Beta version of Adsense--block keywords

got an email

[skunker]

Hello,
I recently sent an email to Adsense telling them how inaccurate their ads are sometimes. They responded asking if I'd like to participate in a beta version of adsense that would block certain keywords.

Anyone else know much about this?

[irock]

Hi, r u with the research panel? They are usually the ones that get to test new stuff.

[skunker]

No,
I just sent in an email asking them to better target my ads to the content:)

A very nice google employee replied and told me about the Beta program.

[keen]

I'd give it a try - do you? you seem to be a lucky one ;)

[europeforvisitors]

Don't beta programs normally have nondisclosure agreements?

[irock]

Apparently, the email is an invitation to the program. So, I don't think any agreements are signed yet.

[nealw]

EVF:

Don't beta programs normally have nondisclosure agreements?

I am beta testing serving multiple ad units and there was no additional nondisclosure agreement.

[irock]

nealw,

Didn't Google require you to sign a NDA in order to join this research panel which gives you all access to the beta program?

[Jenstar]

If you are part of a discussion panel on possible future additions to AdSense, they will ask you to sign an NDA first. But I don't believe you do for beta testing.

[loanuniverse]

beta testing serving multiple ad units

/raises hand

pick me! pick me!

I never get into the cool clubs :(

[skunker]

I submitted my keywords to google and they will add it to the "keyword filter" list that they are supposedly testing on my site....

Will report on how it goes.

[nealw]

If you are part of a discussion panel on possible future additions to AdSense, they will ask you to sign an NDA first. But I don't believe you do for beta testing.

This has been my experience as well. I was asked to do a panel once and I believe there was an online NDA you had to agree to.

As far as serving multiple ads, I got caught serving competitors ads. (I used to sit in the back of the school bus.) I was politely asked not to do this. I wrote back and told them about how my great sites now had extra inventory and could I serve multiple ads. They said ok. I do happen to send google a rather large amount of business. Something about lemons and lemonade comes to mind.

[cobaltlady]

Google is now BETA testing keyword blocking. A friend just got invited to try it. This will be a good thing I think.

[robertito62]

I can imagine what it is about but, how does it work exactly?

[Sunflux]

Oh, oh, oh! Sounds great.

I'd guess it 1) blocks ads with certain keywords in the ad text and/or 2) blocks ads that target specific keywords (in ADDITION to the ones that are causing it to appear on your site).

There are several off-topic keywords I would **LOVE** to block - blocking the specific URLs does no good, since there seems to be an endless supply.

[asp4bunnies]

Awesome! This is something I've been dying to see!

[skunker]

Well, what can I say? It works;)

[oaktown]

I'm dying to see it come out of "Beta". I have a site focused on a specific subject. Let's just say it has nothing at all in any way to do with cars or trucks. NOTHING!

Imagine my outrage when I checked and saw all four ads on the page selling Ford cars, trucks, parts!

Totally OT ads. But wouldn't it be more productive if they just worked on getting the ads better focused on the on-page content?

I never would have thought to add "ford", "car" or "truck" to a list of keywords to be blocked.

[hyperkik]

How about a feature which allows AdSense publishers to suggest keywords suitable to a given page? It seems a lot easier, and could be implemented universally right now - with Google free to play with the data and invisibly refine its algorithms.

[skunker]

hyperkik,
Personally, I would love to have the feature you suggested. I think it'll be better than the keyword blocking because..well...there are only so many eggs in a basket. I want to suggest keywords! Waaaahhh!

Oh well, sort of happy with the blocking...but it seems that I am getting less of a CTR.

[trillianjedi]

I got invited to test this also.

It's not an addition to the control panel though - I have to email them my "blocked" wordlist.

I'll let you know how it performs along with skunker (who's initial results seem pretty good apart from the drop in CTR, although that's not necessarily a drop in revenue if the targetting is better, based on the "smart pricing" model).

Skunker : did they offer you a different word list per channel?

I want to suggest keywords! Waaaahhh!

Remember when we all used to use the Keyword Meta Tag?

It'll never happen - too open to abuse.

TJ

[ogletree]

This would not work if you have tons of sites with hundreds of very different subjects and only 50 channels. They really need to have an account for publishers that publish a lot of different subjects and sites.

[europeforvisitors]

The simplest solution would be meta statements for positive and negative keywords that would be used as hints or "helper keywords," not as a substitute for the keywords on the page.

In other words, on a page that included hints for Viagra, debt consolidation, and diet pills, Google would simply ignore the hints unless those keywords or keyphrases were in the body text. (As a further deterrent to keyword abuse, Google could serve PSAs when off-topic, high-bid keywords were found in the hints statement.)

[Roomy]

I got an invitation to Beta test too! Must have been down to my continued carping about ad quality.

I've sent them a list of keywords to block and will report back.