Google Committs Click Fraud Themselves on National TV????

IAmAllanShore · 01-04-2005, 06:38 PM

On a segment of 60 minutes, Lesley Stahl is talking to Google executive Marissa Mayer about how Google makes money.
"People always ask us how Google makes money," Mayer says, as she does a Google search for flowers. The left side of the screen displays the top 10 Web sites Google found related to flowers. Appearing on the right side are what Google calls sponsored links. This, she explains, is where the money comes from. When someone clicks on a sponsored link, say in this case it's an ad for FTD flowers, the company pays Google.

It shows Marissa clicking on the FTD ad and other ads as she explains that "this is the way Google makes money".
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/google-adsense/63281-google-committs-click-fraud-themselves-national.html

Now true, FTD probably paid Google a whopping 50 cents for that click, and they got some national publicity out of the deal, but still... You know those two weren't really looking for flowers.

Link to summary of the story, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in664063.shtml

-Allan

Shan · 01-04-2005, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by IAmAllanShore

It shows Marissa clicking on the FTD ad and other ads as she explains that "this is the way Google makes money".

It's hard to believe that they sued someone for click fraud a while ago. I never expected Google to do click fraud, and never thought it earned it's money that way. How much % of their money do you think is earned from click fraud? I'm guessing only a measly 5% or less because I doubt they would spend all their time working on click fraud and they do earn alot of money from Adwords.

trishan · 01-04-2005, 08:39 PM

Caught red handed...nice one...

***armstrong*** · 01-04-2005, 09:08 PM

I hope you all are just joking.

That was just a demo, and Google executive Marissa Mayer has better things to do than click to make money for Google. Google is so successful because of innovation; and their PPC model is widely-trusted precisely because they take great pains to ensure that there is zero (or minimal) click fraud happening.

I'm glad they actually prosecute the ones caught committing click fraud; as an adwords advertiser, I'd happily keep paying google because of this.

RJ · 01-04-2005, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by IAmAllanShore

It shows Marissa clicking on the FTD ad and other ads as she explains that "this is the way Google makes money".

That just sounds really, really bad.

????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=63281

I love Google.

suthra · 01-04-2005, 10:46 PM

Thatz a joke lol

Shan · 01-05-2005, 04:48 AM

Originally Posted by armstrong

I hope you all are just joking.

Yes, I was just playing along.

IAmAllanShore · 01-05-2005, 05:01 AM

Originally Posted by armstrong

I hope you all are just joking.

That was just a demo, and Google executive Marissa Mayer has better things to do than click to make money for Google. Google is so successful because of innovation; and their PPC model is widely-trusted precisely because they take great pains to ensure that there is zero (or minimal) click fraud happening.

I'm glad they actually prosecute the ones caught committing click fraud; as an adwords advertiser, I'd happily keep paying google because of this.

Mostly just joking, it's more the appearance of what was done than whether or not there was any unjust pecuniary gain by the goog.

Anyhow, I'm up to having spent $1,200 on adwords since December 1 (Took a week + off for X-mas, etc., so I'm combining December/January), so believe me I'm all about them going after some click fraud.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=63281

What's particularly bad, is I'll have 50 clicks on ad X in one day, but the next day's reports only show 30-40 uniques from that ad, yet I have never received an "adjustment" as a result of their having caught click fraud.

However, the day they can effectively catch it all will be a help for everyone.

-Allan

IAmAllanShore · 01-05-2005, 09:50 AM

I suppose the only big negative that can come of this is that all of the Google shareholders (It's public) now realize they can make themselves money as easy as clicking on links...

Does that make sense?

True, McDonalds shareholders know they can make money by buying burgers, but there is something sad about a pay per click system that was at least pure on the search side of things now having the potential to receive more negative clicks as a result of folks looking out for their bank at the expense of others (Me).

-Allan

01-04-2005, 06:38 PM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
IAmAllanShore NamePros Expert Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Esse quam videri Posts: 8,316	Google Committs Click Fraud Themselves on National TV???? On a segment of 60 minutes, Lesley Stahl is talking to Google executive Marissa Mayer about how Google makes money. "People always ask us how Google makes money," Mayer says, as she does a Google search for flowers. The left side of the screen displays the top 10 Web sites Google found related to flowers. Appearing on the right side are what Google calls sponsored links. This, she explains, is where the money comes from. When someone clicks on a sponsored link, say in this case it's an ad for FTD flowers, the company pays Google. It shows Marissa clicking on the FTD ad and other ads as she explains that "this is the way Google makes money". ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/google-adsense/63281-google-committs-click-fraud-themselves-national.html Now true, FTD probably paid Google a whopping 50 cents for that click, and they got some national publicity out of the deal, but still... You know those two weren't really looking for flowers. Link to summary of the story, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in664063.shtml -Allan __________________ Something Witty This Way Comes...

01-04-2005, 08:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
trishan NamePros Regular Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Melbourne Posts: 762	Caught red handed...nice one... __________________ Online Marketing Melbourne \| JumperPunch \| FootyBook

01-04-2005, 09:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
*armstrong* Man from Manila Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Net Posts: 6,022	I hope you all are just joking. That was just a demo, and Google executive Marissa Mayer has better things to do than click to make money for Google. Google is so successful because of innovation; and their PPC model is widely-trusted precisely because they take great pains to ensure that there is zero (or minimal) click fraud happening. I'm glad they actually prosecute the ones caught committing click fraud; as an adwords advertiser, I'd happily keep paying google because of this. __________________ Apollo's excellent 3-letter .BIZ auction; $1 starting bid!

01-04-2005, 10:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
suthra Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,656	Thatz a joke lol __________________ A single smile can be a solution to several problems.:) www.adult.ec is for Sale! Why not make an Offer?

01-05-2005, 09:50 AM	THREAD STARTER #9 (permalink)
IAmAllanShore NamePros Expert Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Esse quam videri Posts: 8,316	I suppose the only big negative that can come of this is that all of the Google shareholders (It's public) now realize they can make themselves money as easy as clicking on links... Does that make sense? True, McDonalds shareholders know they can make money by buying burgers, but there is something sad about a pay per click system that was at least pure on the search side of things now having the potential to receive more negative clicks as a result of folks looking out for their bank at the expense of others (Me). -Allan __________________ Something Witty This Way Comes...

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