I have them appearing on my site already, as stated in an earlier thread today and so far the "beta users" are the worst kind of mfa's. That influences my opinion quite heavily, obviously.

from what i have noticed so far is the cpc site targetted ads look like normal cpc ads, and dont take over the whole ad block like cpm ads...

I'm confused: how exactly are you able to detect that one ad is a site-targetted CPC ad as opposed to being a normal CPC ad?

I also would like to know how you identify specific ads are targetted CPC over non-targetted CPC.

Yes, please explain, how you can tell it's a targeted CPC ad?

[edited by: incrediBILL at 5:42 pm (utc) on Mar. 15, 2007]

*fingers crossed*

Hopefully, this will stem the eCPC slide that I've seen. As an advertiser I was constantly surprised by the sites that my ads ended up on and wondered why my ads never appeared on sites like mine . . .

I'm wondering about this.

What I'm seeing on my site recently is site-target CPM ad eCPMs going up, and regular contextual CPC eCPMs going down.

But I can't tell CPM site-targeted ads from CPC site-targeted ads, I'd sure like to be able to though.

Interestingly enough the two movements seem to be balancing each other out, so I'm not seeing a net gain or loss at the moment.

Related? I don't know.

Can you opt-out of this just like with site targeted ads too? I'd feel better if I could opt out in the interim until the dust settles. Everytime someone at G has a new idea for the Adwords side, my overall earnings go down - and I sure dont run an MFA site.

There seem to be many questions about this.
Here is another, expanding on maxgoldies question -
Can I subscribe to targeted CPC ads, and NOT the targeted CPM ads?

The comment from becks07 is chilling -
" ... so far the "beta users" are the worst kind of mfa's."
This does not bode well for this new feature.

Hmmmm . . what about "domain targeted" ads?

Seems if a company can target a website in the contextual ad network then it ought to be able to target a domain name in the parking program. I've got a few generic descriptive domains that I'm fairly certain different industry players would likely choose to put their ads on if they could target 'by domain' within the parking program. When you can target the domain that 'is' the generic name of the industry you might do a little better than placing 'run of the parking network' ads.

What say ye Google? Et tu AdsenseAdvisor?

The comment from becks07 is chilling -

The comment by becks07 is questionable. As far we know at this moment, there may not be a way to distinguish between a Site Targeted CPC ad and a regular contextual ad.

Until becks07 explains how they distinguished between the ads, the truth of it is doubtful. I don't mean disrespect, we're just asking for some logical follow up so that statement can make more sense.

[edited by: martinibuster at 7:28 pm (utc) on Mar. 15, 2007]

martinibuster - Ah yes, I see, after re-reading. Some premature criticism, I surmise.

[edited by: Sally_Stitts at 7:29 pm (utc) on Mar. 15, 2007]

well from what i have seen you can't tell at all which is cpc targetted and normal cpc. The only reason i know is because i checked the sites that i was running ads on. I need to go check my stats and see how they did the first day.

I'd guess that very, very few site-targeted CPC ads are being displayed at this point, simply because the beta test is new (is it actually underway, or just announced?) and most advertisers won't be participating.

you can't tell at all which is cpc targetted and normal cpc.

Bingo!

I really don't understand why some find conspiracy and hysteria regarding everything AdSense does. Reminds me of the old Snapple urban myth that started when it was rumored the (K) on the side of the bottle was a Klan symbol when it simply met Snapple was (K)osher.

I posted about noticing something different in the adsense preview tool here [webmasterworld.com...]

This thread is still on the first page of this forum.

Basically, I have site targetting turned off for cpm and all ads served are contextual according to my adsense reports when you drill down to the per ad level but I noticed for the first time yesterday that I was being targetted as per the string that mzanzig described. The ads shown appeared no different the only thing that identified them as different was the adsense preview tool.

Draw your own conclusions, form your own opinions, I am only going by what I've seen and my own experience in forming mine.

but I noticed for the first time yesterday that I was being targetted as per the string that mzanzig described. The ads shown appeared no different the only thing that identified them as different was the adsense preview tool.

I don't think you can use that as a measuring stick; I've seen that same thing for some months now in the adsense preview tool with my own url in the string, but I only recently turned CPM back on after having it off for at least six months. I'm curious as to why it's there, but I don't see how it could be CPM, unless it really wasn't turned off when Google said it was.

is it actually underway, or just announced?

its underway from at least yesterday afternoon,when i got the email, and i assume its been probaly going on for awhile with the big boys testing it a while before they let us little guys in.

I really don't understand why some find conspiracy and hysteria regarding everything AdSense does

ill second that, especially when this will probaly result in higher payouts for us on the publisher side since advertisers can just target the site and not the keywords, and not worry about paying for some "best of" or "top sites" or etc etc. so far it seems to get the ads running you have to bid higher than just if you were keyword matching, which as an advertiser is well worth the extra pennies paid and as a publisher higher prices paid for clicks is usually good.

domain targeted?

hmmmm thats a good one, ill have to check that out here in a bit, i would assume you can, unless they are classified as a search partner.

Hi Netmeg,

Ok well if a string such as

[http://]www.advertiser.com/?1234567&ABCDE=content&site=www.publishersite.com&creative=123456789

doesn't mean I was targetted when I only run cpc then I stand corrected. I was just surprised to see my site in the string, as I hadn't observed that previously. I wonder what it does signify if not related to targetting, as mentioned, the advertisers using it thus far are only those I really don't want on my site.

[edited by: becks07 at 9:00 pm (utc) on Mar. 15, 2007]

I'm still trying to figure out whether publishers will have any say so in how their sites are targeted.

I would hate to be site-targeted by a business or individual and have no way of influencing it. Especially if they've created bad ad-copy.

Just wondering why we couldn't use the Ad filter to get rid of a CPC targetting advertiser if they were low-balling us. It seems like there would be a limited number of advertsers in the Beta.

Just wondering why we couldn't use the Ad filter to get rid of a CPC targetting advertiser if they were low-balling us.

Maybe I'm missing something, but how would an advertiser be able to "lowball" a site with site-targeted CPC ads? Won't site-targeted CPC ads be competing with run-of-network CPC ads? I can't imaging Google letting an advertiser buy site-targeted CPC ads for less than the existing "grab bag" rate. That wouldn't benefit the publisher or Google.

It seems to me that the only publishers who need to worry about site-targeted CPC ads are those who aren't likely to get any.

domain targeted?

the 3 random ones i tried were no gos

It seems to me that the only publishers who need to worry about site-targeted CPC ads are those who aren't likely to get any.

thats pretty much my take on it as well

Maybe I'm missing something, but how would an advertiser be able to "lowball" a site with site-targeted CPC ads? Won't site-targeted CPC ads be competing with run-of-network CPC ads? I can't imaging Google letting an advertiser buy site-targeted CPC ads for less than the existing "grab bag" rate. That wouldn't benefit the publisher or Google.

In theory that is true as it should be for CPM ads as well. In practise I've heard a lot of complaints that can CPM ads bring revenue down . . .but that is hearsay for me and I really don't know. I've always kept CPM ads on. But it is possible that Google's algorithms work differently in practise then they should in theory.

It's a big black box. I've never understood why eliminating ad space or ad channels should increase revenue or EPC but a lot of publishers believe it can and test that. Again it's a big black box.

It seems to me that the only publishers who need to worry about site-targeted CPC ads are those who aren't likely to get any.

That's pretty much how I feel (in theory).

In theory that is true as it should be for CPM ads as well. In practise I've heard a lot of complaints that can CPM ads bring revenue down . . .but that is hearsay for me and I really don't know. I've always kept CPM ads on. But it is possible that Google's algorithms work differently in practise then they should in theory.

Site-targeted CPC ads should be simpler to implement, since Google is comparing apples to apples (or bids to bids) and there's likely to be less guesswork involved.

If I were a big advertiser who knows what he is doing I would be rubbing my hands in delight at the anticipation of site targetted CPC.

After all would they, could they stop their site targetted CPM campaigns and still get the same exposure. It is feasible.

I strongly believe as publishers we should have more control over our ad space. We SHOULD be allowed to set a minimum CPC and CPM value.

One could argue that direct ad sales allows us to do this. Not so.

I have had direct advertisers say they are going to try advertising on my site through Google. Why? They can then geo-target, pick very specific keywords and set mins, max etc.

One major problem with site targetted is the same ads tend to appear all over a site, which makes me wonder just how targetted they are. But, let's face it if someone is a professional adwords manager it must be possible for them to wriggle in without paying as high as many would hope.

Giving so much control to advertisers is a good thing, but publishers should not be neglected.

I believe publishers should be allowed to set a MINIMUM CPC and CPM value.

One major problem with site targetted is the same ads tend to appear all over a site, which makes me wonder just how targetted they are.

That's true of site-targeted CPM ads, and it's by design. Site-targeted ads aren't supposed to be contextual. In that respect, they're no different from an ad for a dating service at Washingtonpost.com or an ad for Mercedes-Benz at Forbes.com. You may not feel that an ad for (say) candy bars is a good match for your doughnuts site, but the advertiser may know that people who read about doughnuts are easily tempted by sweets.

Site-targeted CPC ads will be different, because Google has stated that they'll be "contextual" ads. They should work just like the existing run-of-network contextual ads, except that some publishers will benefit from them and others won't.

You may be right EFV only time will tell. I still believe though that if an advertiser wants to target my sites I should be allowed to set a min CPM and CPC.

As I mentioned it has started costing me direct advertisers.

Of course I could block those advertisers but it does not do a great deal for the relationship we have.

I strongly believe as publishers we should have more control over our ad space. We SHOULD be allowed to set a minimum CPC and CPM value.

I have to agree! This is the reason our main website has no AdSense. I will not give up our ad space for a few cents/click. One good direct advertiser will generate more revenue than AdSense. Wake up guys! We have to speak up!