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.

I may not be the brightest match in the box, but somehow I’m thinking page views are pretty darned important…

A ‘Page View’ by definition is a request to load a single page.

For the most part page views are only important for the role they play in a blogs revenue model. If a site earns revenue from advertising, then page views become an important part of their advertising pricing and demand.

If a blog only earns from actual sales, then page views are not an important statistic at all. In fact, page views lacking in sales conversions may even be considered an expense or loss.

However, I have read conflicting views that indicate that more page views could likely result in fewer click-throughs on ads. How, I’m not exactly sure — it didn’t quite make sense to me. So, PLEASE feel free to explain if it makes sense to you.

With keeping page views in mind and if you are one of those people who put effort into increasing your page views — I’d like to invite you to answer the following questions:

How important are page views to you and why?

What are some actions you take to help increase your own page views?

A few years ago, I took several weeks away from blogging to help out in a seasonal family business. The end result was devastating to say the least. My average income dropped to 1/3 of the norm and took me well over six months to regain my positioning and revenue.

A close friend of mine has been preparing for her vacation for a few weeks now. She realizes she’s going to be away from her blogs for two weeks and has been busy recruiting people to serve as a guest blogger in her absence.

While recruiting a guest blogger is probably the most desirable method of maintenance – the only other alternatives are advance and post dating posts or providing an announcement post that gives the date you will return.

Given the loss that I took, I’ve avoided being away from my primary blogs for more then three days.

I can’t encourage everyone enough to plan ahead, post ahead or take on guest bloggers. By all means, don’t lose out on income that’s extremely difficult at best to regain.

Have you ever been visiting a website that’s focused on a very niche topic and glanced around at the ads to find the ads don’t relate to the content at all?

Perhaps I’m wrong and perhaps they serve as an impulse buy for some, but if I’m on a niche site for gardening and see ads for lingerie, I’m not likely going to buy my bloomers the same place I’m buying my bloomers — you know what I’m sayin’?

Maybe it’s the former retail buyer in my blood — but when I see off topic ads in prime sidebar locations, I feel the blogger may not have a true understanding of their reader or even what audience they may be trying to target. That in turn will keep me clicking my way right on out of that blog.

The one piece of advice I can offer up that might be most helpful in the long run is to test those ad space waters.

Place Google Adsense in that location and monitor the ads that show up in those spots. DO NOT CLICK ON YOUR OWN ADS — but DO run your mouse over the ad or try to figure out who is placing the ad. If it’s similar to your own topic, check to see if the advertiser has an independent affiliate program and explore serving up target ads that way.

• What are some of the lessons you’ve learned the hard way on ads and ad placement?