How to Increase AdSense Earnings Through Better Design
AdSense has been one of the most proven ways for bloggers, small and large alike, to generate some additional cash flow through their blog each month. However, some misconceptions about the quality of the program, especially in the way that sites present their ads (i.e. Made for AdSense or “scraper” blogs) have arisen over the past.
In this post, some of the ways to improve your site while running these ads will be presented shortly and nicely. These are general tips then they may be used for any sites using Blogger, WordPress, Drupal …
The Basics of Using AdSense – Location
When you place AdSense on your site, you should look at the task as though you are providing a resource to members, not simply trying to generate income from their clicks. For this reason, you’ll want to target the areas that visitors tend to look at first – sidebars and headers. Visitors that don’t see an ad won’t click on them, either.
Here is a rather brief look at general placement options for most blogs:
- Sidebar – The sidebar is one of the most critical placement areas for ads – the second most looked at location right after the content. Ads should be placed in a logical manner, blending in with other similar links or used in a way to attract attention to them, while not overwhelming your visitors with “flashy” graphics.
- Between Blog Posts – These ads will display in-between each post (up to three times per page), with nearly every size available, from 120×90 pixel buttons to 300×250 rectangles. There is a good chance that visitors will notice these, thinking they are still a part of your content.
- Header – A blog’s header should remain as clean as possible, distinguishing your site from others from the time a new visitors first appears on your site, but it can also be a prime location for placing ads. Generally, the best sizes are 468×15 (up to five links) or larger, as the content/links displayed will be generated from the keywords that have been placed in your header/first posts.
- Menu – 728*15 ads in place of the menu in header or just beneath the header will work the most if used in that spot. This will really increase Adsense earnings as the spot and the ad resembles as if the menu of the website. Many readers of your blog may not like placing ad in that position but still if we need to make earnings from Adsense we need to find such most important spots for Adsense. (Thanks BLOGGERUSER)
- Inside Blog Posts – If we display Adsense ads inside post, it is found that it has relatively higher CTR. People mostly think this ads as a part of the content and click it often. And these ads have almost related words to the topic or key words you have in your specific blog post. (Thanks CELEBSIMAGE)
- Feeds – An area often overlooked for ad placement is in feeds. After all, there are many sites that have thousands of subscribers – people who normally don’t visit the actual website each day.
You can find the full set of AdSense Ad Formats here.
Color Palettes and Further Advice
There are a number of different options when it comes to how you design and place your ads within the areas specified above.
Depending on the number of visitors/readers you receive each day, you’ll want to tailor your ads to this amount. For example, higher counts means additional clicks, so less ads will need to be placed to generate the same amount of income.
Secondly, you’ll want to test and refine how they are displayed within your site. Some people design custom images to place their ads within, while some simple changes to the colors can make an enormous difference in clicks, leading to a potential increase in earnings.
If your blog has a light background behind the ads, you are suggested to blend ads within content and blend or complement ads adjacent to content.
On the other hand, if your site has a dark background, you are suggested to blend, complement, or contrast ads within content and contrast or complement ads adjacent to content.
Following these guidelines will allow your ads to either stand out or blend in appearing much like normal links.
The Key Points
- Adding AdSense to the main areas of Blogger blogs is much easier than other blogs, such as self-hosted WordPress, as you don’t have to see a single line of code, although in-post ads are more difficult to implement.
- Strategically place ads so readers get value in return, rather than using them to generate income. Continually test and refine to improve their appearance vs. your original content.
Very well said. Also you must have really good keywords in order to get more.
That’s up for debate, it really depends. Most will find that adsense will find the best keywords for you. If your blog is niched based you should be fine, but if you write posts all over the place it will be unstructured and unable to give the best keywords.
One place i think you missed but very important is instead of the menu in Header or just beneath the header(as you have it). 728*15 ads will work the most if used in that spot. This will really increase adsense earnings as the spot and the ad resembles as if the Menu of the website.
Well, many readers of your blog may not like placing ad in that position but still if we need to make earnings from adsense we need to find such most important spots for adsense.
Oh still there is one important spot for displaying adsense Ads. “INSIDE THE BLOGGER POST”. In blogger, although displaying posts inside the blogger post is not common, its possible.
If we display Adsense ads inside the blogger post, it is found that it has relatively higher CTR. People mostly think this Ad as a part of the content and click it often.And these ads have almost related words to the topic or key words you have in your specific blog post.
If you are confused what sort of ads i am talking about, you can have this same page as an example. Themelib displays such ads after the title in every post.
Good post. Thanks.
Very nice tips! Well Ali also right, you must have good keywords so that your page will be more searchable in the search engine. I might use this tips soon, since I did not get any money from adsense, why is that so? Hope there are good advices out their!
I can’t keep on track the number of changes I made to my Adsense sites. Finally, I found the “perfect” one for my theme.
Haven’t used Adsense for feeds though, I’m currently trying Adsense for domains
Cheers,
Meg
@BloggerUser @CelebsImage: Thank you very much. I updated the post
Hello Mr Themelib. Have you removed your Top Commentators widget? Being an active member of your website, I feel you should have placed that as it encourages more people to participate actively. Moreover, a website full of Sponsored links discourage people to visit.
Regards,
Jack Thomas
Lots of spammers have spammed my site recently so I will put the Top Commentator widget again when they are gone.
-Michael
Never mind. I’ve banned all spammers’ IPs.
Enjoy!
Thats good to see Michael. Spamming is the biggest problem for most website owners.. Even I do have a full fledged website on my own apart from this blog which is going great but I am also looking out some ways to prevent Spam.
I have seen in some people’s website that they provide a do-follow link only after achieving a fixed number of comments lets say 10.
Cheerz,
Jack Thomas
Hello Michael,
I was surfing on DigitalPoint forums and found dat Ads blending are not allowed by Google as you mentioned in your post “People mostly think this ads as a part of the content and click it often.”
For reference, you may see Adsense Official Blog post Deceptive implementations point here: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2009/04/updates-to-program-policies-page.html
hi jack.. i have been through that link many times. when you go through “Deceptive implementations” sections the policies says you are not allowed to place ads under under a misleading heading.
This means that we cannot place ads under the misleading headings and our blog post titles are not considered so.
further its explained that
“It’s important that visitors to your site are not misled in any way and are able to easily distinguish content from Google ads. This policy prohibits placing ads under misleading headings such as “resources” or “helpful links.”"
I hope we are not doing so.
Hi BloggerUser,
You are right but still I feel we shouldnt take any chance with Adsense because once got banned, we can not participate in the future.
Jack you are right. We should not take any chance.
But it depends. Many people take risks.
But well, this is not against it so i dont think its any problem.
BTW you too have ads in that position.
Hi
If you look through Google’s own tips on the subject they talk about blending vs contrasting so I don’t think any chances are being taken.
What Google doesn’t like is Ads under headings like “Click Below to Explore Our Site” or “Please Support Us by Clicking These Links”
Neil
great tips for adsense lovers / users.
But sometimes its better to have just one google ad on a page / website, depends on the ocasion
Great.May be I’ll try to focus on adsense
Well adsense doesnt work well with blogs within our niche. Especially if you’re gonna mix it w/private ads. But anyway another reason is because most bloggers who use adsense don’t really generate that much traffic…
Hello Melvin,
I have seen many blogs who are using adsense along with Private ads and they are going great. It all depends which type of audience you are targeting and how much efforts you are putting in to generate traffic.
I agree to what Melvin says in last sentence. “most bloggers who use adsense don’t really generate that much traffic…”
Well, this may not apply for all blogs but to some blogs i agree with a specific reason. Such Bloggers who focus on adsemse intensely or have their pages full with adsense ads and a very less content, Its sure that people would click on the adsense ads and thus navigate away from their site. Well they may make some money but on the other hand they are,loosing visitors from their blog. This can reduce the traffic or page views they have.
While with good content and less ads (properly managed) people still try to explore other relevant, important or interested pages of the blog which obviously leads to high traffic.
It’s quite right, a good and a well structured web page design can mean good amount of ad sense earnings for sure. A better design after all attracts many visitors as well.
Nice post with useful information.. You can add ads to the footer of the page to benefit from the exit link strategy..
you ca just display three of the links and other ads in one page. Personally using “ads to the footer of the page” is i think the waste of one good ad which you could have placed probably in a better position.
Google Adsense is never enough – try adding in text ads. Infolinks are the best for this – they provide intext ads which pay you more revenues and they don’t take space like adsense.
basically a needs a good color combination and geographic font style
First Comes the keywords, then the placements of ad spots and then comes the design part.
Hi
I think when deciding on an Adsense strategy you need to decide what your blog/website is for. If you want to build an authority site with repeat visitors then go for subtle ads. If you want the highest CTR and you don’t mind pushing up your bounce rate then go for a big rectangle underneath the header.
Neil
It needs proper blended ads with matching theme colors.. Like in my blog I have placed ads in between posts and getting decent amount of clicks on those..In short hard work is the key to success.
I prefer to put adsense after the content because it drives traffic away from your site. If the visitor is finished reading the article I don’t mind if they want to leave the site.
Absolutely, the best way to maxmize your blogs reach is to minimize the distractions until the end if at all possible.
I think thats a great idea, but does any one know where i might be able to find good adsence ready templates for word press ?
Both skills take training. So it really comes down to what your interests are and what have you had training in. Web design takes someone who is creative, understands the internet business from programming, search, etc.
thanks to share valuable information
Never tried this service, but it seems like a good idea to put up ads marketed to the demographics that are interested in your blog(s).
I use my adsense ads on the top of may pages and in the left and right of my content.
I tried blogging for a while, but I couldn’t get much of adsense. Thanks for the information on how to maximise the adsense revenue. I guess as with every website.. layout is extremely important. Puting the ads in between the posts is a good idea and obviously works
@Sarah,
Earning from Adsense isnt that easy as it seems. It requires tremendous amount of hard work. You attitude should be like that you are blogging for people rather than for money. Reward the people who come to your blog by holding some contests and provide some unique information. With time and patience, you will surely get results.
728×90 Ad unit at the top performs better in most of my blogs…
Until now I am experimenting where am I going to place my adsense to increase its earning… Thanks for you guides… I learned a lot here…
This very helpful to me and new bloggers. I have to sites one of them is http://www.diggwallpapers.com (3000 Visitors/day and arround 8-9000 pages/day) and the 2nd one is new blog http://www.bollywoodunya.com, please look at them and tell me what’s wrong with the Adsense code placement beacause I’m only earning 2-3 $/day. How can I improve it, please help me? my email admin@diggwallpapers.com