Figures released by Google indicate that it took more action against dubious advertisements in 2011 than in 2010. It rejected 134 million advertisements last year compared with nearly 57 million advertisements during the previous year. This amounted to a 136 per cent annual increase in the elimination of bad adverts.
At www.clickconsult.com we welcome efforts by Google to tackle the problem of advertisements which either offer unethical products or are misleading. This is because Pay Per Click Management works best when good quality advertising is placed amongst other honest adverts.
It seems clear from the statistics that Google puts a considerable effort into the fight against unsatisfactory advertising. Some critics may not be pleased because they either have unrealistic expectations about what Google can achieve in this area or because they believe that the money Google makes from advertising means that it tends to be permissive.
However, Google is potentially open to criticism from the other direction because it can be harsh on offenders. Director of Engineering David Baker has stated that advertising sites can be prohibited for a single offence. If Google can be criticised for being too lax or too severe, it arguably means that it is doing something right.
Given the pattern of more advertisements being rejected year after year, it is likely that 2012 will see a further increase. Ethical advertisers who work with reputable clients will hope that Google continues its efforts to combat bad advertising.