Using AdSense? Placement and context are critical
– posted July 23rd, 2007 by Laurence Veale Comments (6)
While not an advertiser, I would have thought placement and the context in which people view your ad were pretty important factors.
From the above screenshot, it looks as if those paying for advertising may be giving quite the opposite impression than they intended. The Google Adsense ads appear right under the heading, “The 10 Worst Web Pages Featured on Web Pages That Suck in 2006″, with the real offenders listed “below the fold”.
1. Ad placement
While the credibility of those advertisers suffers somewhat from this, ultimately it’s Vince Flanders who has put intrusive advertising ahead of content. Sure, he’s making money, but perhaps at the expense of those who are advertising with him via Google AdSense.
2. Ad context
As for Google’s AdSense, it has failed in context. It has failed to associate the correct content with suitable ads and their advertisers suffer as a result.
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6 comments so far
1. Des Traynor on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 14:18
Yeah, this happens occasionally with Google Ads. I used to run them on the programming section of my blog, but every ad was nearly always hilariously out of context.
I’d write a post giving out about how J2EE is too complex, and the ad would say something like “J2 A System Wide Multi Tiered Solution to your diversifying Corporate Needs!!!”
As for the placement, it’s the old paradox we talked about before…
To get popular the content has to be readable without distraction
To get clicked the advertisements have to distract the reader
To get rich, the content must be popular, and the ads must be clicked.
2. Michele on Jul 23rd, 2007 - 20:52
A lot of Irish web agencies don’t really “get” adwords / adsense. I’m constantly finding adverts with things like “January offer” (it’s July!) or dead links.
That their ads would end up on pages that might give them an odd context is hardly surprising
Michele
3. Barry on Jul 24th, 2007 - 10:08
The introduction of Google Placement report allows advertisers to view where their ads are being shown. Of course all the tools in the world won’t displace poor ad management.
I’ve seen loads of poorly managed campaigns. Fire up google.ie and search for ‘rugby shirts’ and look for the McSport.ie Ad (which has been prominently placed for over 6 months.)
Thats right! a dead 404 page.
4. Todd Harrison - LA Headshot Photography on Jul 29th, 2007 - 03:32
I have to agree other people making the adsense adds look bad for everyone else.
I think the best thing to do is to have it by the content but not in the content!
5. Web Design Dave on Jul 31st, 2007 - 00:53
I’ll be avoiding the content network until several improvements are made. The first time I allowed my ads to be featured on the content network I racked up a $300 bill in an evening. I received absolutely no leads. It’s full of fraud and low quality clicks.
6. Laurence Veale on Aug 4th, 2007 - 18:04
Seems that there’s a post related to the above over on TechCrunch.
It relates to advertisers on Facebook pulling their ads because of the inappropriate locations they were placed.
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