Adding Google Adsense

[duncan drennan]

I've been toying with adding Google Adsense to my blog, but that raises a bunch of issues, and I thought there might be some people here who would like to discuss it.

Now I really don't know too much about adsense and their policies (although I started reading through them today). My knowledge of adsense is pretty much display text ads on your site and get paid per click (although I see some are also pay per view).

I've read in their policies that you are strictly not allowed to click on your own ads, or do anything to encourage people to click on them.

More importantly than the exact mechanics is the whole issue of whether I should put ads on my blog. Does it help me to achieve my goal, or is it just monetising the site? I'll probably put it on for a while as an experiment, and see how I feel about it.

I'll most likely put the ads between the blog posts. I know there is lots about eye maps and so on, but the ads are secondary to the content, and having them at the end of a post provides the user with something to do once they are finished reading (if they didn't finish reading I didn't really achieve my main goal).

The other thing is that I could look at more local advertising by using Traffic Synergy.

So, what are your thoughts (and questions) on Adsense (and other advertising) on a blog or website?

[cmcs]

I use Adsense on a number of websites, and have been earning a very good income from it. I believe it depends on what you want to achieve with it.

You can (1) provide your visitors with additional links pertaining to the current content of your websites and/or (2) make money from it!

[Dave A]

As Duncan knows, my original interest in Adsense was to measure SEO effects*. However, the income does add up and once you've got the ad scripts in, it's exceptionally low maintenance.

My Traffic Synergy experience has not been quite as positive as my Adsense one, but that's just one person's experience so don't read too much into that on its own.

I'd say there is no harm in experimenting a little.

*Note: Adsense Ads are not selected by quite the tight formula they used to be, so the SEO effect tracking aspect wouldn't be as useful nowadays as it was back then.

[Chatmaster]

Been using Adsense on SA Marketing for about a month now, can't complain about the results and it doesn't clutter the site. The results of the ads being displayed is very accurate and it is easy to maintain. I also put a hold on my payments so my earnings should build to a good amount before I will request a payment.

I am also using it to establish the conversion hotspots on my site for conversions and it seems like I have it at the best possible place atm. I must still check out traffic synergy but the last time I checked I wasn't very happy with the commission structures of any of the South African affiliate programs.

[duncan drennan]

Are you allowed to run other ads when using Adsense? e.g. could you run adsense and traffic synergy together?

[EDIT]Got my answer from their Adsense policies

Competitive Ads and Services

In order to prevent user confusion, we do not permit Google ads or search boxes to be published on websites that also contain other ads or services formatted to use the same layout and colours as the Google ads or search boxes on that site. Although you may sell ads directly on your site, it is your responsibility to ensure these ads cannot be confused with Google ads.

So basically, you can run other ads, they just can't look like Google Adsense ads.

[Chatmaster]

I can't find the commission structures anywhere on the Traffic Synergy site, really battling to make up my mind about using them or not, I decided to place one of their banners on my site just to see how it convert, but the fact that I have no idea what payments I can expect is really not very good.

[duncan drennan]

Well, I've signed up and started my own gratuitous ads R&D programme.

[Chatmaster]

Lol
Keep us up to date, I am very curious to see how it does on your blog.

[Snoopy_inc]

I have to admit i have been thinking about putting adsense onto wellinformed.co.za

Im a bit hesitant though.... i don't want it to be another one of those sites that people consider "you just doing this to make money" kind of things..... so i am trying to find the middle ground between maintaining the site and keeping the public happy.