Comments on: Google Claims Less is More on Click-Throughs http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/ The Business of Technology Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:09:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: InstaHippo » Click Throughs http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876442 InstaHippo » Click Throughs Thu, 01 May 2008 18:51:34 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876442 [...] Google isn’t evil and it isn’t being beaten down by the recession or fewer click-throughs on its ads. At least that’s the message CEO Eric Schmidt tried to convey during an interview with Maria Bartiromo that will air on CNBC after the close of markets today.1 [...] [...] Google isn’t evil and it isn’t being beaten down by the recession or fewer click-throughs on its ads. At least that’s the message CEO Eric Schmidt tried to convey during an interview with Maria Bartiromo that will air on CNBC after the close of markets today.1 [...]

]]> By: Chris Paton http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876372 Chris Paton Thu, 01 May 2008 12:42:38 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876372 The reduction in click throughs is the result of a dramatic decrease in clickable area on Adsense (content network) ads. It's not that users have suddenly become used to search ads or that they are selecting which ads to click now. It's just that you can now only click on the ad title or url at the bottom of the ad. You can no longer click on the white space or body text of an ad. This results in higher quality click throughs as users are not accidentally click on the whitespace. The reason this was a problem was that a lot of sites placed their adsense units very close to the site navigation in the hope of getting these accidental clicks. Now the clicks should only come from users who really wanted to click on the ad. Google made this change a few months ago and the share price tanked because nobody understood the reasoning behind the change. The massive drop in click throughs were mostly accidental clicks on whitespace so were of no value to the advertisers. Making this change was brave and will mean more ROI for advertisers which is better for Google in the long run. They probably should have explained it better though as every article I read about Google's drop in click-throughs doesn't explain the reasoning behind it. The reduction in click throughs is the result of a dramatic decrease in clickable area on Adsense (content network) ads.

It’s not that users have suddenly become used to search ads or that they are selecting which ads to click now.

It’s just that you can now only click on the ad title or url at the bottom of the ad. You can no longer click on the white space or body text of an ad.

This results in higher quality click throughs as users are not accidentally click on the whitespace.

The reason this was a problem was that a lot of sites placed their adsense units very close to the site navigation in the hope of getting these accidental clicks. Now the clicks should only come from users who really wanted to click on the ad.

Google made this change a few months ago and the share price tanked because nobody understood the reasoning behind the change. The massive drop in click throughs were mostly accidental clicks on whitespace so were of no value to the advertisers.

Making this change was brave and will mean more ROI for advertisers which is better for Google in the long run.

They probably should have explained it better though as every article I read about Google’s drop in click-throughs doesn’t explain the reasoning behind it.

]]> By: Alex http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876355 Alex Thu, 01 May 2008 08:21:45 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876355 This is funny as heck. You go girl!!! ..."Money Honey".... This is funny as heck. You go girl!!!

…”Money Honey”….

]]> By: Marc’s Voice » Blog Archive » final April '08 blog post http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876330 Marc’s Voice » Blog Archive » final April '08 blog post Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:55:55 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876330 [...] This is one case where less is more. Casual bullshit ad clicks mean nothing and should (if at all po... [...] [...] This is one case where less is more. Casual bullshit ad clicks mean nothing and should (if at all po… [...]

]]> By: Ken Nickless http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876328 Ken Nickless Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:31:50 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876328 I've been using Google Adwords for a number of years and have learned (at a cost!) that you've really got to get your ads and keywords absolutely spot on to get the best results.Plenty of testing and re-testing is required to come up with the correct formula for each campaign. I'm pleased to report that most of my campaigns now achieve between 3-5% CTR so at last my returns are definitely outstripping my costs! I’ve been using Google Adwords for a number of years and have learned (at a cost!) that you’ve really got to get your ads and keywords absolutely spot on to get the best results.Plenty of testing and re-testing is required to come up with the correct formula for each campaign. I’m pleased to report that most of my campaigns now achieve between 3-5% CTR so at last my returns are definitely outstripping my costs!

]]> By: Donna Adams http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876316 Donna Adams Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:08:57 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876316 I agree! I think people have been put off by in-effective ads in the past so no longer see the good ones. Google should turn up the notch on the quality score/ad & landing page relevancy algorithm. This will make advertisers be all that more careful when creating ads and making them useful and something the users can trust. I saw a paid search ad for eBay last week; it read: “condoms, new and used, get them on eBay” – hardly generates trust in the paid search space. I agree! I think people have been put off by in-effective ads in the past so no longer see the good ones.

Google should turn up the notch on the quality score/ad & landing page relevancy algorithm. This will make advertisers be all that more careful when creating ads and making them useful and something the users can trust.

I saw a paid search ad for eBay last week; it read: “condoms, new and used, get them on eBay” – hardly generates trust in the paid search space.

]]> By: austinandrew http://gigaom.com/2008/04/30/google-claims-less-is-more-on-click-throughs/#comment-876312 austinandrew Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:45:03 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13256#comment-876312 I think we're entering an era of "text ad blindness", similar to "banner blindness" of the late 90s. People don't pay as much attention to them anymore. I think we’re entering an era of “text ad blindness”, similar to “banner blindness” of the late 90s. People don’t pay as much attention to them anymore.

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