AdSense testing pictures with ads Options

[Ruud]

Funny... While ago publishers found out that putting little images next to or above/under Google ads increased CTR. It's perfectly legit although as usual Google "requests" that you introduce some sort of seperation so as not to suggest one and another belong to Google.

Now the famous JenSense reports that Google is beta testing adding a picture in a verical ad unit.

The screenshot she publishes shows a close-up of a flower ... with flower related ads under it. Imagine; the image topic targeting they can do is so much more precise than that performed by a publisher...

[IncrediBILL]

That image in the screen shot just looked retarded and felt off balance, almost as nauseating as the themed ads where you could barely read the ads because of the color images behind them.

Sounds like clicking to image to get a page of ads is another variation on Ad Links.

Oh well, hope they let me opt out of this ridiculous mess like I did most of the other nonsense they've been coughing up lately.

It's a real shame they waste their time on garbage like this when there are things in AdSense that really need addressing.

Oh well.

This post has been edited by IncrediBILL: Jun 27 2006, 10:44 PM

[JohnMu]

I read some time ago - after the images next to Adsense started showing up - that Google doesn't like that kind of "hiding" the adsense (making it look like it belongs to the images). I wonder if I can still find that URL ...

It's not surprising that they are starting to go this way themselves, once they see how it pushes the rates ...

But I have to agree with IncrediBILL - there are other real issues out there that need addressing.

John

[Ruud]

JenSense earlier posted about how Google wants publishers to deal with images close to ads.

To read another take on it would be interesting, yes.

That image in the screen shot just looked retarded and felt off balance, almost as nauseating as the themed ads where you could barely read the ads because of the color images behind them.

I'm not sure they are the most effective. With vertical ads images next to them work best. With horizontal ones images above or below.

Of course the question is not about the image itself but how much attention it draws to the ad.

As for opt-out, JenSense reports that in the beta they run you don't have to make any changes to your account settings. For the moment that suggests no opt-out.

[MikeTheMike]

Well I don't think I'm going to be an early adopter of this beta product by Google. When I switched from Graphic Based Ad's to Text Based Links, the links won hands down with a 300% increase in CTR. The trick is to blend the ads into the page to the point where they don't stand out. You're CTR goes up. I find that any pictures added to or around the ads draw too much attention and make them look more like ads which lowers CTR's.