"The Riots over Google Adwords"

Let me say, first, I'm mad as hell at Google. But, it's for joining with Verizon to try to control Net Neutrality. Not because of something I made up when a couple of idiots freaked out over something they didn't understand.

Here's the Story ...

Someone told a major internet marketer that Google was banning Adwords accounts for using “bridge pages.” A bridge page is clearly a page between the Google Ad, itself, and the actual sales copy. They even said so.

Advertisers are using bridge pages for all kinds of things. Some are “squeeze pages” to collect email addresses. Some go to the affiliates' sites before hitting the actual product sales page. And, there are, no doubt, other things they're used for.

You know. Bridge pages. What's so bloody hard about that?

Mind you, two people - one of whom wishes to remain anonymous (no doubt) told this marketer about the situation. And, before you know it, there's a HUGE uproar that Google is banning advertisers for sending folks to a separate domain for payment processing.

All of a sudden, they're calling PayPal, Clickbank, even your own shopping cart on a different domain, “bridge pages” and saying you'll be banned for using them.

My God. Never mind that you go to the checkout page after the sales page for the product advertised. It's:

Google Ad
Sales Page
Checkout

If they were even close, the bridge page there would be the sales page - not the checkout page!

Google may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them! What they want to get rid of is the page between the Google Ad and the sales page, i.e.:

Google Ad
Extra Page (squeeze page - affiliate's site, etc.)
Sales Page
Checkout

The extra page is the bridge page. It has not one thing to do with payment processing!

Even using the screenshot of the email received by one Google Adwords advertiser from Google does NOT show the payment page as the bridge page! The email even states which page they consider the bridge page! Yet this is the email used for "proof" that the payment page is a bridge page!

All kinds of conspiracy theories popped up like internet weeds! Not the least of which was: Google was trying to force everyone to use Google Checkout! Does no one have any reading comprehension?

[HUGE SIGH] Good grief! This stupid crap just makes me tired. Now, pay attention ...

At some point this multi-millionare internet marketer said he'll teach “work-arounds” at his upcoming seminar. Oh - REALLY? Nothing like starting a war, then selling the solution!

Later, he dropped that statement. But, not until several people started calling him on the legitimacy of the entire “problem.”

You know, if I made 10 million dollars a year, I wouldn't give a rat's ass what Google Adwords did. I'd be advertising on television!

[No, I'm not going to name him. I doubt I have to. The screaming nearly deafened me, so I'm sure you've heard about it. And, have probably gone to his site to read about it. Nice way to get traffic!]

What bowls me over is the number of folks - some of whom I've always thought to be quite intelligent - who simply accepted this horse-puky without even questioning it - much less using their heads!

Now, mind you, this question of payment pages counting as bridge pages could have been asked in the Google forums. You know - the forums where the Google reps answer.

The claim is, the question HAS been asked, and Google has refused to answer. In this case, I don't blame Google. I wouldn't answer them either. Let 'em ask their stupid questions in the correct location in the first place - not use it to generate traffic and riots against Google!

In fact, put the multi-millionaire's name in Google and the riot site comes up second. Google must be laughing their butts off at these people making fools of themselves!

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This is the story of our lives in this day and age. People opening their big mouths and making all kinds of accusations, starting unnecessary - and nasty - controversy and setting up ugly conspiracy theories before they even have the facts!

It's all over the media! This is exactly what our insane media does every single day, now. Why? Well, to generate publicity, of course!

Monkey, see - monkey, do.