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A very upset searcher posted his concerns in the Google Web Search Help forums over BP buying an ad for their name in Google AdWords.
If you search for [bp] in Google, up comes an ad from BP that reads "Info about the Gulf of Mexico Spill Learn More about How BP is Helping" with a display URL of www.BP.com/GulfOfMexicoResponse. Here is a picture:
The searcher said:
Having BP's propaganda show up as the 1st response to googling Gulf Oil Spill is bullsh--Your having BP's propaganda show up as the 1st response to googling the gulf Oil spill is inappropriate and a dis-service.
Clearly, this is someone who has no idea how Google AdWords works. But nevertheless, this person is upset.
This is a valid debate and Search Engine Land's piece named Fighting The Oil Spill On Google: BP Versus The Lawyers kind of gets into it. So check that out.
Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.
Comments:
dddmarketing
06/08/2010 04:09 pm
Great article. I think this is a really good conversation to have. From my perspective, it doesn't seem like they decided to take $50m away from relief efforts to fund this advertising push, and it is what any corporate PR department would do in a similar situation. I've written my take on the situation at: http://www.datadrivendigitalmarketing.com/main/2010/6/8/bp-buying-paid-search-on-oil-spill-terms.html
TC
06/10/2010 01:01 pm
More importantly: Convince Google to Donate Proceeds from BP Ads to the Gulf Cleanup Effort http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127738057249291