Google Content Network Gets Personal

In yet another move to personalise search, after Google SearchWiki dropped at the backend of last year, the mighty G has now announced the personalisation of its content network ads to individual users – in what it calls “interest-based advertising”.

For example, say a user regularly watches car videos on YouTube, and browses car review sites that employ the content network then Google would class them as a “car enthusiast”, and start tailoring ads to suit them more.

Additionally, interest-based advertising will also allow advertisers to target individuals that have previously visited their website through the content network, to alert them to a Summer Sale, for example.

If that wasn’t enough, the Google Ads Preference Manager will allow users to add categories of interest, remove them, or opt-out of interest-based advertising all together.

How will this affect PPC?

Here at hômejames, we’ve always been aware of Google’s Content Network’s inability to come close to the returns of search-based PPC – extremely high impressions mean very low CTR’s (0.1% in some cases), and poor conversion potential. Historically, it’s been better suited for brand awareness than driving conversions, which is something that should always be tested in a separate campaign to manage it properly. But is this all about to change?

Interest-based advertising is just another step in recent innovations on the Content Network, following image and video based ads, gadget / interactive ads, and the announcement last week of expandable ads.

With personalised content focused on users’ interests, we’d certainly expect CTR’s to improve, and it would be down to the advertiser to ensure relevant landing pages were used to drive the conversion. Another point to note could be a potential clash – what would happen for example, if a male “car enthusiast” was visiting a women’s fashion website to buy a present for his other half – we’d hope that Google presented him with ads for pink car accessories of course! So Google, there’s your challenge!

A limited beta of this system will begin in April 2009.

Read the Official Google Blog Post on interest-based advertising here.