Forum Moderators: martinibuster
ASA
Google is a PR stunt.
If that's your opinion of Google, the rather narrow issue of who gets to use AdSense ads on parked domains isn't likely to change that opinion. What's more, it suggests that your thoughts about the parked-domain issue have more to do with your feelings about Google than with the issue at hand.
BTW, I think the people who are likely to be most upset by the new parked-domain policy aren't rank-and-file AdSense publishers or users. They're the high-volume middlemen who no longer have a monopoly on monetizing parked domains.
If that's your opinion of Google, the rather narrow issue of who gets to use AdSense ads on parked domains isn't likely to change that opinion. What's more, it suggests that your thoughts about the parked-domain issue have more to do with your feelings about Google than with the issue at hand.BTW, I think the people who are likely to be most upset by the new parked-domain policy aren't rank-and-file AdSense publishers or users.
But it's not just the talk, but the fact that many of us (us for the first time) are seeing heavy ctr drops, and thus huge drops in income. I feel that's happening because of google polices that have no long term value, and that they seem to want to continue.
"We" want to see a sign from google that they will address the ad spam, misleading ads, low quality ads, bulk keyword ads, while at the same time having reasonably higher standards on the adsense side, so that the perceptions of google ads a irrelevant or useless can start to be reversed, and we can hope to see CTR's increase.
That's why the negative reactions are so strong, and yes, they have little to do with the specific issue of parking, and opening it up.
We want changes in quality, and they announce something that says "hey, we're going to allow no content parked sites to monetize (thus subsidizing hording)".
When things were good it was easier to overlook the lack of quality control. Now it seems to be affecting MY bottom line, and while before the quality issue bugged me, NOW it bugs me ten times more because of lost revenue.
I could be wrong about interpreting the cause of ctr, and how quality issues are impacting many adsenser, but to me it makes sense. Besides I want to be part of a socially responsible system, and google isn't right now.
"We" want to see a sign from google that they will address the ad spam, misleading ads, low quality ads, bulk keyword ads, while at the same time having reasonably higher standards on the adsense side, so that the perceptions of google ads a irrelevant or useless can start to be reversed, and we can hope to see CTR's increase.That's why the negative reactions are so strong, and yes, they have little to do with the specific issue of parking, and opening it up.
Just a friendly reminder that this is not a general gripe thread. Let's please keep to the topic under discussion and stick with that. Threads discussing other members are off topic.
If that's your opinion of Google, the rather narrow issue of who gets to use AdSense ads on parked domains isn't likely to change that opinion. What's more, it suggests that your thoughts about the parked-domain issue have more to do with your feelings about Google than with the issue at hand.
As you can imagine, I am also against Google using ads on large-volume parked domains. Last time I looked, the "parked domains" were part of the Google property in Adwords, and it was switched on by default. (This may have changed in the meantime.) As a user I don't like it, as I don't like any domain parking programs, be it from Google or any other parked domain provider.
And yes, I went on the record why I criticize Google.
As a sidenote, I would be very interested to learn what motivates you to defend Google day after day. You must be the darling of Google's PR department.
Anyway, as martinibuster requested (correctly), let's focus on the topic. Effects for Adsense program.
I don't think the change will go unnoticed by Adsense publishers.
1) The fact that even the dumbest "publisher" now can run Adsnese, without any content at all will attract those who are unable to develop any content on their own.
2) Consequence: Significant increase of "parked domains" with Adsense.
3) Consequence: Significant increase of ad real-estate.
4) Due to the economy we're experienicing a reduced demand from advertisers already.
5) Increasing inventory meeting decreasing demand is equivalent to dropping prices. Expect EPC, eCPM, total revenue to drop FOR ALL ADSENSE PUBLISHERS.
6) It may well be that visitors who come from parked pages do not convert as good as visitors from quality content sites do (I'm not saying it is that way, just it may be). If this is the case, advertisers will see decreasing ROI.
7) Consequence: advertisers will drop out and demand for ad real-estate drops even further. Go to step 5).
And while I am at it, will the Adsense-for-all-parked-pages sites be accounted under the regular "parked pages", or will they be attributed to the content network?
For what it's worth, I doubt if Google would have implemented the policy change if it thought ads on parked domains would put downward pressure on bids or revenue. And let's remember that Google has far more data available for its "what if" scenarios than we do.
Well, we should know soon enough if your gloom-and-doom scenario is correct. Why not start a thread on "Parked domains: the follow-up" in a month or so?
I tend to disagree with Zett and others who revel when google stumbles, and while I'm against offering ads on parked domains, I agree with signor_john. I can't see this will be a significant actual real world problem in terms of publishers.
There are much bigger influences and challenges pushing publisher revenue down, that will continue to do so. So, a followup won't do much good, since no doubt we will find (in terms of comments here) that revenue continues to fall.
But the why? Not opening up the parking lot, so to speak.
