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When you add Google Adsense to your new blog or site, you are faced with a daunting task of trying to make money with the program without asking your site visitors to click on the ads. Google’s goal is to create a win-win situation for everyone – they want their cut, they want to allow their advertisers to get qualified leads and they want you, their publishers to make money as well. So how are you supposed to do that if you can’t ask your site visitors to click on the Google ads? Just for the record, I know that there may be some readers who do directly ask their site visitors to click on the link. Just so that you are clear, that is a violation of Google’s terms of use. If some really nice jerk decides to report you, you risk being banished from the Google Adsense world forever and ever. Many other ad programs, like Kontera, work the same way. They don’t want you clicking on the ads. You will notice the double underlined links on this site. Those are Kontera ads. Just for the record, you can sign up for Kontera by clicking here. I like the fact that the links to Kontera allow you to make money without taking up any space. LinkWorth is also another company that offers in text ads.
So back to the question – how are you supposed to get your site visitors to click on the links without asking them to click on the links? Well there are a variety of ways you can do this without violating Google’s terms of service. Here is a quick list of ways to get people to click on your links without directly asking them to:
SETTING THE RIGHT AD PLACEMENT
Placing your Adsense ads in the right spot to get the maximum click rate is more of an art than an exact science. While placing your ads above the fold is the general rule, deciding on where to place them above the fold can be difficult if you are trying to figure out how to combine your site content AND your ads. I mean who wants to visit a site that is full of ads and light on content? On the other hand, how are you going to make money if you are light on ads and heavy on content?
Google allows you to have three of their ad units on your page. Placing at least one unit above the fold in the main content area and at least one unit on the left or right side of the main content area guarantees that your site visitors will see the ads as soon as they come to your site. This makes it easier for them to find and click on your ads.
- SETTING UP THE RIGHT AD TYPES
A lot of people think that they have to have a huge banner to attract people. Sometimes this has the exact opposite effect. People are so accustomed to seeing flashing banners at the top of sites that a lot of people mentally filter those out. Just think about yourself. When is the last time that you clicked on one of those rotating ad banners at the top of a page? The last time I did was a few years ago. In fact, I so rarely click on those banner ads that I can tell you the exact details of what I clicked on. It was an ad for the Newport News clothing store. I was checking my Yahoo email account and that ad popped up at the top of the screen offering free shipping. Now since I have a Newport News account AND I was about to order something from them, getting that free shipping was important to me at that moment. However, the reality is that I avoid those ads on purpose.
After taking a small poll of slightly less than 100 people, I have determined that there are a lot of people that think exactly like me. We find the ads more annoying than helpful. Does that mean that you should avoid placing banner ads at the top of your site? The choice is yours; however, using that space for something more appealing to your visitors may be useful. Another thing to remember is to use text ads. A lot of people feel more at ease by clicking on a text link as opposed to a huge banner. Also, you can offer more ads at once by using the text format. Video is also another option, however, it takes up a lot of space. If the videos have some special purpose, however, they may offer you a great way to attract visitors to a particular piece of real estate on your site. You could also place text ads close to the video to further entice people to click on the ads.
- TALK TO FRIENDS & FAMILY ABOUT YOUR SITE
Take the time to tell your friends about your site and ask them to visit it. Using family and friends as away to promote your ads can be very useful in making your site monetization strategies a success. Now I certainly wouldn’t encourage you to ask your friends and family to just click on ads to make money for you, however, you can encourage your friends and family to use the ads and blogs for things they are actually going to buy. For instance, if you know that your brother is about to purchase a camera, why not direct him to use the links on your site or ads on your site to purchase that camera? You can even set up a page just for allowing friends, family and other visitors to your site to purchase items from your links and ads.
- MAKE SURE YOUR ADS ARE RELEVANT TO YOUR SITE CONTENT
If your site is about insurance, then you should have insurance ads. Although you can have ads that span different businesses, the reality is that people are more likely to click on ads related to the content they came to your site for. If your site is about insurance, then make sure you have insurance ads. Tailoring your website ads from Google Adsense is easy to do. You can visit, this post on PureBlogic.com to see how to optimize your site content for Adsense ads.
- BLOG ABOUT HOW YOU CAN’T ASK PEOPLE TO CLICK ON YOUR ADSENSE ADS
This is an easy way to direct people’s attention to your ads. It can also help people to realize that you need and want them to click on your ads. Believe it or not, some people are wrapped up in your content and they aren’t focused on your ads. You have to let people know what you want them to do.
- COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER BLOG AND SITE OWNERS ABOUT YOUR SITE MONETIZATION STRATEGIES
If you have friends with blogs, encourage them to use your site to join different programs. This way you both benefit and your friends get things they need. You can also promote your site using tools like MyBlogLog and communicate directly with different blog owners. Don’t be afraid to use all of the communication tools you have available to you.
There is no magic involved in getting people to click on your ads. Getting those clicks requires subtle communication and correct ad placement. Remember that Google is offering a great service to us. We have to make the most of it. You can try a variety of things, but make sure that you don’t get yourself into trouble. Don’t label your ads in a way that violates the Google terms of use. Make sure you use all of your resources and don’t be afraid to try different things. Don’t forget to direct traffic to your site every chance you get. Let’s work together and market our ads to the max!
Posted By Kila Morton
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