My love hate relationship with Google's Weight Loss Advertising
I have a love/hate relationship with the Google AdSense advertising program and their weight loss category advertisers.
LOVE As a publisher, I love the ease of putting up the code just once, and then making ad revenue while I sleep. There is no maintenece. It's easy, and the reporting system is fabulous. Looking at the Google Adsense Page Views stats makes me feel like a rock star because the numbers are always higher than what Google Analytics or TypePad stats says. I know they are different counting systems, but when you're a blogger trying to make a living, you tend to gravitate to the "better looking" numbers. Clothing size or web traffic, it's all the same kind of manic obsession. My blog is old enough too now where the ad revenue is much greater than before and allows me to pay for bills like phone and cable.
HATE I hate the fact that as the publisher, I am not given more control to filter out the types of ads that appear on BISJ. Yes Google has a "Competitive Ad Filter" but you have to enter the url of each offending advertiser. Now, when it comes to the subject of weight loss, I have no doubt that Google has millions of advertisers related to weight loss and weight management.
There is no way I can monitor ALL of those companies, and submit each one of those urls. I do not understand why Google will not give us publishers the option to filter by subject like NO ads about quick weight loss like "lose 30lbs in 30 days," or ads about Hoodia, liposuction to lose weight, or diet pills. I know it can be done but Google wants to get rich so they make it hard for ads placements to be limited. Good for Google, but a pain the arse for the publisher who has higher senses of consistency and integrity.
I get emails from some of my readers who chastise me about my apparent hypocrisy in that I write about healthy weight loss, and that sitting right next to a post will be a Google Ad reading "Lose 9lbs in 2 days." Those who blog and use the Google AdSense program understand how stuff like this happens, but someone who is not savvy in the workings of Google advertising doesn't know and doesn't care. And, they are right. I understand their gripe.
The subject of weight loss is very tricky in terms of search. It's not like blogging about tech, business, sports, or even food. It's pretty tough to find an offensive ad in those niche topics. But in weight loss, you get the gammet of healthy messages and dangerous ones. One time I had ads about, "Anorexic Get Skinny Using..." I'm not kidding.
So, as a person who needs to make a living, and as a blogger who wants to be consistent in advertising and voice. What do I do? I am constantly torn by this subject. I'm looking avidly for new sources of income that allow me to maintain consistency. Recently, I joined a new ad network that is supposed to help me, the publisher get more access to different ad inventories which is terrific. Google Adwords is part of their inventory so that is why you're seeing more Google ads around here.
But, the big BUT again, I'm finding the same problem in that I can't filter out specific topics. Anyone got any ideas? I could use some insight.
Comments
My love hate relationship with Google's Weight Loss Advertising
I have a love/hate relationship with the Google AdSense advertising program and their weight loss category advertisers.
LOVE As a publisher, I love the ease of putting up the code just once, and then making ad revenue while I sleep. There is no maintenece. It's easy, and the reporting system is fabulous. Looking at the Google Adsense Page Views stats makes me feel like a rock star because the numbers are always higher than what Google Analytics or TypePad stats says. I know they are different counting systems, but when you're a blogger trying to make a living, you tend to gravitate to the "better looking" numbers. Clothing size or web traffic, it's all the same kind of manic obsession. My blog is old enough too now where the ad revenue is much greater than before and allows me to pay for bills like phone and cable.
HATE I hate the fact that as the publisher, I am not given more control to filter out the types of ads that appear on BISJ. Yes Google has a "Competitive Ad Filter" but you have to enter the url of each offending advertiser. Now, when it comes to the subject of weight loss, I have no doubt that Google has millions of advertisers related to weight loss and weight management.
There is no way I can monitor ALL of those companies, and submit each one of those urls. I do not understand why Google will not give us publishers the option to filter by subject like NO ads about quick weight loss like "lose 30lbs in 30 days," or ads about Hoodia, liposuction to lose weight, or diet pills. I know it can be done but Google wants to get rich so they make it hard for ads placements to be limited. Good for Google, but a pain the arse for the publisher who has higher senses of consistency and integrity.
I get emails from some of my readers who chastise me about my apparent hypocrisy in that I write about healthy weight loss, and that sitting right next to a post will be a Google Ad reading "Lose 9lbs in 2 days." Those who blog and use the Google AdSense program understand how stuff like this happens, but someone who is not savvy in the workings of Google advertising doesn't know and doesn't care. And, they are right. I understand their gripe.
The subject of weight loss is very tricky in terms of search. It's not like blogging about tech, business, sports, or even food. It's pretty tough to find an offensive ad in those niche topics. But in weight loss, you get the gammet of healthy messages and dangerous ones. One time I had ads about, "Anorexic Get Skinny Using..." I'm not kidding.
So, as a person who needs to make a living, and as a blogger who wants to be consistent in advertising and voice. What do I do? I am constantly torn by this subject. I'm looking avidly for new sources of income that allow me to maintain consistency. Recently, I joined a new ad network that is supposed to help me, the publisher get more access to different ad inventories which is terrific. Google Adwords is part of their inventory so that is why you're seeing more Google ads around here.
But, the big BUT again, I'm finding the same problem in that I can't filter out specific topics. Anyone got any ideas? I could use some insight.
My love hate relationship with Google's Weight Loss Advertising
I have a love/hate relationship with the Google AdSense advertising program and their weight loss category advertisers.
LOVE
As a publisher, I love the ease of putting up the code just once, and then making ad revenue while I sleep. There is no maintenece. It's easy, and the reporting system is fabulous. Looking at the Google Adsense Page Views stats makes me feel like a rock star because the numbers are always higher than what Google Analytics or TypePad stats says. I know they are different counting systems, but when you're a blogger trying to make a living, you tend to gravitate to the "better looking" numbers. Clothing size or web traffic, it's all the same kind of manic obsession. My blog is old enough too now where the ad revenue is much greater than before and allows me to pay for bills like phone and cable.
HATE
I hate the fact that as the publisher, I am not given more control to filter out the types of ads that appear on BISJ. Yes Google has a "Competitive Ad Filter" but you have to enter the url of each offending advertiser. Now, when it comes to the subject of weight loss, I have no doubt that Google has millions of advertisers related to weight loss and weight management.
There is no way I can monitor ALL of those companies, and submit each one of those urls. I do not understand why Google will not give us publishers the option to filter by subject like NO ads about quick weight loss like "lose 30lbs in 30 days," or ads about Hoodia, liposuction to lose weight, or diet pills. I know it can be done but Google wants to get rich so they make it hard for ads placements to be limited. Good for Google, but a pain the arse for the publisher who has higher senses of consistency and integrity.
I get emails from some of my readers who chastise me about my apparent hypocrisy in that I write about healthy weight loss, and that sitting right next to a post will be a Google Ad reading "Lose 9lbs in 2 days." Those who blog and use the Google AdSense program understand how stuff like this happens, but someone who is not savvy in the workings of Google advertising doesn't know and doesn't care. And, they are right. I understand their gripe.
The subject of weight loss is very tricky in terms of search. It's not like blogging about tech, business, sports, or even food. It's pretty tough to find an offensive ad in those niche topics. But in weight loss, you get the gammet of healthy messages and dangerous ones. One time I had ads about, "Anorexic Get Skinny Using..." I'm not kidding.
So, as a person who needs to make a living, and as a blogger who wants to be consistent in advertising and voice. What do I do? I am constantly torn by this subject. I'm looking avidly for new sources of income that allow me to maintain consistency. Recently, I joined a new ad network that is supposed to help me, the publisher get more access to different ad inventories which is terrific. Google Adwords is part of their inventory so that is why you're seeing more Google ads around here.
But, the big BUT again, I'm finding the same problem in that I can't filter out specific topics. Anyone got any ideas? I could use some insight.
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on Jan 29, 2008 in Skinny commentary & news, Web/Tech for everyday living | Permalink
Tags: Adsense, Adwords, Google, online advertising, SEO, weight loss
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