Advertisements need to be explicit about being advertisements

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   makingamarkposted 8 years ago

   I've just started going through some hubs re the new Editbot when I noticed a change which:
   1) I don't like - they appear to be part of my text rather than adverts - and I don't like people being misled about what's my writing and what is business advertising. That suggests I endorse the link - and that's plain WRONG!
   2) More to the point Google listens to my view (and everybody else - including readers of content - who think the same) and agrees with it
   2) Presenting content as text rather than clearly as advertisements breaks FTC regulations about advertisements.
   
   At the bottom of my text in http://makingamark.hubpages.com/hub/top-10-museums there is a block of 10 names with a blue slab behind them
   
   IT IS NOT AT ALL CLEAR THAT THESE ARE ADVERTISMENT LINKS
   
   So far as I am aware every single advertisment on a website has to be clearly signalled as such (i.e. open and transparent as adverts) and should never ever appear to be part of the text of editorial
   
   To my mind these adverts fail on this requirement big time!
   
   If HubPages would like me to find the section of the Federal Trade Commission requirements for advertising on the Internet I'll be happy to go look and find the section which suggests this sort of advert is not allowed.
   
   To my mind they need to be boxed in with the word ADVERTISING clear in the top of the box.

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      relacheposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busines … rules-road

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         makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         You found my link interesting then?
         http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/133101#post2765532
         
         I'm trying to remember the specific guidance on the clear differentiation of authored text and advertisements
         
         I think I've found it - this is the 2013 update re the original "Dot Com Disclosures: Information About Online Advertising"
         
         press release: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-r … guidelines 
         
         publication: ".com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising" https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/docume … tising.pdf
         
         I also found the one by Google https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/96569 - my bold.
         
         Paid links: A site's ranking in Google search results is partly based on analysis of those sites that link to it.In order to prevent paid links from influencing search results and negatively impacting users, we urge webmasters use nofollow on such links.  Search engine guidelines require machine-readable disclosure of paid links in the same way that consumers online and offline appreciate disclosure of paid relationships (for example, a full-page newspaper ad may be headed by the word "Advertisement").  More information on Google's stance on paid links.
         
         It's quite clear Google thinks advertisements need to be clearly signalled to both consumers and Google. It's not just enough to include a "no follow'.  FTC takes the same view.

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      justholidaysposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I've seen different ads: banners advertising flights to Ibiza and Marrakech
      
      I'm so sorry Katherine, I can't help. I think we all see different ads.

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         makingamarkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         We may all see different adverts - but what I'm seeing in hubs which contain lots of links to information is a series of advertisements at the end which are just titles and links and which make no effective effort to announce themselves as advertisements.
         
         It's confusing - and the one thing that Google does not like is for readers to be confused as to what is an advert - because they know readers don't like being confused.

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            SheilaMilneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I see a bank of ads under "See also" too and agree they are misleading.  However they are Google ads so presumably they like them that way.

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            justholidaysposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Yes I know, it's been almost ten years since this new Google rule was implemented - I remember the time people used to integrate those ads into their writings; it was for earning purpose. Maybe an advertiser who's not aware of such changes after all these years? Anyways, a screenshot might have been helpful...

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               SheilaMilneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Here you are
               
               
               
               You will need to enlarge the screen shot CTRL-+  The bank of ads is in pale blue here.  Sometimes they have a black background.

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                  justholidaysposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Oh my, it's worse than what I thought of!
                  
                  When on a black background one might think that they're not part of the writer's work or related content but on blue background, such links just look like part of the writer's portfolio. I really don't want such ads on my pages.

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   Mark Ewbieposted 8 years ago

   The top selling App today is Crystal an ad blocker for iPhone.
   
   Ironically when I searched for some additional info on this I was given a Google search result of  TechTimes - a crappy website FULL of advertising.
   
   I like seeing their terrible ads because it means I will NEVER visit that site again.  That gives me some choice.  But I suspect more people who are not in the awful writing for a few cents game will just block them out.
   
   All that effort on mobile traffic which may be blissfully unaware of all that spam.

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3. 70

   makingamarkposted 8 years ago

   I think I'm going to create a new module within my Hubs which states
   
   THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN BLUE BELOW - WHICH ARE TRYING NOT TO LOOK LIKE ADVERTISEMENTS - ARE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.
   
   In capitals I think - because if advertisements dissemble then I call them out....

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