Google Doesn't Monitor Landing Pages

[Discovery]

This morning a competitor of ours is using a javascript based pop up window to trap users if they try to exit their landing page by closing out the browser window or navigating away to another domain name. When any of these onChange events occur the visitor gets the following:



I was almost certain that when you launched a new ad that Google sniffed around your page a bit and to check out content and to look for obvious violations of their TOS, no? This is the landing page, NOT a page deeper within the site.

Better yet this same advertiser has 3 domain names all advertising on the same keyword and comes out in the same search results page. They're not even shy about it, the logo is virtually the same for each site, with a small variation of the name.


I know these guys, and I like them, so I'm not trying to sick Google on them. I have blurred the logo intentionally. I may even save them a few dollars and let them know that the pop up chat window on exit kills conversions, and the ones who do convert are well, if they fell for that, lets just say they're not the kind of customers that stick around.

What are your thoughts on this tactic? Do a lot of advertisers simply pick a time, put in junk like this, then pull it down trying to jolt performance up a little without getting caught?

Discovery

[searchengineman]

I would bet the people running the campaign just don't know.

If it is an Agency or SEM company they're idiots. (They should know)

Eventually someone (A competitor) will remind Google to enforce the policy.
I have seen flagrant violations. Using "BEST" or worse AD Abitrage Same company 2 different websites, hogging the page.

They usually don't last. You may want to do that anonymous company a public service and let them know the practice, could harm them. At least let the owners know.

The last thing a company needs is to get Blacklisted or Google Slapped.

Searchengineman

[BasicECommerce]

I always assumed that AdWords crawled at various times of various days - allowing advertisers to get away with these sort of issues for a night or so. I've seen so many issues in various categories that I never felt my ads and adgropus (old or new) were checked immediately.

Depending on the size of the company, having this page as the landing page may be a lack of communication between the SEM team and Site Management crew.

-BEC