Amusing AdSense Targeting

Sad story - but at least the AdSense raises a smile

[7_Driver]

I'm a huge fan of AdSense - this isn't intended as a serious criticism - but it made me smile:

Reading a story about a private jet crashing on landing - sadly killing all 3 on board:

[sfgate.com...]

Right now, one of the Google Ads showing on this page is:

---------------------------------
"Flying without Fear"
Best selling book by a BA pilot
An easy no nonsense helpful book
url-here-which-ive-removed.com
---------------------------------

:-)

[MikeNoLastName]

We had an even better one. We had a perfectly legitimate critical review of a very popular ladies oriented male-stripper show complete with well censored photos. Apparently the G algorithm decided there was something 'undesirable' about the page and sent only PSAs. The ad which kept coming up the most and had us rolling for days was a PSA for some sort of: "teachers 'Hands-on' learning program" <lol>

We contacted G and they quickly reviewed the page and soon started posting 'more appropriate' paid ads.

[wonderboy]

Why did it have you rolling for days?

Google have never made me laugh =( At least their ads are targeted for me I guess =)

W.

[reloguy]

We had a page about schools in Lexington, KY.

Got ads for K-Y Jelly.

[Macro]

The best I can offer is double glazing ads on a page about Windows XP Home.

[ajsinclair]

I run a message board and my users have had some discussions on the topic of message board trolls. The Adsense ads are for "Authentic Norway Trolls". I think that's pretty funny - but the K.Y. Jelly is even better.

[MikeNoLastName]

Suddenly seeing dumplicate affiliate ads for ebay on our packaged FOOD products pages which say:

'Great deals on new and used items search for [food product] now.'

and

'Brand new and used. No bidding. Buy [food product] at ebay.'

Eeww! Sorry don't think ANYONE is going to want any USED [food product] anytime soon. They're outta there!

[annej]

I just wish there was a way to explain to Google that a page on log cabin quilts won't sell log cabins. And I KNOW the visitors to that page aren't in the least bit interested in compost toilets for log cabins!

[dmedia]

Have some politically oriented sites .. some on GWB

One page in particular has an icon image of GWB with Adsense in the col underneath. - (The entire page is about GWB)

Always seems to serve up the untargeted "literacy Cambodia - help educate children" PSA.

When I see it serendiptous juxtoposition .. I think of the Bushism .. "is our children learning?" ..

Never fails to crack me up ..

(and that's it for my PDP .. Public Display of Politics!)

[HarryM]

I have a page which is a film review. Lot's of text, but I made the mistaked of mentioning the words 'foot' and 'bunion'. Of course all the ads were for chiropody.

On a serious note I do think some of the strange ads that appear are helpful. At least it indicates what Google thinks your page is really about.

[Vlad]

I had a page regarding the historical old factories in our hometown and how the town grew up because of the Industrial Revolution, and I got an ad for "Buy Industrial Toilets Here." Hellofa town!

[creepychris]

Hmm. Maybe it would be nice if Google could give you the option of declaring 'theme' ad instead of keyword ads.I am not saying we should get to choose the theme but instead, Google could find the theme of our sites and let us use that as an option when targeting appears off.

One site I have is a lesson plan site. The keywords of the lesson topic often get picked up, when in actual fact ads related to the theme of teaching might be more appropriate on some of these pages.

On a side note, I find that unappropriate targeting doesn't seem to last long and does indeed get replaced by theme ads, which makes me also reconsider if this idea is even necessary. i guess it is only a good idea if unappropriate ads are chronic.