If you’re using display URLs in your ads that actually point clickers to a different URL, you’ll want to change those ads before April 1st, 2008. That’s when Google will be strictly enforcing their display URL policy.

We all know they’ve had this policy for some time but it appears that enough people have abused Google’s leniency on this rule (they aren’t lenient on many) enough to where it’s now going to be enforced.

Some questions regarding this enforcement can be found here, but I’m still wondering how they’re going to treat accurate display URLs that may have a “sub directory” which may not actually exist.

For example, let’s say I sell widgets…ha ha ha, don’t think I’m going to use that example, I hate widgets. But seriously, let’s say I’m Golfsmith and want to sell golfballs. I’ll run an ad with the display URL being Golfsmith.com/GolfBalls in order to get a higher quality score and possibly some more click throughs due to bolding.

The actual URL for golf balls on their site is “http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/browse.php?N=287458.” While this URL isn’t exactly what the display URL showed, it’s still very relevant as that’s the golf balls page.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see how they go about enforcing this rule.

-Brian Renner

Point - This sort of takeover would further Microsoft’s reputation of adhering towards the “global domination monopoly”mindset and create less competition amongst search engines.  Ultimately this would suck because it’s the competition between companies which makes them strive to become better.

Counterpoint - Neither Yahoo nor MSN can compete with Google on their own without any sort of amazing technology development or influx of funding.  Of course, additional budget/new guidance doesn’t always help out….just take a look at Ask.com, their PPC program still doesn’t perform after dropping the “Jeeves” and massive television advertising efforts.

-Brian Renner

This sort of deal has been waiting to happen since the two separate search engine entities (Yahoo.com and MSN.com) can’t quite emulate Google enough to draw Pay Per Click advertising dollars.

Microsoft Bids $41 Billion for Yahoo

Yahoo now must now decide whether to deny the deal, go it alone and most likely have to strike a deal with Google, or let Microsoft buy them out and merge under one technology.

They’ll probably do what makes the most financial sense with regards to their PPC platform.  The MSN platform is horrible and needs to be revamped considerably if they want to attract any more advertising dollars.  Yahoo may have more leverage than they think in this deal since their PPC platform, although not even close to being as good as Google’s, is much better than MSN’s.

-Brian Renner