Search Engine Watch Forums

AccuraCast · #1 07-29-2005

I've been going through the revised AdWords learning center notes and found some pretty funny Bloopers spread throughout the lessons. Obviously they've thrown together a lot of good material, but not had the time to check copy before making it live! Here's the first couple that got me laughing:

Quote:

http://www.google.co.uk/adwords/lear...ter/18941.html
Google JumpStart charges a one time [UK fee needed here] fee which

Heheh! Ed forgot to actually put a number value there!

Quote:

http://www.google.co.uk/adwords/lear...int-18940.html
To learn more, visit services.google.com/marketing/links/jumpstart/jumpstart_

[are all these links valid for the UK?]

Quote:

http://www.google.co.uk/adwords/lear...ter/19167.html
Here is an example of a used car dealer in San Edinburgh that has created both region and city and national campaigns

This is even funnier when you read a few sentences later about restaurant chains in Southern Cali.... someone removed the 'Diego' but left the 'San' in there???

All good fun, but none of these sillies undermine the effort they've put in to give us a good overview of the AdWords program. Cheers!

mugshot · #2 07-29-2005

you're gonna hurt google adword's team feelings :-)

AccuraCast · #3 07-29-2005

Nah... no hurt intended... they've done a fantastic job overall.

And i'm sure they're grown up enough to roll with the jibes

AdWordsRep · #4 08-02-2005

Quote:

...I'm sure they're grown up enough to roll with the jibes

Absolutely correct, AccuraCast. It kind of comes with the territory, and we all have pretty active senses of humor as well.

Personally, I'm glad you brought it up - since it gives me a chance to alert the right folks to make it right!

Quote:

All good fun, but none of these sillies undermine the effort they've put in to give us a good overview of the AdWords program. Cheers!

And thank you for that!

AWR

AccuraCast · #5 08-02-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdWordsRep

And thank you for that!

Anytime, AWR

Mikkel deMib Svendsen · #6 08-02-2005

Quote:

Personally, I'm glad you brought it up - since it gives me a chance to alert the right folks to make it right!

Sounds good

A good tip from me, would also be to get some people to look at the translated versions. If you want REAL fun thats where you find it. I am sorry, but a lot of th translations we get here in Denmark are so bad you won't believe it - clearly translated by someone that don't know search at all. In fact, some of it looks outright machine translated. Please, please, please get someone that knows search to look through this.

By the way, it's not just Google that have this problem. In fact, Overtures translation is probably the worst. Let me just give you one very common example of the kind of problems we see: In the original (english) version examples of single words and phrases and how to match them are used. The problem is that a lot of the phrases in english turn into seingle words in Danish and the translater haven't noticed - or even read the text, so the result is total gibberish. Not just a little bad or funny - but totally unusable.

To people outside the english language it makes us feel that you really don't care - not enough, at least, to keep the same editorial quality as you do in English.

And please, don't use your local AdWords people. Some of them a very kind people but honestly they don't know much about search and would NOT be able to improve this for you at the level required - the same level as you have in English.

AdWordsRep · #7 08-04-2005

Quote:

... I am sorry, but a lot of th translations we get here in Denmark are so bad you won't believe it - clearly translated by someone that don't know search at all...

I'll pass your comments on to the right teams, Mikkel deMib Svendsen. As you can imagine, it's a pretty serious task to translate a constantly evolving body of information into something like 41 languages. With that said, though, your point is certainly well taken.

AWR

Mikkel deMib Svendsen · #8 08-04-2005

Quote:

As you can imagine, it's a pretty serious task to translate a constantly evolving body of information into something like 41 languages.

I am sorry, but that is probably the worst excuse I heard for putting up bad translations. I understand if you don't have the resources to do it but then don't. Please do not insult us with translations that could have been done better by a 5th grade kid. It would be much better just to leave it in english.

The problem with the bad translations is not just that it makes you look like a fool but also that it makes some of it outright wrong. So, to people like me you look foolish - and the rest just gets a wrong impression about what you really mean.

Trust me, no translation is better than bad translations. Most of your target group in Northern Europe reads English just fine - much better than they read bad translations anyway.

AdWordsRep · #9 08-04-2005

Mikkel deMib Svendsen, just so I am clear before I pass your feedback on - are you referring to the translations of AdWords materials, or search materials? I assumed AdWords, but on re-reading I'm not so sure now.

Thanks!

AWR

Mikkel deMib Svendsen · #10 08-04-2005

The "funny" translations I've noticed over time was in the advertisers section, so yes, AdWords. However, if the same people did the rest of your translation you should probably look into that too

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