Gmail increases ad 'transparency'

Google has increased the level of transparency and choice on its ads in its search and Gmail services via a "Why these ads" link. Senior vice president for advertising Susan Wojcicki said this is in line with Google's system to show the right ad to the right person at the right time. "Over the coming weeks, we’re making improvements to provide greater transparency and choice regarding the ads you see on Google search and Gmail. Soon, you’ll be able to learn more about these ads by clicking the 'Why these ads' link next to ads on Google search results and Gmail," she said in a blog post. Wojcicki said that since ads should be just as useful as any other information on the web, Google is working to make them "as relevant as possible for you." She said clicking on the “Why these ads" link will lead to information about why one is seeing a particular ad and how it is personalized. "If you’re searching for a local restaurant while you’re on vacation in Hawaii, you would see ads for restaurants that are nearby, rather than restaurants in your hometown. Or if you’re researching flat-panel televisions, and performing a series of similar searches in quick succession, you could see ads based on the query that you just entered, or based on a few recent and related queries within a single browser session," she said. The ad system considers the language one is using, his or her geographic location, and various other indications. On the other hand, Wojcicki said Google allows users to use an Ads Preferences Manager to make changes that improve the ads. These include blocking specific advertisers one is not interested in or turning off ads personalization entirely. "We regularly experiment with new ways to improve our ads to make them more relevant and to help marketers grow their businesses. When we run these experiments, we’ll continue to explain why the ads are showing when you click the 'Why these ads' link," she said. "As we’ve done with display ads, we’re committed to giving you notice and control over the ads that you see. We’re always working to deliver the perfect ad, and we know that it’s important to have a choice about the kinds of ads that are shown to you. If you don’t wish to see personalized ads, the choice is yours," she added. — RSJ, GMA News