Google Adwords Crossing The Streams
Posted on September 18th, 2008by Michael Gray in Google
So I was looking up a hosting KW in my logs, then reputation defender, however Google adwords showed me an ad related to my previous search. Reputation Defender has zero to do with with website hosting, and there’s no way they would have bought that KWD … hmm …
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September 18th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Been seeing this for a l-o-n-g time. Only ever seems to apply to the very last query, though, and I can never predict when it’s going to happen.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
> Personalized based on your Web history !
Put &pws=0 at the end of the URL and this should fix it.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I guess your not happy with your host or you have a hosting client. Searching on hosting and then switching to a different search, even a few searches later, may return old ads.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Google = Doing Weird Things.
If you look at my latest post, you can see what else they’re doing these days that no other “big” blogger has seemed to catch. Since I’m virtually an online nobody, no one has noticed but I would love to see bigger people *cough cough* speak about it. Would love to hear your input on why they may be doing it?
September 18th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
[...] Gray posted about some interesting occurrences in the display of Adwords, which seem to be crossing organic results with paid search relevancy. [...]
September 19th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Nothing new. Google started showing AdWords related to your last search more then a year ago.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I’ve seen this for some time now, if Google can make a ‘connection’ between concurrent searches, you’ll see ads for your previous search. I think it happens most when Google thinks you’re trying it figure something out and making lots of quick queries.
They’ll also stop showing certain ads if you never click on them, assuming that they’re irrelevant to you. I’ve seen this happen organically as well. As long as your cookies are actively stored of course.
September 20th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Michael, I tried to document this behavior in the past, but have been seeing a lot more of it recently. Only at home though and never from the office. Here’s my original post on this from about a year ago: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/critical-flaws-in-googles-behavioral-targeting-puts-advertisers-at-risk/5898/
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Michael, sorry to give this info without reference now (I really don’t have it bookmarked) but there is a patent on this. Something like “last search related ads” and is not behavioral (based in all your history), just your last search.
And the bases were something related to search mood (doesn’t mater if you searched for hosting one month ago, because you may not be with that in mind right now, but DOES matter your last search.) Is a very clever “semi-behavioral” trick.
Cheers,
Juan Pablo