Google breaks promise - banner ad experiment

[9thwotw]

thoughts?

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-breaks-promise-and-experiments-with-banner-ads-8901030.html

If the search query is as specific as the one in the example shot - fine. If it is a case of - the guys who pay the most get to take over 90% of the SERPS - not cool. But when has G ever cared about that...

[BoL]

I suppose their definition of "ever" is as confused as their one for "evil" .....

I agree if it's for brand names, no harm done. What I'm wondering is if they'd be looking for brands to pay for a customised layout.

[rcjordan]

Too big to care.

"The possibility exists in 2013 that the absolute revenues of the major players will decline as desktop revenues suffer and mobile revenues fail to make up the difference, even as they grow dramatically. This nightmare scenario is key to understanding what is driving bad behavior by marketers and product leaders."

"In the absence of long-term thinking, all streams will eventually turn into marketing-infested flows."

http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/29/unnatural-acts-and-the-rise-of-mobile/



Then again, AV once owned search though it was exponetially smaller.

[littleman]

Their product is slipping.  Yes, they don't have any real competition -- Bing is a distant second -- but I think they could get blind-sided by a competent startup.

[Chunkford]

I hope so, we're due a evolutionary step sometime soon

[rcjordan]

The small screens of mobile are disrupting the ad placement market.  It's killing the desktop eyeballs and changing the ecosystem of G, B, and even FB.   Given the first-world's addiction to free or heavily subsidized content distribution based on ads, the subscription market doesn't work. The micro-payments market ain't going to cut it either.  So where would a start-up find a foothold?

[rcjordan]

<added>

>infested

"New banner ads push actual Google results to bottom 12% of the screen"

http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/10/new-banner-ads-push-actual-google-results-to-bottom-12-of-the-screen/

[IrishWonder]

Google discovers scrapers

[Gurtie]

I know everyone is saying these are fine if its just brand searches. but how does it help the user on a brand search? You already have organic results with sitelinks, and in most cases paid ads with sitelinks, so this banner achieves what? Apart from for Google where it either a) pushes organic further down  or b) extends to non brand searches or c) both.

Actually I'm not whinging about Google - they have a page, they can do what they like on it I guess, I'm whinging about the stupid vapid bloody quotes from 'experts' these articles wheel out (not you IW )

[IrishWonder]

Their product is slipping.  Yes, they don't have any real competition -- Bing is a distant second -- but I think they could get blind-sided by a competent startup.

I hope and pray for it to be honest

Gurtie - they quote me elsewhere http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/63663-why-is-google-testing-banner-ads-in-search-results

[Brad]

Their product is slipping.  Yes, they don't have any real competition -- Bing is a distant second -- but I think they could get blind-sided by a competent startup.

I pray for this too. Better would be some new search that would open the market up to multiple new search engines for a few years. (We can dream.). Looks like G is allowing in the same serp-rot that helped kill AV, Excite and the rest.

[rcjordan]

the infestation spreads to gmaps

local businesses can now offer coupons on Google Maps

http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2013/10/create-offers-in-minutes-and-reach.html

[Gurtie]

Am I dreaming or has that been around for a while? Or am I confusing maps and places? Some sort of coupon for local businesses anyway....

[rcjordan]

i think that was places

[Rooftop]

If you are looking for a google killer then a growing number of commentators are outing IBMs Watson in the frame.  I've seen this suggestion coming out more and more frequently. Here is one recent version
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/10/google-in-jeopardy-what-if-watson-beat-the-search-giant/