We all know the power of AdSense , the incomes it could bring and so on. But how many people really succeed in earning a living out of AdSense? a few, that's the answer . Understanding and knowing AdSense's limitations will help you cover any possible knowledge gaps you might have .
This guide is going to cover the 3 most important topics about AdSense including : choosing the right topic for AdSense ,ad design , ad placement .
Before getting started I know that there has been a debate on how AdSense interacts with bloggers and if is the right choice . Now , from my point of view this depends on several factors : the audience you are writing to , the range of topics you are blogging about ( the wider the range , the harder it is for AdSense to know what ads to serve ) and last but not least ad positioning and design ( this could actually make the difference between great and horrible AdSense performance ).
The answer to the all above statements you will find through this guide , so , let us get started.
Choosing the right topic for AdSense
( Section I out of III )
This is a very important step when you plan on starting your own blog , and using AdSense . A few things you should take into consideration before choosing your topic :
PPC ( Pay Per Click ) : This will actually point out your topics commercial potential , meaning that if you will get many clicks on earn a small amount of money you should reconsider either turning your eyesight towards a new advertising program either changing the topic . Choosing topics like politics , religion , history ( i do not have anything against these topics , they were just used as an example ) might not earn you as much as other topics with a more obvious commercial edge . ( I am almost certain that some of you are already thinking about some profitable topics , so here are a few : real estate , finances , and even cars )
Bottom line : the lower the PPC , the more clicks you will need to make as much money as other blogs, thus, meaning you will need a lot more traffic , otherwise you will end up with a poor conversion rate .
Topic duality : The problem with AdSense , is that it's a contextual advertising program , and sometimes it has problems delivering the right ads . Now , let's take the example regarding politics , if you were to write an article about George Bush ( this is again an example , I do not have anything against politics or George W. Bush ) , and by mistake you were to write his name like : G. Bush you could end up being served with ads regarding trimming bushes or lawn services . This an example of dual topic , George Bush ( in this case ) is not in any way related to lawn firms whatsoever . The difference between the idea behind your article and the ads appears because AdSense is really in fact a machine that is looking for context , but it doesn't have the discernment power of a human being , and this can sometimes occur . To avoid any future problems I would recommend using section targetting.
AdSense Ad design
( Section II out of III )
There has always been a debate about how to design the ads, along the years, there has been a real change in the way webmasters think about ad designs and what works best.
There are 3 types of ad design that work best , and these are:
- Ads that blend = These are actually the type of ads most people use , this type of ads that blend into the site's structure are actually those ads that have the same border and background color as your website does and the color of the links is usually the color that has been used also for the text . These ads do not attract too much attention and actually merge with the content .
- Ads that grab attention = These ads are exactly what blended ads aren't. These ads will capture as much of your eyesight as possible and will ask for your constant attention . Be careful with these, there have been some cases in which the way too colored ads provoked dizziness.
- Ads that integrate = These ads are actually the blended ads with a bit of a twist , they have pictures .
The integration of ads started when people also started putting pictures near ads , this is now prohibited because the clickers were induced in error thinking that clicking the ad will get them to that certain product.
People thought if they can not put their images next to the ads , let's put it underneath the ad and so they did , thus , giving birth to something that call 'Designer Ads' .
How to position AdSense Ads
( Section III out of III )
After deciding how to design your ads , you will need to find the right spot to place them . Ad positioning isn't an exact science , that's why experimenting is required. All I can say is that, a poorly positioned ad will also lead to a low CPM ( Cost Per Mile ) and a stream of low income.
Be sore though to position your ads accordingly to Google's hot spots for a better CTR ( Click Through Rate ) .
One more thing, try to avoid positioning your ads in the sidebars and below the fold, these have been tested before and tend to do worse.
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