Major Change In Google Ad Format

[VisualDigits]

Google Adsense is about to change the ad format to prevent accidental clicks.
Here's the email I received from my Google Account Strategist:

Hi Lukas,

I'm writing to let you know about a change to our text ad formats that may cause fluctuations in your AdSense revenue. I realize that any unexplained changes in revenue can cause concern, so I'm sending you background information to help you understand the possible impact on your account.

We're rolling out a change to our text ad formats to help reduce accidental clicks and increase value for advertisers. Previously, users could click on the background and full text of an ad, but now users can click only on the title and URL of a text ad. This new format will match the changes we've implemented on Google.com to help decrease the number of accidental clicks and increase the number of ad conversions. A reduction in accidental clicks will keep users on your pages, interacting with your content until they choose to click on an ad. This change will enhance the users' overall experience with your websites and improve advertiser campaign value, but it's likely that your click-through rate will decrease.

I want to assure you that we approach these changes carefully, with a view to the impact on all parties involved. Although we recognize these changes may result in a RPM decrease for some publishers in the short term, we expect these improvements will lead to increased advertiser spend in the long term. By investing in the long-run health of the relationship between AdSense publishers, AdWords advertisers and your sites' visitors, we're ensuring your continued success as an AdSense partner.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please don't hesitate to contact me. We appreciate the trust you've placed in us by choosing AdSense to monetize your pages, and I will keep you apprised of additional improvements we're planning in the months ahead. Thank you again for your continued partnership as an AdSense publisher.

This change will affect us all.

[jovigirl]

they have these new ad slots now instead of the old adsense code, I just noticed a couple of days ago... I wonder how that's going to affect revenue...

[cursal]

Looks like all new ads have to have an AdSense unit name

The referrals option page for creating an ad really targets a niche or many niches.

The Google YouTube ads are a good too.

Options galore at Adsense
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How much do you really think click thru numbers will move around?

[Raider]

When you just thought Adsense revenue couldn't go any lower, they roll this out..

I wonder if 6pt font size and lighter color codes are coming next.

[VisualDigits]

I'm skeptical too but maybe this will cause the rates to go up, who knows.

[DomainMagnate]

Adsense ctr and clicks have been decreasing gradually, hopefully that can help.

Lukas, the link in your sig isn't working

~MG

[VisualDigits]

Adsense ctr and clicks have been decreasing gradually, hopefully that can help.

Lukas, the link in your sig isn't working

~MG

I know. I don't have time to start a new project at the moment.

[whitebark]

I've never made it a practice to place ad units close to menu links, graphics etc as that was always frowned upon by google - so I doubt my earnings will change at all.

And US users are always the first to get to try the news toys from google adsense.

Is anyone actually using their cpa ads? After sending hundreds of leads I took them out - 0% conversion from websites getting 15%+ conversion with cj.com ads. They need to improve their cpa before I will try it again.

[Andrew Shaw]

Remember, click fraud always hurts us in the long run... Click fraud can also be related to accidental clicking as the person truely isnt interested in the ad to begin with. Therefore google pays less per click...The advertiser has a certain budget regardless. When fraud is commited or there is an accidental clicking, the advertiser doesnt get the results he expected. In turn that potential major advertiser no longer wants to run his ads... or decides to pay less per click.

Well, limiting the accidental clicking, will give advertisers better results, and in turn will help to rebuild a stable PPC system.

PPC's are going way down... And I think that the increase in click fraud is having a huge impact on that. Cracking down on accidental clicking is a good first step if you ask me. Time to work on step two...

[Makis77]

At least for some months we r going to have less clicks for our ads.
Website visitros are used to click anywhere on the ad in order to visit that link.
Now this doesnt work so either they wont click again or try once more.
If they try again they have more possibilities to click the link it self.

This is mean we r going to loose some visitros but we ll get more targeted clicks.
As months pass everybody will be aware about this so i hope clicks will get back to normal.

[Acro]

Google is evil.

[hugegrowth]

I don't think it will have a big effect, how many 'accidental' clicks would be missed - probably not many.

[gawnd]

this will have more of an impact on those who live in the grey area of adsense's TOS. i still see pics near ads today despite being explicitly prohibited long ago. as much as i hate being a slave to google, i don't risk my adsense account by gaming the TOS, so i don't see this impacting me too much.

just more writing on the wall that the wild west days of the internet are numbered. while you can still get lucky, if you don't work hard and have a strong business plan you're not going to be able to stay in this game long term.

[Seraphim]

I heard they're in the process of integrating a breathalyser test into the ad code as well. After that, it's likely they'll target senior citizens and 3 year olds, who often mistakenly click ads in an attempt to shut down their computers.

And... as AdSense publishers turn and toil in a nightmare they can't awake from, somewhere in a corporate boardroom Larry is holding a lighter to Sergey's asshole, and they're both laughing hysterically.

>>>

Kidding aside, the reason why Google keeps pulling out these bottom of the ninth AdSense system changes, is because they're continuously looking for creative ways to cover up the fact that they're taking a larger and larger revenue share from their publishers each quarter. My web traffic is at an all time high, and my AdSense earnings are at a record low. I get 0.01 clicks on ad keywords that I couldn't bid on for less than 0.75 through their AdWords network. The discrepancy between clicks and recorded clicks is becoming larger and larger. I'm developing the opinion that AdSense is about to "dry up" for small and medium size publishers. I have direct advertising to fall back on, but know a lot of long time veteran AdSense publishers that are about to get hit with a Game Over scenario, despite steady traffic volumes.

"SmartPricing", "Don't Be Evil"... someone salt and burn Leonid Brezhnev's bones, because his spirit lives.

[sashas]

Google used to be cool...not its headed the Microsoft way. They've even corrupted Mozilla...heck, MS seems to be so much better than Google today.

Do all big companies eventually become money whores, no matter where they started from?

[MacyT.]

I'm developing the opinion that AdSense is about to "dry up" for small and medium size publishers. I have direct advertising to fall back on, but know a lot of long time veteran AdSense publishers that are about to get hit with a Game Over scenario, despite steady traffic volumes.

Well, this sounds like a huge opportunity for another company to come in and somehow fill that gap - and hook up adsense victims to direct advertisers. All they have to do is figure out how to do it on Google's system

Anyone know of something coming about?

[Seraphim]

Well, this sounds like a huge opportunity for another company to come in and somehow fill that gap - and hook up adsense victims to direct advertisers. All they have to do is figure out how to do it on Google's system

Anyone know of something coming about?

It's really easy to do on your own, and all you need is a PayPal account. I just create custom banners, and can swap out the AdSense code for direct advertising code, and it even comes complete with credit card processing payment options built straight into the banners. If anyone wants to see what that looks like PM me.

[afloat.com]

I'm almost earning as much with adbrite as with adsense on some of my sites

click on sig link for a free account

[jain_manoj27]

I like only adsense and happy with the various formats

[leo]

I like adsense but..its like i am milking a cow..it still got milk but i got to make changes often ..it has effected by ctr a little (less)