Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Web Hosting : Google dishonest competition?

[nibb]

When you search for "hosting" in Google you sometimes get as the first sponsored results an ad which advertises Google Aps.

Now, is Google outbidding all other advertisers? This is dishonest because Google can always put themselves over any other advertiser and this means you could bid as high as you want for that keywords and Google would still be the number one.

I also discovered some words now and in the past that nobody advertises, and Google asks for outrages 3$ per click to be in the first spot. How come if nobody else shows up under that keyword?

Just test it yourself. Use a keyword for example from one specific company, than when searched in Google shows no ads for that keyword but if you try to put an ad under that keyword, its makes senses that you could bid the lowest amount and be on the first spot if nobody else is bidding for it, but no. Google suggest ridiculous prices just because the term is popular?

This is very dishonest. How do you know they are not artificially increasing bigs so people just pay more or what others are really bidding for?

And my head ticks when I see Google services always appearing first, never in the second place, or third, always number 1 for some keywords, advertising some of their own products. I would say they are not applying their bidding offers, neither their quality check to their ads, because some ads appear under non related google services keywords.

[BeStRaFe]

Guess when you are the size of google you can do pretty much anything.
I find with some industry related terms it get up to $18 per click for such terms as dedicated servers locally.

that is freaking insane!

[nibb]

Of course but its ok if gets to 18$ because someone is bidding that high. The problem I posted out is, what happens if Google appears on the top, over even the one that pays 18$ per click. How much is Google paying for click? Nothing.

Its unfair if you pay 18$ per click, to be in the top and you then are displaced to second position by Google who pays nothing.

And what I discovered is even worst. Some keywords, random, which have no ads at all, this means nobody is bidding or putting ads for this keyword seem also have to have inside bigs. How come?

If you find a popular term which people are searching, you say, hey Im going to put an ad for this, and since no ads appear, any single day, on any single way your search for this keywords, it means nobody has ads for this keywords. So bids should start a 0.01$ and as people bid they go up. But guess what, this terms because they are popular, your ad will not show up with that bid. Google says minimum 1$. How come? How come Google says there is a minimum bid for this keyword is no Ads appear?

They are artificially bidding on keywords, and this is rather scary.

It means if you find for example that hosting costs 5$ per click, it may be that its not because another competitor is actually bidding that, but Google says someone is. So you need to believe them, and you know bid 6$, and someone else bids 7$. You see my point? You start a price war, and the truth is that nobody actually did bid 5$ in the first place.

I just proved this with the keywords that have NO ads at all and Google suggest some weird minimum bids for them even nobody is using them. So they are artificially bidding themselves for some keywords. This is cheating, because they trick you into believing the minimum you need to pay for your ad to show is XX $ per click when the truth is nobody else is bidding on that keyword.

[MrRadic]

Google is a business, they are here to make money, not to play fair...

[nibb]

Originally Posted by MrRadic

Google is a business, they are here to make money, not to play fair...

A business can play fair and make money. Based on your opinion a business needs to play unfair and be dishonest to make money?

"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business"
Henry Ford

[Kalriath]

Originally Posted by nibb

Of course but its ok if gets to 18$ because someone is bidding that high. The problem I posted out is, what happens if Google appears on the top, over even the one that pays 18$ per click. How much is Google paying for click? Nothing.

It appears you are completely unfamiliar with the way big companies work. In a company the size of Google, every department acts almost like its own company - they have their own policies, they have their own methods, and more importantly their own budgets.

Google's Apps Team would have to pay for their ads, and they could only do it within the confines of their marketing budget. Part of which budget would also pay for ads on other networks, TV, newspaper (if applicable, of course).

[TheVisitors]

There is no law that says your business must help make your competitor do better.

So the idea of Google making it's self #1 when you search for online advertising makes sense.

Some web host here sell limited ad space on their sites for other web related services. Do you see them hosting ads though for other web host? *

* IF you can answer yes to that... That host is stupid. Avoid it.

[NetDepot - Terrence]

Originally Posted by MrRadic

Google is a business, they are here to make money, not to play fair...

I agree, companies are in business to make money, unfortunately many people don't see it this way.

[WireNine]

Unfortunately that's the way monopoly works. The only solution is to not advertise with them and market your business elsewhere if you think it's unfair.

[nibb]

Originally Posted by Kalriath

It appears you are completely unfamiliar with the way big companies work. In a company the size of Google, every department acts almost like its own company - they have their own policies, they have their own methods, and more importantly their own budgets.

Google's Apps Team would have to pay for their ads, and they could only do it within the confines of their marketing budget. Part of which budget would also pay for ads on other networks, TV, newspaper (if applicable, of course).

If this is truth, then OK, its fair play. But if its not. You are bidding against a ghost bidding with unlimited budget.

Basically a bot that will always outbid you. Similar to those online pocket games where people lose their faith when they see the names look like bots and act like bots, and usually win with strange cards as if they where bots.

You could say, they are also just to make there money, but thats actuall cheating the other players that paid with real money vs the bots with unlimited virtual credits and always lucky cards.

Thats what I was trying to point out. If they really need to justify the ads and use their budget for this then I take back what I said. But that something you said, not sure if its truth as nobody can actually confirm is that is the case or not.

Similar to when you see Chrome Ads everywhere on a website. Are they paying the webmaster for this clicks on their adsense account? And how much? Because I saw this ads on very popular PC blogs where usually there are very hi paying ads, and suddenly all of them where from Google Chrome, something the webmaster cannot really control as its Google that controls which ads appears where.

[Okoji]

Sorry,you can't help it. Google is bigger than one man.

[cutabovehost]

You don't have to engage in crooked behavior and be dishonest to make money.
What the OP is talking about is very unethical behavior.

Google is not to big to be taken down it just takes consumer commitment not to use them for anything that cost money.

Yahoo or any search engine would be glad to take over.
There were also advertising groups that people used well before Google got into the game.
Microsoft use to run their own advertising network.

[Kalriath]

Originally Posted by nibb

Similar to when you see Chrome Ads everywhere on a website. Are they paying the webmaster for this clicks on their adsense account? And how much? Because I saw this ads on very popular PC blogs where usually there are very hi paying ads, and suddenly all of them where from Google Chrome, something the webmaster cannot really control as its Google that controls which ads appears where.

Yes, of course they are. Only Public Service Ads net no income on clicks - the Chrome team has an advertising budget too. And before you ask, Public Service Ads clearly say "Public Service Ads by Google". How much they pay you'd probably have to ask someone who has those ads running.

[dotHostel]

First, I think Google is dishonest and evil. Hands-on experience.

That said YOU are not seeing ads for the keywords but you can't assume haven't been published in other cities, regions, countries, continents.