Google's Bot is a 'Tard

I'm afraid I'm going to have to rant a bit. This particular rant has nothing to do with photography other than it effects me, a photographer, plus this *is* a photography blog. So, for making you endure a non-photography related rant, I apologize.

Anyway, Google's bot is a 'tard!

There! I've said it again.

Here's what I'm talking about: You might notice that Google AdSense ads appear on this site. But when you sign up for Google's program, there's no way to tell Google what your site is about. No, that would be too easy and might actually involve live human beings! (Other than those, I suppose, who are doing the signing up.) Why doesn't Google use humans to process this information? I'm guessing for the sake of efficiency and because Google is so very, very high-tech in the way they do things.

You see, Google has a bot, i.e., a robotic computer program, that--automatically and all on it's own--crawls the web and looks at its affiliates' sites and decides what those sites are all about. Then, after collecting the data--in the form of often-used keywords--the bot feeds the data to some other program and this program then decides what each site is about and what advertisements would be appropriate to place on each site. Sounds good, no?

No.

There are tons of posts on Google's AdSense forum where various people either ask for help or offer explanations on how to trick the bot into knowing what their sites are actually about. Yep! The tricky bot needs to be tricked.

But it seems the tricky bot isn't duped too easily and, often, people have to jump through keyword hoops of keyword fire to trick the wily bot. All this in hopes of getting Google to actually place content relevant ads on its affiliates' sites. I wonder if the people paying Google to place ads for them realize how difficult it is for their ads to end up placed on sites that, well, that make sense for their placement?

What happens when the wily Google bot can't figure out what a site is about? It places PSAs (Public Service Announcements) for stuff like Katrina Hurricane Relief on the site. Trust me, I know this because I've had those PSAs on this blog many times. You see, even if the tricky bot correctly figures out what a site is about, it's not satisfied to leave things well-enough alone. (Talk about human characteristics!) Nope. It goes out, periodically, and re-figgerz the figgerin' and then, sometimes, changes the ads it decides are relevant. For some odd reason, Google's high-tech approach to this doesn't seem to notice that when people actually click on the ads, because they ARE content relevant, that maybe, just maybe, it has it right. That's why I've had PSA's on my site, intermittently, as the bot first figures what the PGS blog is about (and people begin clicking on the ads) and then, later, decides it doesn't. (And people quit clicking on the ads.) A Doubting Thomas bot! What will they think up next?

Then, other times, the bot gets confused. A confused, doubting bot. (Sheesh! More human characteristics!) Anyway, here's an example: A word I often use on this blog is "shooter," as in Pretty Girl Shooter. Well, that just messes the bot up sometimes and guess what? When it does, Google starts placing ads here that appeal to gun enthusiasts. I guess, more specifically, gun enthusiasts with an interest in shooting pretty girls. Apparently, to Google, there must be a large-enough demographic of gun-toting, pretty girl shooters out there. Enough to warrant content relevant gun ads that might appeal to them, that is.

Okay, I'm done ranting. The pretty girl at the top who, hopefully, no one will decide should be shot... with a gun, that is... is Paola. I shot, I mean I photographed Paola a month or so ago. Easy to look at, ain't she?

BTW, as of today my participation in Google's AdSense program has earned me a whopping $12.22! And those ads, whether they've been content relevant or not, have been appearing on this site for quite a few months. (Google will cut me my first check when my earnings reach a hundred bucks.)

At this rate, I should receive my first check by Christmas, of 2008, and I might be able to comfortably retire off of Google's AdSense program in a century or two.