faster than Google or because Google is allowing this on purpose because it helps their bottom line. Either way, I'm using yahoo and msn now.
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Re: why is it their fault
I think as the engines get smarter it'll gradually weed this crap out, though.
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Re: How to report spam to google
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Well...
Think that's bad? On MSN search, it isn't even on the first page! I crawled through 14 pages of search results, and it was nowhere to be found. THAT's even sadder.
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What's wrong ?
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Re: How to report spam to google
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Re: How to report spam to google
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Re: Wake up moron
If you shop at Best Buy you also support that mentality.
If you buy groceries you also support that mentality.
If you typed this on a keyboard you also support that mentality.
Everywhere you look there are Chinese good in the US. Don't think for a minute that anyone in the supply chain that got it to your local store is standing up for anyone in China. All the supplier wants is low cost labor at any cost.
Go ahead and boycott Google for developing a filter... me personally, I'm just gonig to buy more Google stocks.
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Yes Adsence killing Google
It can’t get worse, Google has lost all its moral value and this will in long term affect their stock price. But the top three scammers who run Google have already sold billions and billions of dollars in GOOG shares, so they couldn't care less what happens to the company anymore.
Dancing on the door of hell is Google, how long will the investors be deceived, how far will Google run on its luck. The fatal collapse is a certainty and is very near.
All these things i have seen at organicspam.com.This website is cool as well as good....:)
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Adwords content network value = 0
What I used to see is I had to pay the same amount for the content network (Adsense) as I did for those terms I was bidding on in Adwords. I saw a very low conversion rate with the content network and dropped advertising for the content network.
Then, Google made a change that allowed an advertiser to define the price they were willing to pay on the content network, as low as a penny (rather than the usual 5 cent minimum).
Google knows what is going and as long as people are willing to pay anything at all for their ads to show up on the content network, they'll keep it in place.
Maybe we'll begin to see Google offering 2 for 1's or 10 for one's - 10 clicks for a penny: Then Adsense and content network advertising will be driven into the ground and dropped?
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Killing Search Relavance For Sure!
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SEARCH RESULTS AND YOU NEVER GET GOOD RESULTS ANY MORE JUST LINKS TO EBAY SELLERS (seems they are affilates)
anyway i added the below to my host file so my browser wont take me to the dumb fake results that i have found so far but likely to be a ton more :(
127.0.0.1 http://www.221loan.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.accrete.net/
127.0.0.1 http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.agreatserver.com/
127.0.0.1 http://alliekeaton.net/
127.0.0.1 http://www.amt-uk.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.boston-labs.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.calypsoemail.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.cbwd.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.ecomputerfair.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.file-rescue.com
127.0.0.1 http://www.icomputerfair.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.inlandonline.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.jouhoo.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.ramostechnologies.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.mrgauto.com/
127.0.0.1 http://www.notwar.net/
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The death of Adsense
are struggling with AdSense, and why so many "Gurus"
are still pushing making money with AdSense courses,
even though all the profit has been sucked out of the program!
I'm mad as hell!
The good news is, this report outlines
a far better way to make income online.
I only wish I had know about this last year. I wouldn't
have wasted so much time, money, and effort, trying
to win at a game that shouldn't even be played!
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Do it quick though, the author is pulling the information
soon, I think you'll see why!
Go here:
http://www.thedeathofadsense.com
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-
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Who cares about Google!
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Google Adsense is really good
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Re: You don't know China
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