Content-Targetted Google Ads

I started running Google AdSense content-targetted ads over there on the right-hand side of this website yesterday. This isn’t from a desire to make millions of dollars from the clickthrus of my inquisitive and demographically well-tuned readership; I’m simply interested in seeing how this works, and whether one can actually make any money.

In theory, the ads that appear — they come directly from Google’s servers — are targetted to the content that appears here. When I turned things on yesterday, however, I was getting ads for the American Cancer Society and Habitat for Humanity (maybe it’s because I mentioned “progressive” and “David Suzuki,” who knows).

Today, as you can see here, I’m advertising for the Chrysler Sebring:

This is because I mentioned the Chrysler Sebring in yesterday’s story about fuel economy. The obvious irony is that the Sebring was at the bottom of the fuel economy ratings, so doesn’t exactly come off in a good light. I can filter out advertisers; I wonder: can advertisers filter out me?

Comments

Mitch's picture
Mitch on June 22, 2003 - 18:52 Permalink

I happened to notice this phenomenon last night when I was browsing your “About” page, and frankly thought you had completely lost it. There, side by side with the reasons to hire you, and your company, were ads which offered competing services just a click away. I know that these ads for “Fast and Easy professional websites” are laughable and hardly competition in a real sense, but your explantory post today was welcome nonetheless.

Wayne's picture
Wayne on June 22, 2003 - 19:16 Permalink

Just as disheartening as when professional hockey replaced the bare white boards with banner ads.

The “in your face” money-grab commercialization has spread far and wide. Perhaps it is the new reality, but nontheless, a sad one, faced every day by us all, everywhere. And, I think it has conditioned us to develop personal filtering systems that require “shock and awe” to penetrate. All this pushes the envelope of what is acceptable in advertising…which in many cases results in nothing more then an exercise in bad taste.

Ken's picture
Ken on June 23, 2003 - 03:19 Permalink

Can this power be used for good, and link to related blogs, so a marketplace of competing ideas can happen. Maybe this would prove Carl Jung’s synchronicity theory — and link to the exact same posting made by your doppelganger.

Sycophantic ads impress you?

Ken's picture
Ken on June 23, 2003 - 03:34 Permalink

I absolutely agree with you Wayne about the insidiousness of ads, and the personal filtering system needed.

I’m going into a ‘government can help’ mindset, but if you know a better way please let me know. My point is that advertising, especially on TV, is noxious and I would vote for any politician that promises regulation of TV advertising. Something along the lines of putting all commercials in an eight minute block before the 22 minute show starts.

Freedom of speech does not apply to repetetive viral conditioning from McCains, McDonalds or Coke. Especially when phone ringing, door-bell, horn-tooting anoyances grab for our attention by preying on our conditioning to these alerts.

I bought my TV, I paid for my cable and yet they can yell fire in my home theatre over any channel they like, as many times a day as they like.

Thank God for the Mute button.

Ken's picture
Ken on June 23, 2003 - 03:43 Permalink

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