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Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by rrival on Thursday March 06, 2008 @11:56AM (#130635)
Do you like ads? Do you click on ads? Do you pay attention to ads?
Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by amichail on Thursday March 06, 2008 @11:58AM (#130638)
If they were more accurately targeted, I might be more interested in checking them out.
Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by rrival on Thursday March 06, 2008 @11:59AM (#130639)
Why don't you click on ads? Why don't you like ads?
Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by amichail on Thursday March 06, 2008 @12:00PM (#130641)
I don't like ads in their current form. However, I can't say I will never like ads in any form.

I suspect that most people don't care for ads because they are not really relevant.

Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by rrival on Thursday March 06, 2008 @12:03PM (#130644)
Did you notice the huge CTR rate drop when Google changed the clickable area from the entire ad unit to just the link?
Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by amichail on Thursday March 06, 2008 @12:05PM (#130647)
Do you have a reference that this is the cause?

In any case, the future of ads is seamless integration with a site so that you have no idea it's an ad at all before you click it.

Re:Ask YC: Why does adsense try to find ads relevant to web... by rrival on Thursday March 06, 2008 @12:15PM (#130655)
http://adsense.blogspot.com/2007/11/accidental-clicks-fade-i...

A large % of the traffic to adsense was accidental clicking, a large amount of effort was expended on tricking users into accidently clicking on those links by making them look like they were same-site links. Of course that became a TOS violation.

On a CPM basis I can see some value in having a brand associated with a flash game, or having websites sponsored by something. I think you're trying to build a faster horse. Sites that turn margins and backgrounds into advertising, which exist, are more likely to gain traction than another "pin the tail on the donkey" "click here to shoot the monkey" flash/js ad.

Of course this would be far better addressed by someone from AdPinion.com as their entire business model appears to rely on giving people the ability to view more relevant ads.