SEM NewsGoogle change upsets customers
2003-11-14
Some Google customers are upset that the updated AdWords service is causing them to miss out on possible sales.
The service was tweaked towards the end of last month, with the purpose of identifying successful advertisements, according to the company, and reducing the visibility of those that fail to attract clicks.
A company spokesman denies that overall ad response rates have changed as a result, but many businesses complain that the revised system forces smaller companies to compete for attention with larger ones, that can afford to pay for keywords.
The controversy comes as an unwelcome stain on the Google brand, as it continues its astronomical rise.
The company is said to be preparing for an initial public offering early in 2004, with the figure £15 billion suggested as the likely value of the growing keyword advertising business.
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