Cracking the Google Adsense Code
By Kim Roach
Google Adsense has empowered web publishers of all shapes and sizes to make money from their web sites. Whether you own a hobby site that gets 100 visitors per day or a popular finance portal that is flooded with millions of visitors per month, you can benefit from the Google Adsense program.
Simply sign up for a free account, grab your Adsense code and paste it up on your website. Well, it sounds good anyway. In reality, that's not the whole story. Maximizing your adsense earnings requires a little more care.
Fortunately, you can quickly increase your earnings by reading every word of this article. I will cover the basic necessities and also reveal advanced tips that you won't find on every digital corner. So, if you're looking to put more money in your pocket with a few tweaks of code, I urge you to read on.
As you are reading, keep in mind that Google is actually one of the best resources for finding information on Adsense optimization. Think it's hard to believe that Google would give good advice? Well, it makes sense when you think about it. The more you make as a publisher, the more they will make. Google has a big incentive to help you perform well. Not to mention, they have tons of data to research what works best.
So, for much of my research, I took quite a few tips from Google. But don't worry, there are also some advanced tips here that Google will probably never reveal to you.
Most Effective Ad Formats
In general, wider ad formats tend to outperform the taller ads. This is because the wider ads are much easier on the eye.
According to Google, the following ad formats result in the highest number of click-throughs:
336×280, 300×250, 160×600
Tim Carter of AskTheBuilder.com increased his revenues by 20 percent after placing the large rectangle (336×280) in the upper left corner, positioned within his articles.
Text links are another ad format that often work well. Using text link ads, you can create Adsense ads that blend in seamlessly with your navigation.
For an example of this, go to http://www.dealofday.com.
Tim Carter saw an 18 percent increase in his revenues after placing link units in the upper left corner under his site search bar.
Number of Ads
Multiple ad units can sometimes help optimize your performance. This is especially true for pages with lots of text, forums, and message boards.
However, it could possibly lower your revenues as well. When you show more ads, the ads that are placed lower on the page often have lower bid prices than the ones on top. Therefore, you must test the number of ads on a page to see what works best for you.
When using multiple ad units, make sure that the ad unit with the highest click-through rate appears first within your HTML code. This will ensure that your prime real estate is occupied by the highest paying ads. You can use CSS positioning to get your highest paying ads placed in the location with the highest CTR.
Search-box Partner / Affiliate Program
Colors
Ads that blend in with the colors of your site generate the highest click-through rates. In most cases, it is best to use the exact same color scheme for your ads that you use on your web site. To see some good examples of this, check out:
http://www.lockergnome.com http://www.worldvillage.com
By using ads without background color or borders, your ads seamlessly integrate with your content.
Keep in mind that blue text links seem to perform best for Google Adsense. Blue is the assumed color of links on the Internet. Therefore, our pyschie expects links to be in blue.
However, you may want to rotate your colors every once in a while to spice things up. This way, your visitors don't get used to your ads, which can cause banner-blindness.
Ad Placement
Just like in real estate, location is the key to success with Adsense. Fortunately, Google provides us with a heat map, (http://tinyurl.com/ld8d2) showing the best spots for ads.
One of the best places for your Adsense ads are at the top-left of the page. Because people are used to seeing navigation on the left side of the page, the eye naturally gravitates to this section of your web site.
Many studies have been performed to see how the eye travels across a web page. You can see a demonstration at poynterextra.org/eyetrack2004/main.htm . Knowing how people view your web site will help immensely when optimizing the placement of your ads.
In addition, you should also place your Adsense ads next to rich content and navigation elements. These ads often do well because users are focused on those areas of a page. You can see examples of this at Ezinearticles.com and Lockergnome.com.
As you can see, these sites have placed their adsense ads next to search boxes and navigation links.
Keep in mind that you shouldn't change the layout of your site to fit the ads, but rather use the ad formats that best fit with your site layout.
Images
Many publishers have started using images around their ads. As a result, many of them have doubled their revenues.
One of the most successful implementations of this techniques is to use the 728×90 leaderboard with 4 thumbnail-sized images above each ad. You can see some good examples at:
http://www.drawapig.desktopcreatures.com/ http://www.sg-god.com/heaven/
Of course, you can't use images of blinking arrows because this would be enticing visitors to click. However, it is perfectly acceptable to place related pictures beside your ads.
For example, if you have a page about laptops, you could place a leaderboard with 4 laptop images above each ad. In this way, you are using images to complete the story.
In fact, Google is currently testing an ad format that would blend images together with related text ads. It seems that even Google thinks that images are a good idea to bring attention to ads. To see an example of the Google ads in beta, go to http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=3576
Forums
If you have a forum, I hope you are monetizing it with Adsense. Many people include Adsense within their web site, but when it comes to their forum, they simply let the ball drop. Forums can definitely be an extra source of income when optimized properly.
To find out about the best placement for Adsense within forums, I went to Google for some advice. To my surprise, they also have a heat map for forums (http://tinyurl.com/d7xsr) .
One of the best ways to monetize your forum is to place Adsense directly within the threads. To see an example of this, go to http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=106170. Google advises that you place a skyscraper above the fold on the left side of your forum and they also suggest placing a leaderboard directly below the top navigation and below the first post.
If you are looking for additional ad space, you can place a horizontal link unit near the top of the forum, just below the header.
The next Adsense tactic is one that isn't talked about much. However, when used appropriately, it can be extremely powerful.
Newsletters
If you own an newsletter list, then you could easily leverage that list in order to earn more Adsense revenue. Whenever you send out your newsletter, simply link to an article on your site within the email. By doing this, you can draw people to your Adsense pages and easily increase your Adsense revenue.
This is one of the best things about building your own list. You are able to direct traffic to any place at any time.
In the end, the key to increased revenues is testing. Not all sites are the same. You have to experiment to find out what works best for your particular site. What works for one site may not work for another. Only by testing can you find out which styles encourage your visitors to respond.
About the Author
Kim Roach is a staff writer and editor for the SiteProNews & SEO-News newsletters. You can contact Kim at: kim@seo-news.com
What do 1G, 2G and 3G mean?
What do 1G, 2G and 3G mean?
When the data capabilities of a cellular network are being discussed, you may hear or see them described as incorporating 2G or 3G technology. G refers to generation of wireless data capability that the network offers, with 3G being faster than 2G (and 1G no longer available). Occasionally some vendors will refer to intermediate increases in performance with fractional designations such as 2.5G.
Generation: 1G
CDMA Technology: Analog Cellular (Discontinued)
CDMA Speed: 19.2k
GSM Technology: None
GSM Speed: N/A
Generation: 2G
CDMA Technology: 1xRTT
CDMA Speed: 128k
GSM Technology: GPRS, EDGE
GSM Speed: 40k, 160k
Generation: 3G
CDMA Technology: EV-DO
CDMA Speed: 500-700k
GSM Technology: UMTS (WCDMA)
GSM Speed: 2,000k
Different generations of Cellular service come via different technologies, depending on whether they are CDMA-based or GSM-based.
The carriers have chosen acronyms like 1xRTT, EV-DO, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS to describe the data services they offer on their network. What you really have to know is whether the network uses CDMA or GSM technology and how fast its data capabilities are. The following table describes the data services currently offered by carriers.
CDMA carriers: Sprint
2G: 1xRTT
3G: EV-DO
CDMA carriers: Verizon
2G: 1xRTT
3G: EV-DO
GSM carriers: Cingular
2G: GPRS, EDGE
3G: UMTS
GSM carriers: Nextel
2G: GPRS
3G: n/a
GSM carriers: T-Mobile
2G: GPRS, UMTS
3G: n/a
The wireless data services that the cellular carriers offer.
Please note that Cingular UMTS operates at a different frequency than UMTS in other countries. So, if you purchase the i-mate JASJAR, which offers international UMTS support from a third-party vendor, it will not work with Cingular's UMTS network.
When the data capabilities of a cellular network are being discussed, you may hear or see them described as incorporating 2G or 3G technology. G refers to generation of wireless data capability that the network offers, with 3G being faster than 2G (and 1G no longer available). Occasionally some vendors will refer to intermediate increases in performance with fractional designations such as 2.5G.
Generation: 1G
CDMA Technology: Analog Cellular (Discontinued)
CDMA Speed: 19.2k
GSM Technology: None
GSM Speed: N/A
Generation: 2G
CDMA Technology: 1xRTT
CDMA Speed: 128k
GSM Technology: GPRS, EDGE
GSM Speed: 40k, 160k
Generation: 3G
CDMA Technology: EV-DO
CDMA Speed: 500-700k
GSM Technology: UMTS (WCDMA)
GSM Speed: 2,000k
Different generations of Cellular service come via different technologies, depending on whether they are CDMA-based or GSM-based.
The carriers have chosen acronyms like 1xRTT, EV-DO, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS to describe the data services they offer on their network. What you really have to know is whether the network uses CDMA or GSM technology and how fast its data capabilities are. The following table describes the data services currently offered by carriers.
CDMA carriers: Sprint
2G: 1xRTT
3G: EV-DO
CDMA carriers: Verizon
2G: 1xRTT
3G: EV-DO
GSM carriers: Cingular
2G: GPRS, EDGE
3G: UMTS
GSM carriers: Nextel
2G: GPRS
3G: n/a
GSM carriers: T-Mobile
2G: GPRS, UMTS
3G: n/a
The wireless data services that the cellular carriers offer.
Please note that Cingular UMTS operates at a different frequency than UMTS in other countries. So, if you purchase the i-mate JASJAR, which offers international UMTS support from a third-party vendor, it will not work with Cingular's UMTS network.
Codez4PDA 4.38 released
Codez4PDA 4.38 released
A new version of our database, now with the following numbers:
Palm = 2260 reg codes
Pocket PC = 1064 reg codes
Smartphone = 87 reg codes
Symbian = 19 reg codes
Grab it here
To see what has changed, use the following links, and look for anything newer than June 26th.
Pocket PC :
http://www.c4pda.com/vcodez.php?do=main&os=PPC&order=desc&sort=app_date &option=&textsearch=
Palm :
http://www.c4pda.com/vcodez.php?do=main&os=Palm&order=desc&sort=app_dat e&option=&textsearch=
A new version of our database, now with the following numbers:
Palm = 2260 reg codes
Pocket PC = 1064 reg codes
Smartphone = 87 reg codes
Symbian = 19 reg codes
Grab it here
To see what has changed, use the following links, and look for anything newer than June 26th.
Pocket PC :
http://www.c4pda.com/vcodez.php?do=main&os=PPC&order=desc&sort=app_date &option=&textsearch=
Palm :
http://www.c4pda.com/vcodez.php?do=main&os=Palm&order=desc&sort=app_dat e&option=&textsearch=
Topless Carwash
No, it's not quite what you're thinking
I saw this on Google Video and thought it was pretty good... seems like something Tempus would post:
http://www.c4pda.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45897&d=1154717040
http://www.c4pda.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45898&d=1154717040
I saw this on Google Video and thought it was pretty good... seems like something Tempus would post:
http://www.c4pda.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45897&d=1154717040
http://www.c4pda.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45898&d=1154717040
Google warns on 'unsafe' websites
Google has started warning users if they are about to visit a webpage that could harm their computer.
The warning will pop up if users click on a link to a page known to host spyware or other malicious programs.
The initiative comes out of a larger project cataloguing programs that plague people with unwanted ads, spy on web habits or steal personal data.
Google is one of several companies trying to act as an "in-flight adviser" to ensure people stay safe online.
...
The warning suggests that people try a different site but if they want to continue to the potentially dangerous webpage Google will not stop them.
A research report released in May 2006 looked at the safety of the results returned by a search and found that, on average, 4-6% of the sites had harmful content on them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5251742.stm
This safe browsing feature is available in Mozilla Firefox if you are using the Google Toolbar. Also McAfee SiteAdvisor...
The warning will pop up if users click on a link to a page known to host spyware or other malicious programs.
The initiative comes out of a larger project cataloguing programs that plague people with unwanted ads, spy on web habits or steal personal data.
Google is one of several companies trying to act as an "in-flight adviser" to ensure people stay safe online.
...
The warning suggests that people try a different site but if they want to continue to the potentially dangerous webpage Google will not stop them.
A research report released in May 2006 looked at the safety of the results returned by a search and found that, on average, 4-6% of the sites had harmful content on them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5251742.stm
This safe browsing feature is available in Mozilla Firefox if you are using the Google Toolbar. Also McAfee SiteAdvisor...
Device Emulator 1.0 download
It is not preview any longer, has been released on May, 17th.
Code:
Quick Details
Version:1.0
Date Published:5/17/2006
Language:English
Download Size:867 KB - 57.5 MB*
*Download size depends on selected download components.
Link to download without all passport s**t.
Device Emulator 1.0 download http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c62d54a5-183a-4a1e-a7e2-cc500ed1f19a&DisplayLang=en
Code:
Quick Details
Version:1.0
Date Published:5/17/2006
Language:English
Download Size:867 KB - 57.5 MB*
*Download size depends on selected download components.
Link to download without all passport s**t.
Device Emulator 1.0 download http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c62d54a5-183a-4a1e-a7e2-cc500ed1f19a&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Device Emulator
Name: Microsoft Device Emulator
Version: 1.0 Preview
URL:
http://www.c4pda.com/redirector.php?url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/emulatorpreview/default.aspx
The Microsoft Device Emulator 1.0 Community Preview is a standalone version of the same ARM based Device Emulator that ships as part of Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2. The standalone emulator is intended for situations when you want to demonstrate or test your application on a computer that does not have Visual Studio 2005 installed. The emulator ships with support for Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.
The new Device Emulator has a number of features that make it significantly better than its predecessor. You will find that it:
Runs code compiled for ARM processors rather than for x86 processors. In most cases, you can run the same binaries on the emulator as you do on the device.
Supports synchronizing with ActiveSync. You can use the Device Emulator with a full ActiveSync partnership. This feature allows you to debug applications that are syncing, or be able to use real synchronized data from within the Device Emulator.
Provides support for more development environments. The emulator has been tested for developing and debugging applications with Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studio .NET 2003, and with eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 (eVC4) SP4, all using ActiveSync. No crossover serial cable is required.
The Device Emulator supports GAPI. You can write and debug GAPI games on the Device Emulator and expect them to work.
Documentation, updates, additional images, bug submissions information, and a newsgroup for the Device Emulator are available on the Microsoft Device Emulator Community Preview website:
Visit http://beta.microsoft.com,
Login using your Passport account, or create one if you don't have one.
Use Guest ID MSDEVICE to access the Community Preview website
Yes, finally a real Pocket PC emulator , here are installation and general usage instructions.
To install and run the Device Emulator, perform the following steps. Follow these instructions exactly or the Device Emulator may not function correctly.
The stand-alone Device Emulator is not recommended for computers that have Visual Studio 2005 already installed, as Visual Studio 2005 already contains the Device Emulator component.
Install Emulator.
Run DeviceEmulator050419.msi.
Register Device Emulator.
Run Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview->Register Device Emulator. Note that if you are running the any version of Visual Studio 2005 (not recommended), that this step redirects your Visual Studio 2005 installation to use the Device Emulator from the MSI. This action is not reversible, so it’s recommended you install the Device Emulator on machines without Visual Studio 2005 installations.
Select Device Image.
Select a device image to run by selecting Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview-> * (Cold Boot). Wait for the OS to boot. May take several minutes depending on your computer.
Choose Options.
File->Configure… allows you to set options such as Zoom and Orientation.
Connect to Device via ActiveSync (if you need connectivity).
To connect to the device via Microsoft ActiveSync, start a version of ActiveSync that supports the version of the device you are running. For Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, you should use ActiveSync 3.7.x or higher. Run Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview->Device Emulator Manager. When the Device Emulator Manager appears, right-click on the GUID and select Cradle. You may need to select "Get Connected" in ActiveSync, depending on your ActiveSync version. You can sync the device and explore/add/modify files as needed. If you want to connect to a Network or the Internet, you can select the network pass-through option from the ActiveSync Network Settings dialog. To connect directly to a network card, see Known Issues.
Experiment with Screen Orientation.
On Pocket PC, press the “Soft Key 3� (i.e. “Calendar�) button to rotate the device and screen orientation.
Save State.
You can save the state of the emulator when exiting by closing the window and choosing Yes from the dialog box that follows, or by selecting File->Save State and Exit. Restoring from a Saved State is much faster than booting the operating system and will be useful next time you use the emulator. The next time you start the emulator, you select Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview-> * (Restore) to restore the last saved state for that image.
Version: 1.0 Preview
URL:
http://www.c4pda.com/redirector.php?url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/emulatorpreview/default.aspx
The Microsoft Device Emulator 1.0 Community Preview is a standalone version of the same ARM based Device Emulator that ships as part of Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2. The standalone emulator is intended for situations when you want to demonstrate or test your application on a computer that does not have Visual Studio 2005 installed. The emulator ships with support for Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.
The new Device Emulator has a number of features that make it significantly better than its predecessor. You will find that it:
Runs code compiled for ARM processors rather than for x86 processors. In most cases, you can run the same binaries on the emulator as you do on the device.
Supports synchronizing with ActiveSync. You can use the Device Emulator with a full ActiveSync partnership. This feature allows you to debug applications that are syncing, or be able to use real synchronized data from within the Device Emulator.
Provides support for more development environments. The emulator has been tested for developing and debugging applications with Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studio .NET 2003, and with eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 (eVC4) SP4, all using ActiveSync. No crossover serial cable is required.
The Device Emulator supports GAPI. You can write and debug GAPI games on the Device Emulator and expect them to work.
Documentation, updates, additional images, bug submissions information, and a newsgroup for the Device Emulator are available on the Microsoft Device Emulator Community Preview website:
Visit http://beta.microsoft.com,
Login using your Passport account, or create one if you don't have one.
Use Guest ID MSDEVICE to access the Community Preview website
Yes, finally a real Pocket PC emulator , here are installation and general usage instructions.
To install and run the Device Emulator, perform the following steps. Follow these instructions exactly or the Device Emulator may not function correctly.
The stand-alone Device Emulator is not recommended for computers that have Visual Studio 2005 already installed, as Visual Studio 2005 already contains the Device Emulator component.
Install Emulator.
Run DeviceEmulator050419.msi.
Register Device Emulator.
Run Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview->Register Device Emulator. Note that if you are running the any version of Visual Studio 2005 (not recommended), that this step redirects your Visual Studio 2005 installation to use the Device Emulator from the MSI. This action is not reversible, so it’s recommended you install the Device Emulator on machines without Visual Studio 2005 installations.
Select Device Image.
Select a device image to run by selecting Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview-> * (Cold Boot). Wait for the OS to boot. May take several minutes depending on your computer.
Choose Options.
File->Configure… allows you to set options such as Zoom and Orientation.
Connect to Device via ActiveSync (if you need connectivity).
To connect to the device via Microsoft ActiveSync, start a version of ActiveSync that supports the version of the device you are running. For Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, you should use ActiveSync 3.7.x or higher. Run Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview->Device Emulator Manager. When the Device Emulator Manager appears, right-click on the GUID and select Cradle. You may need to select "Get Connected" in ActiveSync, depending on your ActiveSync version. You can sync the device and explore/add/modify files as needed. If you want to connect to a Network or the Internet, you can select the network pass-through option from the ActiveSync Network Settings dialog. To connect directly to a network card, see Known Issues.
Experiment with Screen Orientation.
On Pocket PC, press the “Soft Key 3� (i.e. “Calendar�) button to rotate the device and screen orientation.
Save State.
You can save the state of the emulator when exiting by closing the window and choosing Yes from the dialog box that follows, or by selecting File->Save State and Exit. Restoring from a Saved State is much faster than booting the operating system and will be useful next time you use the emulator. The next time you start the emulator, you select Start->Programs->Device Emulator Community Preview-> * (Restore) to restore the last saved state for that image.
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