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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Google Ads

You may have noticed that I've added Google ads to this blog site... when I moved to the "new and improved" Blogger and updated the design I thought I'd get with the program and add Google ads like most blogs have these days.

However, I'd like to apologize for the ones advertising Ukrainian women and girls as though they were commodities like pork bellies or barrels of crude oil. (Which seems to make up the bulk of the ads so far.)

Sorry, but I am very suspicious of companies advertising "women for serious relation"and the like. Don't try to tell me an outfit like that is an innocent dating service for marriage-minded lovelorn singles. Especially if it's based in Eastern Europe. And especially since students recently held a protest against "sex tourists" contaminating Ukraine with their presence. (Story here.)

Unfortunately, us bloggers have no control over who advertises with Google. But apparently there is a way to filter ads that appear on our sites. So I'm just trying to figure out how that works.

In the meantime, just an observation. Surely to goodness there are legitimate and decent businesses advertising products and services more appropriate to the topics I blog about. I have yet to make a post about dating, sex, marriage, romance or relationships. So why on earth are those the kind of ads that show up on my blog?

Where are the ads by music labels, book publishers, travel agencies, food vendors, restaurants, artisans and crafters, service providers, entertainers, Ukrainian language programs, etc. etc.?? Surely businesses like that advertise on Google. (But if not, I suppose that begs a question...)

Anyway, I'll update this post when I figure out about the ad filtering, and find out if these sleazy advertisers can actually be blocked. Google doesn't guarantee it, and they require a reason for blocking an advertiser.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: I've decided to move the Google Ads to the very bottom of the page until such time as their "contextually based" ads contain respectable and relevant businesses that would be of interest to readers of this blog. No point cluttering up the site before then.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I heard you can block some advertisers from showing at your page, just put URLs to appropriate Google Ads admin page. As well they are trying to harmonize your keywords in text with the advertisement. So, lets blog less about sex and marriage and more about flowers, travels and you'll see desirable URLs... :-) In fact who are paying more for ads getting better spot, so if someone makes big $$$ on sex industry you get it in your Google Ads one day. This is well known weakness of Google Ads.

Pawlina said...

I tried that and haven't seen the two "dating" sites today so I guess whatever I did must be working.

But geez, Stan, now I'm getting "marriage" site ads! Too many times using that "m" word, obviously.

I see an internet housing website ad just appeared so the pickings must be slim for (respectable) Ukrainian advertisers.

Sigh...

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