The AdSense Placement Thread

By ryancaldwellAdvertising, Best of

Update: This thread is now closed. Thank you for your submissions.

Alrighty. The title pretty much says it all. For a limited time only 😉 you can drop a link to your blog in this thread and the Performancing community will try its best to give you advice on: 1. Location of your adsense ads, 2. Color and style of your adsense ads.

Performance in action.

70 thoughts on “The AdSense Placement Thread”

  1. I have one big on the top center and an other between posts. but it doesn’t matter. People don’t really are motivated on the pub but on following you and having clicks.
    thanks

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  9. Thanks a lot for your submissions guys – I’m closing this thread now. Based on the recommendations made here and on a few of the requests made here (how to put ads between posts, at the end of posts, time-sensitive adsense, etc), I’ll be doing a series of articles on it starting Monday, 16th July.

  10. 1 – On the single post page, I’d bring the ad block on the right inside the post and blend it in – because right now it’s close to be non-existent).

    2 – Try a left-aligned 300×250 ad block instead of a 468px banner at the end of each post

    3 – Based on your blog topic, you can try affiliate ads in place of the ad block in the sidebar – although you’ll have to use the right colours to make sure that the ads stand out.

  11. Nice blog – I kept reading down to the end of the first page.

    A couple of things that I’d say:

    1 – yes, change the theme – hopefully one of the WordPress Themes at Performancing will do for you.

    2 – If you’re going to put ads in it, put them in the sidebar above the fold instead of the way you’ve done on your latest post. If you’re not putting them in the sidebar, a banner ad above the posts would do.

    3 – If you use a new theme, you can blend your ads better by putting them inside the content instead of above them. It’s a tradeoff between readibility and CTR.

    4 – Adblock at the end of your posts.

  12. Deb, I absolutely LOVE the way you’ve blended your ads. Major props to your designer. The sidebar contrast is fantastic, and I’m going to be that the sidebar skyscraper gets more CTR than regular sidebar adsense.

    There are a few things I’d add / change – ads between posts, for one, but for the single post pages, maybe you could bring the ad block that’s above the title, inside the post and blend it better?

    And a left-aligned 300×250 at the end.

    Anyway, been to your site before so pleased to see the new version and once again, loved the ad blending.

  13. 1 – two suggestions – either go with a 468px banner below the post title or widen the middle column and put a 300×250 ad block below the feed block (above the latest posts). In any case, please ditch the AdSense block at the top – it kills usability.

    2 – ad blcok at the end of the posts

    3 – On the main page, you asked for info on how to put ads between posts – will put it up tomorrow.

  14. Hey mate

    1 – I’d left-align that ad block at the end of each post instead of centering it.

    2 – I would also add a right-floated ad block inside each post.

    3 – Not a big fan of putting AdSense in the sidebar – mainly because you’ve got a book and you want to give max exposure to that.

    4 – Ads between Posts and at the end of the main page. I’ll write about both of these techniques, so watch Perf next week.

  15. 1 – the right-sidebar – what’s the CTR on it? If it’s less than 0.5% then I’d suggest you drop it and put something else there.

    2 – Put a 300×250 ad at the end of each post.

    3 – A 468×90 banner ad at the start of each post would be good as well.

    4 – I’d experiment with putting the auctionads and reviewme blocks above the AdSense, and adding a 300×250 adsense block at the bottom of the main page.

  16. Hi Ahmed,

    Would like some advice as well. Hope you can make something out of the site, since it’s all in Dutch 😉 Thanks!

  17. I also would like to change my theme to a new one, similar to Performancing.com, simple yet attractive. I like having more space for content and a sidebar.

    Please advise if there’s any theme I can switch to.

  19. Hi Ryan,

    I just went through a major blog redesign with my Freelance Writing Jobs blog.

    Originally though my ads were at eye level, they didn’t blend in too well. My income was ok, but with 1500 – 2000 daily visitors, I knew it could be better. Jason Oliver redesigned and blended the ads much better, since then, my revenue tripled.

    Best,

    Deb

    http://www.writersrow.com/deborahng/

  20. Thanks for the review of my website!! I will look forward to do some changes

  21. Thanks for your suggestions. I’ll definitely give those a shot. Looks like you’ve been busy catching up with all the review requests =).

  22. My turn ,

    How about my ads , positioned mainly on single posts . I would like if possible a tip on how to position my adsense ad right after the first post and only after that one . Thanks in advance .

    My blog : http://www.CristianR.com

  24. Thanks Ahmed! Used to use blended black 336 x 280 in first paragraph with left or right div tag and a 446 at the bottom of each post with good clickthrough, now trying only 336 x 280 centered at bottom of the post, but not that great? Also, I’m selling my own product, does this take my visitors away from my product, many ‘experts’ suggest so?

  26. 1) leaderboard link unit / ads below the header.

    2) switch middle and right columns around – right-column skyscrapers are almost useless – putting it between the content and the navigation will get more eyeballs and thus some clicks.

    3) 300×250 ad block at the end of each post.

    4) 300×250 ad block at the end of the main page.

  27. Not a fan of blogspot, so if you need help moving to WordPress send me a PM.

    For adsense, I’d use a 300×250 ad block at the end of each post and a 468px banner ad at the top of each post.

    Not sure if the skyscraper does any good – you might want to replace it with paid ads or auction ads.

  28. AdSense earnings, after a certain level of optimization, are a function of traffic, so if your traffic has plateaued then you can only optimize and increase earnings to a certain level.

    1) On the main page, I’d suggest going with a 768×90 leaderboard at the top instead of the link units.

    2) A 300×250 adblock or a 468 banner at the end of the main page is worth trying as well (you can also advertise your own products in this location).

    3) Inside the posts, I don’t know if those are image-only ads or if I’m seeing only image ads, but you should have your ad block showing text and image ads.

    4) Put an ad block at the end of each post too (left-aligned, 300×250).

  29. On single articles (like this page), try a right-floated rectangle ad block.

    I’d also try another leaderboard right above the footer.

  30. 1) Remove the the adblock in the right sidebar, give more width to your content column and put the ad block inside it for single posts (left-floated).

    2) Move the recent posts panel from the middle column to the right column, so you can push the auction ads up.

    3) Change adsense link colors to the link colors used on your site (blue).

  31. Hey. You’ve got most things right and the plus point is that you already have a mix of alternative advertising.

    I’d suggest changing the 468px banner at the end of the main page to a 300×250 ad block, and adding the same 300×250 block at the end of each single post.

  32. I just wanted to put it out that among the sites that I’m reviewing, a few them are really top-notch in terms of content. Good job guys.

  33. Everything above the fold is ads, right? Your visitors must hate you

    From a CTR point of view, it would work. However, what I would do is remove the 2nd link unit and the second leaderboard at the top, at the very least.

    I would also change the link unit at the end of each post into an ad block.

    You may also want to put an ad block right below each image in your single posts.

  34. You’ve got most things right. I’d just suggest that you:

    1) Try matching the ad link color to the link color used in your theme
    2) try an ad block at the end of each post

  35. love the vertigoblue theme.

    Because of the 3-col theme, i’d recommend the 468 horizontal link unit below the title of each post and a 300×250 ad block at the end.

    If you want to put in more ads, you can put up a leaderboard below the header and / or replace the 468px link unit with a banner.

    It might be overkill though. Try it and see if you’re comfortable with it.

    I’d also suggest that you move the subscribe box to the right column, giving your skyscraper more room above the fold.

    And yes, an ad block on the main page after the first post and at the end of the page as well.

  36. http://www.skateboardworks.com/

    nice customisation of Cutline, btw.

    1) Try a leaderboard (link unit) above the content area (below the images).

    2) That ad block in the sidebar – increase size to the 300×250 ad block, remove border and bring it inside the content area – right-float it so that the text wraps around it. You can then shift everything else in the sidebar up, and in the future use that space for putting paid advertising.

    You may have to increase the width of the theme for that – it’s quite easy to do in Cutline.

    3) You have an ad block after the 2nd post on the main page – I’d shift that up to below the first post. In terms of CTR that position is ideal on the main page and on archives pages.

    4) An ad block at the bottom of the page, above ‘previous entries’

    5) Change ad url color to black or light grey.

    6) 300×250 ad block (left-aligned) at the end of each post

    http://www.allthatscool.com/

    what theme are you using here?

    More or less the same stuff as for skateboardworks.com – try leaderboard links unit, remove the border, shift ad block on main page to below the first post (and make it a 300×250 ad block), ad at the bottom of the post, etc.

    and yes, bring the sidebar ad block inside the content area.

    For an example, see how I’ve done it at soccerlens.com.

  37. http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/

    with the modernpaper theme, you can:

    1) have a leaderboard (link unit or ads) below the header.
    2) shift the referral ad upwards in the middle column, either above or right below the google search box.
    3) alternatively, try a skyscraper in the middle column.
    4) the skyscraper in the right sidebar is not going to convert that well – use that space for the blogroll
    5) try a rectangle ad block at the end of each post (after the ‘share this’ link).
    6) test a rectangle ad block (left-aligned) right above the footer (below the ‘previous links line).

    http://www.doublehdesign.com/blog

    1) Integrate a square ad block inside the post (right-aligned). Since this will clash with the skyscraper, you can a) push the skyscraper down or b) ditch it altogether if you use the blended in ad block. If you persist with the 468px banner above the post, then the skyscraper can work.
    2) Square ad block at the end of the post
    3) Test a rectangle ad block (left-aligned) right above the footer (below the ‘previous links line).

  38. http://bostonsportsmedia.com/

    AdSense positioning – the right-aligned position is ideal. I don’t see it inside individual posts though – you might want to try it there, or barring that, a 468 banner on top (this is where having a slightly narrow theme hurts a bit).

    AdSense colors – match the ad link color to that of the article headings on your blog.

    redesign would help – you’re using blogspot, right? Moving to wordpress is quite painless, btw.

    http://patriotsdaily.com/

    1) a skyscraper at the top of the middle column

    2) 768px horizontal link unit below the header (and above the three columns)

    3) 468px banner ads at the start and end of each single post page.

    4) test a 768px leaderboard at the bottom of each page, above the footer (you could also use a banner there to link to one of your own sites).

  39. 1) widening the theme will give your posts more breathing space and your content area more space for the ads.

    2) the rectangle ads are good – I’d suggest putting similar ads at the end of each post.

    3) If you can right-align your ads so that the text wraps around them, that would help with blending in the ads.

    4) I just saw this plugin when I was searching for auto image resizing plugin for wp – if you use that then you can fit your images to the left of your ads automatically.

  40. Oh, and nice avatar pic

    She’s the first celebrity I’ve had a crush on since high school, dude.

  41. http://www.techne-eikon.com/

    1) Switch left and right sidebars – left sidebar offers much better CTR.

    2) remove the skyscraper on the left (which will move to the right) below the fold – better off replacing it with auctionads.

    3) Try a 468 in place of the amazon box below the header – although if that box is converting well for you then I wouldn’t change it.

    4) On single posts, you can put in a left-aligned rectangle ad block inside each post so that the text wraps around it. If you do that you can replace the ad link unit above with Amazon or AuctionAds.

    5) Also consider an ad block at the end of each post.

  42. I like the design, and I like how you’ve integrated the adblock top-left.

    You definitely want to do something to enhance the content area of your site. The first thing I’d suggest would be to switch AdSense plugins. Try Ad Spaces from semiologic.com – it’s free and it doesn’t show ads inside posts on the main page.

    Next, use your style.css to increase the font size of your headings.

    Also try using the same link colours in the adblocks as those used on the rest of your site. It will probably only increase / reduce CTR marginally, but it will give a better look to your site.

    On your single posts – I found it a bit refreshing that there was no adsense inside the post. With the ad block on the left, putting adsense inside the post would be a bit of an overkill. However, if you use Ad Spaces, your problems will be solved.

  43. automoblog.net

    On the main page, try putting a rectangle ad between the 1st and 2nd posts.

    Other than that, Ryan’s advice on the links above and below the header is definitely worth trying.

    On the single post page, like Ryan said, put the 468 between the title and the post. You can also try an adblock at the end of the post (rectangle, not banner).

    egonitron.com

    I would switch the middle and right columns around – that is, put the ads in the middle column and the navigation on the right column.

    A 468 banner at the start of each post, or if that’s too much for you, one at the end (ideally, do both).

    And like I said for automoblog, rectangle ads between the 1st and 2nd posts on the main page.

    Tomorrow I’ll do a quick tutorial on how to put ads in that location in wordpress.

  44. I’d go with a leaderboard at the top (728×90 px) or a banner (468×60) – and a banner / leaderboard ad at the end of the posts (depending on the width available to you).

    Also, ditch the sidebar rectangle and use it to show ‘latest’ threads.

    I wouldn’t recommend horizontal link unit ads unless you don’t have space for the leaderboard.

    colors – well, pink isn’t ‘THAT BAD’, but you should definitely try a blue link color to see if it converts better.

    Oh, and nice avatar pic

  46. lots of sites – will go through them one by one tonight and post feedback here.

  47. I’m just starting to learn the finer points of SEO and monetizing, and I’d love for an expert to help look and advise what I might be doing right or wrong.

    The blog is at http://www.sicarii.net.

    Thank you in advance.

  48. Roped Up
    I will appreciate any feedback. I’m focused on the aesthetics and am somewhat reluctant to put ads inside the post contents, except for the small Link Unit below the posts. Is there any other area left for placing ads that would not kill the design? Thanks.

  49. Siberian Light, I would blend that sidebar ad — it sticks out like a sore thumb on an otherwise clean design, and not in a “click me” kind of way. I would also suggest some links closer to your content, like a Link Unit between posts or within a post or two. They’re really simple and unobtrusive, and aren’t likely to annoy anyone.

  50. I’ve actually been thinking of pulling adsense completely off my site, even though it does work, just kind of plateaued though at a not very high level, and replacing it with CPA ads. Maybe some suggestions from someone who isn’t me looking at my site everyday can give me some insight.

    How to Box

    Thanks.

  51. My site is dedicated to bringing solace to people who have lost a loved one. Since a big goal of mine to keep this site sympathetic to my users, one of my main concerns was displaying too many Adsense/advertisements inappropriate places. So I decided to limit them for people who haven’t logged into/aren’t members of the site.

    As my subject says, this may be a difficult balance between morals and good business. Any suggestions/comments would be great. Thanks!

    Go to warm tribute

  52. Thanks a lot Ryan, those are some good suggestions, I’ll play around with Egonitron.com and see what works. You’re right about the right sidebar AdSense, they get next to no clicks at all. I’m actually thinking about changing the theme completely on Egonitron, but it’s very SEO-friendly.

    Thanks again!

  53. I’m awful at AdSense… Coach me please. This is my guitar blog. Problem one is a lack of updates, I know, but advice on ad placement would be awesome.

    axplay

  54. I’d like to throw Siberian Light into the mix.

    I’ve only recently started trying to monetise in the first sidebar, and have been playing around a bit with the Google Affiliates programme as well. Really, I’m trying to strike a balance between getting a good clickthrough rate, and not annoying readers who aren’t used to seeing ads on a politically oriented blog.

  55. This is a great idea!

    I’ve just moved ads around at my lingerie blog, removing the Ad Unit underneath my logo and adding a network ad at the top. It would be great to put in another ad unit to make up for the lost one, but I want to keep under the logo empty so it’s not too ad-heavy. I’d love any creative ideas! The site is http://www.knickersblog.com

  56. http://www.techne-eikon.com/

    On this site, I would definitely place a small square ad (or maybe even a pMetrics affiliate ad) above “Pages” – the thing about your current ads is that they were literally out of my field of vision when I first visited your site. I didn’t even notice them. But that’s not because they’re blended, it’s because when I look at a site I focus on the top-left-center area. There wasn’t anything there. Plus, your horizontal link unit, on my screen, doesn’t look appropriate…it looks much too small. You should go with 728W

    Is there any way that you can fixed-width your theme? A problem that it currently has is that on large resolutions, it spread out too far (not too unlike Performancing;-)

    If you can fix the width, I’d consider putting a 468 or 720 W ad either right above the title of each post or right below it. For maximum click through, but maximum uglification, put a large square ad aligned with the top-left of your content.

    You should also consider ending each post with a another ad, making it the most obvious “action point” when the reader gets done with the article.

  57. thanks for your time! i would like to know what you think about my biggest website, Noticias Automotivas.

  59. SharePointBuzz.com

    Just a quick note on this one. the header doesn’t resolve properly in Firefox with a 1680W resolution.

    In terms of placement, if your main focus in CTR, you’ve nailed it with that square box in the top left. But I would skip your site in a heartbeat, even if it had good content.

    If you’re interested in building a strong, lasting readership, you might consider moving that yellow subscribe box up and changing the link color on your Google add to match the rest of the site. maybe give the ads an h2 heading or try a rounded edges box to make it look more professional.

    But again, if you’re going for CTR, then I think it’s pretty well optimized. You might consider putting in a horizontal ad link below the header, and also maybe a 728W graphic right under the title of each post.

    Experiment with blending your ads a little more by changing the shade of blue. it might help, it might not for CTR. But, if your interested in site aesthetics, it definitely will help.

  60. Oh, on Egonitron, I’d also highly recommend that you add an affiliate link to pMetrics. I’m not just pimping my own product here. The payout can be as much as $25 per signup. And your blog is geared towards people who could use blog stats software.

  61. AutomoBlog.net looks pretty good. I’d recommend trying your horizontal link unit above the header image and then throwing a 720 horizontal banner right under the navigation. Just worth a try I think.

    I’d also consider always making the car image the top content element in each of your posts, but moving the 468 ad between the title and the image.

    You might also try placing a small square ad above the orange feed.

    With Egonitron, you could clearly make more just by left justifying horizontal ad link unit. You want as many of those links above the content as possible. If Google were more fluid, I’d also recommend that you move that “Ads by Google” way over the right. But life is life.

    The ads over on the far right are, in my view, completely worthless.

    I’d put a 468 ad above and below the content of each post. You might instead put a large square ad at the bottom of each post. I like the shade of your “blockquote” so it might be good to make some of your ads look like that.

  64. My main site is at http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com – needs a redesign, I think, but Adsense placement could be better, I think. I’ve tried blending colors and contrasting colors.

    A site that is launching in a few weeks is patriotsdaily.com – I’d really like some advice on this one. I haven’t even placed the Adsense really here yet, so we’re pretty much starting from scratch.

  65. Ok, I’ll bite. What do you think of the placement? Seems to work, and I’ve tried a leaderboard above the content, didn’t seem to be better or worse. Suggestions appreciated.
    Reality Wired

  66. I am at the traffic building stage for techne-eikon.com, so I am not terribly concerned about revenue, yet. Having said that, I do have 4 adsense ads on the site, and I know that they could be placed better. Perhaps a different format (link units, image ads…) ? Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.

    Marc

  67. How about my blog over at SharePointBuzz.com

    I have been playing around with the adsense placements for a few months and am using hte Adsense injection wordpress plugin.

    Any tips on placement size color?

    Also, the adsense injection plugin has stopped working on my single pages. I have reinstalled the plugin and everything else I could think … any suggestions on that?

  68. I would change the color a bit on the AdSense, the all-pink ads are overwhelming and don’t draw any attention to the ads themselves. I would get rid of the border, (if you don’t want to do that, at least use rounded corners,) keep the link color the same but change the description text and URL to a much darker color. You could also add a 768×15 link ad right under your header.

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