Tried Googling yourself lately?

Google To Let Users Pick Ads
MATT HARTLEY
Wednesday's Globe and Mail
March 11, 2009

Google Inc. is giving Internet users the chance to choose the ads they see while surfing the Web.

Today the search engine giant will unveil new additions to its now ubiquitous online advertising platform, including greater controls for marketers looking to tailor their promotions to the interests of individual users.

Users, however, will also now have the option of choosing whether they would prefer to see more travel ads, car promotions or banners promoting deals for computers as part of a new program known as the "ads preference manager."

"We're getting a step closer to better online ads," said Brad Bender, Google's product management director.

Typically, whenever you surf the Internet, advertising platforms install tiny files known as cookies on your computer that help deliver advertisements. These cookies can track your interests, strip away personally identifying information and suggest certain ad preferences. If you spend a lot of time looking at sports sites such as TSN.ca or sportsillustrated.com, for example, you are likely to see more sports-themed ads.

Now, users will be able to log into a website, see the advertisement categories their browsers are associated with, and change the types of ads they would like to see.

Google says the new service does not store personal information and does not pass sensitive data to any advertisers. It also does not track sensitive content categories, such as health-related pages or sites associated with any sexual orientation.

The options are part of a larger beta project Google will unveil today, known as "interest-based advertising."

"At Google, we think relative advertising is better and ultimately delivers the best experience for consumers and the best results for advertisers and publishers," Mr. Bender said.

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Adhocracy

Google Me
Jennifer Wells

March 11, 2009

This from Google today: "Users have told us they are tired of seeing the same banner ads every time they visit their favourite sites."

Really? Shocking.

The Los Angeles Times reports that 27 top Internet publishers - including the New York Times and CNN - are going to "supersize" on-line ads in the hopes of getting web travellers to pay more attention. The Times quotes media consultant Jose Castillo: "Making them bigger and more intrusive won't work. We will tune those out as well."

Making them relevant? Now there's an idea. Google's just-announced "interest-based targeting" test is aimed at assisting advertisers in tailoring their reach to the internet surfers interests. In my case that would be Cuba, beach wear and cocktail recipes.