They ought to allow more than five. As well as include...
1: Auction Houses.
2: Comparision Sites.
3: Automotive Trade.

I've seen several companies listed under Certified Ad Networks. How do you know which are no good? Or are they all bad by definition?

Re the limits on the topics you can block. Do you really think they are equally bad? Look carefully at how much a particular topic is appearing on your site, and consider how offensive or not it may be to your visitors. I found a "bottom 5" easily--the ones that would offend my visitors or be wildly off-topic, AND which were actually appearing.

(By the way, there isn't necessarily a connection between the 11 topics you can block and the ad networks. As far as I know, it's NOT the case that the networks are ONLY showing ads with those topics. These are simply two separate areas where you can make decisions about what appears on your site or not.)

i think google should have just put the networks in and scrapped the tool to block them. because we haven't got enough info to make an informed decision about each network anyway, so what's the point.
and the different networks come and go so quick it's hardly worth the bother blocking them.

and the 'google testing network'... what's that supposed to be? it doesn't sound like we're going to get a load of well targeted ads with that, so that was the first one i blocked.

i suppose it must be where they put all the new networks before they pass them as fit.

Ah well, I Don't know.. all I do know in my mind is that I run an automotive site and it's all organic search engine visitors looking for car info. So with that said, it would seem to me that a TOP car manufacturer having their ad in the number 1 spot would pay more than a free ringtone download.

If my visitor wanted a free ringtone they would have searched for it.

I just hope there are no google slaps for not playing along.

And I DO AGREE, as usual we as publishers do not have enough information given to us to make an INFORMED decision so we're flying blind as usual and we should be used to that.

so what's the point

To put up the illusion of giving publishers control over the ads that appear on their sites. Maybe also a legal thing. If things get tough, they can always argue that the publisher could have blocked this or that ad.

it's a shame, because it might be quite handy.
some of those networks might specialise in different kinds of ads, like travel or business or something like that. so if you had a travel site you might be happy keeping it in.

Just an update after blocking 5 useless channels and opting out of the certified ad network.. CTR is up 2 whole % and the lowest single click is up 30 cents.

"Just Saying"...not advising with this info, just putting it out there..

I really do think that the automotive trade should be added. Or at least Google have a look at the way the automotive trade behaves with the algo.

I just typed "wrangler cherokee" [without quotes] into Google.
Even their own sponsored [8] adverts on the right hand side of the page. Only two are related to cars. The other six relate to clothes.

@Lame_Wolf I went to google homepage and typed that in exactly also and I got on my end the TOP PAID AD 1 result for wrangler jeans and then ONE RIGHT SIDE RESULT for WRANGLER JEEPS for Jeep.com...

So I only got 2 results and they got it HALF RIGHT...lol..

Strange to me though is the FIRST 10 Search Results are RIGHT ON TRACK and all relate to the JEEP WRANGLER.. I guess that JEANS SITE put in WRANGLER as keyword so there ya go..makes sense for THEM because no one will click it if looking for automotive but sucks for the content network since it will then show up on a totally auto site..hmmm

Strange to me though is the FIRST 10 Search Results are RIGHT ON TRACK and all relate to the JEEP WRANGLER..

Organic results ? Yes, spot on for cars, and no mention of Jeans etc.

I guess that JEANS SITE put in WRANGLER as keyword so there ya go..

More than likely. One of the others was for "Cherokee Clothes at _company name"

So, they put in CHEROKEE for their keyword.
And sites that talk about Cherokee Indians also see such adverts. Just checked.

makes sense for THEM because no one will click it if looking for automotive

I can't see how. More likely someone not knowing what they are doing.

but sucks for the content network since it will then show up on a totally auto site..hmmm

Exactly... which only strengthens my arguement that the automotive trade should be included in the list.

i don't think that's going to happen, because have you noticed that the only subjects they seem to let us block are the ones which they don't use interest based ads.

google have said that they won't use anything to do with politics, religion, sex, weight loss, illness and all of those kind of things in the interest-based ads for privacy reasons -- the same subjects as in the list -- so nothing that we block will affect the interest-based ads.

they want the interest-based ads to keep on showing because it burns through the advertiser's budget faster.