Adsense in a forum- 0.04% CTR

I run a relatively large forum (google adsense reports around 460,000 page impressions per day), but the click through rate for the ads is remarkably low, its at a stable 0.04%. Im looking for some suggestions on how to increase it. Can I manually add keywords for all pages (and do you think this would help)? Are there ways to make google adsense look at forum posts more effectively?

 

Anyone, ideas?

 

Get good idea from DP forum's ads placement.

 

My experience was the exact same. Right at 0.04% CTR. I think forum users are the same user's over and over again and become blind to ads rather quickly. I'd imagine stuffing them into the first post after the first or second paragraph would help, or in the first reply, etc. But that's annoying for the user's too.

 

I have image ads in the header and text ads in the form of a postbot after each first post in a topic. The placement seems fine.

The problem is that even now when Im looking at the ads they appear to be unrelated to what the topics are about.

 

Try adding a few link ads right below the nav bar. That is the best performing section for my forum. However forums are notorious for low ctr for ads. Its more for the discussion then the money

 

Can you show me what you mean by link ads below the nav bar?

 

Is there a way to force google adsense to look at several given terms/tags for each ad in the forums?

 

usually forums has low CTR

 

With so many visitors you might be better off selling some slots for a monthly rate instead of relying on adsense. Adsense is for smaller websites usually, but some larger ones do use it. They usually offer other ways to get people to pay.

 

i have 1.5% on my fourms @ 20 per day. what forums your using?

 

visitors coming from SE, even Google itself, are known to perform better with Adsense than permanent visitors, who arrive directly. The latter become 'blind' to ads as was mentioned above.

 

Im trying that as well but so far have not had any buyers.

phpbb3, it may have something to do with that. Thats why Im asking is there any way to list some terms that google has to use for the ads it will display?

 

This is a very good advice. If you believe that adsense is no longer work for you. It might be help to sell some ad space on your forum. If you said you got 460K impression, that's a lot! and believe me it can be you can sold your traffic to those who are interested placing some banner or links

 

Why adsense? Try other advertising networks, like cpm advertising networks.

 

i´d also go with a CPM when i have such a low clickrate even on good placements.

 

I agree with @24788 @lisaweyn here... adsense is tough on forums.. afterall when is the last time you clicked on a non-banner ad in a forum?

 

If you dont already, try to get a program that will put your ads randomly between reply. Different software does this easily and it might increase your CTR rate if the ads dont appear in the same places.

-DarkMimbi

 

Try cpm ad networks

 

I get between 1.5-3%, but the clicks I do get go upto £1.50 each and a minimum of £0.30. I could do with looking at your ad layout - Please PM me and I'll have a look at it for you. Don't post the URL here, if you have a high traffic site always best to keep it private.
Cheers
Dickie