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Google Updates AdSense Policies - To Thwart Competitors

January 26, 2007

New Policy on — Competitive Ads and Services

In order to prevent user confusion, we do not permit Google ads or search boxes to be published on websites that also contain other ads or services formatted to use the same layout and colors as the Google ads or search boxes on that site. Although you may sell ads directly on your site, it is your responsibility to ensure these ads cannot be confused with Google ads. – Google

David Utter — Staff Writer at WebProNews.com, writes:

Google now says that sites displaying AdSense or Google search boxes may not display other ads or services using the same layouts and colors as the Google products. That applies to all ads an AdSense member might have displayed anywhere on his website.

AdSense users beware. Google has updated their policies, and if you have been running AdSense and a competitor’s service like Yahoo Publisher Network on a fifty-fifty basis, you could be in violation of the new terms.

Jennifer Slegg of Search Engine Watch warned publishers using Google and Yahoo ads that they will have to make some major changes. She said those webmasters will need to set one of those ad units apart visually by adding borders or a colored background to them.

Some sites run AdSense without borders. Jennifer found out from Google that they will not be very forgiving of any ad look-alikes:

“What about those running borderless ad units? I asked Google, and it doesn’t sound as though simply changing the title link color is enough. You will need to do something more drastic, such as changing the color of all the text to something different, or adding a border or background.”

>>>Continue Reading

Written by James Opiko · Filed Under Search Engines | Leave a Comment 

Is PPC Advertising Nothing But A Big Rip Off Scheme?

January 26, 2007

Writes Mel Strocen

The herd mentality never fails to amaze me. When the pay-per-click concept was first pioneered in 1997-98 by GoTo.com (now Yahoo! Search Marketing), it was years before the model was widely accepted. GoTo virtually created the market for pay-for-performance search single-handedly and redefined how businesses market online while other search engines sat on their collective hands. Then, when it was obvious that there was “Gold in Them Thar (PPC) Hills” hundreds of search engines entered the PPC arena and hordes of advertisers followed suit.

As a search engine advertising model, pay-per-click was, and is, brilliant in its simplicity. In theory, it is a perfect way to bill advertisers based on consumer interest in their advertisements. Unfortunately, in real life money can bring out the worst in human, and business, nature. In today’s search engine reality, pay-per-click should be on its last legs. But, as anyone with a knowledge of the search engine industry knows that simply isn’t the case.

Mel examines why advertisers should be abandoning PPC in droves in his article titled: The State of Search Engine Advertising: Reality and Alternatives

Insider Seo & Ppc: Get Your Website to the Top of the Search Engines

Written by James Opiko · Filed Under Marketing, Search Engines | Leave a Comment 

PayPal (an ebay company) is set to tighten security for its users

January 20, 2007

Online fraud, especially through bogus emails by devious scammers is rampant. These scammers otherwise known as “Phishers,” attempt to fraudulently acquire your passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as trustworthy persons or businesses in electronic communications — notably email and instant messages.

Of late, Phishers have intensified their campaign, especially via email, thus eroding online consumer confidence.

PayPal users will now be offered a password generating “key fob” that changes its password every thirty seconds — a new onetime password in the form of a six-digit code will be generated per every thirty second cycle by the “key fob.”

According to Sara Bettencourt of PayPal: “If a fraudulent party somehow got hold of a person’s username and password, they still wouldn’t be able to get into the account because they don’t have the six-digit code.” Users will therefore be accorded an extra layer of protection — The whole idea is to make it much harder for online thieves to rip you off.

PayPal users who opt to use this tool will enter this “extra” password along with their regular one, when signing into their accounts online.

This security key will be available for $5 for personal PayPal accounts but will be free for Business Accounts.

Since you will need to use your Security Key every time you log in to your PayPal and eBay account, the “key fob” has been made small and portable – deliberately. In fact, it fits right on your key chain so you can take it with you and access your account from just about anywhere.

This Security Key is still in testing and is scheduled to be offered on a trial basis beginning some time next month.

1. For further details click here: The PayPal Security Key
2. Need a FREE PayPal Account — Click Here — With more than 100 million accounts in 103 countries and regions, PayPal offers a fast, affordable and convenient online payment service for businesses of all sizes, and for personal online financial transactions.

Written by James Opiko · Filed Under E-Biz | Leave a Comment 

Google Sets The Record Straight On: “Adding Images Near AdSense Ads”

January 2, 2007

A Google AdSense Policy Clarification

Placing images besides Google AdSense ads for the express purpose of attracting website “user clicks” is a no-no according to Google.

Adding images adjacent to Ads has been known to increase click through rate (CTR) — but when images are used to confuse website users — to click on ads, it becomes click-fraud — essentially.

In a recent policy clarification Google indicates: “We ask that publishers not line up images and ads in a way that suggests a relationship between the images and the ads. If your visitors believe that the images and the ads are directly associated, or that the advertiser is offering the exact item found in the neighboring image, they may click the ad expecting to find something that isn’t actually being offered. That’s not a good experience for users or advertisers.”

“Publishers should also be careful to avoid similar implementations that people could find misleading. For instance, if your site contains a directory of Flash games, you should not format the ads to mimic the game descriptions.”

Publishers can still place Google Ads on pages containing images as long as the images and the ads do not appear to be associated and/or are arranged in such a manner as to mislead or confuse website visitors — “Inserting a small space or a line between the images and ads will not make the implementation compliant.”

What do unacceptable implementations look like? — Click here and scroll down the page to view examples.

Additionally, every publisher should read and understand the Google AdSense TOS | Policies to protect your account from cancellation:

Here are ten simple rules to ensure that your AdSense Account remains in good standing:

  • Don’t click on your own Google ads.
  • Don’t ask others to click on Google ads.
  • Don’t employ pop-up prompts or automatic software installations.
  • Be aware of how your site is promoted — Pages showing Google ads may never be loaded in an unrequested pop-up.
  • Don’t place Google ads on sites that contain prohibited content — adult content, gambling-related content, drug content or any other “illegal” content.
  • Respect Google trademarks — Do not Frame, mimick Google pages or misuse any Google Brand Features such as Google trademarks, logos, web pages or screen shots, without prior consent from Google.
  • Don’t tamper with the AdSense code - Once you’ve generated your code — do not alter any portion of the code or change the layout, behavior, targeting, or delivery of ads for any reason, unless specifically authorized to do so by Google.
  • Provide a positive user experience — Avoid excessive pop-ups, sneaky redirects or use of any deceptive tactics to obtain traffic.
  • Provide a good environment for advertisers — Avoid deceptive practices
  • Be responsive — Whenever Google contacts you about an issue: Respond Pronto!

In addition to the standards above, AdSense participants are required to adhere to the webmaster guidelines posted at http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html.

Highlights of the Webmaster Guidelines include:

1. Do not load pages with irrelevant or excessive key words.

2. Do not employ cloaking or sneaky redirects.

3. Do not create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.

4. Avoid hidden text or hidden links.

5. Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number (fewer than 100).

6. Do not participate in link schemes designed to increase your site’s ranking or PageRank.

7. In particular, avoid links to web spammers or “bad neighborhoods” on the web as your website may be affected adversely by those links.

Further Reading | Tools:

1. Why you shouldn’t try to cheat Google AdSense — and why you will get caught eventually!
2. Articles on Contextual Advertising
3. Articles on PPC - Pay Per Click
4. Articles on SEO - Search Engine Optimizaton (Tons of them!)
5. Free ROR | XML | RDF - SiteMap Generator
6. Critical SEO News

Written by James Opiko · Filed Under Marketing, Search Engines | Leave a Comment 

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