Free Republic

Congressional staffers control the content on Members’ websites. They control Members’ Facebook and Twitter accounts. They can even manage Internet search results by buying ads and using search engine optimization techniques. But Hill staffers can’t control what people wonder about their bosses. The latest trend in helpful Web search technologies is quietly causing headaches for Members of Congress and those who manage their reputations. Search engines such as Google now offer suggested search terms that appear in a drop-down menu as users begin typing. Those search terms, formulated partly based on what other users are searching, often serve up all...

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 UPDATE: Conduit's Director of Strategic Marketing Hai Habot contacted me in regard to the campaign. Comment published at the bottom of the post. Despite my personal reservations towards the use of Google sponsored ads as an emerging traffic acquisition tactic on behalf of scammers and cybercriminals -- blackhat SEO is getting more sophisticated -- Google sponsored ads are whatsoever still taken into consideration.

Search engine operator Google has blocked ads that attempt to exploit security holes in the Internet Explorer. In the past few days, Google has been displaying context-sensitive ads on the right margin from its program partner AdWords that link to sites with dangerous JavaScript for various search terms such as "Preisvergleich" (price comparison) and "Gebraucht PC" (used PC). If you clicked on one of the links in the Internet Explorer, a JavaScript attempted to install spyware on your system. And the normal list of hits also included a lot of sites with Trojans. This Monday, Google reacted to the problem...

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- There was speculation for months that Google might be giving away more revenue to some of its distribution partners than it took in. Now we know. It does. In its S-1 filing Thursday, Google revealed that 80 percent of the $961 million in sales it generated last year came from its site alone. The other 20 percent came from other Web sites that use Google's ads and send traffic Google's way. Google also said: "Typically, in situations where we pay a Google Network member more than the revenue we receive from our advertisers in connection with...

A 32 year old man was arrested by the FBI last week after threatening to "spam" Google. Michael Anthony Bradley faced fraud and extortion charges in a San Jose court after allegedly attempting to extort USD 100,000 from the popular search engine firm. Bradley had developed software that created false clicks on Google AdWords advertisements. Google pays webmasters a certain amount per click for displaying AdWords advertisements on their sites and Bradley had already used his software to defraud the program by generating thousands of dollars for himself via false clicks. Earlier this month, Bradley approached Google staff demanding a...

<p>SAN FRANCISCO - Online search engine leader Google has banned the ads of an environmental group protesting a major cruise line's sewage treatment methods, casting a spotlight on the policies - and power - of the popular Web site's lucrative marketing program.</p>

The Google “Gag” Order by Jared Jackson Google.com retaliates against the Christian Courier’s “The Progressively Aggressive ‘Gay’ Movement” article. No better example of aggressive behavior could be cited. Several months ago, we started a teaching campaign using the Google Ad words mechanism. Last week, all of our ads were removed because someone at Google became incensed with our opposition to homosexual conduct. Google Adwords is an advertising program promoted by the Google search engine enterprise (www.google.com). The Google Adwords program allows a client to target content on its web site directly to a select market. It accomplishes this by allowing...