The styling and placement of blog AdSense ads is a contentious issue for bloggers. While most bloggers are probably more concerned about writing and connecting with other bloggers, those who are monetizing their blogs with AdSense try to experiment with the best layouts, best color schemes and best placement on the blog layout.
There are different philosophies in blog AdSense placement, and different bloggers and online marketers would often explain the pros and cons of each.
Above the fold. Most publishers would recommend placing AdSense ads near the top of each page, meaning these can be seen without the reader having to scroll down. This way, the ad catches the attention of your readers, and they can easily click on the link. The disadvantage of this is that the ad takes precedence over your content, and a reader is likely to navigate away even before he reads your article. Placing the ad above the fold might include inserting the links or images right after a blog post title. A more common and less-intrusive way would be to place a medium-sized banner right beside your post title.
Right after the content. Oftentimes, it’s a habit of blog readers to look for related articles right after he reads a blog post. When you place textual ads right after the main content, people looking for related material would tend to click here. The disadvantage here is that the ad might not be as visible and attractive as one that’s above the fold. Also, readers who navigate away might not have the chance to bookmark or subscribe to your site first.
Sidebars. Placing an ad tower at the sidebars (either the left or right of the main content) would make them visible as your main content, although these would only be in the periphery of the main focus (which is the content area.
RSS Feeds. A recently popular trend in AdSense is placement of ads in the RSS feeds. Google’s recently acquired service Feedburner allows publishers to automatically insert AdSense ads right after each article in their syndication feeds. This is one good way to monetize RSS subscriptions.
Where to find tips. Most of these AdSense experiments, with results, can be found in blogs and websites that discuss problogging. The best of these would include Problogger, Performancing, Blogging Pro, and the like. These are written by experienced bloggers who make a big part of their living by writing on, and managing, blogs.
There is no surefire answer that will apply to all websites and blogs, though. The best way to find out where to place your AdSense ads would be to experiment by changing the location. For one week, you can place ad units at the top of each page (near the header, perhaps). For another week, you can place the ads below each article. Just be sure to identify each with their own channels, so you have a way to evaluate at the end of your test.
No comments:
Post a Comment