I miss the old AdSense Targeting

[too much information]

Sometimes I wish I could just kick Google, but the ads on my sites were once perfectly targeted for the content and now this whole tracking garbage has the ads showing up for random crap and it's not just my site but every site I visit.

I can't imagine why a Groupon Ad should show up on a Photography Forum and if my CTR on the ads goes down I'm going to have to find another Ad supplier.

Is anyone else having this problem?

[Lame_Wolf]

Groupon declined Googles offer of 6 Billion Dollars

I've heard various amounts mentioned. And i've heard a lot of bad things about Groupon. More bad than good.

[NickandSara]

Of all the things Google seems to do badly these days, this Ad Stalking thing really is the worst.

We visited Las Vegas a couple of months ago and booked flights and hotel online, and so were followed around by Vegas ads for weeks afterwards. Wanted some new business cards printed and the same thing, ads for printing companies everywhere we seem to go.

From an advertisers view point here, he is getting very many more impressions because his sites are being put in front of people who NO longer need the products and services of that advertiser.

Some of our sites are targeted at a very select group of searchers, and the advertising for these niche products and services is highly competitive, between several large companies. They are paying top dollar for their keywords.

Our visitors are almost all unique each day and if we get them on our site, we want them to see the ads related to the products they are actually looking for, and not something they searched for 2 weeks ago.

On a final note, did I read correctly that if a visitor actually clicks on the URL of the adsense ad, that we do not getting anything for that click? This would seem very unfair, and do Google actually give the advetiser the click for free also?

[DaStarBuG]

On a final note, did I read correctly that if a visitor actually clicks on the URL of the adsense ad, that we do not getting anything for that click? This would seem very unfair, and do Google actually give the advetiser the click for free also?

where did you read that?

[NickandSara]

where did you read that?

Someone posted here about a month ago.

If you hover over the Adsense ads you can see that the underlined title shows that it's linked through Doubleclick, however when you hover over the URL, nothing.

[Lame_Wolf]

If you hover over the Adsense ads you can see that the underlined title shows that it's linked through Doubleclick, however when you hover over the URL, nothing.

Only in some browsers.

[NickandSara]

Only in some browsers.

Using Firefox, I only see the Doubleclick URL on the highlighted Title, using Chrome, the highlighted title shows the link also goes to Doubleclick first, the URL does not show Doubleclick. I don't use IE so can look at that browser.

So the question is still, Do we get paid if the visitor clicks on the URL part of the Adsense ad? And if we don't get paid, does Google also deliver the visitor to the advertiser for free?

[Lame_Wolf]

I don't use IE so can look at that browser.

In IE6, it doesn't show the doubleclick URL in either instance.

[gmb21]

If you right click on the url and look at "properties", it shows the doubleclick link.

[Lame_Wolf]

If you right click on the url and look at "properties", it shows the doubleclick link.

Sorry, I thought you meant at the bottom-left hand side of the browser window.

[NickandSara]

Can anyone clarify whether we get payed for clicks when the user clicks on the URL? I'm sure I read here that you don't, but I cannot find the thread. Anyone?

[farmboy]

From an advertisers view point here, he is getting very many more impressions because his sites are being put in front of people who NO longer need the products and services of that advertiser.

Well, maybe and maybe not.

I, for example, have been known to research/consider products for a long period of time before purchasing. Sometimes even with low cost items, if I'm trying to find a supplier I want to establish a long-term relationshop with.

But I agree with the larger point you make. The functioning of this IBA feature seems rather crude and flimsy.

FarmBoy

[farmboy]

Does anyone know if Google still shows IBA ads to visitors on your site if you remove the Google Analytics code from your site?

FarmBoy

[Scurramunga]

Is anyone else having this problem?

It would appear so. targeting is not what it used to be. My CTR is about 65-75% down on what it was say 2-3 years ago.

[zerillos]

farmboy

don't think so. i don't have analytics and still get IBAs... everybody does :(

[farmboy]

don't think so. i don't have analytics and still get IBAs... everybody does :(

So how do they track you and your "interests"?

By the way, I've noticed several articles about the possibility of do-not-track legislation in the U.S. recently. If we think it's bad now, just wait until politicians "fix it".

FarmBoy

[Dlocks]

So how do they track you and your "interests"?

As users browse websites in the AdSense network, including YouTube, Google stores an advertising cookie in a user's browser to understand the types of pages that user is visiting. This information is used to show ads that might appeal to your users based on their inferred interest and demographic categories.

[..]

[google.com...]

[incrediBILL]

No legislation needed, anyone can block that cookie.

Blocking cookies is so easy my MOM can do it!

</sheesh>

mom for congress!

[indyank]

But incredibill, how many moms will take the pain to block every element they don't like? Legislation may be needed as the onus is not on the moms to block them.