The Ad Review Centre?

[gary101]

Is the Ad review centre a new feature, I never noticed it before? it appears you can block certain categories or sectors from appearing from your website/websites.

It also gives the amount of impressions and revenue you are earning from these groups, so it makes it easier to choose which categories to block.

Category Filters

Category filters allow you to block ads in certain ad categories from appearing on your site, regardless of how they're targeted. We've provided the percentage of total earnings and impressions recently generated by ads for each category below to help you decide which categories, if any, to filter.

1)Cosmetic Procedures & Body Modification
Includes lifts, suctions, lasers, hair removal and restoration, tattoos and body modification.
2)Dating
Includes dating services and online dating communities.
3)Drugs & Supplements
Includes pharmaceuticals, vitamins, supplements and related retailers; does not include resources providing information about drugs.
4)Get Rich Quick
Schemes promising fast earning.
5)Politics
Includes politics or controversial social issues; does not include ads for news organisations that are not generally associated with a partisan viewpoint on issues.
6)Religion
Includes religious ads and ads advocating for or against religious views; does not include astrology or non-denominational spirituality.
7)Ringtones & Downloadables
Mobile add-ons including ringtones and other downloadable goodies such as screensavers and wallpapers for desktop PCs and profile layouts and graphics for
social networks.
8)Sexual & Reproductive Health
Includes sexual function and fertility ads; does not include normal pregnancy resources.
9)Sexually Suggestive
Provocative pictures and text.
10)Video Games (Casual & Online)
Includes video games, online games and downloadable games; does not include video game consoles.
11)Weight Loss

Then below that section there is another one:

Allowed ad networks

Google Testing Network
Aggregate Knowledge
DataXu
Acxiom
Adchemy
Invite Media
Specific Media
Turn
[X+1]

You then have the option on which of these networks you want to block, but it gives no indication what they are or how much they are earning your websites?

Does anyone else have any info on this feature?

Thanks!

[vlmagee]

There is apparently very little information about either of these features.

I find the whole thing very frustrating. I have been trying to find out more about the category filter, but nobody has any information and Google never responds. I initially set it to block 5 categories, then backed off and set it for just one. Since that one category has been set, the percentage of ads in that category has increased. That is possible if the average is over (say) 30 days, and there were more such ads in the most recent 30 days, but eventually I would expect the percent of impressions to go down for that category (they would have to, and eventually become zero unless the average is over "all time"). So far, they have not. I read on another forum that the category filter doesn't work, period, but I can't say that. I don't look at my own ads enough to know if I am getting any from that supposedly filtered category.

And yes, this and the additional ad network blocking are new features. Given my experience with the category filter, I am not likely to fiddle with the ad network filter unless I discover that one or another of the networks is the source of ads that I consider inappropriate (not necessarily embarrassing, but perhaps just of zero interest to my community).

If anyone has learned anything useful from experimenting with these settings, I would be interested in hearing about it. My own view is that showing ads for a category that is never clicked on is a waste, so my strategy is to hopefully eliminate those ads. But it isn't clear that I can!