met an interesting guy yesterday that was showing me examples of Google using your analytics data to better target their ads.

We all know nothing is really 'free' but this was really interesting.

Google is able to make huge improvements in adsense targeting because they know the other sites you've visited.

been on gocompare.com ? show ads for confused.com even though you may be on a site with no relationship.

So the questions is, are you happy giving your competitors anonymous data to target your visitors via Google, or should you switch to Yahoo who don't have the same reach?

just want to make sure I'm understanding you properly....

so basically Google are using data from analytics accounts to show someone who went to one site an ad for a similar site when they visit other ad network sites?

from a marketing perspective I can see why they'd do it. From a legal perspective I thought Google specifically said they didn't take any personal attribution from Analytics data? Do you have to be logged in and/or using Chrome, or could it be clickstream data in general, or is it definately hitting people based on analytics cookies?

If it is, that has pretty big implications combined with the EU cookie/tracking stuff. Takes Analytics cookies from being analytics ones to being retargeting media ones

as i understand it they use it to 'profile' users.
So it is not a 1-to-1 match but more of a people who visit x also visit y kinda thing.

so they are on the correct side of the requirements but probably flying very close

yeah. It is close though isn't it?

There are lots of ways that advertising can be targeted - "Behavioural Targeting" is a good search to start with if you are new to this. The advertising companies are currently probing to see how much they can get away with (before governments legislate against actions) - it's frightening what info can be collected...

and as if by magic.....

http://www.nma.co.uk/3027847.article

Quote from: GerBot on June 24, 2011, 10:36:10 AM
So the questions is, are you happy giving your competitors anonymous data to target your visitors via Google, or should you switch to Yahoo who don't have the same reach?

Would *love* to sign up with Yahoo or someone else, but Google is the only viable alternative in the UK.

The moment any decent competing program comes out, I'll be straight on it, though. Am tired of Google's arrogant "living in our ivory tower" approach to business relationships, ie, no support whatsoever, despite that I've been a good earner for them for years.

Amusingly google offer a couple of plugins to prevent 'personalized advertising' -not sure if this is a exactly same thing and too lazy to find out
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hhnjdplhmcnkiecampfdgfjilccfpfoe?ct=recommended
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gbiekjoijknlhijdjbaadobpkdhmoebb