Forum Moderators: martinibuster
I for one do not like that as people may click on that rather than the ad.
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In fact I have now just seen one add that had no ads but just a whole bunch of links for related searches.
Guys, I think Google is a great company, but they are in this to make a profit so don't expect them to act like Mother Theresa.
Don't talk down at us for complaining when a company starts runnings ads for their site on ours without paying for them. Sure, I don't expect Google to be Mother Theresa, but I don't expect them to be Gator either.
Please, I am not talking down to anyone. But you should read what you agree to more closely.
From the TOS:
Payment.You shall receive a payment related to the number of clicks on Ads displayed in connection with your Site(s) as specified in the FAQ. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Google shall not be liable for any payment based on............. (d) Google advertisements for its own products and/or services.
I feel compelled to add my 2 cents and say that I don't like the Related Search feature at all. I'm not removing the AdSense ads yet - going to wait and see. But my plan to continue adding them to more pages just went in the trash. Well, put on hold anyway.
Beth
I was happy with the advertising, was happy with the Ads by Google as both of these are useful for all three parties but Related Searches when my viewers weren't even searching for something is in my view completely out of order.
I regard it as something like you want to leave this **** site but you aren't interested in our ads then try our search results and find something better. I find it insulting to my site and viewers.
While I'm still reviewing the impact of this change on the behavior of the people that are already on my site, this could be a very good thing for those of us with good Google placement within the SERPS.
Here's why I think everything could balance out.
Scenario:
1. Googler does a search on 'widgets' and your site does not come up in the first page of search results due to the competitive nature of the generic search.
2. Googler visits a site that does come up on the first page of results
3. Googler sees the related search 'free widgets online' and clicks.
4. Your site comes up high in the new search results.
5. Googler clicks through to your site.
While this doesn't help the webmaster the Googler initially found, it does help the second one.
Since more people don't find me on their first search than do, this may end up putting me in front of A LOT more people.
Comments?
No offense intended.
So far, I see three camps in this issue:
A vocal camp that thinks they are being lied, deceived, and cheated by the addition of the “related searches” I think those people’s observations are wrong, and I truly believe a lot of them have not read the TOS.
A smaller and shrinking camp that thinks that Google did not do this to gain an extra benefit from the relationship at the expense of the publisher. Once again, I think they are wrong.
A pragmatic camp that understands how business operates and will keep the relationship as long as the benefits are higher than the costs. I think I belong to this camp.
When you come out and make a statement that you expect to get paid for ads that promote google, I think it was ok for me to mention that according to the TOS, they are not paid.
I also agree that I did take a condescending tone on my second post, and for that I apologize.
The related searches feature is intended solely to enhance the user experience and serve as a valuable information resource.
1) This is advertising - not a tool to "enhance user experience".
2) They are my users - who is Google to decide what will enhance their experience?
I have no problem with this on free BlogSpot sites, in which Google (Blogger) pays for the hosting. For AdSense sites, this should be opt-in (not opt-out) and they should pay a few cents per click. The claim they don't make any money from these links is insulting to webmasters - everyone knows that links = traffic = money.
I'm not looking for something good or bad out of this. I'm just going through the full excercise in what might happen.
The first reaction from everyone seemed to be to focus on the behavior and impact to people already on a webmaster's site.
While that makes sense, there is a much bigger picture here.
I think that this could open up the opportunity for people to be found more often by someone searching within their niche.
I may be biased though because I have some large sites that are found for a wide variety of searches. The position of my site within the SERPS varies greatly with the smallest change of the keyword phrase.
I think that this may end up giving me much more visibility among people searching within my niche because if they are already on another site, they've already not found me.
I can't lose by having them look again by clicking on the related search link...when they are on another site.
Since more people are on other sites than on my sites (despite how great my sites are <g>), I think I may benefit.
Again, this is basically an intellectual excercise since the impact of this change is yet to be determined.
Counterpoint? <g>
