Google AdWords in the News - Literally

By Frank Reed

Google is now placing paid search ads in the news results. Whether it’s a response to the economy or just the next step it probably is considered to be a long time coming. As the search industry takes some hits due to the economy there will be more efforts to put more ads in front of more people. It seems a bit surprising that it has taken this long to happen anyway.

Paid Content tells about the story and points to CNET seeing some glitches early on as it relates to relevancy of the ads. The example that CNET points to is for the search “spring training” which yielded one out of three results being in the ballpark. CNET’s use of a search term that can be ‘confused’ with a hot online keyword like training though is playing hardball for sure. I tried a few more normal / regular searches and the ads were spot on regarding relevancy.

While this is news to a degree it’s more of a recognition that Google knows where its bread is buttered. They need to do a little asset optimization like everyone else to get through these times. The article also pointed out that the search marketing behemoth let go of 100 recruiters back in January as they reined in hiring. I suspect that many want to start to toll the bells for Google. That kind of thinking would fit into the environment we live in where everyone is trying to out-gloom each other from the President on down. Good luck though because they are Google after all.

I suspect that Google is fine. In fact it sounds like they are maturing rather nicely. They are taking measures to continue to do good business despite a rapidly changing environment. The chances of them being blindsided seem slim since they don’t take an ‘ignore it and it will go away’ stance but rather a ‘hey, it’s rough out there let’s cover ourselves for now and come out the other side of this strong’. How many companies would like that opportunity these days?

Comments

[Alex Salkever:]

Google is fine. They are totally fine as one newspaper after another goes bankrupt while Google reaps the benefits in traffic and, now, in ad dollars. I just think that Google is Googling itself out of a viable part of its news product. At a minimum, Google better figure out how to share some revenues with newspapers. The papers drove themselves into a ditch by giving it all away. But Google, the Web traffic cop, merrily waved them on. What do you think Google should do to save newspapers or at least the original creation and research of news beyond blogs (which are useful but are mostly a layer on top of original news reporting and commentary)?

Feb 27 02:55 AM

[Alex Salkever:]

Google is fine. They are totally fine as one newspaper after another goes bankrupt while Google reaps the benefits in traffic and, now, in ad dollars. I just think that Google is Googling itself out of a viable part of its news product. At a minimum, Google better figure out how to share some revenues with newspapers. The papers drove themselves into a ditch by giving it all away. But Google, the Web traffic cop, merrily waved them on. What do you think Google should do to save newspapers or at least the original creation and research of news beyond blogs (which are useful but are mostly a layer on top of original news reporting and commentary)?

Feb 27 02:56 AM

[Alex Salkever:]

Google is fine. They are totally fine as one newspaper after another goes bankrupt while Google reaps the benefits in traffic and, now, in ad dollars. I just think that Google is Googling itself out of a viable part of its news product. At a minimum, Google better figure out how to share some revenues with newspapers. The papers drove themselves into a ditch by giving it all away. But Google, the Web traffic cop, merrily waved them on. What do you think Google should do to save newspapers or at least the original creation and research of news beyond blogs (which are useful but are mostly a layer on top of original news reporting and commentary)?

Feb 27 03:25 AM