Targeting

Why oh why is it not fully on spot?

[mzanzig]

The Adsense targeting on my sites is usually quite okay, but I find that often single ads within a block of three or four ads (e.g. leaderboard) are completely off.

Example: A page on trips to Elbonia pulls ads for
- Elbonia Hotels (100% on target)
- Rhubarbian Valley Tours (neighbor state, still okay)
- Elbonian Valley Tours (100% on target)
- Widget Tours (100% off target, because separated by the Atlantic)

I am wondering about that Widget Tours ad. Is that a CPM? It is so completely off-target that it should not have been displayed in the first place (okay it's about travel, but that's about it).

Any suggestions?

[arran]

3 out of 4 isn't bad.

Why not just add the 4th one (along with any other irrelevant adverts) to your blocked list?

arran.

[jchampliaud]

Isn't it possible that the advertiser is bidding for words that don’t jive with his/her ad?

[hunderdown]

I've seen what jchampliaud suggested too. I think it happens a lot--it's a way for an advertiser who would like to bid for "travel" but can't afford it, to get their travel ad out on a variety of sites. Then if they actually get clicks, the ad stays, and if they don't, it drops out of the rotation.

It's probably not a CPM ad. Don't they always take up the entire adblock?