Google began testing Automatic Matching, which runs Google advertisers' text links on related keyword searches, not just exact matches, back in February. But a reporter for The Register explain how he thinks it's going to be brought into play to run up Google's ad revenues this quarter:

"Automatic Matching automatically extends your campaign's reach by using surplus budget to serve your ads on relevant search queries that are not already triggered by your keyword lists," reads Google's email to beta testers. "For example, if you sold Adidas shoes on your website, Automatic Matching would automatically crawl your landing page and target your campaigns to queries such as 'shoes,' 'adidas,' 'athletic,' etc., and less obvious ones such as 'slippers' that our system has determined will benefit you and likely lead to a conversion on your site."

Naturally, this boosts Google's bottom line. But as search marketing consultant Dan Theis has pointed out, it doesn't exactly benefit the average advertiser.

"They're offering you the exciting opportunity to bleed every penny of your budget every day, advertising against keywords that you didn't want to bid on," Theis says, before unloading the sarcasm. "Sure, if I sell Adidas shoes, why wouldn't I want to get some traffic from people who searched for slippers? I mean, it's not like I'm trying to turn a profit or anything, right?"

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