Why Goooooogle?

July 26, 2006 7:09 AM

Why does Adsense/Adwords use "Ads by Goooooogle" instead of "Ads by Google" in their text ads?

I've been wondering this for a little while. I think most of us are used to it, but could it turn off newbies (and people like my parents) who might think it's not the official Google? Why diminish the Google brand?

posted by dripdripdrop to computers & internet (11 comments total)

I wonder this when I see it also. I hope the answer is 'whimsy'.
posted by sohcahtoa at 7:16 AM on July 26, 2006

Inside AdSense answers.
posted by mcwetboy at 7:34 AM on July 26, 2006

Yes, sohcahtoa, "because it's funner".
posted by baylink at 8:00 AM on July 26, 2006

My first impression was that it was a scam, too, since it's just seems a little... odd. So while it's memorable, there is that downside online.
posted by dagnyscott at 8:02 AM on July 26, 2006

Don't forget they also use the "Gooooooogle" thing at the bottom of their results pages.
posted by blag at 9:01 AM on July 26, 2006

For a long time I thought it was a scam, too. Then I was just confused.
Good question, dripdripdrop!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:12 AM on July 26, 2006

I think it's exactly so that you'll go "what the heck? why so many Os?" and then remember who did the ads. That Inside AdSense link seems to somewhat confirm this.
posted by reklaw at 9:42 AM on July 26, 2006

Why diminish the brand? The answer has to be money. I strongly suspect they discovered "Goooooogle" gets higher click-through rates across the board. Read webmasterworld.com and you will see many complaints about it. Google would have turned this off a long time ago if it weren't profitable.

For something to be more memorable, it has to be noticed first. The ooooo's make the ads more noticable, and thus more clicked upon.
posted by drew3d at 12:59 PM on July 26, 2006

It reinforces the brand. When (some) people read "Ads by Goooogle", they're more likely to notice the deviation and say "Gooooogle" in their head. Otherwise, you'd just skip over it. This is not the way companies usually play with brands, but it probably started as a cutesy thing and then the marketing types realized it was actually working.
posted by acoutu at 1:49 PM on July 26, 2006

Thanks mcwetboy, I tried searching for the answer but couldn't get anything meaningful. I'm sure they've tested it and the results are good. I just think it looks too much like a phishing scam to those paranoid older folks.
posted by dripdripdrop at 1:49 PM on July 26, 2006

Google would have turned this off a long time ago if it weren't profitable.

Really? Like the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button?

Not everything a company does is objectively sensible - even though some egos may demand that it be made to appear to be so.
posted by meehawl at 7:40 PM on July 26, 2006