Google introduces behavioural targeted ads

Google has introduced behavioural targeted advertising as a beta test on its AdSense partner sites and YouTube.

Starting today, users will see more personally relevant ads on sites including the New York Times, Reuters, Napster, ITN, AutoTrader and Rolling Stone.

According to Google, the scheme will reach 80% of the global online population and 32 million people each month in the UK.

The ads will associate categories of interest with a user’s browser using a cookie.

As users are tracked via a cookie related to only one browser, the system will not track Google accounts such as email or documents including a user’s personal information.

This also means that users will have to update their options on each browser they use.

The company has built a tool called Ads Preferences Manager, which lets users view, delete, or add interest categories associated with their browser to receive more relevant ads.

There is also the option to opt out of the advertising cookie for the AdSense partner network alongside a plug-in for browsers that maintains the user’s opt-out choice.

Last week, the IAB launched guidelines for online behavioural advertising, to which Google was one of the first to sign up (see IAB launches online behavioural advertising guidelines).