Is Google really this googley?

I went shopping a couple days ago and bought some Land O Lakes Butter Hardly an unusual mount. Now I'm getting a LOT more Land O Lakes Butter themed banner ads (like, from zero % to maybe a quarter or more.)

I have to think that this is not Google targeting an demographic archetype (40-50yo man who does the shopping) with a product frequently bought while shopping (butter).

I rather suspect this is Google, targeting me wit suggestions of what to do with the butter because it knows I bought butter. Touché Goo-gel.

What's the next stage of this? should I load my 3d printer with butter. Note that no answer will stop me from trying.

jg

Wait, you bought Land-O-Lakes at a meatspace store and subsequently began seeing an influx of butter ads? That's creepy on a variety of levels.

https://startpage.com/ If you dont want google keeping records of your search history this one works well. I have noticed a lot less targeted ads since i started using it.

What you're seeing is probably retargeted advertising. It's not necessarily Google, it's just that the retargeting companies buy space on Google as well as pretty much all the other major ad exchanges.

http://www.adroll.com/retargeting

Never searched for it online. Probably never typed the words "Land O Lakes Butter" on a computer until this thread. Bought it at a store with my credit card or check card, now I see ads. Coincidence?

jg

What you need to do is test your theory.

OK, so first thing, go to your local adult "toy" store that takes credit cards....

I was looking at lawn tractors last week and all I see is ads for them now. I'll have to start using startpage!

I don't know what I did, but all the google ads I'm getting lately are in french. I don't eat butter, or croissant, so that's not it.

JG, You don't happen to use Google Wallet on your phone do you?

I've had a similar expierence to JG recently as well. I don't remember the specifics, but it was an item I've never searched for, or bought online, and a day or two after purchase I saw a banner ad on GRM related to it. I presumed it was somehow tied through my debit card transactions.

i'll be worried when they start tracking my cash purchases.

JG Pasterjak wrote: I rather suspect this is Google, targeting me wit suggestions of what to do with the butter because it knows *I* bought butter. Touché Goo-gel.

novaderrik wrote: i'll be worried when they start tracking my cash purchases.

I'll be worried when they start responding to people's butter purchases with suggestions to buy the movie Last Tango in Paris

I wouldn't be surprised if the info filtered back up to Google somehow. Hang onto your asses 'cuz it's gonna get a lot worse. I use a heavily modified browser that blocks a lot of tracking services/cookies, scripts etc., and separates my Google accounts from everything else, and don't get anything too targeted. On my work PC browser which is one of the less modified ones I use, I might get ads for "Japanese used cars."

Just be glad it wasn't PAM.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/14/barbara-hall-pam-cooking-spray-sex-assault-florida_n_1597702.html

I know it's useless, but I don't sign up for those bonus cards or give out my phone number at grocery stores. I get enough spam and chickenE36 M3 texts etc as it is.

I use Google so much for everything under the sun that I don't get targeted ads for anything. Information overload, maybe?

I keep getting banner ads for wills and life insurance. I hope they aren't quite THAT good yet. I was hoping I had more time.

I dunno, I kinda like the targeted ads. I'd much rather deal with advertising that's relevant to my interests than something generic. In one or two instances the targeted ads have led to a substantial savings on something I was planning to buy anyway.

Sure it feels as invasive as all hell knowing everything you do on the internet is being tracked. But I've long lived as if everything I do on the internet can be seen by someone (because it can) so why stress it. If it's something you want to keep secret, don't put it on the net. My butter preference...happy to share...whatever is on sale.

If you already bought the butter, wouldn't that be a failed ad strategy to target you now?

Curmudgeon wrote: Just be glad it wasn't PAM. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/14/barbara-hall-pam-cooking-spray-sex-assault-florida_n_1597702.html

Would that lady have been happier with ...

Ok, back to butter ads ...

Ian F wrote: I use Google so much for everything under the sun that I don't get targeted ads for anything. Information overload, maybe?

<-- This.

One day I'll get ads for antique furniture, the next for a Dodge Dart, and the following day an add for mortgage refinancing.

People (including myself) are so freaked out about privacy, but frankly there so much information out there right now it'd be an effort beyond Herculean to sift through it all.

Edit: I just checked my Gmail and saw and ad for (I'm not kidding) Transcendental Meditation.

They will also scan your email for ad data.

Did you use a "frequent shopper card" along with the purchase?
Much of that stuff is data mined.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Did you use a "frequent shopper card" along with the purchase? Much of that stuff is data mined.

QTF. Google is not a search engine company, they are in the business of consumer data. They buy data from many loyalty card program to aggregate against their own data. See if you get coupons from that store, or ads on their checkout devices, for things that you have Googled.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: but frankly there so much information out there right now it'd be an effort beyond Herculean to sift through it all.

Actually, no. It isn't. Most of my contract pipeline these days involve helping with processes for the sifting of multiple petabytes of data. Trend analysis, marketing, spy E36 M3.

You should be freaked out. No good will come of this.

You guys need to read my post. It's not Google, it's the sites that you're finding with Google. Using a different search engine won't change that.

Try looking for something unusual that you wouldn't usually - say, cribs. Visit a few stores. Then look to see how many crib ads pop up all over the internets. You don't notice it if it's things you usually look for.