I was meaning to write a post last week about the newly launched Ecocho.com as I had another of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments. Ecocho combine Google and Yahoo sponsored search listings, and allows people to search and feel good about the environment. Everytime once of their searchers clicked on a sponsored listing in the results, Ecocho would receive a tidy payout from Google AdSense or Yahoo Publisher. From some of their enormous bucket of money they would plant some trees so everyone feels warm and fuzzy.

But I read today in the SMH that Google has pulled the plug on them, saying it’s against AdSense policy. As Ecocho is founded by Tim Macdonald of the Found Agency I kind of thought – oh – how sad (in a somewhat green-eyed manner), he already made a mottsa last year by selling to the Photon Group. But reading through the article, I feel it’s somewhat unfair and I’m wondering just what is going on in Google Australia.

This is the second major company this year who has shown Google Australia what they are doing before executing it and not being told it’s against Google Guidelines.  I’m referring to the Flight Center debacle at this years SMX – they too had shown their stuff to Google earlier in the year, were not told it was against the Guidelines, then made to look rather silly in front of crowd of eager optimizers.

So I take back my oh – how sad attitude. If I was Mr Macdonald I would be rather peeved that someone’s standing in my way of earning another million this year…