Re: Full Online Ads List Archive now online

From: Mark J. Welch <markwelch_at_markwelch.com>
Date: Tue 09 Jan 2007 21:59:40 -0600

I'll agree that there is more "ad content" on the archive pages than
I would like,
but it doesn't seem unusual for this kind of free archive. I do
think that the actual
"archive" (the post itself) should be highlighted somehow (using a
different font,
perhaps background color -- something to distinguish the "original"
content from
the "archive page" content). Since the posts themselves include sponsor info,
that does seem to "pile on" so there feels like there is even more
paid advertising
surrounding mostly tiny text messages. (I suspect this might impact
your treatment
by search engines.)

I do think that the "inline" Yahoo ad block is intrusive,
distracting, and pushes the
main page content down far enough that folks may abandon the site. (There also
seems to be excessive white space surrounding that ad block, which makes the
problem worse.)

The seven logo ads in the right margin (above the second Yahoo ad block)
also seem intrusive, and probably are not very effective -- if these are paid
"industry leader" ads then I suppose you must leave them in, but I doubt they
are effective for the advertisers. The second block of Yahoo ads
appears "below the fold" even on my 1400x1050 display (though the second
block of Yahoo ads is adjacent to the pushed-down archive text).

When I re-sized the display window to 800x600, all of the margin ads vanished
(invisible unless I horizontal-scroll, which nobody is going to do).

I recently re-designed a small niche directory site to reduce the amount of ad
clutter, while integrating more affiliate links within the content
(e.g. using affiliate
links where a product or merchant was mentioned in the directory, and given
preferred position to such listings over free listings). My
affiliate earnings from
the site increased from about $100 per month to more than $600 per month.
At the same time, I reduced the size of my Google AdSense ad block, with NO
reduction in earnings (eCPM has increased slightly). When I next update the
site, I plan to remove even more of the "margin material."

Another idea: use a script to alternate display of Yahoo and Google ad blocks,
so that visitors see Yahoo ads on some pages and Google ads on others. If the
eCPM from the two companies is similar, use a 50-50 rotation; if you're earning
more from one merchant, try using a 90-10 or 80-20 ratio and measure
the results.



Mark J. Welch
http://www.MarkWelch.com/
mailto:MarkWelch_at_MarkWelch.com
(925) 462-8483 office
(510) 862-6987 cell



Received on Tue Jan 09 2007 - 21:59:40 CST