Answers to your interest-based advertising questions
March 23rd, 2009 | Published in Google Adsense
Two weeks ago, we let you know about the upcoming launch of interest-based advertising. We've been reading your blog comments and forum posts, and we'd like to address some of the most common questions we've seen:
How should I update my privacy policies?For more information on interest-based adverting, please visit our Help Center.
Your site's privacy policy will need to include the information mentioned in this Help Center entry. However, because publisher sites and laws vary by country, we're not able to provide exact language for your site. Please make any necessary changes to your privacy policies by April 8th, 2009, as the official launch of interest-based advertising will occur on April 9th. If you're a blogger, you can paste your privacy policy into your sidebar.
I noticed some changes in my earnings and the ads showing up on my site -- is it because of interest-based ads?
No. We haven't yet launched interest-based ads on AdSense publisher sites, so there's been no effect on your revenue or the ads appearing on your pages. Interest-based advertising will be rolled out to a limited set of advertisers beginning on April 9th, and then expanded later this year; as a result, the impact of this launch for most publishers won't be immediate. Over time, as interest-based advertising is rolled-out to additional advertisers, you should begin to see positive effects on your revenue.
Does this mean that my sites won't show ads relevant to my content anymore?
No, that's not the case -- interest-based ads won't replace the previous ad targeting options you're used to. Interest-based ads will compete in the same ad auction as contextually- and placement-targeted ads, and we'll continue to show only the ad(s) that will generate highest earnings for you. As noted above, interest-based ads will gradually become available to show on publisher pages, and with more available ads competing in the ad auction, you should see increased earnings over time.
Are these interest-based ads pop-ups?
No, Google doesn't show ads as pop-ups.
If I opt out of showing ads based on interest categories, can I change my mind later? Will I still need to update my privacy policy now?
Yes, you can change your preferences around displaying ads based on interest categories at any time. However, even if you choose to opt out of displaying ads based on interest categories now, you'll still need to update your privacy policies by April 8th. This is because your site may still show ads based on a user's previous interactions with an advertiser, such as past visits to that advertiser's site. Please keep in mind that remaining opted in to displaying ads based on interest categories will help increase the number of available ads for your pages in the long run, which can help increase your earnings potential.