Google’s Interest-Based Advertising (Beta)
Posted: March 16th, 2009
In light (at least partially) of Yahoo’s new targeting features that were announced earlier this month, Google is quickly following suit in a post made by the VP of Product Management, Susan Wojcicki. According to the post,
We think we can make online advertising even more relevant and useful by using additional information about the websites people visit… These [interest-based] ads will associate categories of interest… based on the types of sites you visit and the pages you view. We may then use those interest categories to show you more relevant text and display ads.
Google Ads Preferences
Of particular interest, and different than Yahoo, is the ability for users to add or remove categories that they may be interested in. This is a key difference as users can essentially volunteer to help improve the advertising system for both Google and its advertisers. Users with ad preferences would also be implicitly saying that they don’t mind advertisements, so long as they are relevant and ultimately provide them with a better Internet experience.
Why would people want to see advertisements? Well, ads can provide value to consumers in terms of product awareness and education. Also, if we are going to have to see ads anyway, they might as well be for products and services that we would actually be interested in.
Everybody Wins
In addition to a less annoying surfing and browsing experience to users, interest-based advertising looks in theory to benefit the other parties too. If this becomes widespread, then AdWords advertisers will slowly begin to see better returns on their investments. Less funds will be spent on reaching the wrong markets, meaning that more of their budgets will be allocated to targeting the right markets.
Google wins as this is a good solution for both its users and advertisers. Providing a way for users to volunteer information on their interests is also a cheap way of gathering accurate and meaningful data.
Choosing Your Categories
Picking which of the 600 categories that interest you is easy. Simply go here http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/. Note that the information is stored in a cookie, so clearing cookies from your browser would mean that you may need to reselect your interests.
Tags: behavioural targeting, features, Google, SEM, user experience, Yahoo
I also just got special ‘newyear gift’ form...
Interesting. I posted a similar topic in one of my blogs and there seems to be a general perception that it will be for the good of everyone that Google is doing this. Besides, they are big enough to do almost anything right now.
Seek No More
Nesting Buddy
All the networks are really starting to catch up with “behavioral advertising”…this concept is partly why I believe Adbrite has worked so well for me.
Your article is very interesting,Google often make changes in the technology industry advertising directed to customers and which aimed to be to protect the network advertising that time is already running. why would people want to see advertisements ? because it requires the information useful and relevant in accordance desires.
ehm..i guess many people also like it.