Forum Moderators: martinibuster
I will be opting out with all but two of those sites due to this overbearing move by Google. I liked that colors can be specified and that the ads by google opens in a new window but the "related searches" forced advertising and the "blank page by google" nonsense are infuriating.
I was Adsense's biggest fan. They launched on my birthday and I touted them extensively.
I designed two sites around adsense and moved all the sites I manage to their advertising.
I am disgusted by their insipid move and will no longer support them.
I will also stop advertising with AdWords out of spite.
A pity, I loved both services.
I truely hope.. google will reconsider about this option.. as all it is doing is building rage and anger in the mind of very same people (webmasters) who were happly recommending google to their friends and family members as the best se.. Google can be still the best se... but still it does not help to make the web master/publisher community mad..
Google please reconsider on this feature.. it would be highly appreciated.
NS
They just happen to be big enough that this slap in the face of webmasters will not hurt them.
But once other CPC adnetworks start mimicking them, this will become the kingmaker.
I am moving back to more shoddy networks because of this. My clients are furious and are willing to make less money to get Google's branding off their sites.
If another text absed CPC network starts gaining ground this will be one of their selling points.
I have no problem with the link to google via "Ads by Google". But really, how much compensation is it worth to promote sites that happen to be competing for my userbase? I can't put a value on it, but it sure isn't NOTHING.
Shame on you, Google.
Sorry for the double post. But I suspect I am not the only person who is very, very, very angry about this.
But if I see many more of the really weird 'This blank space is brought to you by Google' then I may well be forced to remove all the AdSense ads or at the very minimum the code from those pages.
I will definitely pass this feedback on though
Again... I am sure Google will continue adding new and wonderful features for both Google Search and AdSense.. and will also look into end users inputs (surfers input for searches and publishers & advertisers input for AdSense)...
Keep up the great work.
NS
Surely "related searches" or "other people who searched for X also searched for Y" options would be much more useful on actual search results, rather than on static pages where the meaning of "Related Searches" may not even be clear.
I much prefer them to Charity Ads, which have little relevance to international users/publishers.
I'm a *little* concerned about traffic going elsewhere and not getting paid for it, but then again I take GoogleGuy's point that perhaps users will see the Adsense slab as more a useful links bar, than *just another ad*, thereby perhaps making the whole slab more clickable.
But I will still keep a more-than-keen eye on the daily stats.
[edited by: Glen_Murphy at 4:52 am (utc) on Aug. 7, 2003]
The related links go back to google SERPS right? With adwords also displayed there? And these adwords would be the same or similar to the adense publisher page just left as they are derived from "related searches"? Why would someone come BACK to a site to click on an ad when it is much easier to do it where they are now - a google SERP?
Google needs to allow us to serve defaults in the blank space, and needs to allow us to remove the branding to some degree or give us referral fees of some sort.
As it stands this is an eyesore on the site of any perfectionist webmaster and an irritant to those who don't like ceding control of outbound links to an entity that has more consideration for self-promotion that the continued integrity of the sites that monetize through Google.
<REMOVED BY ME>
Not sure, if this is going to be allowed by the moderators or not.
I dont hate google. Never will. This was just a concern as I had clearly mentioned in the petition.
I am going to remove it lest it be mistook for hate.
[edited by: mallu at 5:03 am (utc) on Aug. 7, 2003]
I will definitely pass this feedback on though--thank you..
And what feedback it is ;) It will be interesting to see if things change based upon the overall feedback from publishers.
Related searches in place of charity ads is one thing, but I don't feel they belong when showing all targeted ads, because that would draw away from the effectiveness of the AdSense ads.
And I wish we could say whether we want that blank space or charity ads when there are no targeted ads to show for whatever reason. Or at the very least, opt to make those blank spaces as transparent, as someone else suggested.
There is simply no need for that, and as I said in a previous post I think it reflects very badly on Google - does it not have anything better to offer?
I want my sites to look good and blank spaces brought to me by anybody is a NO. As is an ad box with no ads and only related searches. Makes my pages look ugly.
I have 50 sites ready to drop AdSense. I run a popular webmaster advice site that I am in the process of removing Adsense reccomendations from (I had promoted AdSense and AdWords over other networks that had actually paid me a commisnion for referrals).
A few webmasters I know are talking about put together 500 AdSense publishers and quitting en masse over the new words.
I know one who has already registered a domain for a new "hate" google site.
And this is in the first day. Expect more vociferations against these underhanded tactics. This is the first time Google has alienated some webmasters.
I was a big Google fan, I was certain that google would not be able to estrange me. There will be more petitions, and they will probably fll on deaf ears.
I can only hope for some competition now. I'll use anyone but google at this point.
What made me mad enough to do it was "this blank space brought to you by Google".
Putting something sooooo stupid on someone else's page is almost more of a betrayal than the unannounced proliferation of unpaid links.
According to Google's AdSense FAQ, the related search links are "intended solely to enhance the user experience and serve as a valuable information resource."
What Google has overlooked is that it is for the webmaster to decide what enhances his users' experience and serves as a valuable information source. Not Google.
My site has been hijacked, and I am furious.
Again, I know it's not your fault, and I am grateful for your participation here.
1) In the past Google has proved to be smarter than others
2) They are generally quick at making updates that are good for end users and hence for them..
3) I personally think.. Google will remove "related searches" if not within hours.. then at least within the matter of day or two..
I guess... if google were to be looking for feature list for adsense it might atleast consists of:
1) NO Ads by Google
2) NO Related Searches
3) Ability to view average CPM
4) Ability to serve default Ads
5) Ability to select colors for Ads (already present)
6) Ability to view earning for different sites
7) Ability to view earning for different color ads (to see that works better)
......... etc
Also.. again I would like to add that I think Google will udpate this feature cuz.. this feature seems to have generated tooooooooooo much anger within the publishers community and lot of hate towords google from webmaster & publisher community.. and I am sure.. they also knows that by earning anger and hate they cannot expect to be successful.
NS
[edited by: NeedScripts at 5:10 am (utc) on Aug. 7, 2003]
I'm peeved and have no intention of letting this slide.
Those of you who are getting a lot of blanks and "related searches" blurbs might want to try experimenting with your navigation bars. Maybe you've got topics on other pages that attract ads and could be featured on navbars throughout your site. For example, linking to your Elbonian language-study page from your Elbonian medieval history page, your Elbonian philosophy page, and your Church of Elbonia theology page might result in ads for Elbonian language schools and tapes on the latter three pages if no other ad-matching keywords were found by AdSense.
