adwords
Latest
Google starts showing rehab ads again after a lengthy ban
Google will start showing ads for addiction treatment centers again nearly a year after pulling them down in the US, now that it has vetted and verified almost 100 facilities. If you'll recall, the tech giant banned those types of ads in the US late last year following reports that some of the top results in the category lead to sketchy referral services. These referral call centers earned a ton of money for sending vulnerable people to expensive treatment facilities that aren't equipped to help them overcome their addiction. The ban went global back in January, and a few months later, Google came up with a way to vet the treatment centers that want to advertise on its ad platform.
YouTube helps advertisers target TV cord cutters
Do you watch YouTube instead of TV, rather than alongside it? Like it or not, marketers will soon have a better shot at targeting you. YouTube has revealed that it will soon give advertisers the chance to target viewers who either watch little in the way of conventional TV or watch YouTube on TV. To begin with, it's introducing an AdWords category called "light TV viewers" -- that is, cord cutters who watch most or all of their video online. In the months ahead, YouTube will also give a range of advertisers the option of targeting TV screens, not just mobile devices and PCs.
Birkenstock vs. Amazon feud extends to search typos
In 2016 Birkenstock chose to stop doing business with Amazon, citing problems with counterfeit goods on the site and shady resellers. Now, the shoe company has a court win too, where a German judge ruled that Amazon can't even buy ads on variations of the name that shoppers may mistype. Birkenstock's case is that if someone is lured to Amazon's site, they won't find its real products, just counterfeits that could damage its reputation. Will these two work things out? Amazon's spat with Google doesn't seem to be cooling off, but earlier this year it did establish a partnership with Nike addressing similar concerns.
Leak shows how EU would punish Google over Android practices
You might not have to wait until the European Union officially launches its Android antitrust case to find out how it plans to punish Google. Reuters says it has obtained a copy of the European Commission's statement of objections (aka a charge sheet), and it looks like regulators wouldn't be playing softball. They'd not only order Google to stop offering payments or discounts in return for pre-installing apps, but issue a fine that could be tied directly to that which Google values most: its search ad revenue.
'Inspirational' fashion ads sell exactly the look you're Googling
Google is changing the way it indexes fashion-related content as part of an experiment involving outfits posted by fashion bloggers. Shop the Look culls various products from outfit searches so you can purchase pieces of said outfit as seen in the photo. You'll be able to tap through the image and explore what's available in a visually similar manner to the outfit via Shopping ads.
Google slips ads into its image search results
Google is going to extra lengths to make sure that you see its shopping links. The internet firm is introducing Shopping ads to image search results -- look for pictures of a nice couch and you may see a link to buy it. Google says this is largely about enabling more on-the-spot purchases, but there's no denying that this is partly about snubbing Amazon. After all, your first instinct may be to search Amazon when you spot that must-have item; you won't have to do that after today.
Google is killing off Flash-based advertising
Google has announced that its Google Display Network and DoubleClick Digital Marketing (DCDM) platforms will begin phasing out the use of Flash ads starting June 30th. From the start of July through the end of the year, advertisers will no longer be able to upload Flash ads into AdWords or DCDM. And, starting January 2nd, 2017, any existing Flash ads will cease to function on any of Google's ad networks. This only applies to static ads, mind you. Flash-based video ads will not be affected.
Chrome will block obnoxious Flash ads starting September 1st
Back in June, Google shared the good news that the Chrome browser would soon be smart enough to "intelligently pause content that aren't central to the webpage" that you're visiting. It's a welcome change that should help to continue marginalizing the annoyance of Flash. Fortunately, that blessed new feature is ready for prime time. On the Google+ page for the company's AdWords advertising program, Google said that a Chrome update coming on September 1st would make Flash-blocking the default state for users.
Google begins injecting ads into Play Store searches
While advertising still forms the bulk of Google's revenue, the company continuously experiments with different ways of serving ads to ensure people keep spending. Even after it realized that full-screen "interstitial" placements were turning smartphone users away, the search giant still believes mobile ads are the future, so it's followed through with its intention to bring sponsored listings to the Play Store.
It's now easier to buy stuff from YouTube video ads, huzzah?
A good 99.999 percent of the time, the adverts that run before your dogs sitting on cats video are irrelevant. But every once in a while, an ad hits and you want to know more. Beginning today, Google is making that discovery process way easier. According to the official AdWords blog, the new system is called TrueView. It allows users to not only find out more about pre-roll products but also purchase them directly through the ad. And you thought drunk-buying stuff over the internet was easy enough already.
Google shows how it fights apps that insert unwanted web ads
It's bad enough when apps add unwanted toolbars and buttons in your browser, but it's especially irksome when they inject ads. It's no fun to have a technical support scam interrupt your web reading, after all. Google clearly hates this rogue software as much as you do, though, as it just outlined what it's doing to fight ad injectors. In Chrome, the company's tougher extension rules and malware blockers theoretically prevent code from inserting ads without your say-so. Google is also refining its techniques for catching bad extensions, and its AdWords policies prevent advertisers from offering shady downloads.
Google is bringing fullscreen ads to an app near you
Advertisers aren't always a fan of investing in mobile. Part of that reason is that the ads you see on phones and tablets don't command the same amount of attention that ads do on desktops. Google is working on new ad units though that could lure in the big brands, though users might find them somewhat infuriating. Of the four new designs, three are fullscreen ads and some are interstitial ads that would take over the screen at a "logical break point" while you're using an app. These ads could even include video or interactive elements, which pretty much turns them into in-app commercials. So, between levels three and four of the next Angry Birds licensing debacle title you could be watching a 20 second ad for Perdue chicken breasts. Or, you could just be blindly skipping by the ads that hijack your screen to sell paper towels, skin cream, or anything else. Update: And lest you think Google is about to single-handedly destroy the mobile app landscape, this is pretty similar to an initiative launched by Apple recently.
Google's new mobile ads help find apps that fit your daily habits
Ads for mobile apps are rarely personal; they're more often based on search keywords than your actual habits. Google is fixing this today with new ads in search and on YouTube that reflect your day-to-day app uses and purchases. If you regularly track your runs with fitness software, for instance, you may get ads offering to install a companion diet app.
Google implements local business AdWords to Maps on Android and iOS
Love 'em, ignore 'em or pay a buck to get rid of them, mobile ads are more than just a waste of space, they're almost a necessary evil. To that effect, Google Maps is populating its search results with local -- and hopefully relevant -- AdWords starting today. Let's say you're looking for a taqueria in Bushwick, Brooklyn; if you're running the latest version of the app, an ad for Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos could appear at the bottom of your screen. Tapping it brings up a card with review ratings, a call shortcut and sharing buttons. From what we've seen, it's unobtrusive and actually kind of helpful, unlike some of Mountain View's other advertising experiments. Now, about those tacos...
Google pledges to change its ways to assuage FTC anti-competitive concerns
Google's drawn the ire of the Federal Trade Commission for myriad reasons over the past year, and so the FTC began a formal investigation into those transgressions. Today, Chairman Jon Leibowitz announced that the investigation has concluded with a settlement after the FTC found several issues with the way Big G does business. Head on past the break for a full rundown of the FTC's findings.
Google runs newspaper ad for Google ads, universe has yet to implode
Google knows how to tug at your heart strings when promoting its services, but it also has the whole irony thing down pat. Last Thursday, the search giant touted the advantages of its targeted advertising in the Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail, taking out a large spread asking the delightfully smug question you see above. Lest you think Google's pitch for AdWords wasn't in earnest, the ad also appeared on the Globe's website.
Google promises 'greater transparency' for targeted ads, gives users more control over them
Chances are you've visited at least one Google site or another today, and chances are you were delivered some ads tailored just for you while you were there. Exactly how those ads got from the advertiser to you hasn't always been clear, but Google's now announced a new effort that it promises will provide "greater transparency and choice" regarding the ads you see. The most immediate change is a new "Why this ad?" link that will be displayed in search results and on Gmail -- click on it and Google provides a brief explanation of how that particular ad came to appear on your screen (based on your current search terms, your location, etc.). You'll also soon be able to access a new Ads Preference Manager, which will let you block specific advertisers or opt out of personalized ads entirely. Google says those options will be appearing "over the coming weeks," but you can get a peek at what's in store in the video after the break.
Nokia N8 launches September 30, says senior manager
Tapani Kaskinen is Nokia's Senior Comms Manager, so it's fitting that he'd be the first person from the company to communicate a solid release date for its long-awaited N8 handset. The gent in question told Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti that advance orders of the N8 will "begin shipping 30 September." Bear in mind we're chewing through a machine translation here, but that part's pretty unmistakable. It also meshes perfectly with earlier speculation surrounding Nokia purchasing Google AdWords -- that indicated a one-week exclusive starting on September 23rd for Nokia's UK online store, which, if you do the math, again points to a wide release at the end of the month. We asked Nokia about it ourselves and they're remaining mum on the matter, but chances are looking pretty good that October will start with the N8 finally in eager users' hands.
Google AdWords hit cellphones
Google is already pretty well into the mobile biz, what with an RSS reader, mobile maps, Blogger and Google News, and, of course, search -- but the company's still got plenty of other offerings left to shrink down to cellphone-size, and the latest to get that treatment is its AdWords advertising service. Though it doesn't seem to have made too much of a fuss about it, Google recently made the mobile service available to AdWords customers, who are now able place adverts in the results of Google's mobile search service, as seen here (mmmmm, Example Pizza). In addition to letting advertisers direct users to a mobile website, Google's also offering the option of a call link that'll ring up the company directly. The service was first tested in Japan in April, but has now spread out to the US, UK and Germany, with additional locations apparently in the works.[Via Slashphone]
Google ads will stream out to XM listeners
In what looks to be another accomplishment on its supposed quest for world domination, Google is expanding yet again. This time, the search-engine-turned-conglomerate is making way for AdWords customers to get their plugs into the ears of XM satellite radio listeners. In a deal between the two companies, XM will allow Google's AdWords clients to get their spots on whichever non-music XM channel they feel appropriate -- apparently not even Google had the wherewithal (or the desire) to get advertisers onto XM's "commercial free music channels." Having purchased dMarc Broadcasting for $102 million in Janurary, Google isn't a radio newcomer, and this signing provides a fairly enormous audience when combined with their plans for terrestrial radio (they're already advertising in Detroit). Google, presumably looking out for the little guys (and its profit margins), envisions satellite ads to be less expensive and more appealing to small businesses by cutting out the lengthy sales pitch typically found in plain 'ole AM / FM radio advertising. Aside from making the process of getting a commercial on the air much less painful, touting those "7 million XM subscribers" as potential buyers will likely attract a new wave of AdWords customers as well. So, what've they got their hands in now? Your Dell PC, a new internet, a vast supply of "dark fiber," WiFi in cities, and now satellites -- apparently the plan is coming together beautifully.
