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In response to the discussion on Video Demonstrates PPC to PPC to PPC Pages Via Google AdWords & AdSense Network at WebmasterWorld the AdWords representatives noted that you can exclude your ad from coming up on the content networks and park domains. In reality, you can exclude your ads from showing on the content network, which I believe is the parent of the parked domain service.
For example, in the "Edit Campaign Settings" section of your campaigns, you can define which Google networks you want your ads to run on. Here is a picture of that.
You can have your ads run on Google.com only. You can have your ads run on Google's search network (explained here). And you can have your ads run on the content network (explained here). Which network does the park domain program fall under? It is not 100% clear to me from this documentation, but I believe it would be the content network.
Does this solve all of the advertisers issues? I doubt it.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
Comments:
Richard Ball
12/19/2006 04:28 pm
Google is "broken" in this regard. Parked domains can be on either the search network or the content network. Google has a site exclusion tool but that only works for the content network. Read this Google help page: http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=50002 It says, "Depending on the design of the site, a parked domain site will be classified as either a search site or a content site. That means your ads may show on parked domain sites if your campaign is opted in to the search or content networks." Here's their help doc that explains that site exclusion only applies to content network: http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13248 Bottom line: Unless these 2 help docs are out-of-date, an advertiser who has the "Search network" box checked could be exposed to clicks from parked domains. They cannot block those sites. Google needs to address this or all their PR about minimal click fraud is irrelevant. And, Andy Beal says PPC is easy and SEO is hard? ;-)
Melissa
12/19/2006 05:38 pm
Richard, there's been a recent change. From AdwordsRep at the SEW forum: "One can exclude any site in our Content network and any parked domain in either the Search or Content network but cannot exclude other sites in the Search network." There was some confusion surrounding what can and cannot be excluded, but I *think* this is the latest official word. SEW thread here: http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=15494 Melissa
Richard Ball
12/19/2006 05:49 pm
Thanks, Melissa. Is this all done through the existing site exclusion tool? Has anyone confirmed that it actually works? If it does work, that's welcome news.