NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> WEB-AD'98 COVERAGE: 2/17/98 - TOP TEN MEDIA BUYING
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> WEB-AD'98 COVERAGE: 2/17/98 - TOP TEN MEDIA BUYING
Peter J. Stoermer (Info_at_Fundspot.com)
Tue, 17 Feb 1998 22:02:40 -0500
<SNIP1> Don't buy your competitors trademarked product names as
> keywords. Though it sounds clever (and it is), someone will
> eventually get sued over this and you don't want to be the
> test case.
</SNIP1>
<SNIP2> The practice you describe of buying competitors trademarks as search
engines keywords is a closer question and there are arguments to be made
on both sides. While I think you are right someone will eventually get
sued, it will be interesting to see who wins.
</SNIP2>
I happen to disagree with Richard (who wrote SNIP1). No expects "Editorial
Neutrality" from Banner Ads associated with Keywords.
>From the search itself, yes, the abuse of Meta Tags is abhorrent and
unscrupulous, because it dupes the end user.
But if my company, USA Widgets, buys competitive keywords and a person
searches for American Widgets, but sees my Banner Ad and American Widgets at
the top of the search (unlikely, because the Widget Fan Site will probably
come up before all the Widget Producers' Sites), where will the user go? If
they have an allegiance to American Widgets, they will click on the link to
the AW website. If they just are looking for widgets, and don't really care,
maybe they'll click on my banner.
If American Widgets doesn't buy their own keyword (which I would have to
give up if they wanted it) why shouldn't I buy it?
It's just as fair as the Yellow Pages, to me. Is it "immoral" for USA
Widgets to take out a full page ad, when all American Widgets has is a
listing? I don't think so. It's the cost of doing business.
You will find this Guerrilla Warfare happening more in product directory
sites, I fear. If, for example, you go to a site that compares Widgets
(Widgetbuyers.com), you could theoretically buy the pages that appear when
someone searches for your competitors widgets. Is it unfair? Yes. Is it
wrong? I don't think so. This is also similar to buying ad space based on
editorial content (which we all know hardly EVER happens in magazines).
Anyone else have opinions on this subject?
Regards,
Peter
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