When you’re trying to make money online with a blog, contextual or text links might be something you’re considering. In the early days of trying to find your way to making money with a blog, any advertising opportunity can seem like a good one. Text link ads are popular but not everyone uses them because they can be considered overkill.
What are Text Link Ads?
Text link ads are very much like Google Adsense in that they are contextual and look at your content to come up with relevant ads. Only, instead of being displayed in a side bar or blending in with your design in unobtrusive ad blocks, text link advertisements exist within your text.
When specific words and phrases are used in your text, the text will become a link and be underlined. As the reader hovers over that link, a pop-up window will generally come up with an ad that will take the reader away from your page.
Some people find these types of ads too cluttered and if a lot of your web page looks like links, your readers may not click any links you already intend to put in your text. The advertising can become overwhelming.
If you really want to give these links a try, there are a few things you might consider including:
Use contextual ads in archives instead of on your home page.
This way, your post of the day looks like usual and posts past a particular age can show text links and you can have the landing page of your blog that makes the first impression do something other than scream “blatant advertising”.
Using these ads but having this be your sole advertising program.
This could be a great approach. Instead of having ads and banners all over the place, one program in place could be the best approach when using text link advertising. You may decide to experiment and do trial periods with several types of ad programs or with ad placement until you find what fits your blog and helps with blog monetization.
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
I’m still very undecided about using Google Adsense in my blog. I’ve picked one affiliate program that I really love and I’m going to try and make that successful. I don’t want to have too many ads because I want my blog to be taken seriously.
Iagree with you Jazz. That’s why I took the adsense off my site.
Sean
Is Konterra an option or would it look too spammy?
Hi Gee,
I read somewhere recently where the blogger basically referred to Adsense as unemployment benefits for bloggers. It’s very funny but I don’t think that’s what I’m going for.
It’s tricky with the adds. As long as there is really added value for the clients its good, but that is sometimes hard to decide … I am still undecided and am giving different things a try.
Hi Sean
I do not want to have adsense on my affiliate site however I would have them on my LCM’s obviously.
I don’t want people to be inundated with adds when they come to my blog, otherwise they could be turned off staying and reading.
I don’t like the sound of text link blogs. It would annoy me if adds came up when I was reading so I would say an absolute no to this one.
Kindest regards
Elly
I’m curious as to how one controls the implementation of text ads only in the archived postings and not in the current ones. I guess I could Google but I thought I’d take my age in to consideration and ask here.
If you are wanting to monetise your blog – does having the link ads limit what types of ads come up as they are linked to a word – or does the word change depending on the bidding – this would affect the bidding and the income.
I assume you are referring to the type of ads which can appear in Squidoo.