What Part of Adsense Code Can You Change?

According to Google Adsense TOS you are not allowed to change any part of the code. After a bit of looking about there is a small part of code which you are allowed to change.

For example with my blogger layout it does not allow me to put in scripts into the page and leave in the <> tags, this is of course a problem. But you can change the <> tags for the XML equivalent which Google allows because you haven't changed to code, just the way it is formatted before being rendered in your browser.

What you need to do is change all the < with & l t ; and the > with & g t ; (With out the spaces) This will hopefully solve the problem.

Adsense Adverts Preview

There comes a time when you are on you website and you need to preview or audit and advert. Due to the terms and conditions of Google Adsense you are not allowed to click on your own adverts so what do you do?

A tool just released is Adsense Preview over at this website. A lot less hassle than Google's Adsense preview tool for Internet Explorer.

I recommend.

Do's and Do Nots Monday.

Its Monday again, can you believe it? And it is time for Adsense Do and Do Nots. This week its about colors of adverts.

Do

  • Use custom colors in the Adsense set up blog.
  • Blend the boarder and background exactly.
  • Use colors that please your color scheme.
  • Optimize colors for best effect.
  • Change the colors around every so often.
Do Not
  • Use garish colors.
  • Oppose colors so much that they stand out and distract from your content.
  • Use the same color for all the different elements.
  • Confuse users with you adverts color scheme.
Well hopefully you have gain a little more insight into using colors with Adsense, till next time goodbye.

Using Custom Colours For Adsense Ads

Did you know that you can use custom Colors with Adsense adverts. For quiet a while I thought that you could only use the colors out of the color picker. But if you click on the hex decimal number you can input any value which is a valid color. This of course is really useful as the colors that they provide are not that useful for some sites.



These different colors enable a whole variety of styles. Useful for people who have colors that are not in Google's color range.

Accidental Clicks

Once in a while you may click on your adverts which are being served on your website. An according to Google's terms of service you are not allowed to click on your own adverts.

Now this is not so much of a problem as Google can sort out which adverts are being clicked on legitimately and being clicked on illegitimately. Now Google have announced that if you accidentally click on your own adverts you wont be penalized to badly. Although they wont credit your account with the cash. This is not a problem if it doesn't happen that often. But it can be if this happens frequently.

Every time you click on your own advert a little red flag will be added to your account. Gain to many red flags and they will close your account. All in all don't click on your own adverts.

This article is to serve as a reminder to make sure that your Google Adsense account wont get closed.

Adsense Videos

You heard of the new Adsense Videos that are coming. Heres the blurb that is coming from Google.


  • Click-to-play video ads: This is a video ad type on our content network. Any publisher opted into image ads and using one of the supported formats may see these click-to-play video ads on their sites.

  • AdSense video distribution and sponsorship: We ran 2 pilots that allowed publishers to choose video channels (short-form video clips bundled with video ads) to display on their sites.

  • In-stream video ads pilot: This is what we're announcing today - we're extending AdSense to online video content. Publishers in this test will be able to define at what point in their videos that streaming video ads will appear.



They look good. Cant wait to try then out.

Do's And Do Nots of Adsense - Monday

Its Monday again and its is time for the Do and Do Nots of Google Adsense. This weeks theme is Ad units. Shall we begin?

Do

  • Get a good colour scheme
  • Use the same colours for the same ad areas
  • Make sure that the ads are visible
  • Use Skyscraper and large rectangle, they pay well.
  • Use channels
  • Use link units
Do Not
  • Make your ads indistinguishable from your content
  • Blend so much your ads disappear
  • A colour scheme that does not match your site
  • Block ad units
  • Cover ad units
  • Say "Click My Ads"
  • Put ads on none content pages

A Firefox Tool To Automatically Check Your Adsense Earnings

Have you got a compulsions to check your AdSense account to see how much you have earned. Also known as Google Adsense Disorder (GAD). Then this is the tool for you.

Using the FireFox web browser download this little add on here. What it enables you to do is automatically check your account to a user specified time. For example I have set it to check every 15 minutes. The add on will then display your impressions, clicks, CTR and earnings (this can be customised as needed). This tool is better than having to manually login.

This tool is great to have. Download it now.

5 Best Places to Adsense Adverts

You can put Adsense pretty much anywhere on a page. This list is the 5 best places to put adverts. The list is in no specific order.

1) Under The Header

Under the header is especially good since that area of the page attracts a lot of attention. Placing adverts here is a great money earner.

2) Under Navigation Aids

Again these areas of the page attract lots of attention.

3) At the Top of Posts

Just under the title is good as many people s eyes will wonder towards your ads.

4) In the Middle of Posts

A half time break if you wish, give your readers a chance to try out different content.

5) At the Bottom of Posts

The best place in my opinion if you want to use link ads, gives the best chance of visitors to view your adverts.

Ulitising Adsense Referral Units

Referral link units come in two forms, link and button. This guide will tell you how to use them to your advantage and help make you money.

The main advantage of a referral button is that you can earn up to $2000 a year off one product by just referring people. The disadvantage is that people usually have to download something or sign up. But with some good optimisation you can start getting clicks and earning money.

There are 4 types of referral packages; Adsense, Adwords, FireFox and Google Pack. Each have there own different target audience. For example the Adsense and Adwords referrals are aimed at people who are setting up sites and ready to promote them. For example people visiting this site have an interest in Adsense and possible Adwords. Other websites such as my blog would have referrals of the Google Pack and Firefox, as those are the types of product they would use.

Each different referral pays a different amount. This was taken from Adsense help.

  • AdSense:
    • When a publisher who signed up for Google AdSense through your referral first earns $5 within 180 days of sign-up, you will be credited with $5.
    • When that same publisher earns $100 within 180 days of sign-up and is eligible for payout, you will be credited with an additional $250.
    • If in any 180-day period, you refer 25 publishers who each earn more than $100 within 180 days of their respective sign-ups and are all eligible for payout, you will be awarded a $2,000 bonus (bonus payouts are limited to 1 per year).
  • Firefox plus Google Toolbar: When a user that you have referred to Firefox plus Google Toolbar runs Firefox for the first time, you will receive up to US$1 in your account, depending on the user's location. Your referral must be a Windows user, who has not previously installed Firefox, in order for you to receive credit.
  • AdWords:
    • When an advertiser you refer first spends $5 within 90 days of sign-up (in addition to the $5 sign-up fee), you will be credited with $5.
    • When that same advertiser spends $100 within 90 days of sign-up, you will be credited with an additional $40.
    • If in any 180-day period, you refer 20 advertisers who each spend more than $100 within 90 days of their respective sign-ups, you will be awarded a $600 bonus (bonus payouts are limited to 1 per year).
  • Pack: When a Windows user that you have referred to Pack downloads and installs the product, you will receive up to US$2 in your account.
Its obvious that the Adsense package pays the most, but its not necessarily the best for your site.

There are 3 types of formats that could be picked for referral units; link, button and big button.
The link units as the title describes is simply a link. Best for positions or sites that have a lot a links. The small button is useful, as in my case on the right, for sidebars and small areas that only need a small button to fill the area. The big buttons are better for large areas of your page that need to be filled, and a referral link is the best thing.

Remember that you are allowed 2 referral units on your page so fiddle around and see what gets the best position and clicks. Set up a channel and see what is working. Best of all experiment and see what your visitors want and click on, because if a visitor likes your products then they will click on your links and earn you money.

Utilising Adsense Link Units

Adsense link units are a really good money maker. I am going to share with you tips to making more profit. As you are only allowed one link unit per page, you are going to have to make it count.

For example link units are best placed were a lot of your links are already contained. The sidebar, at the bottom of a post. The placing of a link unit is important because only one or two words advertise what the advert is about. Putting a link unit in a low traffic area of your site is a waste of time.

Colour is also important. The best link colour is blue. All links on the Internet are blue so should yours. There is no need to reinvent the wheel are confuse your visitors. as well as this also make sure the background and boarder watch your sites background, they want to blend seamlessly.

Different link units work best it different positions. The long and thin units work best at the top and bottom of the page. The box link units look best either in the side bar or directly below your content. As if they were originally part of your website.
There is an option on how many links per unit. If there is small text as the main font on your page use five links, the ad size will blend better. If you have normal text size like mine then stick with four links per unit.

One tip, don't blend your ads so much into your site that a visitor cannot distinguish the ads from your content. This is against Google TOS. Don't risk it.

Finally use the competitive adverts filter within Google Adsense account settings to weed out adverts that are not relevant. Having adverts that don't relate to your content will not get many clicks. Use it to your advantage.

The best thing to do is make a channel for your links unit and experiment what position makes you the most money. Have fun.

Using Google Search Effectively

Google Search can be used as a good money earner. The reason for this is that every search that a user performs there is a resource of millions of Adwords ads at there disposal to click. For example every search can bring up to 8 Ads (4 Top 4 Bottom) that will all earn you money. This is great for publishers.

Advantages of Google Search

  • Access to every advertisement available. Providing it comes up in a search.
  • Users are more adapt to were the adverts are. They know the page layout since its the same as Google's main search results page.
  • You can change the results to match your colour scheme.
  • In my experience it pays more per click than normal ads.
Disadvantages of Google Search
  • Users have to search before adverts appear.
  • Can be hard to exactly match the colour scheme of your site.
Placing the Search Box

Google says that you can have only 2 search boxes per page. One is all you really need. The best place to put a search box is at the top of the page in the right hand corner (area). Most people are would normally find a search box here.

Formatting

When setting up the search box it is a good idea to keep the Google Logo. Why? Because people recognise it. This will draw people to the search box to get the ball rolling.
You also have the choice whether to open the results in a new page or existing. I would choose new page. Simply because it offers a reader to use your site again once as they have closed the tab or window (Your page will still be open).

Colours

Colours will play a major role in what the search page looks like. You have to real options. Watch your colour scheme, which can be hard to master, or use Google's. Each have there advantages.
Using a colour which matches yours reminds people that they are still using your site.
If you match a colour scheme which is the same as Google means that people are recognise the layout and as a result may stay longer.
The only way to find out is to monitor your reports to see what produces the best results.

Hopefully this article has helped out and you understand more about the Google Adsense Search box.

Subscribe to my RSS Feed

Do's And Do Nots of Adsense - Monday

Every Monday I am going to post a couple a Do's And Do Not's of Adsense. These will range from the obvious to the not so obvious. Each one will enable you to get the most out of your advertisements a Adsense program.

Do Not

  • Click on your own Ads. Google knows its the all seeing all knowing about what people are doing with there advertisements.
  • Have a high CTR. This is another sign of invalid and fraudulent clicks.
  • Say "Click My Ads" against the Terms of Service, as well as pushes up advertiser costs. (This is Bad)
  • Place adverts in low key areas. The bottom of the page, for example.
Do

  • Optimise. Change yours Adsense adverts around find the highest paying positions.
  • Use Link Ads. Surprisingly high paying if you have relevant ads.
  • Write good content which can bring high paying ads.
  • Use either contrasting or complementing colours. More this topic later.
Subscribe to my RSS Feed

Using Google To Get Higher Paying Adverts

When you use Adsense for the first time, or any time, on a new website you will start receiving generic adverts that do not pay a great deal. Although these adverts do pay. You could earn more by adding in higher paying Adwords terms into the content of your page.

By using the Google Adwords tool located here. You can search for words that will bring in high paying adverts. For example by putting in a generic word such as "Adsense" and then putting in the highest CPC (Cost Per Click) value. The highest paying advert search terms will appear.

Google Adsense AdwordsClick for Full Size
This produces result that show how much some companies are willing to pay.

Google Adsense Adwords
Click for Fullsize

All you have to do now is tailor your content to match the high paying Adwords results.

Now this tool was designed by Google so people can find how much people are paying for the Google Adwords prices. But it can be tailored to suit. As well as this the adverts you will get do not all pay £20+ per click, because Google takes a slice and the high paying keywords do not appear that often. But it always worth a try.

If you would like to try eithier Adwords or Adsense please use the buttons located in the right hand column.

Subscribe to my RSS Feed

Improvements to Google Adsense

Over at my other blog I have compiled a list of some improvments that could be made to Google Adsense. Athough the program is good there some improvemonts that colud be made.

1) Reports That Tell You How Many Invalid Clicks.

2) A Report That Tells You How Much You Earned per 1000 Page Views

3) An Auto Rotate of Colour Palettes

4) Auto Rotate of Ad units

5) Automatic Notification of New Sites

6) The Saving of Preset Designs

7) Graphs

To read the rest of the post, including my comments please check out this post.

Welcome to Adsense Hacks

This is my first post to Adsense Hacks. Im just getting started. So let the fun begin.