Google Ads: Do they work?

[Shalyn]

Hey all!

I'm taking a course in copy writing right now, and our third assignment was to create 3 Google AdWords for three different products or services, or for one product/service for three different target markets. In going through Google, as I always do, I found it was one of the only times I really paid attention to the ads on the side and top, instead of the non-sponsored links. I was pretty disappointed. They all look the same, they all have flashy keywords, but none of them feels like more than spam to me.

When doing my assignment I felt the need to inject some imagination and feeling into one of my ads, just to see how my teacher would take it, and I was greeted with "I don't get it" and "You should have used 'free'".

Strange and Funderful
Great goods for your Inner Geek
Order now and nullify shipping fees
www.thinkgeek.com

Now I know it isn't the best thing ever, but I considered myself the target market, and considered the tone of the original website, but that didn't matter. Personally, I think the old keyword attack is getting stale, especially since there are so many ads on the internet, we just breeze by them without a second glance. If that wasn't true for the majority, there wouldn't be so much 'theoretical money' online instead of actual purchases. So my question(s) to you, BG:

Where would you like to see ads going?
What gets you interested?
Do regular Google Adwords work on you?
Have you seen any really good/memorable ones that made you click?

Feel free to comment on other things that I didn't question. I'm not doing this for an assignment, I merely wondering if I'm just strange in my views.

[quannum]

http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/p...Mgh1MHk_OSlCeg

[_chuchu]

People who are interested in buying something related to those ads may click. Those who aren't probably won't. I think they shouldn't be the only method to advertise stuff, but I think they are an okay step in the right direction.

[Shalyn]

The whole point of ads is to get your attention, whether you want an item/service or not, whether you're in the target market or not. If you're not even paying attention, it's merely a waste of space, I think.

[The Stig]

To sum it up, internet ads work for:

Computer illiterates
Kids/children/retards
horny adults
elderly

Rarely do you see them with something genuine to offer.

[miokomioko]

Computer illiterates
Kids/children/retards
horny adults
elderly

I feel like the first group always contains the latter three groups.

[Shalyn]

I feel like the first group always contains the latter three groups.

That made me lol..

It's true that they may click but I'm not sure about purchasing; people like that either don't trust anything that doesn't go through an actual human, or can't figure it out. XD

[Pharaun]

Where's the option for I have Firefox with adblock? It's doesn't matter how awesome your ad is if I never see it. It also doesn't help that I can't remember the last time an ad (print, TV, or online) actually made me want to buy or even look into the product being hawked.

[Cephius]

I click on ads from time to time if it's a site I trust.. I know the Penny Arcade guys only let ads for products they like get put up on their site. I've clicked on some if it's a game I've never heard of that looks interesting. Ads on the web have a negative stigma attached to them, but really, what's the big deal?

I don't think I've clicked on any ad that wasn't video game related.

[aduidarnenye]

What ads? I never see any ads. I use Firefox.

[Pikarya]

ilu noscript & adblock.

[Darus Grey]

They obviously don't work, google's barrels of money is from some other unknown source.

[_chuchu]

They obviously don't work, google's barrels of money is from some other unknown source.

IE users :<

[SephYuyX]

Ive never ever clicked on an ad with serious intent.

[Qeomash]

What Google ads? I see nothing!

[Shalyn]

They obviously don't work, google's barrels of money is from some other unknown source.

Help! The GoogleAds do nothing!

Actually Google makes a shitton of money by convincing people that their ads really work and then charge per click. And then I'm sure they outsource people to just click GoogleAds to create income for ... Google. Ah, the beauty of Pay Per Click. Really want to piss off a company? Just spam their ads

[Mayareira]

I don't click/use them at all. When I'm interested in buying something I simply google and use different sources, etc.

They probably do work, though. Most of us BG users are more familiar with internet/computers than the regular internet user.

[Takedown3]

adwords/sense is not meant for people like us who use the internet for trolling

people who do not know how to work the netz are the targets

[MisterBob]

Adwords certainly work, they just work on normal users, not people like us. If they didn't work, Google wouldn't be what it is today.

[guartz]

adwords work. Personal experience.


except the market is so saturated. There are 500 people advertising any one thing at any one time for your keywords.