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[Misc] Targeting ads on NSC!



AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,808
Ruislip
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Does the ads on NSC know I have no hair on my head, as this is taking the biscuit :)
 

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Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
Ads are targetted to you, not the site. You have clearly shown Google enough info to know that, e.g. age, other searchs, etc.
 


AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,808
Ruislip
Ads are targetted to you, not the site. You have clearly shown Google enough info to know that, e.g. age, other searchs, etc.

I know, buts its really weird, no hair restore products for me used here :)
 




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,339
Uffern
Ads are targetted to you, not the site. You have clearly shown Google enough info to know that, e.g. age, other searchs, etc.

This has come up before and they're clearly not targeted at individuals. The ones that I keep getting are for cars and motor insurance (I'm a non-driver) or dating agencies (I'm in long term relationship). I can assure you that I have not been searching for info about cars or logging into dating sites. There's also a large number of ads in German, French and Italian and I'm an English-speaking Brit who lives in the UK,

Ads are clearly serving the site, not the individual
 




Rogero

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
5,715
Shoreham
This has come up before and they're clearly not targeted at individuals. The ones that I keep getting are for cars and motor insurance (I'm a non-driver) or dating agencies (I'm in long term relationship). I can assure you that I have not been searching for info about cars or logging into dating sites. There's also a large number of ads in German, French and Italian and I'm an English-speaking Brit who lives in the UK,

Ads are clearly serving the site, not the individual
Your other half may have been using your computer.!
 


El Presidente

The ONLY Gay in Brighton
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,709
Pattknull med Haksprut
This has come up before and they're clearly not targeted at individuals. The ones that I keep getting are for cars and motor insurance (I'm a non-driver) or dating agencies (I'm in long term relationship). I can assure you that I have not been searching for info about cars or logging into dating sites. There's also a large number of ads in German, French and Italian and I'm an English-speaking Brit who lives in the UK,

Ads are clearly serving the site, not the individual

Having read one of your earlier posts, I'm now being given adverts for £500 a night hookers................which is nice.
 








Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,739
Back in Sussex
This has come up before and they're clearly not targeted at individuals. The ones that I keep getting are for cars and motor insurance (I'm a non-driver) or dating agencies (I'm in long term relationship). I can assure you that I have not been searching for info about cars or logging into dating sites. There's also a large number of ads in German, French and Italian and I'm an English-speaking Brit who lives in the UK,

Ads are clearly serving the site, not the individual

Half-wrong.

If you are logged into Google and/or do a fair number of searches and visiting other sites on the same machine/browser as you use to access NSC you will almost certainly receive ads that are highly targeted to you. I see this for myself when I often get ads on NSC for sites I have visited, often only minutes before.

If, however, the ad companies do not know anything about you then you will be served will be largely random.

Targeted ads perform better so you are likely to get them whenever someone can give them to you.
 


Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
This has come up before and they're clearly not targeted at individuals. The ones that I keep getting are for cars and motor insurance (I'm a non-driver) or dating agencies (I'm in long term relationship). I can assure you that I have not been searching for info about cars or logging into dating sites. There's also a large number of ads in German, French and Italian and I'm an English-speaking Brit who lives in the UK,

Ads are clearly serving the site, not the individual

Do you use Adblock on virtually every other site?

Google wouldn't be in the position they are today if they didn't target ads with extreme precision at people - not websites.
 




Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
I've done a fair amount of reading about Big Data recently, which contributes to Google Adwords and the adverts you see on websites like this one. I occasionally get adverts which are totally obscure and random, like the OP's thinning hair ad - it's the result of all the data being analysed in an algorithm which has made a suggestion based in incorrect logic - user A looked at website B, C and D and when user B did the same thing, they then looked at website E so let's show user A the same website and see if that gets traffic.

But it could be that user A was preparing to run a Half Marathon in Worthing so he looked Train times, the race map on the event's website and then Trip Advisor to see where he should eat after the event - and then user B also wanted to run the race, so he did the same thing but having got the information he needed, he then looked at bespoke wedding suits which has nothing to do with the previous activity but would increase the likelihood user A seeing an advert for bespoke wedding suits because they have similar browsing patterns.

Or, I might be totally wrong. :thumbsup:
 


nicko31

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2010
17,591
Gods country fortnightly
I guess NSC gets some payback per click on ads. Guess its what keeps things free, you cannot run a site like NSC for nothing
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,339
Uffern
Do you use Adblock on virtually every other site?

Google wouldn't be in the position they are today if they didn't target ads with extreme precision at people - not websites.

Don't use Adblock at all

And if Google are so good at targeting then how come the ads served in my Gmail account are also for dating agencies and motor insurance? Mind you, that's better than Facebook which keeps serving me incontinence ads and funeral funding. I'm not that old
 




AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,808
Ruislip
I've done a fair amount of reading about Big Data recently, which contributes to Google Adwords and the adverts you see on websites like this one. I occasionally get adverts which are totally obscure and random, like the OP's thinning hair ad - it's the result of all the data being analysed in an algorithm which has made a suggestion based in incorrect logic - user A looked at website B, C and D and when user B did the same thing, they then looked at website E so let's show user A the same website and see if that gets traffic.

But it could be that user A was preparing to run a Half Marathon in Worthing so he looked Train times, the race map on the event's website and then Trip Advisor to see where he should eat after the event - and then user B also wanted to run the race, so he did the same thing but having got the information he needed, he then looked at bespoke wedding suits which has nothing to do with the previous activity but would increase the likelihood user A seeing an advert for bespoke wedding suits because they have similar browsing patterns.

Or, I might be totally wrong. :thumbsup:

As I started this thread off in a vein of humour, I have to say that when I go onto NSC, Gmail and BTmail I do get ads that are targeted to my own search choices.
ie: Amazon, John Lewis, Dunelm etc
So its no suprise to me that I get these, unless as previously mentioned you use an Adbloc of sorts.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,739
Back in Sussex
I was looking at desks on the John Lewis site last night and on the bottom of my last NSC page there was a large advert with specific John Lewis desks.
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,739
Back in Sussex
I've previously noticed that SportsShoes.com are quite aggressive retargeters so I visited their site to look at trail running shoes a short while ago.

Lo and behold I now get this....

Screen Shot 2016-02-17 at 11.31.11.png
 




Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
I've previously noticed that SportsShoes.com are quite aggressive retargeters so I visited their site to look at trail running shoes a short while ago.

Lo and behold I now get this....

View attachment 72431

I buy all my running stuff from them, and I recently bought at a desk at Oak Furnitureland - I get carpet bombed with adverts for them both on all platforms, even YouTube!
 


maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
13,002
Zabbar- Malta
I am getting Red Bull adverts. Have never touched the stuff or googled it.
 


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