How does google decide which ad is listed first? For example?

It searches it’s database of keywords on the ads. Whoever is at the top, paid the most to get it there. Otherwise,it may be programed in a random.

I think its by the key words the owner of the website used. Also I think it has to do with how much traffic they get as well.

Google uses numerous factors to determine placement. It’s actually a trade secret exactly how they do it.

It’s a combination of links, keywords, meta tags, page rank, relevance and more. It is by no means random.

There are also paid spots on Google but those are identified as “Sponsor Links”. Paid spots are sorted by price or amount paid per click. Advertisers bid on a per click basis.

There are SEO (Search Engine Optimization) companies out there now that specialize in just this. They can be quite pricey and anyone with basic knowledge and the willingness to read and learn can do it by themselves.

Hope this helps a little.

They do it in a number of ways. There are a number of factors they use since it actually can’t be done by human. They first see how much you paid. You can pay more and have yours advertised more and they will be higher. Also I think if yours has a lot of clicks that effects that. I am not 100% sure and will put a source once I find it. I just emailed google about it.

Depend on the Google ranking of the pages

You may want to consider some simple algorithms which, when observed and committed in designing of a website with placement of various critical metatags that can surely achieve a high search engine presence and increase Internet traffic to your website. These metatag strategies work well with published webpages at Google and Yahoo.

Design: Should you create an extensive Flash-based website, make sure to fill-in the property entries such as the Title, Description and Keywords. Failing to do so, leaves no hard HTML or ALT resource that can be readily indexed by search robots.

A non-Flash-based website which relies on hard text, is far easier to be indexed by search robots. Limit the use of stylized text saved as .gifs since as a graphic, they are not indexable by search robots.

Avoid use of frames since any number of search robots are unable to properly classify textual material.

Placement of Metatags:

A ranking or search order does take place with Google and Yahoo and it begins with the “Title” metag which should consist of no more than 65 characters separated by commas. The “Title” should describe in generic terms, the goods and services, followed by a location from which the resource is located, i.e., city, state. The placement of a domain name which is not generic within the “Title” is not appropriate, unless your domain name is a major recognizable brand name.

The second metatag is the “Description” which is usually 25-30 words to form a complete sentence which best describes one’s goods and services.

And the very last category – “Keywords” are also somewhat limited to 15-16 words which can be plural and compound in nature. Again, avoid multiple entries which could be mistaken as “spamdexed entries” which is defined as the loading, and submission of repetitive words into a particular metatag category. “Spamdexing” when discovered on a webpage and reported to Google’s spamreport.com can result in the elimination of your website from their search directory.

Here’s an example of a very highly-placed website on Yahoo.com: Begin with the search query “pizza downtown los angeles.” It will bring up some 1.4 million+ websites as results. Check out where “Pizza Next Door” is ranked. It’s in the Top Five! Again, Pizza Next Door’s high web presence was achieved by proper web design and placement of relevant metatags according to Yahoo’s publication guidelines. Good luck!