images near adds ?????

I have read a number of posts regarding images near adds and I am unsure as to exactly the terms and conditions about images for example my site http://www.exercisefitness.us has images next to the adds and i would like to know if this is ok or not
If not then i will remove them asp but i can not find anything absolute about using images near adds

 

I've seen this used extensively, and I think it is probably just fine.

 

The best way its email google and ask them to check if it's fine on your website, That way you have written aproval and peace of mind.

 

Your best bet is to get a confirmation from Google themselves...

Pretty much summed up here in this thread and this post: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showpost.php?p=266750&postcount=542

 

Adsense looks very good on your site with those little pics

 

Those images look cool, but still I suggest not to keep there, cause lately I heard google is banning such publishers who are keeping adsense below those images... there was some thread also going on, on DP for that... just check out.

 

I have an image banner over one of my ads, and google recently checked out my entire site at my request and said everything was fine.

 

What you will get banned for is if the images are fooling people into clicking the ads. When I asked about my site I did get a stock responce saying to ensure the ads had a visable border so it was obvious they were ads, so you may need to be careful on that count.

 

I was told by an adsense rep that the images next to ads were not violating their TOS but they strongly recommend that you place borders around the ads and images so people don't get confused... better safe than sorry... I bet their next TOS update will include something about this..

 

One could argue blending ads into your text and background colors would also be confusing.

 

the tiny images look really good. well done.

 

I have emailed Google this morning and i am awaiting a responce, as for CTR yes is does help but not much I just think that they look more appealing and they catch the visitors eye better than a bunch of text lost within the page.

It is nice to earn money from adds but we also have to remember the person that is placing these adds also. And if these images get them the visitors then that is great news for them.

 

Let us know how Google responsed to your query...

 

Hi have recieved a responce from google today regarding imagers near adds after reading it i am still unsure i would have prefured a yes or no to be honest but anyway here is their response:

Thanks for your email.

There is certainly the possibility of attributing "undue attention" to the
ads if the images placed above ads are misleading or seem to be directly
associated with the advertisers and their offerings. Because ads are
dynamic, publishers should be very careful not to place images that could
deceive users directly above the ads. Highly general "stock" images are
less likely to be deceptive than very specific images that suggest a
specific offering at the advertiser's site.

I would also encourage you to maintain a visible border around ad units if
you choose to experiment with placing images directly above the ad units.
While I realize that this may reduce the effectiveness of the technique,
it's important to strike a balance between the potential to overcome ad
blindness and the possibility of confusing users.

As you may know, the AdSense revenue you receive is based on the amount an
AdWords advertiser pays for each click on their Google ad. The amount the
advertiser pays varies per ad and from website to website, based on the
likelihood that a click will result in a conversion for the advertiser. If
we determine that clicks on a site are less likely to lead to business
results for an advertiser (e.g. online sale or registration), we reduce
the price that an advertiser will pay for those clicks.

If your site contains elements which increase the number of ad clicks
without increasing business results for the advertiser, the price of
clicks may be reduced on your site and your potential earnings may
decrease.

 

I'm really confused as to how they know the click converted. I use Adwords, I don't report conversions, nor is there any mechanism to do so. It almost sounds like language that's meant to motivate you much like me telling my kid that I'll take something away from him when he's bad.

Just my 2c....

J

 

There is a way to track conversions with adwords..... If you dont know which sales are coming from adwords, how do you know if your even making money from your campaign?

 

I knew I should have said "That I'm aware of". In any case, mind sharing?

Thanks

J

 

Check this out Jester -

https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=86

 

Thank you for the eye opener.

J