In an effort to curb the effects of content farms, an interesting development in the world of Google search has arisen which could impact the world of Google display: users will be able to block sites in search engine result pages.
Google search engineers explain on the Official Google blog: “Now when you click a result and then return to Google, you’ll find a new link next to ‘Cached’ that reads ‘Block all example.com results.'” Read about it.
Let’s take it a hypothetical step further. Could Google enable users to “block this advertiser” within display placements someday? ClickZ’s Zach Rodgers made a somewhat similar argument about the impact on display if search engine results change with the Farmer algorithm update.
Why couldn’t “blocking” come to display by advertiser or by creative?
In the near term, it might prevent ad dollars flowing to Google’s top and bottom lines. But in the long run, it could improve performance for the advertiser and, most importantly, for the user – putting a shine on Google’s public, “Don’t Be Evil” image.
It’s the “don’t-keep“!
What else could happen if display ads were blockable? How about…:
- Presumably better advertisers, with better creative get more access to relevant audience.
- Brand dollars may move online more. Users feel more comfort with the big brands and don’t “don’t-keep” them.
- Good creative becomes more critical than ever.
- Better engagement. CPMs go up as the performance improves.
- CPMs rise for display on publishers with valuable audience driving more non-guaranteed inventory on to DoubleClick Ad Exchange.
- Google makes even more money with “display curation” than without.
- Alternative marketplaces develop to service the advertisers that don’t run effectively in DoubleClick Ad Exchange.
- Users increasingly like cookie technology as it gives them more control on the Web.
By John Ebbert
