Google's New Search Partner is MySpace

Your AdWords ads now appear on MySpace and you cannot opt out.

[bhartzer]

According to a report [semclubhouse.com] at SEM Clubhouse, Google's latest search network partner is MySpace. This means that your AdWords ads will now appear on MySpace.com and if you're an AdWords PPC customer then you cannot opt out of it.

Google’s AdSense for Search has gone live on MySpace.com. Clients currently running ads on Google’s Search Network are now eligible to have their ads served on MySpace.com searches for US-based traffic only.

If you opt out: and only allow your ads to appear on google.com then your ads won't display on MySpace.

[shorebreak]

It's not only the MySpace search traffic that's gone to Google, but also the contextual ads are AdSense now. I'm not sure if AdSense was already on MySpace, but it appears new as well.

I'm assuming that for the MySpace contextual inventory, you'll be able to opt out of it for your content spend on Google, right?

-Shorebreak

[bhartzer]

You can opt out of the search network. But keep in mind that if you opt out of the search network you're also opting out of AOL.

I need the AOL traffic because the conversions are pretty good on the PPC side. But, now that MySpace is added into the mix, I don't know if I can afford to keep opting into the search network now that MySpace is there.

[shorebreak]

Any idea of how much additional volume the MySpace search distribution will bring to AdWords (either as a % of total queries, total clicks or total cost?

-Shorebreak

[bhartzer]

I'm not sure of the volume, but think about it: MySpace is one of the top web properties now...and has a HUGE amount of traffic.

[Leosghost]

how much of that traffic converts though ..myspace users dont have the demographic that would interest many adwords customers ..to say they are "click happy" would be to severely understate the situation ..

I have watched typical myspace users while they are connected ..it is interesting ..it resembles a mixture of many normally conflicting drugged states ..experience in subliminal selling and imagery and sounds ..plus gamers and music and video ..would give one a good chance at exploiting the market ..to a degree as it is fragmented internally also into many overlapping communities ..it is fascinating ( as are all similar sites ) ..it is a parallel area ..the nearest thing being the online multi player gamer environments ..

access to its non public profile info ( that which one has to fill in to join ) is maybe the most valuable commodity in marketing today ..

thats not the average adwords buyer ..

It could be for them a bottomless pit in which money will dissapear without rhyme nor reason ..or it would need specialist departments of big customers setting up to deal with it ..that is not what G are offering ..and any "bundling" by G with other areas can only be veiwed as to the advertisers disadvantage ..and would appear to be designed to be that way ..

[beesticles]

Another watering down of the AdWords proposition. And if the latest underground garage band, "The Bad Credit Loans", hits the big time, we're all in trouble.

[bhartzer]

It could be for them a bottomless pit in which money will dissapear without rhyme nor reason

I suspect that will be the case for the majority of advertisers who don't opt out of the search network, which just happens to include AOL.

[panic]

I'm not sure of the volume, but think about it: MySpace is one of the top web properties now...and has a HUGE amount of traffic.

Unless you're running a branding campaign, high volume that doesn't convert will ruin your campaign.

[bhartzer]

high volume that doesn't convert will ruin your campaign.

That's exactly my point. You've got traffic that doesn't or won't convert--but now you have to choose: If you opt out of the search network you won't be able to get the (better converting) AOL traffic.

[shorebreak]

I'll bet AOL is selling PPC & contextual traffic directly to advertisers a la Ask.com by end of 2007 for this very reason.

[trinorthlighting]

Oh yes, we are opting out. You look at the demographics on myspace and you will find little purchasing power because most of the traffic is minors!

I hope google smartprices that traffic because it will not convert well at all!

[nickreynolds]

and there was I, as an adsense publisher thinking that google wanted quality content on the pages that display ads!

[sem4u]

This is not good news for the types of sites I look after. I don't want this sort of traffic at all but I still want AOL, Ask, NTL, etc.

[JBrown]

Has anyone noticed an impact on clicks, spend, or conversions?

[frontpage]

There are literally thousands of inducements by Myspace users to 'click ' their ads in direct violation of Google Adsense TOS.

Google indexes these publicly posted requests for click fraud in their search index.

Check for yourself.

One example: Search google for 'click the Google ads' in the advanced search using the 'myspace.com' domain filter.

I personally wish to avoid social networking sites that will allow members to embed Adsense code in their pages.

[trinorthlighting]

Adwords needs to have a content network filter just like it has on the adsense side. It would be nice to go into adwords and have the ability to filter sites where we do not want ads to show on

[thecleaner]

myspace is not a network of buyers. Its a network of clickers (children). This is absurd.

[davewray]

I wholeheartedly agree with trinorthlighting. We absolutely need to have a way to opt in or out of certain search partners showing our ads. I Want AOL and Ask..I do not want Myspace sucking my money into a bottomless void. It's sad, but many of us may be forced to opt out of search partners. I'm sure AOL won't like this, and hopefully they'll have the guts to do something about it...ie. complain, do their own network...

Dave.

[trinorthlighting]

I myself am a publisher for adsense, I just spoke with two very good friends who are advertisers and recently raked up thousands of dollars worth of clicks from myspace. They opted out of the content and Google search partner network totally which is a shame because they used to get great conversions and sales from the content network.

It’s a shame being a publisher and seeing a lot of money leaving the advertising network which hits good publishers and it also a shame because the advertisers will get fewer sales now.

Its a losing situation on both sides of the house.