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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

False Google Advertising?

What should I do about the false-advertising banner at the bottom of this blog? A kind reader (Braces) posted that a quick link takes you to GenialFinder, a search engine. Apparently, the GenialFinder page, which you will see quoted below by Braces (since I have agreed never to click on the ad myself), is not exactly literary in style and not exactly rejection-related in content:

"Welcome to genialfinder. If you visit our site it means that you don't have time and money to waste! Nowadays, it is worth it to walk around and look at shops to find a gift, appliances, or electronics, and go crazy to find something at the right price? There are always so many people in shops, and it is so difficult, almost impossible, to find kind personnel that can help you find the right choice. They just do not care. So why should you be paying them a commission for a service that is not being provided? Having to drive to different shops to find different options to better suit your requirements? Why should you want to waste your time? We search tens of thousands of web sites only dedicated to shopping to provide you with simple and impartial suggestions and information, so that you will find the best deal, at the best price, at the right time! No delays, no lines, no stress! Try our search engine results as well as our search box and you will quickly find what you are looking for! Don't waste your money or your time, try our search engine, it is FREE!"

Is this legal on Google's part? Shouldn't the content have a legitimate connection to the words in the teaser ad? Or is this just the way the blogging world works? Does Google get to do whatever it feels like? Can someone enlighten me?

5 comments:

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Found you from Allison. I just wrote about my BEST rejection ever over at my Blog last week.

Anonymous said...

You can report the content of ads as being misleading. Click on the "Ads by Google" component of the ad, which brings you to their "Ads by Google" page. At the bottom of the page is a link titled "Send Google your thoughts on the site or the ads you just saw" - click and follow the instructions. They take that feedback pretty seriously, given how much of their business model depends upon selling those ads.

The downside to their reporting system is that you can only report bogus ads when you see them... There might also be less obvious ways - for instance, emailing abuse@google.com might work.

(Oh yeah - found you through your comment on Balls & Walnuts.)

Writer, Rejected said...

PS: Thanks for the good info. Will check it out. Not sure that this is a case of google abuse, but I will look into it.

BTW, I like your blog.

Victoria Masters said...

Face it- ads are the Devil's work... but what would happen if NO ONE ever clicked on an ad? Whould the Internet fall apart?

:-D

Writer, Rejected said...

I know, right? Maybe I should take the ad banner off. I mean, a lot of blogs just don't do it, and they probably have more integrity than me. I'm going to take this under advisement. Thanks for the thought,VM. I do think maybe Google is the devil.