"Widget" adwords are all gone

google stopped showing them for my keywords

[cheater copperpot]

Well as of today google has stopped showing ANY (not just mine) adwords for any keyword phrases that contain the keyword "widget" I am in a pretty competitive affiliate market and counted on adwords for almost all my traffic and now Poof they are gone with no explaination. I tried emailing last nite still with no answer. Does google adwords have a phone# for customer service? anyone have any idea whats going on with this?

[Shakil]

I have noticed the same for Adwords and "Premium Listings" for 1 keyword in a VERY competitive industry.

As I am based in the UK, our local office is shut so NO answer till the morning.

Wonder what is going on here then?

Shak

[Mike_Mackin]

Just checked and not all words in that niche of that industry are gone. Very interesting.

[cheater copperpot]

Agreed.. Why remove one type but leave the others? Does google have a customer service phone number for advertisers? I have yet to find one.

[oilman]

>>Why remove one type but leave the others?

I see the product names gone but the generic terms still live.

I'm not surprise to see this in the wake of the recent FTC statements. In these industries affiliates are bidding on trademarked terms. With the FTC coming down on how these products are advertised I can imagine that the manufactures have their sheilds up and have loosed a horde of lawyers to cover their collective butts as we speak.

[cheater copperpot]

There are still some brand names left that are showing. I have no idea of this FTC crack down you are referring to, what are the details on that? Do you think this is a PERMANENT move by google? Maybe a word from GoogleGuy on ths situation?

Im sure they are losing quite a big chunk of change by not showing these ads. I know i gave them a nice sum daily and i wasnt even one of the big boys on there. I guess they are just playing it safe.

[aek]

Are you referring to a word that might start 'fent' but it doesn't?

[rcjordan]

>Do you think this is a PERMANENT move by google?

Yes. Word is that it just started in Overture too. It doesn't take much effort for the trademark lawyers to blanket the major ad engines with a C&D.

>Are you referring to a word

Let's not get into guessing the actual words, please.

[edited by: rcjordan at 9:19 pm (utc) on Nov. 20, 2002]

[Mike_Mackin]

yes aek we are talking about SOME pills.

added
rc, I see the ads on Overture.
[and we will not get specific here]

[edited by: Mike_Mackin at 9:22 pm (utc) on Nov. 20, 2002]

[rcjordan]

So, if this is a trademark issue, that only leaves the company and authorized distributors as being able to use the term in their ads. This is standard fare in the real world.

[oilman]

>> I see the ads on Overture.

yeah - but not on Yahoo - I don't think the results not showing on Yahoo is new but it's definitly tied to the same issue.

[Shakil]

I am seeing the results BACK.

Shak

[cheater copperpot]

theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere back!
yipee!

[Mike_Mackin]

Bob Dole must have called GoogleGuy.

[Shakil]

I had a long conversation with someone at Google HQ, who did some investigating and came back with the answer that NO 1 knew why this has happened.

They are back for now, but I "think" there IS something going on behind the scenes in relation to this.

Shak

[cheater copperpot]

lol Mike

[Brett_Tabke]

easy boy.

[cheater copperpot]

I also forgot to mention.. that these keyword searches WERE showing on google partner sites while they were off at google. I saw my ad on earthlink while they were down. Oh well they are all back now and I am a happy camper!