This work by Matthew I. LeVeque is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Dec
29
Google Introduces Its “GreenWords” PPC Program
December 29, 2008 |
OKAY, MAYBE NOT but in a time when sustainability, corporate and social responsibility action and awareness is at its highest point maybe a greener PPC platform should be considered. Google makes all documented attempts to be green itself through the use of renewable energy sources, carbon foot-print reduction, advancing green technology, etc so why not extend their ‘clean energy revolution’ to the online businesses and agencies that make them all their profits? Those that own and manage AdWords, AdSense, Froogle accounts and countless other Google products are an extension of Google, a critical part of the supply chain, so it would only make sense that both parties are both aligned for the common good.
What I would propose for AdWords would be for Google to factor in a CPC credit for account owners that use green hosting, green servers, carbon off-sets and renewable energy sources. Maybe this CPC credit is applied through an addition to the Quality Score algorithm or maybe just applied to the overall monthly cost. All an AdWords account owner would need to do is provide simple documentation for each green method they apply to their business and community.
Or better yet, maybe there is a joint venture between Google and the B Corporation/B Labs who certify an emerging class of businesses that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Any B Corp running an AdWords program would automatically recieve a CPC credit based on certification alone.
However the credit is applied doesn’t necessarily matter, the more important aspect is the alignment with Google’s efforts and being rewarded for your own. Google already rewards AdWords users for relevancy through Quality Score, so how about extending those rewards to like minded companies. Google, whether you believe it or not, does try to be mindful and ‘do no evil’. A ‘GreenWords’ PPC program would only make Google’s green efforts more transparent and curb the naysayers that their efforts are nothing more than greenwashing.
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Comments
5 Comments so far
You’re kidding, right? Google’s efforts to be green only exist because of the near-monopoly profits they get from AdWords. Think Google would be green if the decreased profits it ’caused were something other than a rounding error? Think again.
One Prius, one Porsche and one 3,500ft2 house is the way most pre-IPO Googlers live - not exactly green my friend.
Searchquant - Thanks for your message. I agree, Google did not go into business to be a ‘green business’ and their efforts are probably more out of necessity first and corporate social responsibility second. I am somewhat skeptical of what they say they are doing to be more responsible which is why I suggest the ‘GreenWords’ idea. A solution like this would extend their ‘clean energy revolution’ beyond the Googleplex and reward those AdWords users including individual and in-house marketers, agencies and even third party analytics providers that also have a solid, transparent CSR program in place. If they are serious about being green their initiatives should extend the entire length of the value stream.
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