http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/technology/13nocera.html?8dpc
Here is why it's so important. If you've ever been to any conference all the big boys, ie Pepperjam, who have at least somewhat of a direct relationship with Google directly are putting pressure on it to change it's clearly biased policies.
It's obvious that Google feels perfectly fine encouraging blatant arbitrage from the big comparison-shopping engines and web portals, who are quite obviously their biggest clients, but their policies toward marketers who provide direct response and highly targeted products to their users are completely biased. The reason for this is that the more targeted the product and advertisement the higher the profit margin for the advertiser. However, due to Google's borderline monopoly in search, on an automated level they force higher bids to withdraw increased revenue from highly targeted campaigns. In essence they are destroying their own platform, giving a massive advantage to advertisers who's sole purpose is to drive as much traffic as possible to their sites, regardless of whether or not their content is remotely related to what a user is looking for. A classic example of this is the ridiculous ads you often see featured in newspapers, where huge advertisers like ebay, amazon, shopping.com or the like are found to be bidding on keywords like grenades, prostitutes, slaves and the like. In these particular cases Google is of course eager to increase the quality and eliminate the ads but their general policy to this sort of bidding and anti- competitive behavior is the same, as evidenced by the existence of these type of ads even in 2008.
YouTube - Kris Jones on Search Arbitrage - Search-Engine Strategies NY
The advantage we have right now, is that this is the Justice Department. They are not professional marketers. They are lawyers. They have power and they have knowledge on the industry but they do not have the experience of dealing with the completely biased policies. This is the one chance to make Google work with us and to make sure the search advertising becomes more fair and remains fair.
We all know the mainstream media doesnt have the breadth of knowledge that we do or the experience so we need to put pressure and call even more attention to the issue.
I am personally sending letters to the Justice Department and to the New York Times and other major news organizations. We need every person on Wickedfire to fight for their own business and for the industry as a whole.
If you explain your situation and how and why Google's position is dangerous and their practices are borderline anti-competitive (which in some but not all instances, I truly think they are), then I don't see how people won't listen.
I'm writing my letters right now. Please help yourselves and please help the industry. I'm gonna hit my AM managers on monday to maybe tell their affs? I dunno, but I know that if we scream hard enough all together, all at once, we can really change things.
I know I can't explain myself in more detail or with as much evidence as one of the top search marketers in the world, so here is a video:
YouTube - Kris Jones on Search Arbitrage - Search-Engine Strategies NY
PS, the second paragraph is sort of the line of thought I am focusing on in terms of having Google change it's policies.
Here is why it's so important. If you've ever been to any conference all the big boys, ie Pepperjam, who have at least somewhat of a direct relationship with Google directly are putting pressure on it to change it's clearly biased policies.
It's obvious that Google feels perfectly fine encouraging blatant arbitrage from the big comparison-shopping engines and web portals, who are quite obviously their biggest clients, but their policies toward marketers who provide direct response and highly targeted products to their users are completely biased. The reason for this is that the more targeted the product and advertisement the higher the profit margin for the advertiser. However, due to Google's borderline monopoly in search, on an automated level they force higher bids to withdraw increased revenue from highly targeted campaigns. In essence they are destroying their own platform, giving a massive advantage to advertisers who's sole purpose is to drive as much traffic as possible to their sites, regardless of whether or not their content is remotely related to what a user is looking for. A classic example of this is the ridiculous ads you often see featured in newspapers, where huge advertisers like ebay, amazon, shopping.com or the like are found to be bidding on keywords like grenades, prostitutes, slaves and the like. In these particular cases Google is of course eager to increase the quality and eliminate the ads but their general policy to this sort of bidding and anti- competitive behavior is the same, as evidenced by the existence of these type of ads even in 2008.
YouTube - Kris Jones on Search Arbitrage - Search-Engine Strategies NY
The advantage we have right now, is that this is the Justice Department. They are not professional marketers. They are lawyers. They have power and they have knowledge on the industry but they do not have the experience of dealing with the completely biased policies. This is the one chance to make Google work with us and to make sure the search advertising becomes more fair and remains fair.
We all know the mainstream media doesnt have the breadth of knowledge that we do or the experience so we need to put pressure and call even more attention to the issue.
I am personally sending letters to the Justice Department and to the New York Times and other major news organizations. We need every person on Wickedfire to fight for their own business and for the industry as a whole.
If you explain your situation and how and why Google's position is dangerous and their practices are borderline anti-competitive (which in some but not all instances, I truly think they are), then I don't see how people won't listen.
I'm writing my letters right now. Please help yourselves and please help the industry. I'm gonna hit my AM managers on monday to maybe tell their affs? I dunno, but I know that if we scream hard enough all together, all at once, we can really change things.
I know I can't explain myself in more detail or with as much evidence as one of the top search marketers in the world, so here is a video:
YouTube - Kris Jones on Search Arbitrage - Search-Engine Strategies NY
PS, the second paragraph is sort of the line of thought I am focusing on in terms of having Google change it's policies.
