Personalized Google ads
A colleague who’s really into Google AdWords showed me a great example of personalized Google ads. In some cases, Google shows ads that are related to your previous search queries. It even works when all cookies are deleted and you aren’t signed in to your Google account or whatever. The searches must be executed in the same window, however.
Let’s say I’m looking for the weather forecast. When I search for “weather forecast“, I’ll get these results (click to enlarge):
What if the next thing I’m looking for is a “Holiday to Spain“?
Now let’s see what happens to the ads if I enter “weather forecast” in the search box again?
Hmm, the first ad looks really targeted to me. Let’s see if we can get personalized ads on other queries as well.
My girlfriend’s birthday is in a two weeks, and because I’m a really cheap bastard, I’m looking for a “sale” somewhere.
Oh wait, I almost forgot, I need a new “LCD monitor“:
Hmm, back to the search for a birthday present again. Enter “sale“, hit GO:
That’s 3 really targeted ads. Looks like Google’s getting smarter by the minute…
Update 1: Ben Murphy also noticed it and it seems to happen with AdSense ads as well.
Update 2: Google sent SEL a reaction with some more info about this:
“What you’re seeing is that we look at the user’s previous query and see how well it intersects with the current query. If it’s significant, we’ll use it to help targeting on the current query. We simply look at what’s in the referring URL (every time you load a web page, the HTTP header includes your previous URL as the “referrer”).”
Related posts:
RSS ?
31 comments on this post
I’ve noticed this too. Ran the same kind of tests over at http://www.benmurphydesign.com/2007/07/13/is-google-adwords-showing-ads-for-previous-searches/
Good to see the word is getting out.
Interesting stuff, thanks. It’s crazy to think about the levels of “personalization” Google could achieve if/when they add Doubleclick’s data to theirs.
This was a good post! I am totally sure Google has a lot to roll out this Fall.
Keep watching!
@Ben: I’ve added your examples to the post as well
@Adam: Google + Doubleclick + Feedburner + … = …
@Erika: Thx, I’ll keep watching
Personalised search is a great feature – It’s sure to benefit users, google and adwords advertisers alike.
Damn they are indeed getter smarter and smarter.. how long will this take to be fully active ? Btw I see the benefit of it and ofcourse they saw that too
WOW – thats crazy. No wonder my ads always seem kind of targetted… Think that means that the adsense ads I see on my site are different than the ones that ohers see?
I have already seen this is action. They tryed it for some time, but now i have the feeling it is permanent ? Anyone agrees with me ?
Well well… this is not only in searching if you ask me. When I visit i.e. a site about loans the next adds on other pages (Google AdSense) are still about that. Strange but true.
Anyone else recognizes this?
STUMBLED!
Very cool.
VOTED for you at:
http://www.newsdots.com/industrynews/personalized-google-ads-wiep-net/
wow i had no idea it did that. Makes sence really, clever system google uses there.
Good to use for marketing, but for the user also a lot of waste. Shows very much not related websites too, with a header wich do suggest that the website sell the stuff what you are looking for. greetz, V
Interesting. Had not noticed it.
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