Google AdWords is now enabling advertisers to decide on which devices their ads will appear. Advertisers can now opt out of showing ads on desktop and laptop computers and target only mobile users with full browsers.

Full browsers can show standard HTML pages and support an online purchase process from start to finish (like the Iphone). There are not many mobile phones that have this feature. Most mobile phones today have WAP browsers that require a special mobile AdWords campaign.

Google states: “Until recently, this was the default setting on all campaigns. However, we’re now able to allow more granular control of what devices you’d like your ads to appear on. We offer the option to opt out of showing ads on desktop and laptop computers for those advertisers who want to target only mobile users, or for those who want to break out their campaigns for each targeting option.”

This new feature in AdWords is giving the advertiser the option to decide if they want to create two different campaigns: one for mobile users and one for desktop and laptop users.

URL Rewrite – What is it?

URL Rewrite is an application that changes a dynamic URL, which can be long and full of parameters, to one that has meaning and usually shorter making it easier on the surfers and users to understand what the page is usually about or when it is from. It’s usually easier to remember and quicker to type out. In two words it’s a friendly URL. Wikipedia has some good info and links for more information.

Why utilize URL Rewrite?

Rewriting dynamic URL’s are full of marketing advantages: From having people being able to look at a link and know where they’re heading, to being able to send links via Email without breaking them apart to the SEO benefits that come with it. Rand from SEOmoz does a great job of going into the pros and cons here.

php url rewrite

URL rewrite is probably easiest to do in php. php has a built in module called mod_rewrite, an engine which enables you to set rules and rewrites dynamic URL into static url automatically. All you need to do is make a small change to your .htaccess file on the apache webserver and you’re done. You can find more information at apache.org.

dot net url rewrite

URL rewrite in dot net is a bit more complex. You will need to use an isapi filter as explained by SEOconsultants or use the official Microsoft way.

So what am I getting at?!?!

Where I’m confused is why Google would outright recommend using dynamic URL’s over static URL’s just because of the people that do it wrong. Google wants to make the world a better place and to make search easier and more relevant… so why try to make it harder for people surfing the web to understand where they’re going and remember URL’s!

I think where Google got it wrong, is the method in achieving what it wanted to do. Rewrites can sometimes be problematic. Well instead of trying to educate people on why they might be wrong, try and educate them on how to do it right. It’s not a big issue; most people get it right to begin with. A short post on how to do it would have done more service to the Web.

I think Google called the glass half empty not half full on this one.

Remember when VW launched the New Beetle in 1998? The hype was huge, everyone went out and got one, people were putting flowers in that little spot on the dash and people were even counting how many Beetles they would see a day on the street. They even managed to get Motor Trend’s Import of the Year in 1999. Then mysteriously, in 1999 and 2000, they started breaking down. People kept sending them in for repairs.

Well here we are in 2008 and bam, we’ve got a shinny (every pun intended) product in Chrome with probably the best viral campaign since the iphone and people are very quick to run and love it and install it on all their multiple computers (I was guilty of having it installed on 2 computers inside of 15 minutes of its release and even twittering about it).

I don’t know if Google was bitter with Microsoft getting to Facebook first, or peeved that the inked that search deal, but I have to admit that Google leaving out proper Ajax support for Chrome puzzles me. Facebook (Alexa rank 5, Compete.com rank 15), as well all know and have some to love, is heavily dependent on Ajax. It makes everything wonderful, fun and easy. Google believes Facebook is important giving it a Pagerank of 9 out of 10. I ran a search of people within my network of Israel to see how many people have Google listed as an employer and I got over 500… So you would think that one of the developers, at least, tried checking out his profile on Facebook before the release right?

You would also think that Google being partnered with Mozilla would have led to them taking a page out of their incredible development by releasing a developers edition to get the apps and the add-ons on board.. But no. Google knows best!

The big question is will people now come back to Chrome, or will the next Mini come out to put them away as our oh so beloved Mini did to the VW bug?