Comments on: Where’s the Content? – Positioning Ads on Your Blog

By: Free XBOX 360 Elite

Free XBOX 360 Elite — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:57:11 +0000

I’m trying to steer away from adds and using referral links to freebies. that way your content is directly related to what your ads show.

By: Edie

Edie — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 15:30:02 +0000

I am goingt to redesign my blog and I will use your tips :)
Thank you.

By: Donncha O Caoimh

Donncha O Caoimh — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:55:21 +0000

Buxr - you may be thinking of my no adverts for friends plugin. It takes a bit of hacking your template to get it working but it's worth it!

By: Rajj Mein

Rajj Mein — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:36:50 +0000

i prefer to wrap the ads in content.. it performs very well..

Rajj

By: Rajj Mein

Rajj Mein — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:36:49 +0000

i prefer to wrap the ads in content.. it performs very well..

Rajj

By: ShirlPearl

ShirlPearl — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:59:21 +0000

Wow! I am so glad that I read this post. I just starting blogging and marketing with affiliate links. Signed up for adsense and didn’t even consider how the placement of the ads would affect my earnings. Your post will definitely help me organize my ads in a way that is most productive and financially rewarding. Thanks for the advice!

Shirley

By: 66tx

66tx — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:22:19 +0000

Great post. And oh, typo on the last part “Wrapping Content around Ads”

By: Heelcandy

Heelcandy — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:47:11 +0000

300×250 Ad banner directly above the fold will do the best (approx 1.5x better than 160×600 sidebar), however if you have good content and loyal readers I wouldn’t recommend this strategy at all.

By: Buxr Widget

Buxr Widget — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:15:21 +0000

I read somewhere that there is a WP plugin that disables ads for return visitors. Can’t recall the name but this couldbe the solution to keep your old timers happy

By: Konrad Fischer

Konrad Fischer — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:33:16 +0000

Thanks a lot for all the good advice here in the site!

My expierience with ads:

1st. All depends from the interest of the visitor.
Does he like the content? If he’s coming by search machine, often he will look for the keywords he’d been looking for – despite the ads here or there.
If he is not convinced of the content, a good bye through an content sensitive ad is possible – but he has to find this doorway. So – if he is bored after the first view – the upper ad position is quite good. If he had an overview by scrolling to the bottom and will leave now – put the ad there as an opportunity for both – as income for you and for him as a chance to follow the context ad. If he likes your content, he will link to a following page – until he will leave – and then: the same as above.

Conclusion – give him the ads above and at the bottom. But let him see the title of the page on the first view to check the landing place at once.

2nd. Content wrapped ads work not so good in my site. The usual visitor wants to leave after seconds (the upper ad!) or after scrolling (the bottom ad). The wrapped ads in the middle have medium price (I suppose), disturb the reading and the quick overwiew and will lower the income of the more often clicked bottom ads.

3rd. Small ads like leaderboard work well enough. I combine them with hand made eyecatchers, rigorously distinguishing from forbidden ads pics (”misleading images”).

Pardon me for my school english, I hope you’ll understand what I mean ;-)

Konrad Fischer
Hochstadt/Main
Germany

By: Geeks are Sexy

Geeks are Sexy — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:27:03 +0000

“If you apply it to a blog, I’m 100000% sure that you’ll never make it big.”

That’s not true.. I know a few blogs, including mine, that are doing pretty well.. and we have some adsense units on our blog.

By: coolthought

coolthought — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:44:48 +0000

After reading your post, I have a good idea where to put the ads for a start. There will be a balance of contents and ads location. Content will still take the centre stage. Afterall this is what the reader come to your blog for. Then I will give the next most hottest location for a couple of the ads. Next will subscription and navigation. Then it will again a couple more ads and one right between the contents and comments. Finally, polls and any other things.

By: Nava

Nava — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:15:22 +0000

Thank you so much for this piece of advice. I was just working on the placement of my ad’s today and that was about the same place that I had decided to put them but I wasn’t sure if they were going to be in the way. It just seems to be the first place that you can see them. If you want to move past them you can and if you want to click on them you can. It is a great spot and I will use this for future reference.

By: Ruchir

Ruchir — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:58:33 +0000

In my opinion, the advice the guys at adsense give for ad placement should only apply to normal websites, and not blogs. If you apply it to a blog, I’m 100000% sure that you’ll never make it big. For me, my readership is of paramount important, especially since my blog is pretty new (about 2 months old) so I really would never make ads more prominent that content.

Readers come to see ads, not content. Also you’ll never be successful with social media if you position too many ads above the fold.

I’ve only two ads above the fold, but my theme is made in such a way that the content doesn’t get pushed down at all (the ads are in the header)…

By: m

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:26:52 +0000

I’m still experimenting with ad placement so I’ve come here for advice. I’m not totally happy with my current layout and plan to change as soon as I can.

By: Roman

Roman — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:01:42 +0000

Oh man, I never thought that placing adsense ads could be such an exact science!
If I had known about it before I would have probably thought twice before starting my own blog that talks about how to generate money through adsense from the perspective of somebody who has absolutely no prior knowledge of the stuff.
Anyway a really good post for somebody just getting into online advertising. Signed up for your RSS feed :)

By: Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:12:28 +0000

On most blogs, I put the 728×15 AdSense link unit format across the top of my page below the header image. I figure it’s prominent but not overpowering because it’s skinny. Does anyone know if bloggers are getting good CTR with this format?

By: ReddyK - The Atma Jyoti Blog

ReddyK - The Atma Jyoti Blog — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:05:52 +0000

Though I don’t use ads on my site, aside from some amazon links, I find a proliferation of ads on a blog both ugly, distracting, and a nuisance. However, since they help pay the bills, I understand why bloggers use them. Therefore, if they can be done in a tasteful yet effective way, they can be endured.

Bloggers, don’t let your ads keep readers from returning.

By: UnderCover Reader

UnderCover Reader — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:58:05 +0000

As I just started my blog, I’m still toying with the positioning of ads. I don’t have a lot of ads on my site yet. I agree with Mike Smith above. Content is King! And that’s what I’m focusing on first.

By: Connie Brooks

Connie Brooks — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:21:50 +0000

I have had excellent results with using the large Adsense square (250×250) just below my posts.

I use a smaller banner above the content (Adsense half banner) and the square out performs it.

My average post is below 500 words, so I think most readers make it to the bottom and it gives them a logical place to break off and click.

I also use a large 250×250 square in my right sidebar just below the fold, and it does well too.

By far, my best methods of generating income are my affiliate ads from Linkshare. I am focusing my time trying to optimize them, and anything I get from Adsense is a bonus.

I tried ads within my content at one point and hated it….didn’t get as many clicks either. I think it is far more important to build credibility over a long period than to get all those clicks short term.