RSS Feeds: When Google AdSense Just Doesn't Pay Enough
I'm always testing different advertising methods. I move ads around, I change the sizes and I even change the sources. I'm glad I don't have to rely on advertising revenue to live, or I'd be screwed by all the experimenting I do.
Anyone who's been using advertising services for any length of time should already know about the alternate URLs that can be used for contextual ad services when ads for a specific context aren't available. There are other ways, ways that I use, to choose which ad service to display ads for.
Google AdSense Problems
Google AdSense is extremely easy to sign up for and also extremely easy to get banned from. It's one of the reasons that people who know how to use it are targeting search engine visitors only. Even when properly targeted, it isn't effective when the searchers end up being bloggers, webmasters and other people who never click ads.
If you have a really low CTR rate for AdSense and your clicks are adding up to pennies at a time, the explanation is simple. You're getting too many impressions and not enough clicks. That happened on this blog more than once.
Manipulating the Theme
Since I'm using the "Who Sees Ads?" WordPress plugin to control how and where I display the AdSense ads, I'm using code to tell it not to display AdSense for selective categories and posts, just like I did when I wrote "Bypass WordPress Content Plugins with a Simple Hack" back in March:
<?php if (function_exists('wp_ozh_wsa')) {
$category = get_the_category(); $cat = $category[0]->cat_name;
$cats = array('Advertising', 'Article Reviews', 'Awards', 'Blogging', 'Blog Changes', 'Blog Reviews', 'Blog Tips and Tricks', 'Bragging Rights', 'Contests', 'Marketing', ' Reviews Received', 'Visited Links', 'Website Design', 'Website Reviews', 'WordPress');
if (in_array($cat,$cats)) wp_ozh_wsa("Chitika-UV-Top-Blog");
else if (!stristr($post->post_content, '<!– No AdSense –>')) wp_ozh_wsa("post-top");
} ?>
You'll notice that I'm displaying Chitika Ads for the categories that I know will suck to no end for AdSense. Besides, it beats the heck out of their public service ads. The code can be tweaked and I can further diversify if I so desire. The fall-through is AdSense only because it's my primary source of ad revenue on this blog right now.
Chitika Display Problem
Yes, I'm using Chitika. I've been signed up for it what seems like forever, but I never got around to using it. The problem was that I couldn't see the display. It only displays in specific countries and the Philippines isn't one of those countries. What it does, until they fix the issue, is display a big blank box where the ad should be displayed. Since that's an awful waste of space, I plugged BidVertiser into the alternate URL for Chitika. That's another service I've been testing, but not really using much.
I don't expect to earn as much from Chitika or BidVertiser as I do with Google AdSense, but stranger things have happened. Not only that, but I plan to remove all the ads eventually, so I'm not too concerned about it.
The AdSense Basket
If you read enough blog you'll see the phrase "don't put all your eggs in the Google basket" many, many times. It's good advice to follow and I'm following it, at least for this blog. If you look at the top of the page, you won't see anything if you didn't reach it by using a search engine. If you reached it by using a search engine, you won't see Google AdSense ads up there. This article is in the "advertising" category and no one interested in this article will ever click an AdSense ad.
I'm currently in the process of doing this to all of the posts on this blog that are geared toward bloggers, marketers, advertisers, webmasters and other people I know don't normally click on ads. I believe my CTR for AdSense will go up instead of hovering at the 3 percent mark.
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I'd been raking in anywhere between $100 to $200 a month from AdSense for many months, then all of a sudden, yep, banned. Don't know why. And that was the only basket my eggs were in, now I've got to find an alternative. I really don't even want to dispute the issue with Google, they have their own agenda I suppose.
Have you tried accessing your site via a proxy server located in the US? That might make the chikita stuff show up.
I switched from the multi to the standard mini mall and it appears again. I moved it around again a few minutes ago. You won't see it, because you have to be coming from a search.
I do my site the same way. I do see some text ads in the upper right.
Hi RT,
I'm using the "Who sees ads" plugin, and I get a decent CTR which usually hovers between 4-6%. All that being said though, I don't expect I'll ever put a whole lot of focus on Adsense … if you're getting targeted traffic, it seems to me that using adsense as opposed to some type of related affiliate program is basically taking the "easy" and "short-term" approach to monitization.
For instance, if I notice that one particular ad consistently shows up at the top of an adsense block that I know is getting clicks, should I be happy to just keep getting .50-.75 a click? … or should I go join the affiliate program, where I can get $25 for everyone who signs up for free? (with more potential on the back end).
Just a few thoughts,
Todd
Todd’s last blog post… Sand Crab
It all depends on what kind of blog you have and what niche it fills. AdSense sucks to no end on blogs where bloggers, webmasters and such read, so you're better off chasing affiliate programs.
On the other hand, if you have a blog about hard drives, for example, AdSense would be a better choice because you won't be getting affiliates on that kind of blog.
As far as click amounts go, it depends on how many you get. It you get a hundred 40 cent clicks, it's better than 4 one dollar clicks because your CTR will be higher and potentially draw more AdWords customers. It's something you have to watch.
Chitika is great! I also like WidgetBucks. Have you tried them yet? I've been earning almost twice as much with WidgetBucks compared to AdSense. Plus, the ads are optimized for WordPress, Blogger, and even TypePad. Check out this WidgetBucks review for some more info.
Hi, I just recently signed up with Flixya, a website where you get paid to share Videos, Photos,and Blogs. Which they claim that we obtain 100% revenue. When signing up we had to give our Pub-account number with Google, and I even received a confirmation from Google for permission to share my account. Well, to make a long story short..My Adsense account is not showing my clicks from my Flixya account; and let me add that this isn't my bad experience with joining "Video Sites"..Is it me? am I doing something wrong, I have, and had numerous blogs with Google Adsense for years. You-Tube even linked my site to Google..so please can you help me, what am I doing wrong? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.Thankyou, Regards
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Once you get banned there's no appealing? Or is it just one of those things you deal with.
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You can appeal and it works sometimes. It all depends on the cause of the ban.
Ugh just got banned recently as well… looking for new options.
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i think..adsense is the best way to monetize your blog..
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