Google promoting its own scraper site program?

How can they take the high ground if they do it too?

[Buford]

Well, this is certainly interesting. Adsense for Domains sure looks like what scrapers do - tossing search results and ads up on an otherwise contentless site - and Google is offering it as a program.

Adsense for Domains [google.com]

[diamondgrl]

The difference is a huge one in my book. Such domains that are parked get their traffic from mistypings. They don't spam the search engines with meaningless pages of word jumbles.

Therefore, they are simply trying to monetize traffic that arrives naturally, not tricking people into going to a meaningless site.

[wanderingmind]

Exploiting my mistyping is natural? Perhaps it is...

[elsewhen]

although i do not have any parked domains with ads, i do think there is a big difference between a scraper site and a parked domain. as diamondgrl explains, a parked domain is not trying to deceive... a scraper site on the other hand, functions as a result of deceipt... they trick the search engines, and users into thinking that they have something valuable to offer, when in fact they add nothing new to the internet.

also, don't forget, that mistyping is not the only way that parked domains receive their traffic. i think a significant portion of their traffic comes from grabbing expired domains.

now... that being said, a parked domain with nothing but ads is not adding much to the internet, so i am certainly no fan... its just that i agree that it is inaccurate to lump them together with scraper sites.

[Powdork]

Yes Google promotes it. They are deceptive. Instead of saying this domain no longer exists, or, there is no actual content at this domain they make the ads they charge me as an advertiser for look like the content.
Here is Google's example [google.com].

Recognize that? Yep, that's a scraper site. It is why I, as an advertiser, opt out of the content network. These domains are not even required to meet Adsense TOS but Google won't let us opt out of domain park ads. Do you see any "Ads By Gooooogle"? Do you see any way to get off the page without clicking on a paid link? Do you see any content? Is the page "Made for Adsense"?
As a publisher, I feel really bad not being able to opt in to the content network, but with this ridiculous cr*p not only allowed, but promoted, I simply can't.

[peewhy]

So is thing going to be a race to register keyword rich domains as a revenue stream?

[Powdork]

No, it was a race. You can jump in but the easy picken's are already picked.

[peewhy]

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride!

I've got a few domains that I renew year in year out, some pretty good ones that I intend to develop at some stage and never get around to it.

~I'll have to dig them out!

[spaceylacie]

I own a bunch of niche domain names that I purchased a few years back. Recently, I started making them point to my related content pages, some loosely related. I'm getting extra visitors this way. They are visitors that just type something like ModelCarKits.com(not my site nor related) instead of using search.

So this person is looking for model car kits. Instead of them getting to a page that doesn't exist, they find content or links to related content. The user would probably prefer the latter, so Google thinks they are providing a service.

In Google's defense, it does say "Sponsored Links".

For an adwords user, that person arrived looking for model car kits, if you sell them, why wouldn't you want to be listed on the page?

I'm sure Google won't let these sites spam serps, while if I create the page myself, instead of using Google, I could, using my purchased niche domain names. Which is better?

[gethan]

I dislike these sites as well - encouraging people that never do anything with a domain name.

So I suggest that people that dislike the concept use the contact us link in google adwords to voice their displeasure.

This is (roughly) what I sent through.

===============
Hi,

I don't want my adverts to appear on parked domains - please can I opt out of the parked domains advertising?

I disagree with the concept, and haven't time to search to see which parked domains are costing me money.

Thank you,
===============

So feel free to use the above canned contact in order to recieve a canned reply, but somewhere someone in the googleplex will be adding up these requests - enough of them and we might get an opt out.

[Powdork]

For an adwords user, that person arrived looking for model car kits, if you sell them, why wouldn't you want to be listed on the page?

Because unlike us Adsense publishers, these clicks are allowed to be forced through. There is no other way (other than the back button or closing your browser or shutting down your box) to get away from the unwanted result other than clicking on a paid link. I can own a legitimate domain that has Adsense on it that also happens to have some outdated links sending traffic to my friend's parked domains that have no way out but paid links.

Or maybe I just disagree with the concept and I don't want to give money to Google and anyone else promoting the bastardization of the internet.
Whatever the reason, I won't give them money and it keeps me from giving you, the legitimate publisher, my money. I'm not the only one that feels this way.

[spaceylacie]

Well, what's the difference between this and an adlinks result page? My stats shows that 95% of visitors are using their back buttons instead of clicking. They are being forced into anything, 5% see something they are interested in and click, maybe the model car kits you are selling.

[spaceylacie]

"They are being forced into anything"

Meant, "They are NOT being forced into anything"

[peewhy]

We all have options. nobody is kidnapped or ambushed.

I'm in it for the money and if my parked domains give me another income stream ... great!

[novice]

Actually, Google ran AdWords ads on parked domains before they started AdSense. They bought Oingo in March of 2003 and didn't start AdSense until June of 2003.

Back then only the registrars were able to make money off parked domains, now Google has made it posible for the domain owner to make money off their parked domains.

[peewhy]

quite right too!

[fearlessrick]

Here's to the adwords advertisers who opted out of the content network!

Now that Google results are CRAP due to the Bourbon update, your ads are the only relevant results on search pages. Expect to pay a heavy price for Google's unerring idiocy.

[Webwork]

1. People who engage in "direct navigation" are often most interested in that specific product, service, etc. Ergo, not a bad customer if you can get him/her.

2. Sites that cater to direct navigation are giving the searcher on topic links if the landing page is designed intelligently. Off topic links are less likely to produce a clickthrough and revenue, so there's an incentive to make domain landing pages relevant.

3. Many of us who have parked domains acquired the domains - like people acquire undeveloped land - for future development. The idea was to lock up the location for the future "gas station" whilst the price was right. Not a bad idea if you follow the mantra "location, location, location". I had my domains sit fallow for years and only recently engaged a domain parking PPC program.

4. I don't practice typosquatting, but many people do so profitably. People engaged in direct navigation are human. They type widger.tld when they meant to type widget.tld. So long as widger.tld offers links to on topic websites there's no real harm. The harm in typodomains is when the landing page or redirect takes you in the wrong direction or when the typo relates to milking off traffic to an actual brandname website. That's a risky business and can get someone sued.

[sailorjwd]

I think domain parking with adsense hoovers big time.

I block everyone of them that displays my ads. I don't want them getting my money for an annoying dirty trick. I dont' give a poo if they are sending me converting visitors or not. Why don't they get off their butts and do something constructive?

[spaceylacie]

Sending converting visitors sounds constructive.

[peewhy]

I've got no moral high grounds, if it is clean, decent and honest, I'll have a go.

Having said that, Google's qualifying traffic is 750,000 visitors per parked domain.

That scuppers the idea of creating some domains.

[spaceylacie]

Actually, it's a combination of all your parked domains, 750,000 immp. minimum.

[Webwork]

The +++ thing about Google's domain parking program is that the links that appear on the "lading page" arehighly targetted, which is unlike some other domain parking programs that throw up a splash page of generic links (mortgages, web hosting, etc.). Also, the Google program is likely subject to Google's own click fraud detection measures which is likely best-of-breed technology.

Frankly, based upon my observations and participation in the domain industry I'd suggest that anyone passing on Google's domain parking program as a source of clickthroughs to their site is missing a significant opportunity to draw in very focused traffic.

What's the rub? Heretofore many parked domains participated in all manner of pop-up page programs and some other dubious tactics. So, the perception of domain parking is tainted. Too bad, but not for all. I suspect that people who can see past the past are reaping benefits now that others, who are stuck in the past, fail to grasp. I suspect that in time direct navigation, supported by highly intelligent landing pages, will be both profitable for the domain holder and the buyer of domain PPC plus the people who engage in direct navigation will find that the path of direct nav will be one of the most effective. Why, as to this latter point? The most compelling reason is that making the system of direct navigation work efficiently and effectively is in everyone's best interest: The ppc feeder's interest, the domain owner's interest and the searcher's interest.

Stay tuned. I strongly suspect that those who see the tide change and take advantage of it now will gain an edge over those who can neither get over the past history or can't get over the notion that owning a domain without a website it somehow bad. Eventually, the ppc search feeds will have parked domains looking a heckuva lot like mini portals. A lot moreso than the single page landing sites do right now. When that happens domain parking will fully exploit its potentional. Parked domains will no longer have that "parked domain" look. Instead, they will look like mini-directories. Indeed, they needn't even be mini. With proper feed architecture you could take a business directory type domain and turn it into an actual full blown business directory.

Won't that be nice and helpful and useful to the direct navigator? I think so.

Be there or be square. ;0)

[excell]

If the concept takes off and the pages are indexable...google could have great results in the SERPs for their parked domains, they could fill up the space being wasted by real websites giving the searchers a choice of clicking directly on adwords or clicking through to parked domains with on topic links and content so they could have a second chance click on the advertisments. Imagine.

[spaceylacie]

I've never seen a parked domain indexed, just seen them when clicking on outdated links. It's been in place for a while, I really don't think Google will ever index them. That would be bad, very bad.

[activeco]

So is thing going to be a race to register keyword rich domains as a revenue stream?

LOL.
The race is already finished, a few years ago.
I personaly started as a domain name trader back in 2002 just for the fun. Even then it was too late, so I had to do something with hundreds of (IMO, good) unsold domains.
Developing was a difficult option :) due to lack of time, but I started with a few natural type-ins and here I am, forcefully, against my will, seriously thinking to go full time, even with Adsense being only a minor income source out of it.
Reverse developing, I would say.

[novice]

I've never seen a parked domain indexed, just seen them when clicking on outdated links.

I've seen plenty of them.

<addded>

Still haven't figured out how to edit on this board, or copy/paste people's comments so they show up in a box.

Also this link will help you with putting quotes in boxes. [webmasterworld.com...]

[excell]

156,000 for "domain is parked" for a start...

[spaceylacie]

You may have been clicking on an outdated link in the serps. I see this sometimes too. But, with the serps I watch, they end up disappearing. I've even emailed about them when I see them, this seems to get them removed a little quicker.

[spaceylacie]

Oh.... Guess I'm wrong.