1. Make room for the 728×90 banner — if you can
Obviously you don’t want to crowd your site or make it look awkward, but if your experience with this unit size is anything like mine, you may want to consider opening up a spot.
I am now using this banner size on three of my sites: WebsiteBabble.com, Flat-Stomach-Exercises.com and finally this blog.
In all three cases it performs great and the eCPM (earnings per thousand) is higher than the other sizes. This is the only AdSense unit that has ever performed well on this blog.
Due to the Google terms I am not allowed to disclose my eCPM, but it is significantly higher than my other units. Understand that a high eCPM doesn’t necessarily mean I’m getting a lot of clicks, but I’m earning more per click compared to other units.
2. Set your channels to “Targetable”
Doing this allows premium advertisers to advertise solely on your site if they wish. They can outbid all other contextual advertisers and lock down a spot on your site for an indefinite amount of time. Premium advertisers pay more for this kind of ad, so it means you can earn more per click.
For more details on how to set this all up, watch the video I created last September…
3. Display ads alongside videos
I do this quite often on 2CreateAWebSite.com, and those units usually perform better than any other (even the leaderboard ads). And if you’re wondering if this is against the terms, wonder no more.
I actually got this idea from Google. Their optimization team ran an analysis on my site years ago and suggested I add the ads alongside my videos.
From a technical standpoint, there are a few ways to accomplish this. It’s probably best to use CSS, but you can also use a simple table. Yes, tables are so 1990-ish, but they still work and come in handy for accomplishing this.
So the idea is to create a table with two equal columns. Put the video in the left column and the ad code in the right (or vice versa.) Here’s the code for a simple table you can use. Adjust the widths of your table, video and AdSense ads accordingly….
<table width=”600″ align=”center”><tr>
<td width=”300″>
INSERT VIDEO CODE HERE </td>
<td width=”300″>
INSERT ADSENSE CODE HERE
</td></tr></table>
4. Create Channels
It’s amazing how many people do not setup new channels when they create new AdSense code. How will you ever know which unit performs the best if they are all lumped together?
5. Refresh!
Every now and then I’ll do a refresh and change the look of my units… slightly.
I usually keep the background color the same because I like for it to match my site, but I may change the color of the title or URL text. I seem to notice a slight boost when I do this. Of course there is never any proof this is the reason, but what can it hurt to try?
6. Pay attention to your Analytics reports
If you use Google Analytics, you can sync your AdSense and Analytics accounts together so you can see how much each page is earning.
Keep track of and analyze your highest earning pages. Are they your highest because of traffic or is there some other reason? (Different ad placement or size.)
7. Delete under-performing units
I have not been able to confirm exactly what AdWords advertisers can see with regards to the Publisher’s stats (click through rates, etc.) But since they can opt to advertise on our sites exclusively, I try to keep my overall CTR as high as possible by getting rid of units that perform below my own average.
Obviously “under-performing units” will be defined by your individual average and it will be different for everyone.
Are there any other AdSense tips you’d like to share?
well, setting channel to targetable helped me a lot to earn some extra bucks. changing the placement of ads is always necessary for good revenue.
i’m Arafet, i’m a SEO from Tunisia
i discovered this website last month, i find it very usuful and helpful.
Thankyou for every post Lisa.
Now i’m creating my personal blog and website according to your advices.
Keep in touch.
I thought it better to use banner size 336×228 which higher CTR compare to leaderboard 728×90 . People usually will click those Google Adsense at the middle of the content compare to in front and at the end of the content.
I don’t use AdSense on my blog; maybe I should try it out, considering so many blog use it successfully.
Thanks, Lisa!
You should try it Ana, the leaderboard ads perform best for me. I didn’t have much success with the other units.
just dropped by in your site and I found this adsense strategy, very informative. Thank you for sharing
With Adsense being a passive revenue stream, I’m wondering what kind of performance you’re getting?
The one point you raise about putting your units next to video, isn’t that discouraged by the TOS for the service?
Hi Barry
I mentioned in the post that Google recommended that video strategy to me so no it’s not against the TOS. You must’ve missed that. I do very well with Adsense. Healthy 4 figures every month.
Hi Lisa thanks for the great tips and strategies. I have used adsense before and did not get much benefit from it and didn’t like it.
Hi Lisa…Thanks a lot in posting this creative article…Hope you can post more…
I hope google will not shut you up! This I must say are latest strategies to stay on top using adsense. You said display ads alongside videos; I think these should be done springly!
Hey Lisa!
I really admire and appreciate your firm and well fabricated research on Google Adsense,I must say your all the strategies are so important to follow them.Every person who is in to the internet marketing should have to apply all of your 7 points for getting better traffic and much more money.Even I’m following your tips and getting benefited.Thank You for sharing such an informative info with us.
Good Luck and God Bless!!
I really wanted to use adsense, but until now I haven’t receive an email to my confirmation. I wanted to try your strategy 🙁 any advice on my situation?
You have provided great tips but now its of no use for me. Actually, my google adsense account has been banned for an fraud click activity. Anyways, thanks for sharing great stuff.
Lisa, As usual, you’ve given some great advice. The timing is perfect for me. I’m finally at the point I think Google will approve my first site for an AdSense account and applied today. I came here to see if you offered any you do of course. I’ve been quietly following you for months but your site is usually my first stop when I have questions…thank you!
Quick Question, if you don’t mind, I’ve noticed your Social Media plugin with the Google +1 and Twitter options. I’m not happy with what I was using (caused problems and I had to disable it). What plugin is this or are you using your mad skills to manually add that in?
Thanks again for the great resource, you’re just amazing!
Luke
Thanks, Lisa. I have been using Adsense for two years and was totally unaware of how Targeting effects earnings. I will implement this for sure.
Thanks for the great adsense tips… I will do this tips for my adsense
Thanks for the strategies that you have posted here…This can help a lot…
Lisa, I stumbled across your website a couple days ago and I have to say that you are the epitome of determination, consistency and generosity. I hope you understand how invaluable your work is to not only newbies but even old veterans like me :). You get my standing ovation.
Truth be told, I had no clue about great piece of adsense strategy until I read your post Of course, by now I have implemented it and will be monitoring my progress going forward to see how it will impact on the click-through rate.
You are definitely an inspiration and encouragement to anyone you wishes to make a living online. And what I admire about you bis how liberal you are with your knowledge. That’s where we share a common denominator.
What a lot of online marketing hopefuls fail to realize is that success is all tied up in how much help you are willing to give and how genuine you are as a person, as this invariably impacts how sincere you will be as an online marketer.
Trust is one the key elements of swimming or sinking on the internet and without a doubt, you have won the trust of a loyal following… and that includes me.
You keep on doing what you are doing and any tip or advise that might wish to share with me would be highly appreciated.
Have a blessed and successful future!
P.S. I could not close without indicating my admiration for the way you handle the “Get a real job” ridicule. That’s what I call transforming a negative situation into a positive one. Very clever indeed 🙂
Google adsense is good from once you know how to use it, You can end up earn alot of money of it.
Thanks for sharing this awesome tip i have also added a 728*90 banner ad in my blog its going well and good than before.
Thanks for the interesting insights about Adsense. I didn’t know that I could be able to use analytics to track adsense. And I haven’t tried using video and ads at the same time. Maybe I should try to pay attention with analytics.
Thanks Lisa for sharing this strategies…How generous you are in posting this…
I would like to say that is a great read thanks lisa Great share
Great Adsense tips. Setting channel to “targeted”, I have never thought about that. Never used it. You totally blew my mind and I’m sure this is all I need to increase my adsense earnings faster. Keep the good works up!
I guess I am one of those rare people who never had success with adsense, for some reason I never get money from adsense but get a lot from others. I will try applying your tips because so far in my little head I never knew size mattered!
This is a wonderful topic Lisa!!Thanks for the post you have shared…Now I can use these strategies in my own…
Great share, Lisa! #1 is especially true for me as well.
I didn’t know there was a method for adsense. Thx for putting this together.
good tips presented perfectly!
Thanks Lisa for the great advice. I think I will go back and remove the ads from pages that are not working well. And some of the pages I will change the look. I am just starting to see some positive results with adsense and alot of that I think is because I have increased my traffic numbers as I have added more pages. I have tried to write to a slightly more diverse audience of professional women and that has helped.
Great article Lisa. I’m always interested to learn new ways to improve Adsense performances.
Re your point 4, I was wondering if you refer to channels?
Yes, that’s what I meant.
Thanks Lisa
My best strategy is just to get traffic through things like blog carnivals and forums. This way i have more chance of getting clicks.
Great article and point 7 really made me think especially about trying to keep CTR as high as possible. On that point what are your feelings on using some form of GEO location script to not display Adsense to those countries which under perform, especially as country specific data is now available from the Adsense reports?
Andy
Thank you so much for the post.
I appreciate your talking about the analytics report. This is a part where some people make a mistake.
It’s all about our earnings. So dont neglect the analytics.
I have been thinking ways to improve my AdSence. It’s a blessing I’ve crossed to your site and read your advice. Perfect! Thanks…
These are great strategies that we can adopt…There are things that we need to have in order to make life easier…Thanks!!!
These are the latest strategies you have adopted.. now you can need more strategical way to promote your brand.
I got to this article at the right time. Few days again I was searching Google for a way to add Leaderboard ads under my blog’s header and you gave me the motivation the more. Thanks. I’ll try the first tip.
Thanks Lisa for the nice tips.
I’ve created a space for the 728×90 unit somewhere on the top, and it’s performing well.
I know that most of the traffic from my followers will come on the first day of publishing posts, usually followers and those who repeat visits don’t click on ads, so I did a little trick to display ads below my posts after one day of publishing.
Another thing I would like to share is the feature of “Allowed websites”, I’ve used this feature during the last 3 weeks, and I see a jump in the performance, I also found out the a few non authority sites were displaying my ads, most of them copied my blog design without permission and they kept my AdSense code by mistake!
I hope this help someone!
Hesham, you really raised a good point by mentioning the allowed sites option. With that, we know where our valid clicks are coming from.
If some of your website visitors use Google to translate your website or you are a victim of content scrapers, your earnings may go down because the Google translate pages are not regarded as part of your site. But it is safer than getting a ban because some fraudulent clicks may originate from the unknown sites.
And you never know, we may be visiting a random website and click on a nice ad without knowing that it is our own ad we are clicking on thereby resulting in a ban … lol
Hi lisa thanks for the great tips, you have been one of the big helps I get around the internet when looking for ways to better my adsense earning, though you refused to review my site lol, am going to give very tip here a try and I hope it performs well for me thanks.
Great stuff! We’re currently running an Adsense niche experiment on our blog so this couldn’t have come at a better time. Will implement those tactics and see what happens.
Jimmy
Hey Lisa, I try to implement all your tips when it comes to Adsense.
I found that the best way to increase my CTR and make more money is to simply remove Adsense from pages that are underperforming. That way, I remove those that are not making money, get a better CTR which usually results in higher paying ads (at least that is how it appears).
I attached the link in my comment luv, in case someone wants to try it, I had great results with this strategy and have been running it since the first day I started using adsense.
Thanks for some extra ideas you just gave me!
Hey Lisa! Thanks for the tips! i may go to the 728×90 banner when I initiate my new template – hopefully that will be soon!
Interesting article. Very useful. Don’t forget to test your sites in different search engines. Your site may be ranked 3rd page on google yet be on the first page of bing
Hi Lisa,
No. 5 is the one I need to start doing. It will definitely shake things up a bit for the regular visitors that have become blind to the ads.
Another strategy that works is placing 468X60 text ads after the article on the page. It converts quite well because after reading, most visitors want to do one last thing before leaving the site, that’s when the ads draw their attention most. Also, the pages that have the lowest bounce rates do not get a lot of clicks, they just increase the number of impressions so removing the ads from those pages completely may be a good strategy to reduce the number of impressions thereby increasing the eCPM.
Great points, but the first rule in Adsense is traffic. Without readers your adsense strategy is nada 🙂
enjoy your site and the forums, thanks for all your work.
Great tips. Also, subscribe to the Adsense blog/video updates. Google’s tidbits are priceless. Simple changes in your Adsense strategy goes a long way in my experience.
I for some reason have not had any success with the ads beside videos. How do I make them a target all uniets? As in step 4.
Great Advice, Lisa! I’m one of those people who just threw the Adsense banners/ links on my blog hoping they’d make me money LOL. I have some homework to do don’t I? What better place to start than your fabulous site?! Thanks so much for providing us all with knowledge for success! :0)
Don’t forget to enable image and flash ads! So many people choose not to do this and miss out on heaps of extra cash.
Great points Lisa! i set and forget Adsense but do not realize that little changes can bring more revenue.
Great tips.
I just learned how to sync my AdSense and Analytics. I had been trying to figure out how to do this for the longest, especially since I’ve gone to school (Full Sail University) for Internet Marketing classes. I can’t wait to look at my results in about a month and optimize my sites to increase desired results.
Me too, I want to try Adsense and analytics also.
I’d love to test this strategy also.
Thanks for the great tips Liza.
Great tips Im strugling my adsense in my blog