Is It Now Time To Slap the Google Adwords Monster?
Google is an extraordinary success story. In less than 12 years they have created a virtual monopoly in the search engine market. Depending on which country you live, Google has anything up to 85 per cent of the search engine market.
Great success brings more responsibility. Google needs to act fairly at all times to stakeholders. But in recent years there is ample evidence that the company has acted in an arrogant and capricious manner to the very people who pay their bills – and make them rich. I’m talking about their advertiser customers.
This year in key niches including business opportunities, they have closed down a massive number of accounts. They say they are trying to clean up the internet, but plenty of evidence suggests that many of the people they slapped were acting ethically and honorably at all times. Google’s arrogance and cavalier approach resulted in more than 100,000 accounts being shut down, without any recourse for the advertiser.
I have heard through the grapevine that Google may drop 15% in advertising revenue this year as a result of the action they have taken. So much for Google being a hyper growth company.
One of the reasons for Google’s stance is because some people who feel they have been ripped off by marketers have contacted Google, and had a whinge. And there is no doubt that some of the ‘make money’ offers are dodgy.
But to throw out virtually all advertisers in targetted segments such as make money from home, weight loss, and a wide variety of affiliate products, is a crazy way to run a business. Is Google now displaying hubris? It seems so.
In a recent blog post by Wealthy Affiliate, the following points were made:
“We all know that there are legitimate products and services out there within these niches…but advertisers are being suspending simply for trying to start campaigns within them. I know many people that this has happened to, I have seen a lack of support from Google. In essence, a lack of explanation that leaves the suspended advertiser standing around “wondering” what the heck they did wrong.
I hear a lot of “why me” and “what did I do”…and if you have found yourself frustrated and in this position, you are not alone. Google is shutting people down for no reason (well, their reason is that they don’t need a reason).
Think of it this way. If a supermarket were to find out that one brand of pizza was making people sick, they would remove that pizza from their supermarket right. Fair enough.
However, if they followed what Google has done, they would remove all pizzas from their supermarket and maybe even the ingredients that go into the pizza, not giving their customers the ability to buy pizza anymore. Does this sound logical? You can come to your own conclusion…”
Sick of the Google Slap? Here is the Good News
If you have been slapped by Google there are a few remedies:
1. Forget Google – Use Yahoo/Bing Instead. It is now projected that Bing may soon account for 40 per cent of the search engine market. They already have 12.1% share, making them number 3 behind Yahoo and what’s their name. This is very good news indeed, and will serve as a brake on the rampaging Google monster. I have already read reports of favorable treatment from Bing towards advertisers. They actually respect advertisers and really look after them.
2. Try Facebook Advertising. Another form of pay per click advertising, I am now getting positive reports from people I work with. They are getting good results from Facebook advertising.
3. Try Social Media. Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can work well.
4. Use SEO. Search Engine Optimisation strategies designed to get your site ranked in a reasonable time frame, are very effective – they do work.
5. Try Playing By Google’s Bizarre Rules. If you are committed to using Google Adwords, then give them another try. But your site will need to be a multi-page, content rich site that above all is relevant to the user’s needs. No guarantees, but if you get the formula right and Google likes what you’re doing, you will be advertising almost in a vacuum – most of your competitors have been wiped out. Yet there’s no shortage of people who are searching for products, services and opportunities. That is the good news, and therein lies the opportunity.
So there you have it. If you simply can’t be bothered playing the Google Adwords game – give them the flick. On the other hand if you are prepared to put in the hard yards and make your site/s compliant, you may well make more money than you ever did, under the old basis.
