I think that's a myth and I assure you I've never searched for that. I've also seen more sexually explicit ads that I've not been searching for either. I think it's random.
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I didn't know you could report ads to Google? But I agree...if this keeps coming up, I will definitely be staying away.
Google Ads are definitely loosely based on your search history. However the algorithm is useful only so far as the ad is properly and accurately categorized. So the ad you saw could‘ve been defined as “medical” in nature, and therefore would‘ve likely gotten into your rotation.
I get ads for ‘Whispers’ and similar apps all the time. Apparently, those are somehow being lumped in as “strategy”, “puzzle” and “adventure” type apps. I generally have only had them pop up within other apps/games that I play — like Angry Birds or ` or whatnot when I choose to watch an ad for a reward.
Honestly, I’ve seen the ad above on here, but since I just scroll right by the ads, they could be for ‘anatomy’-enlargers, and I would barely notice.
I’ve thought the one above was weird though… my first thought was who is falling for this click-bait? And who at ‘xyz ads’ thought that they’d reel anyone in with a lamprey mouth photoshopped onto a face?
I, myself, find the Whisper-esque app ads much more disturbing. I am constantly reporting those.
@buzzrelly you can report the ads (and refine what you’ll see) by clicking on the little arrow with an ‘i’ in it. It’s typically in the top right corner of the ad. If you are signed in to Google, then your ad-content can be refined somewhat. But like I said, it’s not perfect. The ads are painted with a broad brush, as it were, so if an ad is supposedly something to cure an ailment (even a photoshopped ailment) it can get thru if your ad “profile” skews to medical interests, for example.
eta: right now, there is displayed to me on this page an ad for some sort of “marketing festival”, which appears to be a marketing/advertising trade show in (I think it said) Huntington Beach. Now, I have
no interest whatsoever in marketing; however, I did a quick Google search earlier with the terms “how to see better targeted ads”. Boom! Now Google thinks I am generally interested in marketing. It will take quite a few new searches before that falls off my ad targeting profile... realistically, that could be several weeks from now.
Something else to also be aware of… there are some message boards out there that are powered by Google, or that use an imbedded search function that is powered by Google. Additionally, some employers and particularly schools (all grade levels & thru college) use a Google-powered email service. The email address may reflect the institution and not be a Gmail address.
All of the above gives Google even more ways to target your ads, including by parsing the content of posts or emails. So it’s not just going to Google and doing a search. If you use a Google powered email service to send an email about seeing rubber duckies, you will start seeing ads for ducks, squeak toys, rubber items, and other variations on the theme.
Please note: I do want to clarify that I have no idea how DisBoards interfaces with Google as far as the forum or search function is concerned. My comment was just meant to call attention to the ways, besides regular keyword-type searches, Google can get targeting data.
So far as I can tell, these forums are
NOT powered by Google. If I am wrong about that, hopefully an admin will correct me.