In my last post, Big Brother Google Opts For Interest-Based Advertising, I talked about how Google is introducing a new form of ads, one that is supposed to target a user’s previous actions displayed while they go along their merry way visiting various sites. The way they are able to do this is by dropping cookies into people’s browsers in order to keep track of their surfing habits.
Now, whilst Google isn’t the only one to do this it has never bothered me before because I was never in the procedure. This new endeavour of theirs will now directly affect ever person who displays AdSense and I have decided, just like John Dillbeck, that I will not take part in their latest venture and so I have just opted out of their mischievous program.
I feel that if enough people take this stance then Google will have no choice but to listed to the majority and put an end to this latest money making ploy of theirs. I’ve added a poll to this post so that we can get a quick view of how the rest of you feel towards this so called Interest-Based Advertising.
Loading ...Tagged with: Interest-Based Advertising • Poll
Filed under: opinion
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
[...] I’ve just this minute decided to opt out and have started a poll to see the intentions of others towards Google’s latest escapade. Share and [...]
Good for you, Sire.
There are some things up with which we will not put – or something like that.
I think Google has taken a big step towards shooting themselves in the foot with regards to Adsense.
I just hope that you and I are not in the minority of Adsense publishers.
Thanks for bringing up the topic.
Act on your dream!
JD
John Dilbeck´s Last blog post..I will not participate in Google’s interest-based advertising
No worries John, I’ve had a bee in my bonnet ever since Google took away my PR, in the time when I thought PR was important, and I have been wary of them ever since.
I think that the main problem is not evilness but naivety. They figure out how to do something cool and then think we will all love it the same,
Or maybe they are more stupid than we think :)
ray´s Last blog post..Fixing Your RSS Feed Problems in WordPress
Google stupid? Now there is a thought. On the other hand perhaps it’s more like Google thinks that we are either stupid, greedy or both.
It may be that they are stuck in the mindset of thinking “wow, this is a really cool bit of code I’ve put together! Everyone will love this” – even if it’s a piece of code that elegantly drives a spike into your thigh.
Hopefully this is something else they will stick on the back burner after enough people disable it. They need to think beyond the MLM types and the ones who only use the blog as advertising revenue.
ray´s Last blog post..Dropping Out of the New Interest Based AdSense
I suppose that will depend on how others react to it, and it’s going to be a wait and see situation.
Not to go against the group here but is this really that big a deal? Now google will be able to better advertise content as they can target EVERYTHING I enjoy and not just the most immediate stuff I am on.
Kevon Edmonds´s Last blog post..Chasing the Dream: The Case Story
Hi Kevon, I suppose it’s all depends on how you look at it. Is it a big deal that Google places a cookie on your browser without you asking just so it can see what you are doing on line. I think that some people would be dead set against this if they knew about it, and I for one do not wish any of my blogs or sites to be used in this manner.
That’s a good point. Do you think it would be a compromise if Google made it so each user had to approve the cookie? It does seem like it should be the user’s choice as it simply improves the ads they receive.
Kevon Edmonds´s Last blog post..Chasing the Dream: The Case Story
That would be a great idea, but it would never happen as they know most users would reject it. Still, it would be nice to be asked wouldn’t it?
You’re right Sire, people would reject it.
I’m not sure how Google would be doing this with cookies, my understanding is that cookies can only track what you do on the domain that the cookie is sent from.
Javascript on the other hand……
I’m not all that sure how it works Adam, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Google found a way to tag a person and follow them no matter what site that happen to be visiting.
Do you really want google to know that much about you Kevon?
Google and there shenanigans always trying to make an extra buck and get information from any where they can. To much information is a scary thing.
Online Marketing BLog´s Last blog post..Flash the Worst SEO Mistake
It’s not just the information, it’s what they plan to do with it. I personally don’t care, but I don;t want my sites to be used to place cookies on unsuspecting visitors.
[...] of a pole I am running on WassupBlog in regards to Google’s latest ploy for making money, Interest-Based Ads! I would like everybody to go over and vote just so we can get a general feeling on how people feel [...]
Maybe I’m missing something here, but I have a hard time seeing why you wouldn’t want your readers to see ads that are matched to their interests?
I just did a very quick experiment …
I clicked on an ad for a dating site (no, I’m not looking for dates, it was just the first good example I saw), and browsed around for a few minutes.
Then I went to google, and typed in “fun”. One of the results on the first page was bored.com. They use google adsense image ads on their site. Every section I go to, the ads change, but are always somehow related to “friendship, social networking, dating, etc” … even though the catagories I’m browsing are not necessarily.
Yes, this might cause a niche publisher to have a harder time triggering a high paying keyword ad. But from a users perspective (and in case nobody is in on this “secret”, that’s ALL Google cares about .. the user), the big G is making an effort to serve up ads that they think I might find useful or interesting (and would therefore be more likely to click on) … based on the pretty relevant indicator of my recent browsing.
I’m sorry, but most website owners are NOT smarter than Google at figuring out what type of ads their readers will be most interested in clicking on, and buying from.
This is one area where I’d definitely tend to trust the experts.
Just my opinion,
Todd
Success with Todd´s Last blog post..Todd Goes To A Party
I think it’s more than having to trust the experts. Don’t be fooled into believing that they have your best interest at heart. I’m sure the whole thing is driven by how much extra they can get out of the advertiser for participating, and that will not necessarily equate to more money in your pocket, although Google will be quite happy in having you believe that.
Then there is the privacy issue, and believe me that is an issue otherwise they would not be forced into giving you an option for opting out. The other thing is that is do you want your surfing habits of any particular day to be categorized in such a manner by a third party so that any ads presented to you are what they think you want rather than what you need.
Personally I think it is largely an ethical stance that I have taken to opting out. I don’t want any of my sites to inadvertently affect those who choose to visit.
Hi Sire,
Oh I’m not fooled at all …
That’s the thing that most publishers don’t realize … Google does Not have your best interests at heart … as a matter of fact, they don’t care two licks about You.
Their loyalty is to the searcher.
Todd
Success with Todd´s Last blog post..Todd Goes To A Party
Actually I don’t believe that to be 100% accurate, but seeing as how I can’t prove it I reckon I’ll just be happy to sew the seeds of doubt.
Todd, on second thought, I don’t think that Google has any loyalty to the searcher at all other than to help lead them to sites that display ads that may tempt them to click on them thereby increasing their own income.
It kind of seems like what Facebook ads already do. Since I have recently added a cute little app about my upcoming wedding, 9 out of 10 ads I see on Facebook are wedding ads. But I’m also interested in other things – why can’t they at least send me ads covering all my interests, instead of just that. Because after I get married next month, I won’t need any of those. Considering I post more about social media, blogging and photography, it seems like I should be getting more ads about those. So I think guessing user interest may not go so well in the end.
~ Kristi
Kikolani´s Last blog post..How to Keep Your RSS Subscribers
Hey Kristi. You are right, as usual, and the thing is just because you may be visiting certain sites today, does not mean that they can base that as your total interest. After all, that particular day’s surfing may have been to complete an assignment or to help out a friend or something else completely out of the ordinary. If they really wanted a fairer approach they should make a plugin available that people could feed in their interests so that it can give a more accurate picture. The thing is I don’t think too many people will be installing that plugin and so Google goes in via the back door.
I for one would opt out for sure. I don’t like anyone spying on my interests at all.
Hi Sire
Well, this doesn’t bother me that much, I know it is happening and I know Google is not asking us about the cookie. However, I know Google does give a lot of excellent value for fee and billions of us use it daily and none of paid a dime. So if Google find a way to still give us the free services and put a little money back in there pocket. I am OK with that, Google is not a charity. I don’t have to buy anything from any Ads if I choose not to.
Thank you,
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
giovanna garcia´s Last blog post..An amazing 13 years old.
I personally think its a bad idea what Google are doing I don’t want to be categories into a class that only shows adds relating to one interest I have. The thing that makes people click on an ad is the fact that it interests them and catches their eye for whatever reason. If the same ads appear on evey site I visit because Google has said that this is my interest the chances on me ever clicking on an ad again will be drastically reduced. If i visit a page about home businesses its because that’s exactly the information I want to find out and would expect adverts relating to the topic.
No one wants to be categorized, and very few people would want it done because of someone who feels their latest surfing habits signifies their normal ‘interests’.
Hey Sire
I guess I am sort of thinking along the lines of Kevin and Giovanna. I would find it upseting if they did this secretly but we were notified of the change, so I guess that makes me feel better as we get to choose what we want to do.
And I personally do like the idea of having ads more catered to the reader, of course it maximizes the chances of the readers clicking on it so yes, Google wins, but don’t the people who have the ads win too by getting the clicks?
Evita´s Last blog post..The New Shopper’s Guide To Pesticides Is Here!
Sure, you were notified of the change, but how about your visitors/readers who have no choice in the matter. Also, although you were notified of the change the email did not give you a choice about it. I had to search to find how I could ‘opt out’. You would think they would have instead given the choice to opt in rather than the other way around. I reckon they went this way because they knew it would provide a bigger uptake of the service.
Also I would prefer them being shown ads related to my niche/blog and not something that is totally unrelated to my sites.
When I get the email from Google stating the changes, I was kind of shocked as well. Not that I hate Google Adsense but I cannot imagine myself viewing the same ads that interests me. There are times when I would like to discover new things that might interest me.
Sarah´s Last blog post..Warning: Beware of These Typos in Your Work
That is a very good point Sarah, and thanks for sharing.
As and SEO who only deals with the organic side of SEO I generally miss this kind of stuff until it comes up on another blog like this. I certainly do understand your misgiving about the option. It definitely smacks of big brother. I hope you and others can prevent this from taking off.
It will only happen if enough people opt out or otherwise let Google know of their displeasure. Unfortunately I don’t think that will happen. Still, only time will tell. Thanks for your input Boris.
Gosh, I have never used Adsense. In fact I do not think I have ever clicked on a Google Ad.
I do wonder that if it is a cookie then people like me that clear the cache several times a day would not get the same results?
But, I do think that the average ‘shopper’ likely never clears their cache.
Sheryl Loch´s Last blog post..Who’s on FaceBook?
That’s true and so the average shopper does not know what they are in for.
I think I’m fine with it. I’d much rather see ads that are relevant to me than something completely uninteresting.
Shane´s Last blog post..How to Sell a Website for $1M
Hey Shane, thanks for commenting mate. I had a whole lot to say in response but the the ‘Internet Strategist’ beat me to it. Isn’t that just like a woman?
InternetStrategist´s Last blog post..Blog Traffic Up 54.87% in the Last 30 Days: Our Proven Traffic Improvement Strategy
Hey, it’s all cool, I didn’t really have all that much to say, and you said it so well that it fit right in with the comment. Now unzip that lip and get back to leaving those quality comments of yours.
At least I hope it shows up. Anyway, I would love to have you weigh in on the URL controversy going on in the CommentLuv post in THIS comment.
InternetStrategist´s Last blog post..Blog Traffic Up 54.87% in the Last 30 Days: Our Proven Traffic Improvement Strategy
That’s a good girl, and just for that I will mosey on over and see what I can add to the discussion.
Its google’s way or the highway – they will do whatever they want. The days of a couple of friendly geeks starting the best search engine for the people are gone.
simon´s Last blog post..Currys JVC BNVF714U BATTERY now just 0.97
I think though Simon that in the long run even Google will have to bow down to the wants of the general public.
While I totally agree with opting out I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Google to listen. They don’t. Ever. They don’t have to – they’re the Google Beast.
Those who think this will accurately show ads your visitors most want to see I seriously doubt it. When I visit a site I want what is ON THAT SITE – not what someone else who used my computer searched for or something I looked up for a friend or some leap of imagination Google’s system made based on the last two or there TOTALLY UNRELATED searches I made.
P.S. End users are NOT Google’s focus: power and greed are.
InternetStrategist´s Last blog post..Making Money with Your Blog – Part 2 – Evaluating Affiliate Programs
I suppose there are some it will benefit, some it won’t, some it will annoy, and some who will never notice. I’ve not made a decision although it seems these days if Google did it it’s probably not a good idea.
Michael´s Last blog post..Blogging eBooks – The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Ah yes Michael, best to be wary rather than sorry, wouldn’t you say?
I’m not sure how they’d be doing this with cookies?
My understanding is that cookies can only track what you do on the domain that the cookies are registered on.
Javascript on the other hand…..
Someone asked about how and whether Google could follow Internet users across Web sites. There are two obvious possibilities. One is the huge number of blogs, Web sites, and online stores that use Google Analytics.
The other is their acquisition of DoubleClick. I compiled some links about the legal privacy controversy they were involved in and what has happened since then.
I was going to leave them here but didn’t know how you’d feel about a comment full of links so I put them in the comment of my own post on privacy and datamining that I will link to the main URL field of this post. I do that only because that post is too old for CommentLuv to pick up.
There is a HUGE controversy over that in my latest post. Perhaps you will all drop by and let me know what YOU think about changing the regular (non-CommentLuv) link from your main page to a specific post. I’ll leave that post as the CommentLuv selection if it will let me.
I don’t see any CommentLuv post selected right now. It is the post called Blog Traffic Up 54.87% in the Last Thirty Days; Our Proven Traffic Improvement Strategy.
Hey IS, as usual you are a wealth of information. Don’t know why but I had to resurrect this comment from the spam filter. Perhaps Google caused that
Anyway, for those of you who may be interested in IS’s article all you need do is follow this link.
Gosh, I can’t wait for the day when Google tells me what I want. Then they check my bank account and my budget (which they made for me based on artificial intelligence and neural networks trained on my income and buying patterns) for the items they’ve selected. Automatically charges my credit card and ships it to me. Who wouldn’t love that? Every day you would have something to look forward to.
Dan´s Last blog post..Major League Baseball – Keeping Track
Wow Dan, that would almost be like having another wife on your coat tails wouldn’t it?
I think Google will go forward with it regardless of the response. Until there is good competition to go against them, they have free reign. Are people going to stop using Google over this? There are other options, but none that are really appealing. Especially true for blog publishers who would have to give up feedburner, analytics, alert, gmail, and lots more to really make a point.
Gennaro´s Last blog post..Angkor Wat Through The Lens
Well as far as search engines go there are viable options such as Yahoo and MSN etc. In regards to adsense there are also many companies trying to nibble on that end of the market. I think that Google has it over other sites because they were the first and had already built up a good following. The thing they should keep in mind is the bigger they are the harder they fall.
Yeah Sire I would go for opt out too. Seriously google just makes it hard for users at times.
Ben Pei´s Last blog post..Ben Pei’s No Brainer Blog Contest
Good morning, Sire.
(I was sick most of last week, so I’ve been out of the loop and I’m just now catching up.)
I spent most of last night deleting blogs, mothballing some of them, and deleting Adsense ads on most of the ones I updated.
I have a very few sites that I’m going to continue showing Adsense ads for awhile, to see what happens.
I’m removing the Adsense ads from my affiliate marketing blogs, including my main marketing blog.
I have a couple of static sites with over a thousand pages each, and it’s going to be a real pain to remove Adsense from them, should I decide to do so. At least one of those sites needs a major overhaul, but, it’s still going to be a real pain.
While I don’t want to lose the hundreds of dollars I earn from Google by showing Adsense ads, I really don’t like the way they’re going forward with this.
As you already know, I opted out of the interest based ads, but I’m not sure that I’m ready to completely quit showing their contextual ads.
I’ll further evaluate it after they roll out the new ads to see if my sites are affected.
We’ll see how it develops.
Act on your dream!
JD
John Dilbeck´s Last blog post..I will not participate in Google’s interest-based advertising
Hi John, I hope you’re feeling better mate. In regards to Adsense, as long as you have opted out of their latest efforts to make more money, is it really necessary to remove Adsense altogether?
I’m with you on that. The contextuals are things that we’ve all opted into – by deciding which ads are shown and so on. I don’t have an issue with them as they are pretty benign. Be a shame to cut off your nose to spite your face, particularly on sites where Adsense actually does bring in money.
ray´s Last blog post..Dropping Out of the New Interest Based AdSense
Especially now that this new theme has allowed me to use adsense in such a way that I have already doubled last month’s earnings.
Good afternoon, Sire.
I’m feeling better, but not quite up to speed, again. Thanks.
Currently, I’m removing the Adsense ads from sites that make little money from them and/or consistently show ads that compete with the items I promote. In either case, I make more from affiliate marketing on those sites than I earn from Adsense, so I believe this is a good business decision.
Still, it’s also an ethical problem, too.
Google changed their their business model for Adsense ads without telling us – at least, I didn’t know about it.
I know for a fact that they never cookied browsers from DoubleClick when I first agreed to showing their ads. At some time in the past, I don’t know when, they changed what they were doing and started tracking where our visitors were browsing, using those cookies.
Even if we opt out of the interest-based ads, they are still going to cookie our visitors and require us to change our privacy policies.
These changes were made unilaterally and I’m not happy about that.
I don’t think that’s a good way to do business and I think it’s an unethical approach.
Currently, I’m only removing their ads on sites that really aren’t worth it, anyway.
However, unless they change this approach to business, I’ll probably remove their ads from all my sites.
I’m still waiting to see how they handle this, and I continue to remain very unhappy that they started tracking our visitors through their current ads.
Act on your dream!
JD
John Dilbeck´s Last blog post..Get a free marketing site at Linkscout
Hi John, you make a valid point, but unfortunately it won’t do any good as long as everybody continues to display the ads. I reckon that pulling them off your main affiliate sites is a good business approach as you don’t want the there as it may well take business away from those affiliates you are trying to approach.
I reckon that I may include a paragraph in my so called privacy policy that warns people of Googles cookie placement saga so that perhaps those who feel strongly about it can make their views known to Google.
Good morning, Sire.
You’re right. It probably won’t do any good.
As long as Google is raking in billions of dollars in advertising revenue, they’re going to do whatever they want to maximize their income.
What they pay me is a significant amount to me, but a tiny little drop in a very big bucket to them.
I’m sure they couldn’t care any less if I quit showing Adsense ads on my sites.
I know most people probably don’t agree with me, and that’s okay.
Each of us has to decide what we’ll do and then make the best of it.
The money I earned from Adsense came at a very good time, but now things have changed and it may not be the best fit for me and how I want to run my business.
Act on your dream!
JD
John Dilbeck´s Last blog post..Get a free marketing site at Linkscout
You know John, I try not to worry too much about Google. Sure I have their adsense on my blogs, but that’s about it. I don’t worry about keywords or PR and I even removed their plugin from my browsers ages ago. As far as I’m concerned we have sort of a symbiotic relationship, where they attach themselves to my blogs to try and leach what they can, and in return provide a bit of sustenance. The fact that I can terminate the relationship anytime I want puts everything in the right perspective.
Hi,
I’ve read about it recently but didn’t pay much attention.
It’s not like I’m depending on it to live :-)
Recently I started using Project Wonderful and I happy with it since although I don’t make that much, it gives me the opportunity to advertise dirty cheap.
Have a nice weekend,
José
José´s Last blog post..BMW Art Cars Installation
Luckily I’m not dependent on it for my livelihood either, but the money it brings in does pay for my hosting and stuff. Thanks for your comment Jose.
[...] a good tactic, and even Sire got into the mix by mentioning John Dilbeck in his post against Google’s new advertising policy. It’s works [...]
It sucks, but there is something which little confusing me in my adsense account guys, and you should take a look because i am sure that it will bother you as well.
We can’t opt out of interest based advertising !
we only have the right of not sharing visitor’s cookies !!!!!!!!
Yes, it’s true… i can’t turn this offfff …so wasssssuuuup ??
Then if that is all we can do that will have to be enough.