AdSense filtering improvements - Faster filtering filter up to 500 sites

[AdSenseAdvisor]

We've made some recent improvements to filters that I hope you'll like.

The first is that we've reduced the time it takes for changes to your list of filtered sites to take effect. When you add a site to your Competitive Ad Filter, it will usually be blocked in about 30 minutes (down from a few hours).

Also, everyone can now filter up to 500 sites. :)

ASA

[Lame_Wolf]

Thanks ASA
Best news you've come out with for a long time ;)
Everything else you mention rarely involves me <G>

Any chance of increasing the Filtered Categories from 5 to at least 7 please?

Thank you
LW

[swa66]

System: The following message was spliced on to this thread from: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google_adsense/3983141.htm [webmasterworld.com] by incredibill - 8:49 pm on Sep. 2, 2009 (PST -8)

[adsense.blogspot.com...]

Faster filtering
[...]your Competitive Ad Filter are now usually blocked within 30 minutes.

Increased filter list size
[...] Now, you can add up to 500 sites to your filter list [...]

A small step in the right direction. How about a list of negative keywords we can specify that should never appear in the ad copy ?
Note I'm not asking about the keyword(s) the ads target. E.g. "free" in our list means any ad containing the word "free" will not display. No matter what it targets.

[edited by: incrediBILL at 7:18 am (utc) on Sep. 6, 2009]
[edit reason] formatting [/edit]

[zdgn]

Although anything new from AdSense is welcome, I'm beginning to think that these new category/filter/approved-network features/improvements are an attempt to make AdSense more tweakable - which at least to me, is worrisome.

The reason I think AdSense has been so successful is because it runs straight out of the box.

More available options are going to - make me at least - spend more time on AdSense (my filter box, for e.g. is empty but with this announcement I obviously think it must be important to find out what needs to be filtered, hence more time required.)

Tweaketh thyself and Giveth your bestest, O You All-knowing Google.

:)

[true_INFP]

zdgn's post nicely illustrates why AdSense should have two modes: Easy and Advanced (I believe that something like that is available on the AdWords side).

(But if I had to choose one, I'd choose Advanced anytime.)

[zett]

Good move, but too late.

We've long ago given up on trying to filter the dubious advertisers. There were just too many, and as we don't know which ads actually do show, we just saved the time and focused on building new sites with other revenue streams (direct sales, and affiliate deals) and removal of Adsense whenever possible. We enjoy the new independence and look forward to the day we can entirely switch off Adsense. (Funny: Since we started to remove ads, our EPC has seen significant improvements. But again - too late.)

If Adsense would allow useful filters (by keywords in ads, or by advertiser) we probably would give the filter another try. But just more slots is sooo 2006...

[Seo1]

Seems like a good thing overall but it is a little late. However there is promise with the recent Google Adsense improvements that this will be a continued process.

[koan]

This site has a tough crowd.

[btsteed]

Zett is right on.

These are welcomed features, but some of us have been pushing for them for years. Ultimately, we too moved to other revenue streams due to the lacking number of filters and slow response times.

Again, glad to see the new features, but sad it took so long.

[icedowl]

Late, yes, but welcome. I have a sneeking suspicion we're going to really need them.

[londrum]

most of us have probably already filled up our 500 long list anyway. mine has been filled with that many for months, so maybe they are just rolling it out to those people who were still stuck on 200.

[swa66]

As long as we don't have the tools and data to manage the block list, there's little point in trying to manage it.

The "preview tool" is just ridiculous.

[koan]

Firebug makes it easy to explore the HTML code behind any element of a page and get the url behind a flash animation, for example. Indispensable tool for any webmaster.

[signor_john]

most of us have probably already filled up our 500 long list anyway.

I have 486 unused slots in my filter. Too bad we aren't allowed to sell them. :-)

[ken_b]

I have 486 unused slots in my filter. Too bad we aren't allowed to sell them. :-)

LOL... or maybe we could just rent them out?

or even better trade them in for a higher CPC? :)

But yeah, I've used very few so this is not a big help for me.

[incrediBILL]

I had to use a bunch the other day and the faster blocking time was a godsend.

The next day my CTR shot up about +%1.5 and the eCPM went up as well from +$3 to +$5 and is still holding until the ads get junked up again.

[koan]

I have 486 unused slots in my filter.

I emptied it completely a long time ago when I tested it for a whole month (it was hard at first) and realized my earnings only dropped 1-2% in the end without any domains in the filters, which didn't justify investing any time with this type of micro-management.

Every now and then I put one or two only to remove it a few days after.

[signor_john]

It's called a "competitive ad filter," and it can be useful for that purpose. But if I had to invest time in filling and maintaining 500 filter slots, I'd be using my AdSense screen real estate for something less labor-intensive.

[doubtmaster]

Whatever is done is a great improvement for the good...

However I request that you please consider the filtering system to be page wise rather than just adsense Id wise.

Here is why....

Suppose I have a TV website where in the first page the article is about XYZ and I have to sell XYZ TV. Here on this page I do not want the Ads of competitors of XYZ to appear.

However, I have another page or website which generally talks of Television. Here on this page or website I do not mind ads of competitors of XYZ appearing.

At present as far as I know I have to block an ad based on my Adsense Id. So if I am using the same Adsense Id on multiple sites (even on other pages of the same sites) I either block the whole ad from all my sites though I only not want to block the ad only on a particular page out of suppose 1000 pages or my present site or out of 10 of my websites

[OutdoorWebcams]

I have another page or website which generally talks of Television. Here on this page or website I do not mind ads of competitors of XYZ appearing.

I see your point but why don't you funnel your visitors to the page where you sell XYZ TV in this particular situation?