No more Google Print Ads.

Google is going to stop offering Print Ads from February 28th. Those advertisers who are already advertising will have their ads running till March 31st.

From the Traditional Media Blog -

It's always difficult to say goodbye to products. Lots of people at Google have worked hard on Google Print Ads. Some advertisers have seen good results and our partners have dedicated time and resources to help get it off the ground. But as we grow, it is important that we focus on products that can benefit the most people and solve the most important problems. By moving resources away from projects that aren't having the impact we want, we can refocus our efforts on those that will delight millions of users.

More at - http://google-tmads.blogspot.com/2009/01/turning-page-on-print-ads.html

Integration of Products

I was very surprised when I sent someone a YouTube link in Google Chat (via email not Gtalk) and right away the song image with a play button popped up in the chat window. On clicking it the video started loading in the chat window itself. [Screenshot below].


Fantastic integration of products (even if it isn't necessary). I mean I don't have to go to YouTube to see the video (again wasted probable traffic - and I can't understand what benefit YouTube will get with fewer visitors on YouTube.com unless they start showing ads before or in-between the video).

Brilliant user-experience :D

Do more with less

If you haven't checked out Google's 'Do more with less' page, you should.

It's not like you will find lots of things you didn't know about. But I like how it seems like a one stop shop for Google advertising products.

Believing in your own product.

Now I understand the whole 'we believe in our products' but this is just insane.



I searched for 'Google Chrome' (I am not sure if Google has a standard URL for its products - I guess they do follow the google.com/product but you won't always get it right. For instance it's google.com/talk and not google.com/gtalk) and I got the above SERP.

Now why would they have a Sponsored Listing when they can have such a strong Organic Listing. Well it's alright to have an ad when there are other advertisers (not sure if Chrome is Trademarked or not so not sure if they can block other advertisers from show in - they can't in the United States because their Trademark Policy is different for US/Canada but I searched in India).

Even if they do have a marketing budget that they have to exhaust, they shouldn't use it on the brand term but rather on generic terms.

Also is isn't like someone who is looking for Chrome will settle for some other browser. So even if there are other advertisers, I don't think searchers would sway just because they saw ads (unless the ads said and the landing page proved that the browser being advertised is better than Chrome. But I still don't think that that is good enough to sway a user looking for a Chrome download).

Well it doesn't make sense to me. Let me know if it makes sense to you.


I am not even going to get started about the Ad Copy. I am sure they get brilliant CTRs on this ad but the CTR will have little or nothing to do with the copy of the ad.

New Google Favicon

Hating it. It's so UN-Google.