Probably the single most frequent question
I am asked is some variation of “How does
Internet advertising work?" "Why do I keep seeing the same ad on
multiple web sites? Are they following me?"
Yes they are.
Here is a link to an interesting slide show that walks you through the
progression of how ads are served up to you on web sites. “The
very best marketing comes from observing consumer behavior and inserting your
message into their behavior.” And
today’s ad servers follow this principle to the letter…
As soon as you visit a web site, the ad
server is looking at you. Not you
specifically, but it is looking at the cookies on your hard drive, building a
profile of the individual who uses the computer. Every web site you visit drops a cookie (a small piece of
code used for tracking) on your computer.
In most cases, it is your profile that determines which ad is place on a
web site during your visit. Visit a lot of
health related sites and you are likely to see ads for medical practices. Looking at the latest fashion? Ads for Nordstrom’s, Zappos and even Amazon
will show up.
Search retargeting works much the same
way. Ad servers pour over your search
history and serve up ads based on your actions.
If you prefer some to maintain some
privacy, it is a simple process to eliminate these cookies. Here is the link showing you how to delete existing cookies on a PC. However, keep in mind that if you delete all
cookies, you may find that a web site requiring a user name and password will
ask you to provide your credentials every time you visit. No more automatically recognizing you when
you appear.
This same link will also show you how to block cookies from being placed on your
computer. The downside is that many web
sites today simply will not allow you to visit their site without allowing
cookies, so there is a tradeoff. A more
practical approach will be to follow the rules for Customize Cookie Settings which allows you set up specific web
sites to allow or block cookies.
Visit the link to slide show and let me
know if you have any questions.
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