Are you getting a good income from your Google AdSense campaign? If you are not reaching your potential, the problem may be with your placement of Adsense Ads.
The click through rate (CTR) is dependent on a variety of factors. These include the content of your website, the amount of online traffic you receive, the size of the ads, and where they are placed.
You have the option of placing the ads either above the text on your page, to the left or right of it, in the middle of the article, or at the bottom of the page. Is there really a difference in CTR in relation to placement? Let’s take a look at how placement influences the behaviour of your visitors.
The Way Visitors Scan A Page
It is an accepted fact that people do things in a certain way. When they visit a website, they tend to first look at the information on the top of the page, or post. Not the header or navigation bar, but what is directly below that.
If the text is lengthy, chances are that most visitors won’t read all the way to the bottom. They might scroll down just to give it a quick once over, but for the most part anything at the bottom of the page becomes less likely to be viewed.
The Most Effective Adsense Ad Location
In general terms, the best place for your Adsense Ads is above the text on the page. This is borne out by both Google itself (which includes a “heat map” to help you decide where to place the ads) and independent results.
One savvy AdSense affiliate performed an experiment, moving the placement of the ads and changing the size, then studying the click through rate for each. Sure enough, top placement was most effective.
Of course, this might not work the best for your website. Test placement on your own. You can do this easily by setting up more than one Ad Channel. Create one per ad unit; create additional channels for similar advertisements of the same size.
Each channel should include the ad in a different location so you can do some split testing. At the end of a specific period, record the results for each campaign. You may be surprised at just how much the CTR can vary.
While we generalise about visitors and their viewing habits, the layout, content, and purpose of your site are also key factors. Where do you put images into your post? If graphics are always placed on the right, then you will not want an ad there as well as it will become too busy.
What about your calls to action? Are they placed in the middle of the post? Then that might be a better location for an ad. Where do you focus a visitor’s attention? Wherever that spot is, advertisements will get more notice placed alongside.
The key to a successful Google AdSense campaign is getting visitors to click on the ads. Ensure that your Adsense Ads are placed strategically and you may well see a real boost in your earnings soon.
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
I put my adsense at the top of my post only because that is where I look for it on other sites I figured others would feel the same
So having a look at Ads on your page is worthwhile. Is that testing called “spilt testing”?, to see where the most value is when placing your ads and pictures onto your website?
cheers
Lisa
Yes Lisa, that’s right.
Interesting Sean.
I thought it didn’t really matter.
What about ads in sidebars rather than on the post. Are they effective?
G’day Sean,
My Adsense ads are all over the place, and in varied sizes, some interfering with the formatting. I’m amazed at how fast they are installed. Last week, I clicked Publish, Visit Site, and there were 7 ads there in about one minute ! Fast work !
Gee, do you have YOTA / YOTB ads in your side bar ? Maybe the Google ADS would fit, but you’d possibly need to get the HTML code and add it to a text widget. Crikey ! Up till August 2009 I’d never heard of a widget or HTML or any of the stuff we use all the time ………….Hmmmmmmm – becoming an internet junkie.
Cheers
Harry
Adsense ads come in many shapes and sizes, it is a matter of finding the right ones to suit the size of your sidebar etc. You have definitely got the IM lingo going there Harry, good work
Hi Sean,
That’s interesting, I hadn’t thought much about where these particular ads should be on the blog. I’m just getting started with Adsense Ads on a new site and noticed they were placed by Google, on top of the page under the heading. I guess I will need to move them later on.
Hi Sean,
I haven’t used Google Adsense yet but I’ve seen the heat maps before. It makes sense to place the ads according to the map because that’s how I view pages.
I’m interested in the split-testing. It would really help to find out where was the most effective place for your site.
Jazz
You just have to decide what you want to do with advertising on your site.
Make sure you don’t have too much
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m looking forward to getting into learning more about Google Adsense. As for placement I think it really depends on what is more pleasing to the eye on your site. Different themes would have a different appeal. So for me it would be trial and error with hopefully more accent on the trial side of the equation. Split testing every 30 days.
Hi Sean, this is tricky. Haven’t used them but seen them around, I personally like the side bar ads and would definitely click on something that’s short & sweet and i think colours do speak volumes.
Cheers
Rose
Hi Sean,
This is a very interesting topic, at the moment I only have my Google Adsense ads on the right hand side. I’ve been considering whether to shift the ads to above the content, but was concerned it may look a bit spammy.
I think you’re right, the best way to tell is to give it a go, and do some split testing.
Thanks for the tips,
Cade
Good idea Cade, testing is a great way to see what works best for you personally
I just checked my Adsense account – and it’s growing. slowly but surely. And that even without the tips you mentioned on placement of Adsense Ads …
The Split testing is a great idea – do you have any experience for how long you should leave the different settings online (1day? 1 week? 1 month?)
Thats exciting Renee. I have 19 cents in mine at the moment. The day will come when we look at our accounts and there will be hundreds of dollars there not a couple of cents.
Placement of adsense ads seems to be very important to get the most clicks out of them. I always favour the right hand side of a site so I’m hoping others do to as thats where my ads are. In regards to split testing, you would have to have a fair bit of traffic to come to your site to get a true reading(which I don’t have YET)
Hi Sean
This information is very beneficial for someone like myself who is just starting out.
Because Google adsense adds will be providing income when people click on them I would definitely want to have them sitting in the most eye catching place.
Split testing is also a great idea and I didn’t know that was possible until I read this article.
Thankyou.
Hi Sean,
I like the look of the Adsense Ads in the sidebar – do think it looks more professional. I will decide after doing a split test as you suggest.
If it determines which place is more effective to receive responses from visitors then it’s a necessary test to do. Great info Sean.