AdSense allows website publishers to display contextually relevant
advertisements on their website. If a web visitor "clicks" on an advertisement,
the web publisher will earn a percentage of the advertising revenue generated as
a result of the click. Many webmasters have built content websites around the
Google AdSense model. In many cases the specific intent of the webmaster is to
profit from Google AdSense Other webmasters use Google AdSense to supplement
their revenue. Regardless of the webmaster's intent, the following tips will
help webmasters looking to profit from AdSense
Top AdSense Tips:
1. Niche Sites.
Targeted niche sites that have a clear theme, tend to generate more advertising
revenue simply because it is easier to achieve decent search engine placement.
Be warned though, you want to chose a niche where there is a sufficient number
of advertisements available.
2. Target Keywords.
When determining the sites focus, consider how much the advertisers pay for the
advertisements. If the site is focused on ringtones, like Ringtone Central
http://www.ringtones-central.com the payout per click is going to be very small,
as ringtones are not high ticket items, advertisers will not spend a lot on pay
per click advertisements. With less obvious markets use Overture to determine
how much advertisers pay per keyword, it is usually similar on Google. Search
Overture for a keyword then click "View Advertisers' Max Bids" in the top right
corner. This will show the Overture inventory and how much is paid per keyword.
Because the market has become very competitive, it will be difficult to rank
well in search engines with a new website that is optimized for the terms that
have the highest payout. Consider targeting terms that are moderately priced.
3. Aged Sites / Time.
Over time as a website is spidered by Google, advertisements will generally
increase in relevance. In general, older websites will rank better in search
engines. The closer the advertisements relate to the webpage's content; the
higher the "click-through" the publishers will see.
4. Coding.
In order to minimize a websites maintenance place the Google generated AdSense
code in the website template or an include file. This will allow you to easily
experiment with different advertisement sizes and ad placement, and keep the web
maintenance to a minimum.
5. Tracking Channels.
In order to know how effective a specific website or ad placement is use
distinct channels and subchannels within Google. This will allow you to discern
what performs best on a specific website. Using channels will tell you what
sites are making money, what advertisements are making money and what ad
position is the most profitable on a specific website. Keep in mind that you
should run an advertisement for a full week, in order to properly test its
effectiveness, different days of the week will vary the web traffic so comparing
one week to another will give the most accurate reflection of how effective a
campaign performs.
When testing different advertisement sizes, placement or color schemes be sure
to leave campaigns in place for one week, different days will often result in
web traffic fluctuations. Comparing web traffic, week to week will give a clear
indication of what ad formats perform the best.
6. Integrated Ad Placement.
Many webmasters have been successful at integrating advertisements into a
website. The easiest way to integrate an advertisement into a website is to
remove the advertisement border. This will allow the ads to better blend with
the webpage. Google recommends contrasting the link colors with the website
colors to increase click-throughs. It is also suggested that webmasters
randomize the color of the advertisements, so that frequent users will not
naturally "filter" the ads.
Example of integrated ad placement: http://www.golf-clubhouse.net or http://www.security-protection.net
7. Number vs Value of Advertisements.
Up to three advertisements can be listed on each page. This decreases the value
of the advertisements served, so publishers should cautiously add advertisement
units, as it dilutes ad inventory. In other words you want to serve the most
expensive ads at all times.
8. Hot Spots.
Like web copy above the fold holds true with AdSense as well. This means that
advertisements that appear without having to scroll will be read more
frequently. Hot Spots are areas on a web page that result in a higher percentage
of click-throughs. According to Google the highest paying advertisements are
located on the hot spots.
hot spots map - http://www.small-business-software.net/heat-map.htm
Google does not indicate if image advertisements or text ads perform better, so
webmasters are encouraged to experiment with both.
9. Highest performing Ad Sizes.
According to Google the 336 x 280 rectangle, the 300 x250 rectangle and the 160
x 600 sky scraper result in the highest number of click-throughs. Depending on
the website's design and layout, publishers may experience different results
with different ad sizes, placements and color schemes. Expirement and track the
results for each website to maximize the AdSense payout.
