"Reaction [beta]"
Ad-apting to your behaviour 19 Sep 2006
Earlier in the month we posted about Google's plan to listen in on you via your PC mic and then serve you relevant adverts. Today, there's news of what may be the first step towards delivering this type of service.
Clickz News reports that Google is exploring ways to promote advertising based on users' behaviour:
"When conducting a Google search on 'Web hosting,' iProspect Director of Paid Search Ben Perry noticed three premium listings featured atop organic results. After refreshing the page about ten times, those listings dropped from the premium blue-highlighted spot to the right side of the results page. The general assumption is that Google is removing the premium ads when users show a history of ignoring them."
Google Spokesperson Michael Mayzel confirmed Perry's findings:
"In this instance, we are exploring changes to the way we promote ads to the top of the search page. This is designed to further ensure that users will find ads only when they're most useful and advertisers will receive the most qualified leads. With this improvement, users may see more prominent ads if they are currently showing interest in ads and less prominent ads otherwise."
This is certainly a more benign means of snooping on us than hijacking our microphones.
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