AdWords landing page quality update

[KLB]

I'm sure everyone here is very aware of Google AdWords landing page update that took place several days ago. What I have found most interesting about this update is following the fallout caused by this update in threads like http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=106512. I find it interesting how many people disparage MFA type sites, but then justify to themselves that their site is not an MFA site.

Now I'm sure there are many truly innocent sites getting caught up by this landing page quality update, but really wonder if Google could have really gotten such an update as wrong as people are trying to make it look?

In away, I almost think the whole topic of this update could make a good blog entry or article for Chris to write on as I'm sure he is very intimate with the way AdWords works (I know I'm not). Being able to understand this issue and how the update affects AdWords advertisers and how they should rework their landing pages would be very valuable for many AdWords advertisers.

Oh, Chris please don't ask me to write on this, as I have no clue on the matter. I think the grand total I have spent on AdWords advertising is less than $200 (ya I'm a cheap bastrd when it comes to advertising).

[Emancipator]

can you elaborate on this, what is an MFA site? I dont use adwords or much google for that matter till this month :)

[KLB]

MFA = Made for AdSense

It refers to low quality sites that were created simply to attract users and get them to click on AdSense ads without having any real substantive value in and of themselves. In this case it particularly referes to sites where the owner bids on low value key words and presents users a page with almost no unique value and no outbound links but ads. The purpose being to generate more ad revenue overall than is spent on advertising.

[BP2000]

I support the update! :)

[cjshu]

It that was their point then I support it, but they were trying agin to weed out one of their best moneymakers, the affiliate site.

I had a couple sites dropped that had no adsense and were targeted to 1 product.

So I put in a link to go directly to the merchant site and it got spit out ( keywords gone inactive with a $5 to $10 reactivate fee per keyword ) also. I'm talking about 25 to 30 very targeted keywords to an adgroup.

I think its a screw up but you can't tell Google they did anything wrong.

CJ

[ceetee]

A person on another forum said it was the minor keyphrases that were having insane increases. I.e 'widgets in US' not 'widgets'. It's not aimed at affiliates per se, just that affiliates typically employ many minor phrases to reduce their spend and are being disproportionately hit. The aim of course is to force advertisers to bid on fewer words and increase Googles profit.

Just another symptom of their majority position in search. I guess they think merchants dependant on the internet and Google won't have any choice but increase their ad budget. Forcing out MFA advertisers is viewed as a bonus.

[cjshu]

Its a Google money grab.

This will force everyones costs up. If you have to activate your keywords at $5 or $10 ( why they choose these rounded numbers is anyones guess ) then you jump ahead of me and I in turn raise my bid prices to keep up.

CJ