Stealing From Google

I realised this week in my use of Google that I sometimes now actually do a search deliberately for the adverts. I've obviously found it a fast and convenient way to find products that I am looking for.

I was surprised when I realised it.

Me too, when I'm shopping online I check out a lot of the sponsored links.

I don't understand having a pissy attitude towards Google ads. They are not obtrusive, and you don't have to look at them. They are like newspaper and magazine ads- easy to ignore, but also possibly useful. No big deal, not like spam, popups, popunders, and other forms of obnoxious invasive marketing.

As a business owner, I am also an adsense customer. While I like the idea of PPC bidding and am able to get my business at the top of the page, I have to say they are not that effective.

I am digging to find the study now, but until I can locate it, here is the jist. a couple hundred volunteers were asked to sit down at a computer and google for a specific service. It was of course rigged. The service was listed about 9th on the search results page but number one on the right under sponsored links. 18% of the people found the sponsored ad and continued their query from there. The rest did not even see the ad and dug down into the search results until they found what they were looking for.

Hence the bidding on PPC...it's the only way they can charge for it and get any value out of it. Most people it seems don't even see those ads...their eyes are "trained" for the returned results on the middle of the page.

helios