While Google allows you to control the colors of the ad unit, it does not allow you to control the font style or font size. If the font style you are using is racially different from what Google use, then getting the ad to blend with your site becomes harder. This tutorial will show you how to perfectly blend a Google ad, fonts and all. http://www.johnchow.com/index.php/how-to-perfectly-blend-google-adsense-ads/
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I don't get it, what do you mean ? if you mean changing your website after putting the ads for the first time, yea it is legal .
Moto - Thanks for the tips. BTW, you might want to change the word "racially" to "radically" in the 2nd paragraph of your article.
Labeling ads as "Related posts" is ok with TOS? Or animated gifs near the ads? Or mimicing Google ads?
This type of blending seems to go against TOS. Direct from the TOS: It seems to me what you're doing is putting the ads under a label of related posts. The trick to figuring out what font, etc... the ads are using is a good one, though. You don't want the ad to jump out, that just leads to 'banner blindness.'
I just received the official Google ruling on my blending trick. Hello, While reviewing your account, we noticed that you are currently displaying Google ads in a manner that is not compliant with our policies. For instance, we found violations of AdSense policies on pages such as http://www.johnchow.com/index.php/how-to-perfectly-blend-google-adsense-ads/. Publishers are not permitted to display Google ads in a manner that may mislead users, causing them to mistake Google ads for site content. Additionally, publishers may not label the Google ads with text other than "sponsored links" or "advertisements." We also ask that you do not encourage other publishers to violate our program policies. Please make any necessary changes to your web pages in the next 72 hours. Once you update your site, we will automatically detect the changes and ad serving will not be affected. If you choose not to make the changes to your account within the next three days, your account will remain active but you will no longer be able to display ads on the site. Please note, however, that we may disable your account if further violations are found in the future. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, The Google AdSense Team I guess I'll have to take it down. Oh well. When in doubt, email Google and ask.
There TOS says you may not tamper with the ads in any way. This would include that. If you can't change it in the Google Adsense account it probably isn't allowed. BTW you don't want to blend your ads all in it creates a blindness in your visitors and you get far less clicks.
well you can think that but my studies have shown that blending them in makes them less visible to your visitors. You of course don't want them jumping out but want the visitors to be aware of them. You should read my article and try it for a month. If it doesn't work I will put your testimonial on my blog(can I call it that? ) and if it does(which I know it will) all I ask is that you spread the word
" Publishers are not permitted to display Google ads in a manner that may mislead users, causing them to mistake Google ads for site content. Additionally, publishers may not label the Google ads with text other than "sponsored links" or "advertisements." " This has nothing to do with the fact of using for your site design exactly the same font attributes as the ads.
Exactly, changing your site's font to match ads should be fine, even though you are not allowed to do anything with the ads. labelling ads as "related posts" is clearly a violation.