If you are on this blog, trying to figure out how to make millions from blogging, you are on the wrong site. I would suggest you read a previous post of mine, titled Quit Blogging – Make Millions.
Today’s Lesson
When you sign up for Google AdSense, if you troll around their site, you will find a Google “heat map”. What the heat map shows, is the best (?) positions for Google ads.
Of course, Google will tell you that the best positions for their ads, are above the fold. I would too, if I were Google.
During my many readings on monetizing a blog, I did read that a good place for an ad, or a small block (banner or half banner) of ads, is at the bottom of your post.
When you think about this, it makes sense. Your reader is reading. Your post ends. Then what? They pause, and the brainwaves say, “Okay, what should I do now? Oh, here’s an ad. Maybe I will click on this, and see where this takes me.”
Personally, I like this position. It is usually below the fold. When someone enters your blog, they are not seeing a mirage of ads. If someone wants to read your post, they are first getting the information they came to your site for, then it’s their choice if they want to click on an ad. You are not throwing it into their face.
On my OM blog, I use a half banner ad, and use the “open air” theme. The colors of the ad compliment my page. It’s not a flashing banner (unless Google decides to “throw one in” on a specific post), and it doesn’t cheapen my content.
Does it get clicks? Occasionally! I have one other Google ad on that site (top of sidebar), and when I checked the “top channels”, the clicks are about half and half.
Today’s Assignment
Try experimenting with putting a Google AdSense ad at the bottom of your post. Leave it there for at least a month. If your click through rate increases, that’s great! If it doesn’t work on your blog, try a different position.
Do I think I will get rich with my ads? Based on my click through rate, by years end, I should be able to recoup my annual web hosting fee.
I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating. When I started to blog, monetizing my blog, was one of the reasons I set up my blogs. As time passed, I began getting so much joy out of sharing with others, I realized I was getting rewarded in ways, I cannot put a price on.
You may ask, then why even keep ads on your sites? For one, I’m not stupid, I would like to recoup some of my expenses. And, two, if I find monetizing a blog can actually generate a decent income, I will freely share that information with my readers.
At this point in time, the verdict is still out.
Speaking of ads, that YouTube Google video ad I had at the bottom of my posts, had to go. Color it gone…………. 🙄
BTW: I am not using Google AdSense ads on the bottom of this blog’s posts, as I am still experimenting, as I discussed in my post titled: Google Referral Ads vs Ads For Content.
Hi Barbara – these are great adsense tips. I do really badly on my blogs with adsense – and also on my sites.
I really do think it depends on the type of site you have with adsense. Problogger has stopped running it on his blog, but continues to do well with it on his other blogs, such as his photography one.
The only site I do well with adsense is my Disney hobby site. It was a popular site many years ago, and I resurrected it last year. But, I have no time to promote and update it.
It doesn’t get much traffic at all, and I probably make only about $100 a month from Adsense with it, but it’s definitely worth leaving it there. For me that’s £600 a year, so it pays for the kids clothes and I don’t have to do anything more with it.
I experimented a few ways and what works for me best is the medium rectangle at the top of each page.
But, I’ve had no luck at all with adsense on blogs.
Hello Catherine,
Yes, I do agree, AdSense is something that may or may not work on sites. It really depends on the content. My other blog is the one that gets the clicks, but not all that many. I have a small rectangle on this blog, but most bloggers don’t click on ads, plus the ads are for all “blogging stuff”. Bloggers are too smart to follow those links.
I, too, read the article on Problogger where he dropped his AdSense. I’m not sure how he makes his money, but I’m guessing it’s through referrals, of else advertisers are paying him to advertise on his site. I have read he does well on the photography blog, although I have never checked out that site of his.
Send me a link to your Disney site. That sounds interesting. I would like to check it out.
Must admit that I aint sure on Adsense. Call it a sense of discomfort? Or perhaps that I don’t feel I’ll get my personal blog up to the traffic levels that wil make it worthwhile!
I’m really not certain on a company blog. I’m not against making a company blog make 3rd party income, but feel as though it should be solid affilliate links to products we use and believe in.
My mian challenge with affilliate links on a company blog is the people I would recommend – many of them aren’t internet savvy, and therefore can’t be as reciprocal.
I need to think about it!
Ian,
I have to agree with you on your company blog. It would be imperative to find the right affiliate links to promote, and yet not take away from the professional look of your blog.
On your personal blog, even if you don’t have high traffic counts, your AdSense ads may generate enough income, over time, to make it worthwhile.
I’ve made enough on AdSense for a great meeting at Starbucks with coffee and pastries for everyone I’ve met on the blog!
And that’s about it.
I realise I haven’t put in any effort or experimented much.
And I suppose I could improve it if it felt right.
I suppose I’m not as commercial as I once thought I was!
I much prefer the interaction than trying to improve the odd cent or dollar from the blog. Call it a passion!
I’m happy to pay the fees I am, in return for the comments. The conversation is what it’s all about!
Hi Ian,
I do agree, the comments and conversation, are priceless. I find myself checking my comments, before I check any of my other stats. My other blog is one that doesn’t necessarily initiate a comment, as most of the information is “reference” material, i.e a post with links to helpful sites, a product review, or maybe just an “observation”.
This blog is what really “drives” me. The comments are so inspiring and thought provoking. I love to see the interaction between my visitors.
As far as advertising on blogs. It will work great for some bloggers, but for others, it may not even be an option.
For my readers, I will continue to experiment, and pass on what I find, are options for blog monetization.
I’m probably giving the wrong impression here. Maybe that I’m some sort of ethical campaigner, against any form of commercialisation on blogs.
I think your blog and content is excellent. It provokes thought and educates us all.
I am not against advertising on blogs at all. I suppose the company blog is limited in the advertising, if any, it displays.
The personal blog is probably ripe for monetising in some way, but in some ways I don’t want to do that. At least yet! It would perhaps turn it into something else – I’m actually just enjoying it! And I don’t want to lose the fun.
Hi Ian,
If you are talking about your blog, “Phoenix From The Ashes”, I can see it’s already beginning to take on a new personality. Although you may consider it being just a personal blog, you are continuing to share very valuable “business” type information. That, is something, we all can learn from, whether we are in business, or, if one day, we would like to start one.
Monetizing a blog, is always a choice for any blogger. I do understand when you say you’re enjoying it, and don’t want to lose the fun. However, all advertising isn’t necessarily bad, if you can steer someone onto a product or service that will make their life easier. Sometimes ads and posts, go hand in hand.
Also, monetizing a blog doesn’t guarantee an income. It’s all depends on your audience.
Just food for thought.
Hello Barbara,
Great tips! It is so great that you are really experimenting and sharing your experience with us.
It is probably time for me to re-work my site a bit, but recently I have been juggling so many things, I am behind everything. (Probably you noticed….) Once I catch up with everything, I will come back to the site and review everything I need to think about. (And hopefully that happens in the next few weeks….sigh…)
Website is like a store, ads, contents, navigation bars, everything has to be intuitive, easy and enjoyable. In the retail business, we tend to put a promotional item upfront, and then hide the high demand items in the back. So if we have something people would definitely visit to look for, then, it may be OK to have promotion up above the fold. But the difference is we do not want people exit from the site, when they pick our promotion up. So probably the ads above the fold have to be set to open a new browser window.
The challenge is how to make the ads enjoyable and meaningful experience, while we have only few tools we can tap into, AdSense, Commission Junction, Amazon, etc. So I like your approach of putting it below the fold to allow readers to focus and enjoy articles and navigate smoothly when they are done.
Thank you, Barbara.
Hi Asako,
Glad you are enjoying the tips.
It sounds like life is keeping you busy. Your blog will always be there, and blogs are suppose to be hobbies (?), so we will all understand if you aren’t “making the rounds”, visiting and commenting.
Ads above the fold will work great on some blogs. This blog, I see differently though. First of all, I want my content to stand out, and to hopefully help others as they journey into blogging.
Secondly, most bloggers are not clickers, therefore, I have my ads below the fold. And the ads I do shoe, are not so much to get clicks or sales, but to show my readers examples of ads.
I feel the space above the fold on this blog is pretty valuable “real estate”, and I want to maximize it to the fullest.
I believe ad placement will be greatly influenced by one’s audience.
i’m agree with you, nothing you can do without experimenting ads position with your themes, surely it’s different ‘hot area’ between all themes.
for youtube, i hadn’t joinin yet, not all of everyone internet connection speed is the same, so maybe later with youtube.
hope your doing well with your business
take care and best wishes 😉
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