A Brazilian blogger noticed something very unsettling: Some advertisers are publishing phone numbers in their AdSense ads. Check it out:
]Some even show in searches:
I wrote Google about it, but until now, no answer. Well; we, publishers, work under very strict rules, including the paranoid no-accidental-click rule, and we agree, but hey, let´s be fair. ALL WE WANT is a chance of making a dime, with people clicking on our ads. If the advertisers gives the visitor ways to reach them without clicking, we´re working for free.
I´m not a wall clock. I do have bills to pay. Including hosting expenses. If an advertiser shows its ads on my page, and give right away his phone number, the user will not click, and the advertiser is no longer a partner, but a a freeloader.
If Google does not stop that practice I´ll start a campaign to list and teach how to block those freeloaders.
Exactly. There is no free dinner.
Comment by Doufer — December 16, 2006 @ 4:37 pm
Hello, buddy.
I wrote Google about this unfair rule, some months ago, and they did reply me saying that there is nothing to prevent advertisers from publishing their phone numbers.
I think it’s time to think of your campaign, brother.
Comment by Janio Sarmento — December 16, 2006 @ 10:46 pm
I don’t think many advertisers are doing this are they? But from the other side I don’t think theses advertisers are trying to cheat you. They probably are just trying to get their message out to those people who are immune to clicking. You can’t blame them for trying. However, you should definitely block those specific advertisers from your site. It shouldn’t be hard. Google’s ad serving program will eventually stop serving those unprofitable ads if they aren’t clicked on.
James
P.S. Why does the submit comment button say “submit query” Guess I am going to find out!
Comment by james — January 13, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Something between 1% and 5% of my advertisers do it. I´m already blocking and the revenues increased a bit.
About the “submit query” thing, well… the theme I used as a base to this blog iwas created by an european guy, and the query thing was a minor slip. Shame on you, Vladimir Simovic
Comment by Cardoso — January 13, 2007 @ 10:35 am
Google should block automatically ads that contain phone numbers in them.
Comment by Adam Lorenz — January 17, 2007 @ 2:11 pm