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Google is Using You to Promote Your Competitors!
11
Aug
Aug
Do you know that Gmail uses your information to display ads promoting your competitors? I know that can sound weird but let me explain about what I discovered.
Gmail displays ads relevant to your interests
A prospect used his personal email address to send me a message. He was asking me for more information about our web design and SEO services. Nothing amazing here. Yet, when I read his message in my Gmail inbox, I saw ads related to LED companies.
OK, I know that the ads that appear next to my Gmail messages are related to my interests. Google uses a contextual advertising technology, so that these ads can be be relevant to my interests. The technology isn't only based on the information contained in the displayed message but also on any recent messages in my inbox.
However, what is amazing here is that there wasn't any word about LED in the message, neither in any of my previous messages. So, why did Google show me ads about LEDs?
But Gmail promotes your competitors behind your back too
I actually figured out that my potential customer's company operates in the LED sector. Gmail knew his interests in LEDs and thought that I could be interested in LEDs too. In the end, Gmail was promoting LED companies which were actually his company's competitors!
Ok, now what if he was writing one of his prospects?
Well, his prospect would have the email, and next to it the competitors' ads! Isn't that crazy?! Google puts it that way : if you're interested in LED, and you write to someone, this someone could be interested in LED's too! yeah, sure that someone could click and give money to google adwords... But google use me to target my prospects and show them my competitors to increase his revenues !!
Does that mean that when I write people using my gmail to their gmail... google displays web design and seo ads? that could seriously piss me off... what about you?
What if I am using a Hotmail / Yahoo, or any other Email client?
Well, then Google cannot track me easily, and gmail will probably not show relevant ads when I write anyone. Which means that they cannot use me to take my prospects away anymore...
Google is in fact encouraging us to use their competitors' emails services ...
Why does Google do that?
For obvious reasons, to increase the number of clicks on the ads displayed within gmail and thus earn more money. Usually, when Google has to chose between increasing money AND user privacy/scandal, they chose the latter. May I remind you that they don't display ads on their homepage (well, actually they do for their own services and Chrome, but that's fine). I think it's a very stupid move from them... and I wouldn't be surprised to see them change their policy if there was a scandal. The thing is, very few people know about it, so there is no scandal... for now.
My advice would be then to not use your Gmail account for professional purposes, otherwise google could use you to promote your competitors behind your back!
Oh ! wait... do they do the same with Google APPS, that target mainly companies... maybe it's time to avoid Gmail...
Google AdWords changes its trademark policy in Europe
5
Aug
Aug
Google announced yesterday that it would change its policy allowing trademark owners to request the exclusive use of trademarked search keywords in its online advertising service Google AdWords.
Already in place in Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the US, the new policy will be effective in Europe in September.
Google AdWords allows advertisers to use trademarked keywords
Under the previous system, brand owners could file a trademark complaint with Google that would ban third-party advertisers from using search trademarked keywords.
However, the European Court of Justice ruled in March that allowing third parties to bid for trademarked keywords was within the bounds of intellectual property law.
The brand owners will still have the right to file complaints with Google which will take the ads down if they agree that the origin of the goods is confusing like in the case of counterfeits.
More relevant results, more revenue
Google thinks that auctioning the trademarked keywords to multiple bidders allows the search engine's users to find more relevant results like reviews, second-hand sellers and retail locations.
It will also enable Google to boost its own earnings from online advertising which account for 97% of its overall revenues.
Google AdWords also recently launched location-based mobile display ads.
Google launches location-based mobile display ads
4
Aug
Aug
Google introduced AdWords location extensions that let advertisers put their businesses' location and phone number on a Google map ad for mobile websites and applications. The company is looking to target ads to smartphone users who often use Google Maps to get directions and find businesses.
Ads on Google Maps with location extensions
Google Maps users will see such ads surface as banner text ads with a business icon that expands to show the business location on a Google map along with the ad creative, click-to-call phone number and directions.
Click-to-call ads let advertisers add local business numbers alongside their destination URLs in mobile search ads. When smartphone users search for a local business from their mobile phone (such as Apple's iPhone and Android phones) and see ads that have these numbers, they may simply click the number to call the business.
While one may think that a Google ad that leverages user location would leverage the GPS capabilities of handsets as well as Google's location servers, Google will merely use IP addresses to determine users' locations.
Location extensions ads have greater ROIs
Business advertisers are actually not charged when users click to expand the map or get directions, advertisers are only charged when a user clicks to call the business or clicks to visit its website.
Click-through rates are also up 6% when Google provides a phone number and 8% when it offers a local address with ads.
Google AdWords remains incompatible with foreign URLs
14
Jul
Jul
Google AdWords will remain incompatible with foreign URLs in the short run according to Google AdWords team.
Google AdWords doesn't support foreign URLs
As you know, only latin characters are currently used in URLs. This restriction doesn't enable any URL to be written in Chinese, Japanese, Russian or Arabic for example.
The situation will change soon after Internet's chief domain name authority ICANN approved International Domain Names (IDNs). It means that websites will be able to have their URL using foreign characters.
For the time being, Google AdWords doesn't support IDNs. For instance, if you want to place an ad for domain names such as 中国.com, your ad will be considered as invalid.
Google AdWords isn't ready to list IDNs
When will Google allow IDNs to be listed in AdWords? The question has been asked to Google AdWords team on their forum. It took them a few months to reply but here is their response: Google Adwords has no plan to support foreign URLs in the "foreseeable future".
They explain that there is currently a very low demand for the ability to advertise on domains using foreign characters. Enabling IDNs avertising would require too many resources compared to the number of potential advertisers.
What's Google waiting for?
In the future, it's clear that online advertising will have to support foreign URLs. There is an inevitable language shift on the web: foreign languages like Chinese are going to be more and more spread over the Internet and URLs. Online advertising platforms would undoubtedly miss some business if they don't allow IDN's ad listing.
That's why Google's response is quite surprising to me. I can understand that Google isn't eager to invest plenty of resources right now in order to allow ad listing for international domain names. However, having no plan at all is something different.
How to lose money on PPC
26
May
May
You want an example of how to lose money with ppc (pay per click) program, I am going to give you one. I have just seen this today, and yes, there are thousands of websites who lose money this way, check the image below.
Whenever somebody types “Beijing”, their ad for a massage appears on google paid placements! And thus, whatever the second and the third word is!
So if I type “Beijing magazine”, I am probably not looking for them right? Still, their ad appears, not targeted, and there are big chances if I click on it that actually, I am not going to be interested by their “massage” services…
It’s easy to earn money online… as easy as it is to lose some.
So, when you chose your keywords for your ppc program, with adwords for example, and if you don’t want to ask professionals to do it (like THEM), then please, use an exclusion list too, so that you don’t waste your money.
5 Ways Google Knows your Backlinks are Bullshit
15
Apr
Apr
Let’s think as a search engine.
First, the more backlinks you have, the more google considers your website as important. BUT, what if the backlinks come from the same webmaster?
The meaning is just that he’s linking his own websites, and not that his content is outstanding. So, these backlinks are less important in the point of view of the search engines, their “grade” should be lower. Your SEO won't work (or work less)
How can google know that it’s the same webmaster behind several websites :
Let’s think as a search engine.
First, the more backlinks you have, the more google considers your website as important. BUT, what if the backlinks come from the same webmaster?
The meaning is just that he’s linking his own websites, and not that his content is outstanding. So, these backlinks are less important in the point of view of the search engines, their “grade” should be lower. Your SEO won't work (or work less)
How can google know that it’s the same webmaster behind several websites :
1) Do you use analytics on all your websites with the same google account? Then google knows all these sites are more or less yours.
2) Do you buy all these domains with the same registrar account? Then google knows it through a whois query.
3) Do you host all these websites on the same server? Then google knows the IP, and is likely to consider that it’s the same webmaster behind.
4) Do you use the same google adwords account on these websites? Then google knows it’s the same person who is taking profit from them… aka same owner.
5) Do you use gmail account settings to use different emails with different domains? Then google knows that you are linked to these domains, so you’re probably one of the owners / employees / webmasters.
This list can probably be bigger, but here are some big things google can know about you and your websites, and therefore lower the “weight” they give to a backlink from one of your sites to another.
Truth is, they would do good by applying these rules, since this would make their search engine more efficient and more accurate…BUT, this is also a way to scare webmasters, and to make them NOT use gmail / analytics / adwords and go for the competition instead… which is a bad signal.
In your opinion, what is the policy google is following?
Google Adwords with Pictures
14
Apr
Apr
Adwords uses pictures now. you can add a text and a picture to your ads. no doubt this will increase the CTR (Click through rate), because pictures are often more appealing than just a text based ad
it also mean that companies will have to produce appropriate images and pictures for such ads. I know most of the companies do, but also many small and medium sized companies don't, and they will have to do it... for economic reasons
.
Remember that the less people click on your ads, the more they are expensive for you, because google considers they are not relevant enough. if users click more on your competitors ads because they are more appealing, because they have pictures, it means your PPC (pay per click) will increase. if you want to keep it low, you'll have to use images
i know google doesn't mix these picture ads with the text ads for now. but i am sure they'll end up doing it. so, prepare...
designers, you should have more work in the next couple of months ;o)
