The first thing you’ll want to consider is how will the Adsense units complement your content with relevant links without annoying your readers. Placing some ad units at the top of your blog will likely generate several clicks, but over the long term it could hurt your traffic if readers stop visiting your site due to your advertising techniques.

The chart shown above gives you an indication of what the top ad placement locations are from hottest (bright orange) to coolest (white).

Less Intrusive Method

In order to determine the optimal Adsense positioning for your blog,  you’ll need to define your priorities. If Adsense is not your primary income or if you are concerned that ads might disturb your readers you probably should place the units apart from the main content.

A good place to insert Adsense units without affecting the user experience is at the end of single posts. You can use either the large rectangle (336×280) or the banner (468×60).

As well, you might try adding a Skyscraper to your sidebar or a Leaderboard to the footer.

Maximum click-through Method

People looking to maximize their Adsense earning will find that ad units close to the header or blended with the content usually perform better. On single post pages you can add a large rectangle right below the post title, either above the content or next to it.

As well, on the main page, you can add Adsense units between posts and utilize link units. Link units look very similar to menus or navigation bars, so if you place those units on the right spot you could generate a very high click-through rate.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the uniqueness of your blog is quite vital for placing ads successfully. I recommend you always analyze responses and feedback you get from your visitors by placing the ads on different spots.

Ultimately, readers are most important and you should always consider them before waging a couple of Adsense clicks in exchange for their readership.

Adsense is one of the most used revenue generators for blogs and websites. Typically you can improve your click-through rate and overall earnings by positioning your ads wisely, by optimizing the ad units or by improving the content targeting. Below I share how to optimize the Adsense units with 8 simple tips:

1. The top three performing ad units are: 336×280 large rectangle, 300×250 inline rectangle and 160×600 wide skyscraper. Consider using those units if possible, but understand that other formats might be more suitable for your design.
2. The most successful link color is blue. This fact is connected with the roots of the Internet where all major websites used to feature blue links.  Readers recognize blue as being “clickable”
3. You can also use a link color that matches the pattern and theme of your website.
4. Blend (no border, same background) your Adsense units if your website has a light color scheme and contrast (border, contrasting background) the units if you are using a dark color scheme
5. If the ads are placed within the content, avoid using borders. Ad units outside of the content can use borders to call attention.
6. Consider removing the “Advertise on this site” message from your units. This can be done on the control panel under the “My Account” section, disabling the “Onsite Advertiser Sign-Up” feature.
7. If your website has mainly repeat visitors (like community boards) you can rotate the background color of the units to reduce ad blindness
8. Test! Every site is unique so make sure you test with different colors and formats and track the results to fine tune your Adsense units.

I’ll be the first to stand up and say I LOVE Google Adsense and the money I make with their ad program. I think anyone who has a blog or website needs to sign up for Google Adsense and make a little something off their efforts.

At the time of this writing, and since May 2004, I have made $38,841.00 with Adsense. And that’s just one of the programs I work with.

There are a few things I’d like to point out about Google though -

1. Don’t EVER click your own ads. Even if you’re curious to see what the ad is! That can get you knocked right out of the program and is called “click fraud.”

If you are curious about an ad that is appearing on your site, simply run your mouse over the ad and in the lower left corner of your computer screen, you’ll see the web address for the organization who is placing that particular ad.

2. Don’t invite family and friends to click! I don’t know exactly to what extent Google is tracking the logistics of clicks, but I’m sure there is something there that would tell Google the same people are clicking all the time – that can get you kicked out too.

Now for the good stuff -

3. When you are logged into your Google Adsense account, make sure to read all the handy little tips they offer. Google invested a great deal of time and money into seeing what programs work best, what ad placements generate the most clicks and it’s all there for your benefit. After all, when you are successful, Google is successful.

If you have any questions about Google Adsense, please feel free to post them anonymously in the comment section here.

Two people, one in her 50’s – the other in his 70’s are making a good amount of money with Google Adsense!

How does an extra $1,200 – $2,000 per month sound to you?

Check out the full interview on ABC News…Making Money From Home – Google Your Way to Extra Cash