Google recommends Text Link Ads

Google recommends Text Link Ads - how's that for a controversial title? It isn't a complete lie either. I love the new personalised search recommendation button from Google. Google does StumbleUpon.

Today's list of 50 recommendations includes Text-Link-ads.com. The irony is there for all to behold.

Given I spend my life online and live and breathe the twin obsessions of Search Marketing and Gaming (the old fashioned tabletop type of games) I wondered how well Google would do at making recommendations. Here's the list.

• [search] Keyword Selector Tool


• [gaming] The Hypertext d20 SRD


• [search] SEOBook


• [gaming] Wizards of the Coast


• [search] Commission Junction


• [gaming] Reaper Miniatures


• [search] Ad:Tech


• [gaming] Javascript D&D 3.5 Character Generator


• [search] SEO chat


• [gaming] White Wolf


• [search] Google PageRank Checker


• [gaming] Giant in the Playground Games


• [search] XML Sitemaps


• [gaming] Games Workshop


• [search] Text Link Ads


• [gaming] Dungeons and Dragons Tools


• [search] AdBrite


• [gaming] Infinite Interactive - The Challenge of the Warlords


• [search] Google Rankings


• [gaming] Fantasy Name Generator


• [search] 301 Redirect - How to create Redirects


• [gaming] RPG Sheets


• [search] High Rankings


• [gaming] System Reference Document 3.5


• [search] Ezine Articles


• [gaming] Gen Con


• [search] Submit Express


• [gaming] DriveThruRPG


• [search] Check Page Rank


• [gaming] BoardGameGeek


• [search] PageRank Prediction


• [gaming] RPGnet


• [search] Affiliate Guide


• [gaming] Fantasy Flight Games


• [search] Google Sitemap Generator


• [gaming] WizKids Games


• [search] LinkShare


• [gaming] Never Winter Nights 2


• [search] Google Page Rank Checker


• [gaming] RPGNow


• [search] Giving search engine spiders direction - 301 redirects


• [gaming] ENWorld


• [search] Marketleap Link Popularity Check


• [gaming] Mongoose Publishing


• [search] 136 SEO Tools


• [gaming] Profantasy Software


• [search] WebsiteOptimization.com - Tool


• [gaming] Wikipedia - List of Prestige Classes


• [search] AzoogleAds


• [gaming] Wikipedia - Dungeons & Dragons

How about that? Not just a 50%/50% split but the sites (listed in the order Google recommended) alternate preciselybetween [search] and [gaming].

An interesting twist is the number of 301 redirect articles and PageRank checkers on the list. Do I search for those? No! I know 301 redirects inside and out. I don't have PageRank obsession. I do write about 301 redirects and PageRank a lot, though, and I do run Google Desktop Search on all my computers and laptops. It could just be that if you pick a random [search] site then there's a high chance it'll be talking about 301s or PageRank but I do wonder whether Google is using my desktop data.

I also notice how Ezine Articles falls into place as a [search] site. Google clearly knows why people write articles or issue press releases.