They do track user data http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/answer.py?answer=54068&topic=10472
What about removing your sites from their index too? Would I follow? Not a chance as Google brings me the best traffic and profit. Yahoo....flipping jokers couldn't organise a circus.
That is not what I said. The more information they gather from you, the more relevant the add format will be in the future.
I have removed the adwords referal from my sites now, it won't be back. As someone said earlier, it doesn't convert very well anyway. I am sure I could manage without the few $100 it bought in, I only used it to buy links anyway
I have always liked google overall, but in some ways I feel they are becoming burdened by their size, as well as the need to satisfy shareholders. As webmasters, we need options when it comes to ways to promote our site. It is great for google that their revenue is growing, but there should be no sense of guilt on our part to seek other ways to advertise that may or may not agree with google's goals. I am hopefull that company's like MSN and Yahoo, and even Text Links Ads and Text Link Brokers, will continue to improve and give competition to Google. If google becomes too dominant, it is likely their profit taking will increase, resulting in fewer good options for webmasters like us.
I agree. I get the point "Google" is trying to make and I agree to an extent but it counts out people who support the cost of their sites by selling "relevant" links. I don't post links on my sites that I don't think would be of some interest to my visitors - target the ones that just don't care one way or the other like a link to a parenting site on a casino site Lisa
Google has become Fidel Castro It sucks money from both ends.. Adwords & Adsense. There is no check and balance system. And there is no way to test 'honesty' of Google these days.
Google needs remember that webmasters are the people that put the sites there in the first place. If it weren't for us, they wouldn't have anything to search. While there is no "critical mass" of webmasters that are against google to the point it will cause pain, this is the type of thing that can grow over time, and irrepairable harm can occur, resulting in webmasters choosing alternatives simply to be against google. I don't WANT to be against google. But I also see the deppreciating return of being a member of adwords and adsense.
Exactly. Google isn't telling anybody how to do anything, and has absolutely no power over how your run your business. Some people bend over backwards to kiss Big G's ass, and that's a choice they make, not something forced on them by any type of mandate. You can still buy/sell all the links you want, and if you're smart, you'll get traffic from them. Same as it ever was, except that Google is implying these aren't going to pass any PR on to their target. That's a looooooong way from them having control over your business model. They're having trouble with too many MFA sites in their index, and changing their algorithm - the one they invented and own - to give their users better quality search results. That's good for everybody. I don't have any ads on my site, but if I did, this wouldn't affect my choice of which ones to go with in the least. More to the point, it won't change the point that I do all my searching through Google.
but then google is disliking our hardwork! why don't you make an anchor text as, paid links, and hiperlink it to google.com that would be nice! will they give negetive marks to google.com then perhaps we should all start using the live.com and yahoo.com for search! that will be a nice way to protest!