Bogus Search Results & Brand Reputation

Sponsored search engine marketing is one of the biggest online advertising revenue generators for search engines and a great tool for companies looking to target web users searching for information.

Sponsored search results are advertisements that are populated on search engines after a user enters a search query. These sponsored results are intended to be relevant to the query and help the searcher connect to products and/or information that they are looking for. For example, if a user enters ‘iPod’ in a search engine, sponsored results for the Apple store and other iPod related advertisements populate the page. Sponsored search results have made search engines billions and aided companies expand their reputation with consumers through the Internet.

However, as search engine marketing has grown, opportunists have started to create deceptive sponsored search results (scam ads or scads) that misrepresent to the user the relevance to his or her search. These ads take searchers to sites that are not relevant to their searches and can subject them to fraud, spam and viruses. Deceptive search engine ads are hurting the end user and diluting brand value and company reputations.



Organizations like the Alliance Against Bait & Click are working to stop deceptive sponsored search and ensure that users do not tune out and brands do not continue to be abused.

Online marketing is great way for brands to positively increase their reputation, but brand owners must understand that there are pitfalls to online. Companies need to look out for deceptive practices trying to take advantage of their brands and ultimately dilute their value.

- Drew Krejci