Okay--what gives with the ads?

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   DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years ago

   I was under the impression that the ads placed on our pages would be triggered by some word, phrase or reference within the article.
   
   So, I am left wondering, WTH does an ad for "Glad Press and Seal" food wrap have to do with my article about the Black Diamond Mines Regional Park???????????????????????????????
   
   I could understand an ad for hiking boots; for hard hats for the mine tour; for dog leashes, even, but glad wrap?? Come on!
   (And besides--that product is easily found in the grocery store--probably not something anyone is going to buy online.)
   
   This is but a single glaring example of the many, many, highly irrelevant ads I've seen placed.  Another touts a supposed remedy for sagging skin on an article having nothing whatsoever to do with personal care.

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      Molly Laytonposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Some advertisements for general consumer products can be placed on any Hub. Advertisements for the one weird trick you need to lose weight or save electricity or whatever get splattered wherever too. Google ads might be a bit more relevant, but I'm honestly not sure what algorithms the advertisers use for placement. All I can say is that it's not Hubpage's fault.

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         DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Oh, I'm not thinking it's HP's fault--more likely Google's.  I just think it's crazy!

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      moonlakeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Your lucky for that much I have no ads on my hubs.

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         SheilaMilneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I see ads on your hubs. Have you installed an ad blocker?

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   quicksandposted 8 years ago

   Google ads that appear on HubPages or anywhere else is based on the viewer's browsing habits. If I view an article of yours I will see ads on it that are related to what I have been searching for in the recent past. Somebody else reading the same article will not see the same ads that your article presents to me. Just to make certain what I am saying is still right, I launched your page entitled "Hoover Steam ... " and all I see are ads on t-shirts, dark glasses and watches that a local e-commerce site is vending. That's because I purchased some stuff online recently from that e-commerce merchant, and while searching for what I needed to buy, my interest also involved the other items I have mentioned.

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      ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      ^^ This.  I see ads for things I've recently browsed on Amazon and other sites when I have ads enabled.

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         DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I've heard this explanation before, but it doesn't "fit."  I've never browsed for any of the things that show up on my hubs!!
         
         I'm 67.  I don't care.  I don't search for solutions to 'saggy skin.'
         
         I buy my food storage supplies at the grocery store; I don't shop online, so I've never browsed for that, etc...I could go on, but the explanation just doesn't make sense to me, because that's not what I'm seeing.   
         
         I'm not being shown ads for anything in which I have any remote interest, including no ads for things I HAVE browsed for on Amazon, in searching for items for my (relatively few) Amazon capsules.
         
         And, since we're not allowed to click ads on our own pages, it's all irrelevant, anyway; even if I did see an ad for something in which I was interested.
         
         (Fact of the matter is, I do precious little shopping online for anything--largely because there is no extra money to do so, but also because we got rid of credit cards, and I only have PayPal to use, and a great many shopping sites only accept credit cards and not PP.)

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            Patty Inglish, MSposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Maybe a coincidence, but It sounds like those ads target the people that most often access HP, according to Quantcast: women ages 18 - 34.  Ads on my own Hubs show me about half maybe-targeting those women and half reflecting my own recent searches. I'm surprised how many 20-somethings in my city buy anti-wrinkle and weight loss stuff, look into products for sagging skin, and buy the Glad Wrap you mention. Just a thought.

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               DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               That makes a lot more sense, Patty.  Thanks for mentioning that possibility.  Ah, this shallow "eternal youth" culture in which we live...
               
               And people not realizing that in most cases, buying things online costs more, because you have to add shipping costs onto the base price of the item.  (Some offer free shipping, but it's not all that common..and for many of those, you have to spend a pretty fair chunk of change to qualify for that perk.)

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            Marisa Wrightposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Ah, but you are 67 and if Google knows that (which it probably does) then it figures you MAY want products for saggy skin.  You might be surprised how much information Google has on you, and they use all of it to work out what ads to show.
            
            As others have said, if they can't find ads specifically for you then they'll show something else - which may be a bit random, or it may relate to the keywords in your Hub.  Which is why you get ads for insurance on a Hub about insurance.  The robots can't read context so they don't care that you're writing something negative about insurance.

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   ThoughtsWriterposted 8 years ago

   Even though you've never searched for those things, those advertisers are still targeting you. Based on your habits or other data that is easily accessible, they know your age, relative income, geographic location and gender. As such, there are people who are marketing to you (or people like you).
   
   It's like TV commercials. During the day on HGTV, there will be ads targeted to stay at home moms. Despite never having "searched" for the mop/food/cosmetic supply, those advertisers are still trying to reach you.
   
   In addition, there simple aren't enough people selling hard hats and hiking boots advertising space. Rather, the general things have much larger marketing budgets. As such, it's much more likely that those things will show up.

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   Rochelle Frankposted 8 years ago

   Sometimes the ads offer a touch of humor, presumably since they are selected by humorless robots.
   I have a tongue-in-cheek hub about needing more hub accolades in which I described the symbols as being encircled with a wreath. I got ads at the top for holiday and Christmas wreaths. Quite festive looking... even though it wasn't Christmas.
   I also have a hub about power outages that advertised electrical appliances.  If your power is out, you are not looking for things you need to plug in.

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   1. 85

      DzyMsLizzyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      That is true to some extent.  I have also noticed things contrary to what the hub is about.  For example, in my series on corporate greed, I was criticizing certain industries, and not recommending them--yet what shows up as ads on those pieces are for exactly the types of companies  I was against!  Such as ads for insurance companies on my article describing the scam that is most insurance...

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