Following my post Ads at the top does it all!, here’s now my action in order to increase my revenue: I’ll remove the 2 ads I have in the middle of the page so there’s only a top ads on each page. Generally, if I follow Google’s advice (less ads = more relevant ads), I should be getting better ads which would generate better incomes.
With over 88 days of accumulated statistics using Adsense with almost the same template from beginning to end, I’ve got as a result an higher CTR and eCPM on the top ads banner. Those results lead me to think that ads which are in the center of the page SHOULD be poping out instead of being blended with the rest as users will not bother with following links. They are already reading an article, there’s no reason to follow the link until they have finished reading the article (or if the ads says to, but it’s forbidden in the Adwords TOS).
So give some separation to those banners (generally the 468×60 form) and maybe try various background and style. You might hit the jackpot soon or later.
That being said, I would also assume that the top ads does better because there’s nothing else around it (except the menu and the beginning of an article). I should add that when the page is fully loaded, the thing you see just above the center of the page is that top ads. Good placement isn’t it?
I’ll now be removing those ads like I mentionned and I’ll lead a 3 month test to verify if this modification will improve or not my incomes. If it doesn’t well, you know what’s next: some more testing.
You should test both these option:
1) Top ads only, try applying different color schemes, with border/without border, with image above, etc.
2) Top ads AND ads “blended” in the page, testing the “blended ad” with different color schemes, with border/without border, etc.
You can also do step one then step two. If after many trials you get a lower earning from having both ads showing compared to only showing the top ads, well, just use the top ads.
For about 3 months I’ve been testing ads placements on my website and kept about the same format as you can currently see. From the results I have got, the top banner is getting the best results by a far advantage. I wouldn’t be suprised that if I work just a bit more on the top banner, I’ll generate more revenue from it.
From the results I’m currently talking about, I would say that the top banner outperforms the one in the middle of the page in a 6:1 ratio which is quite big. As new “techniques” develop to give those big format banners more power, Adsense users will be able to give to the advertiser more clients as people will be more interested in the ads. Google as been saying it’s inflating the advertisers cost and they are right, especially when the webmaster uses images which are really targeting too much the attention like using arrows pointing at the ads or even flashy images but if they are done well, in a manner that makes the web visitors interested in looking at the ads, then there should be nothing wrong about that.
Just think about the ads on TV. When you know it’s commercials time, you generally go get yourself something to eat or you start talking with others or you even change of channel. But what if the ads just blended with the rest and was interesting. The use of images to get interest from the web visitors is just a tactic to make sure they see the banners and don’t act as adblind like many of us call them.
And please, don’t tell me that by using image to get them to look at something, that it’s immoral. Come on, if they read the text on the link, they’ll click if they like, otherwise they won’t. It’s not like people click deliberately on those ads just for fun…
Believe in Jesus?
We’ll pay you $75 right now to
complete a simple survey!
PSO.com
Would you agree that what’s being shown on ads these days is getting quite abusive and aggressive? Using the “holy” image to sell a product make no sense to me. First, the title has no appeal. If you read it, then you think you’ll be reading a small description of a biblical website, but no, you’re getting the description for a paid survey website… How interesting… I wouldn’t add that it’s currently pointing to the most sold product on CB this month. I hope this guy is happy now with all the money he makes from all the people who register for such a product.
I haven’t bought the product myself and don’t consider doing so because I believe there is no value in this product. I would like people to prove me I’m wrong, but I’m sure no one will do it because it’s not worth that much. Note that the link on the side of my website is actually pointing to this website, don’t you find that amazing? I’m about to remove that.
Visitors think they might get something interesting, may it be about Jesus or that paid survey thing, but nor are really there. No info about Jesus, a landing page about a “service” which you pay for to get a list of companies you contact and get some money from… By the way, I can see that Google ain’t filtering anything about Jesus. It can be used as a keyword without any problem, so I don’t see why we couldn’t start writing provocative ads with religious conotation. Google won’t care, and we’ll make some money…
That is unethical. Respect. Do you know what respect is?
I hope this guy doesn’t make a lot of money out of his ads cause that’s a really big scam just in our face. The product he’s affiliated with have been marketed so much, I just hate when I see these ads for no reason (and with no relevance either) appear on a website I’m reading.
To those advertiser: please think back on your advertising strategies… You can make a lot more money not using “sensitive” ads.
I don’t want to offense anyone (by saying that I’m currently stating the opposite) but I think it’s stupid to use these kind of title. It’s almost a la Rich Jerk, I could almost make an ad with the following title:
You’re stupid
and I’m not. Learn how to
overcome your stupidity
www.YouAreStupid.com
Well, in fact, I can.
And article on ads writing should be following soon. It might help those people to make “real” ads.