Google Hacked OR Google Likes Texas

[fourfivetwofour]

Maybe it's just me.
No wait. It isn't.
I work closely with a jewelry company, and was once a salaried employee doing their IT/Website work In House. I've been moved out of the house, but often like to keep up with how they're doing with what I taught them about AdWords, etc.

So, I punched in "unique engagement rings" in Google, however they didn't show. What I did see was quite amazing. Underneath an AdWords ad was the single word (name, rather) "Texas".

That's right. I have two screen shots of the Sponsored Links section showing this happening... Yes, I tried, and managed to make it happen again. Totally unrelated ads. I've never seen anything like this. To make sure it wasn't a browser thing, I checked the source of the page.

The source of the first Ad I noticed it on is as follows:

Engagement Ring Mountings
100+ styles to choose. We do custom
rings too. Discounted package deals
<font class=a>www.CutRateJewelers.com</font>
Texas

As you can see, if you take the time to view the source of a regular ad, the only thing different is an extra BReak tag, and the word "Texas" before the usual double-BReak tags before the next ad.


Has anyone else seen anything like this?
Does anyone else know why this might be happening?


In case you're assuming it might be a google-local thing... well, it might be glitchy, 'cuz I'm in Tennessee.

The screen shots are here:
http://www.fourfivetwofour.com/i/GOO...ting_weird.jpg
http://www.fourfivetwofour.com/i/GOO...ing_weird2.jpg

[bhartzer]

This is an example of Google's local targeting feature of Adwords. Google knows your ISP and your location--and since you're in Texas they show you Texas ads.

[fourfivetwofour]

[subject] "No, no, no, no, no".

I'm in Tennessee. (see post).

And sure, google will show me ads from a local area, but does it normally show the State name under the ad?

And in that case, why doesn't it show for our business, located in Tennessee, when our ads show?


It doesn't make sense.