CUSTOMER SERVICE
What are Advertiser Links?
Dear Readers,
The box of advertiser links that you see at the bottom of many pages on Boston.com are special links provided by Google that are related to the articles, message boards, or polls on that page.
Under a deal with Boston.com and many other news web sites (nytimes.com, for example), Google – a search engine that you or your kids probably use -- is able to automatically review the content on a page and display advertiser links that are relevant.
So, for example, if you are reading a Boston Globe Business story about supermarkets tightening their coupon policies, at the bottom you may find Google ads for supermarkets and online grocery shopping.
The theory is that if you are reading a story about say, arts and crafts, you may be interested in visiting some arts and crafts web sites.
Advertisers pay Google to have their ads appear on Google.com and Google’s network of search and content partner sites. Google has developed technology to determine what a page is about and decide which ads are relevant to a page. Boston.com and Google share the revenue generated when these ads are clicked on.
In some instances Google’s advertiser base does not include relevant ads that match the articles or the content of a page is inappropriate to monetize.In these instances, Google may show ads from nonprofits and charities. And sometimes the ads that appear are so closely related to the articles that some readers think the advertiser had some influence over the writing of the article.
The confusion is understandable; this type of targeted advertising on web sites is relatively new. Let us assure you that there is no collusion between these advertisers and the news staff of either Boston.com or the Boston Globe.
When you click on one of these links, as with most of our ads, you will leave Boston.com and go to the advertiser’s web site. Those sites are not endorsed by Boston.com or The New York Times Company.
Please let us know if you still have questions about these links. Just write to us at feedback@boston.com. Thanks.