I've been so busy designing my new blog that I haven't been keeping up with the latest changes to the Adsense TOS. 1. Looks like we need a privacy policy now - Does google provide a free privacy policy for their publishers that is fully compliant? 2. Looks like we can't have adsense ads right under the post title in a blog. Is that also if we place a border around the ad? 3. Is it true that adsense ads can no longer be the same color as other hyperlinks on the page?
1. Yes, you do need a privacy policy. Google does not provide one, but you can generate one at http://www.serprank.com/privacy-policy-generator/index.php. 2. I'm not sure about that one, but if you go to http://www.quickonlinetips.com/, a pretty popular tip site, you will notice that they have Google ads under the post title. If they can do it, I'm going to guess it would be allowed. I'm not sure on this one, so wait for confirmation from someone else. 3. I am not sure, but this is highly unlikely. They are all for "blending" your ads with your site. Where did you hear this from?
Regarding quickonlinetips, I was using the same style ads just below the headline. However, take a look at point 1 on http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/03/another-look-at-optimizations.html where it says "Ads shouldn't be placed under a title or section heading in a way that implies that the ads are not ads."
Yeah blueman, I read that too, but still noticed that quickonlinetips had his in the same format. I'll email him and see if he has some special deal going on with Google Adsense or if he just... hasn't got caught? I'll post his reply.
Need to have a privacy policy but adsence wont give it and you have to write your self that the information collected by browsers will be discorded... You can post adds under title but title shall not give a kind of feeling that the adds are links to the post that u made.
It'll be interesting to hear his thoughts. In re-reading the TOS this morning, I'm more of the opinion that you can have ads just below the blog title, but you have to be very careful what the blog title is. I guess it is a fine line in the event that you slip up on a title. It may be better to just have something else just below the tile and below that have the ads.
Interesting, it sounds like he's manually adding the adsense ads to some posts and not to others. That's great to be able to have that kind of flexibility but I almost get the impression he is not using a plugin. If that's the case, and adsense changes their TOS (eg blanket statement, no ads below title), that's a bit of work ahead of him to cleanup the posts.
I am having a query while developing Privacy Policy... I use Statcounter.com Hit Counter Code.... Does that constitute placing a cookie or web beacon? Am I correct if I have following para in Privacy Policy: " <myblog> does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser. Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include Google Adsense, ."
Does the new TOS re: Privacy Policy refer only to pages with Google-Ads? Or will the lack of one possibly affect ranking regardless??? JJH