Thursday, January 07, 2010

Don't you just love Google ads?

We're always a bit nervous on newspapers about Google's automated process that tries to match ads to the content on our website pages because too often it throws up inappropriate ads.

Perhaps most infamous were the ads for Samsonite suitcases after the suitcase bomb attacks on airliners or, seen more frequently, adverts for new cars against articles about car crashes.

However, I had to laugh when reading the blog of our Leicester City writer, Rob Tanner, this morning. He was writing about the sackings of various football managers, sparked by the dismissal of Gary Megson at Bolton and the subsequent appointment of Owen Coyle. There was a whole list of managers who had lost their jobs and the Google computers were working flat out to come up with the right ads.

The first one was:
Re train as a plumber: Huge shortage, Earn up to £50,747. No exp needed.
I guess that was aimed at Gary Megson, but I wonder if £50k a week is really enough for a Premiership manager?

The second one read:
Cash for cars in Bolton: We buy any car. From £50-£100,000. As seen on TV.
Obviously Megson will need to sell his expensive Merc so that he can buy the van he'll need for his new job!

And finally:
Football Stats: I'll do all the boring analysis so you can just pick up the cash ..
My first thought was that this was aimed at Mr Coyle who presumably would be able to sit back and relax as Bolton soar to the top of the league ... unfortunately it turns out to be a betting scam - 'pay me a few quid and I'll send you an email every Friday with betting tips that can't fail etc etc.'