March 12, 2009 by Jay Smith
It’s been talked about for a long time but yesterday it finally became a reality. Google have launched an advertising model that allows advertisers to target their ads based on information gleaned from a user’s web history. A web browser, rather than being offered ads based on the keywords in the site’s content which might be only loosely or not at all relevant, will be served ads that actually respond to an interest exhibited in their previous searching habits.
They’ve called it Interest Based Advertising and, none too catchy name aside, it could revolutionise the Google Content network, across which it will be running. The system works in two ways, firstly by using information that a user has previously logged by accessing your site. What this means is that if, for instance, a user had visited your online pet store site before and looked at the cat food section, you could set adverts for cat food to show for that user in the future.
The other way in which Interest-Based Advertising works is that it allows users to offer ads based on the categories of user that Google assigns. These categories are compiled based on previous exposure to the content network and YouTube (Interest-Based Advertising runs on YouTube too), so if someone spends all their time searching for Britney Spears news, you could maybe attempt to sell that person a Britney poster.
Related posts:
- Google launches Interest-Based Advertising (Part 2)
- Mystery godfather-style horse’s head on Google sparks interest
- Google launches +1 button on global search ads
- Google+ Amplifies the “Display Advertising Revolution”
- Google investing in new approaches to online advertising
- Using Google Parameter Controls to control Duplicate Content
