Google missed their targets last week, for the first time ever. Facebook's about to go public. Unless they make major upgrades, they're gonna miss their targets too.
What does that mean for you?
AdWords has finally reached a spot where the "water level" is even with other media. AdWords is still the most amazing advertising machine in the history of the world, but click costs have leveled out.
There's no such thing as a true monopoly in the 21st century. Not for Google, not for Ebay, not for anybody.
Up till now they've been able to tweak the algos (widening their kimono on broad match for example, soaking uneducated advertisers with low quality clicks) and meet their Wall Street forecasts.
They can't do that anymore. They're in what Thomas Friedman called "The Golden Straightjacket." They have to work for their dinero.
Is that good for you?
Sure is. If they have another quarter like this, banned accounts are going to start getting phone calls from a friendly Google rep. They might even up the customer service an IQ point or two...
