The Change in Google Ads

[SEbasic]

I stumbled accross this article (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/25/sunday/main608672.shtml) and found this quote in it...

"The focus that Google has on our users, you know, a very slim homepage and so forth -- text ads, not banner," says Silverstein. "We do that because we don't want to go to sites with banner ads. We don't like them."

Now, I may be wrong about this, but don't some of these ads (https://www.google.com/adsense/adformats) look quite similiar to banners?

I know that this is a old topic but I just thought that it seems odd to me...

Anyone else have any views on this?

[nlopes]

they are!
Now adsense/adwords also support image banners.

[compar]

Now, I may be wrong about this, but don't some of these ads look quite similiar to banners?
Yes of course they do. But there wasn't any banner ads at the time that Silverstein made that statement, and apparently no contemplation of it that he was aware of.

I would guess he wishes he could take the statementback now, or maybe he doesn't approve of the addition of banner ads and just got overruled.

I personally think the banner ads are a step backwards.

[SEbasic]

Yes of course they do. But there wasn't any banner ads at the time that Silverstein made that statement, and apparently no contemplation of it that he was aware of.

I agree...

I also agree that the use of banners are a step back...

I have seen them in place and I am not impressed...

Has anyone here tried using the banners instead of the normal text ads on their site... Has the CTR been greatly different between the two?

Also, Where are the designs coming from...

I saw a banner the other day that was TERRIBLE!

Very unprofessional.

Not only did it look unatractive, but it also brought down the look of the whole site it was sitting on.

There must be some kind of approval process that the banners have to go through before they are published...

[digitalpoint]

Banners are approved by Google. Also, you can opt out of them as an AdSense publisher (they are off by default actually).

[SEbasic]

Thank's for the info guys...

[NewComputer]

I have tried both ads and so far I have not noticed a climb or drop in CTC. This may be that the amount of ads that are banners for my industry are limited and don't get shown. I, personally, cannot stand banner ads and prefer text. I can read it, it is organized and they are not trying to 'capture my attention' by almost giving me a seizure. I was surprised that Google even took this step backwards.

I have never seen a banner ad on any of my pages that I have the banner ads enabled. I will let you know.

[stephfoster]

I have no plans to add banners to my AdSense account. I like how I have my websites set up, and I don't think the regular text Google ads take away from the site. But banners very well could.

I think it's too soon to be certain of the CTR on image ads, though. However, I can't help but expect it to be lower. If you take a one of the skyscraper ads in the text format, you get four ads that could be clicked on. It looks to me like if you allow images, you only get one image, therefore only one chance for an ad to appeal to a visitor. If that ad doesn't, you're out of luck on that page view.

[hexed]

This just further highlights the fact that Google is now driven solely by shareholder profit and they have abanoned their morales and beliefs that have got them to where they are now.

Enter MSN.

Hexed

[ViciousSummer]

I have no plans to add banners to my AdSense account. I like how I have my websites set up, and I don't think the regular text Google ads take away from the site. But banners very well could...

Completely agreed. I think banner ad's on website are obnoxious (for the most part).

[digitalpoint]

I like them for my stuff. Breaks it up a bit. :)

[SEbasic]

Have you seen the CTR fluctuate on those particular ads shawn?

[digitalpoint]

Who knows... Google doesn't differentiate in their reporting, so I have no idea.

[SEbasic]

Funny that...

It would be great to know...

Can you not set up different channels in the settings?

[digitalpoint]

You can setup different channels, but the different channels don't separate between text and banner ads.

[NewComputer]

However, I can't help but expect it to be lower. If you take a one of the skyscraper ads in the text format, you get four ads that could be clicked on

It is true you only get one image and it had better be a good one. I prefer four ads as it is four different possibilities of providing relevant information to consumers.

[Homie22]

the ads have changed alto since then. now the whole google ad image isn't clickable anymore : /