Optimizing for Google Adsense

• Posted by Badi Jones on April 9th, 2006 - Comment on this Post »

When I hear the word optimization, I tend to think of SEO (search engine optimization) first, but I just read a great article that reminded me that there ARE other kinds of optimization that are also extremely important. More specifically, adsense optimization.

I have experimented a little bit here and there with the ad placement on SEOlogs.com, but nothing too major. In the article I mentioned earlier, Suzie Dewie (of the Google Adsense Blog) interviews Ivan Heneghan, a Dublin-based AdSense optimisation specialist about ways to optimize sites for adsense.

In one case, Heneghan was able increase the revenue of one science themed site from $10 per day to $1,700 per day! Just amazing.

So how did he do it? I’m sure he would never divulge his secrets, but he did give some good tips.

1. What are the Best performing Adsense Sizes?
Use wide and large ad formats.

Some formats Heneghan recommends using:

728×90 Leaderboard

160×600 Wide Skyscraper

300×250 Medium Rectangle

Many publishers find the 728×90 Leaderboard outperforms the 468×60 banner by about 70%.

2. Where are the best places to put Adsense ads?

Embed Google ads in your content

place Google ads at the end of your articles/ stories

AdSense tends to work best when integrated with your content

Thes adsense “heat maps” show the ad placement recommended by Google.

All sites

Forum specific

3. What are the best colors to use in Adsense ads?

Blend your ad colours into your website.

Use complementary colours

blend the background and borders of your ads into your site

use a text colours that will stand out but already exist on the site

Blending decreases ad blindness and users are more likely to notice ads that interest them.

Read the original articleA look inside Google AdSense from the adsense blog.

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