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Google explains Off-Topic Ford Explorer Ads

Many Adsense publishers were not too happy with Google for serving Image and text ads featuring the Ford Explorer on websites that were not related to automobiles, trucks, SUVs. Since the Google Adsense program promises to serve only contextual ads, the Ford Explorer campaign annoyed many Google fans.

Now in what looks like a PR exercise, Google Adsense Blog has tried to explain why the off-topic Ford Explorer ads were shown? And if you are still not convinced, Google is advising people to filter these ads by adding the destination URL of the ad to your competitive filter list.
Some of you have asked, "How is an ad for an off-road vehicle targeted to my pages about hiking?" Excellent question!

Contextual targeting, or targeting the text on your site (the primary targeting mechanism of AdSense), is only one form of targeting. With the launch of the site targeting program, advertisers can select sites that are relevant to their prospective visitors, thereby targeting an audience, not just content. So although the ad campaign may not be targeted directly to your site's content, it will be relevant to the specific or general interests of your readers
Remembert that most of the Ford explorer ads very site-targeted (text or image) which generate more revenue thanthe corresponding CPC ads. So filtering a site-targetted ad effectively means that you are showing the lower paying ad on your website. Good for your site visitors but not so good for your Adsense Cheque.

Source: Site targeting: a refresher

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