One of the sites I manage has to do with tobacco industry which is not allowed to use Adwords much like some of other popular PPC.
After Florida, the #3 site got big hit and disappeared from SERP. Tried almost everything, but only managed to get back up to about 199th.
During the Christmas season, which is break or make time for the most of e-tailers, I got little despirate. (shame on me!)
Well, found out Adwords are automated. Put one up, and it is up and running. Only downside to it was Adwords team was taking it down the next day. Even though i knew it was wrong, but felt like had no choice. Put it back up, and taken down again.
Yet over the Christmas shopping season, with less than $200 the site was able to generate more than enough sales to match the last yrs figure.
Client is happy, I guess I am too - somewhat bitter taste in my mouth.
After Austin update the site is still sitting in 3-digit position, I decided to keep the Adwords running.
And today, (2nd time Adwords team took down the ad this year) I got a nice e-mail from them. Effectively saying that if we continue to submit disapproved ads they may not run any of our ads in future.
Well, here it is.
One could say that there will not be "future" with this particular industry. But the e-mail was nice way of conforming my guilty mind.
Moral of this story?
well, I don't think I am in any position to give any moral :(
p.s.
I wonder what "We look forward to providing you with the most effective advertising available" could be?
[edited by: oilman at 8:28 pm (utc) on Feb. 10, 2004]
[edit reason] no direct email quotes please [/edit]
I live on both sides as an advertiser and a publisher and you can get in alot of doodoo with state/federal and local governments advertising T&A (Tobacco & Alcohol) anywhere there are minors and other issues.
Glad google doesn't deal with it. the liability is insane and being a publisher i wouldn't want spammed keywords of cigs on my website!
BUT...
I know several other ppc programs that wouldn't really care and are far cheaper to use... may do some research in the PPC forum and get some ideas.
MOD - if this post is better without being here, please delete it. thanks.
It's hasn't been too long since my finding of WW. But this place has grown to be a special place to me.
I thought, by posting what I posted, I would be free of this guilt feeling - sort of like the idea of going to church?
...................
I typed a few more here "in defence to what you said about T&A, etc.", but it might be better to end the whole thing here. :(