Monday, November 24, 2008

Ad Sense Foul Ups - Where Did I Go Wrong

By Julie Roze

Chances are you've heard the hype about making hundreds from Ad Sense. Is it a myth or reality? Mostly, it is possible, however, few achieve it. This is because people are putting the code on their site with barely any thought and expecting to make hundreds from it.

There are many ways to customize your Ad Sense ads. First, you want to think about location. Where is the best place to put your ads? Top? Middle? Bottom? Locations is one of the most important factors in Ad Sense. The best locations are just below the header, the upper left hand sidebar (if you have one), and directly in the center of the visible page (the user doesn't have to scroll). Also, another great place is directly at the bottom in the center, this gives your users a place to go.

Next you need to think about style. One of the last things you want is a border. This separates the ad from your text and makes a visual stopping point when reading your page. When creating the ad, always make the background and border the same color, this eliminates it. Speaking of backgrounds, where ever you are placing the ad, make sure it's background color is the same as the background color you are using. If you have different areas with different background colors, change it for each ad.

Your title color should be the same as the links in your site, which ever area you are working with. This will allow the reader to know that the text is an active link. The text and URL color in the ad should be the same as the text in your site. Make sure you match the color exactly, if you don't, users will be able to tell and it is unprofessional.

Now, if you've paid attention, you'll notice the same theme in the paragraphs above. Make the Ad Sense blend in with your site with the exact same colors of your site. Instead of thinking of them as ads, think of them as small areas of important text related to your site. People have developed "Banner Blindness" and anything that looks like an ad will not get any attention or clicks, people simply don't see them anymore.

I can give you a few more tips to jump start your Ad Sense earnings. Surf other people's site and see what they did. Avoid image ads. And finally, maximize your ads. When I wrote this, you were allowed 3 ad link units and 3 text ads, which I use. Make sure you put them all on your page.

The Ad link units are best placed in navigational areas. Again, make sure the background and border are the same as what your are using in the area they are to be placed. Also, don't forget the link color should be the same as the other links. If you have vertical navigation, place the Ad Sense below, above or between the other links. If you have horizontal navigation, you can place it above or below.

If you have larger font on your site, create link units with only 4 links. If you have smaller font, create link units with 5 links. You may want to also consider changing the font on your site to be more inline with the ads. - 15478

About the Author: