reading a few of the posts in here i implemented the very simple suggestion of adding images next to the google ads. See my results here: http://www.bibleplayer.com As you can see the top is lined up with ipod icons. They are related to the site (which sells my product and audio bible for the ipod) and do not violate the terms of services. Plus they look cute. My regular clickthrough was about 1%. this morning it went up to 3-4%. and the day is just beginning! Ill have to see how that affects my actual sales as i dont wnat people to click on my ads and leave and not see my product. Anyhow, if you're not using images next to google ads then you are not maximizing your ads potentials
id just like to ad that ive been reading that using images next to ads is sometimes okay and sometimes. hopefully google will give us (me) fair warning and i can change things. Someone said you can use arrows to draw attention to ads. and yet check this out: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/index.php?p=1820 those hand pointer icons clearly would go against this notion. sometimes i think google is more than happy to take the advertisers money and pay cents to the publisher, until the advertiser complains. shrug
Hello: The Adsense team will tell you it is forbidden to add any text or pics which draw attention to the ads. If I were you, I would email them and you will then have the proof you need. Try to start removing the pics, arrows, any words to draw attention to the ads. All I have done is blend the ad color to my page bg. The Adsense team has reviewed my site on my request twice and I pass. Here is the prob as I see it: you will start to get big checks, maybe really big ones, and the AS team will review your site and then bump you out of AS. Remember, they do not give a warning. The TOS is the warning and if you have questions, just email the AS team. This is the safest thing to do. They will email you with the answer in about 1-2 days. That is what I did. Now, as my earnings grow (yes, slowly...) I know I will not be banned. I hope I have helped so your site is not in danger of getting suddenly banned.
That's great for you, Joemama. Well done and hope it keeps on getting better for you. I don't see why you have started a new thread about it though as your comments and those of DP'ers who replied to you, are more useful in Critter's original thread...
congrats but I think (not sure) that it's a TOS violation. You should put a border to your imgs to distinguish them from the ads.
I wish good luck to you! But nevertheless I would like to recommend you the following thread about CPC and images: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=39157
joemama, you should try putting the ads right under the menu with the two horizontal rulers. This should give you an even higher click rate.
I too have wondered about this site with the pointers next to the Adsense - Google has a link pointing to this site so I am sure they know about it. Does any one know if this is allowed? After reading Critters amazing thread on having images near the Adsense I decided to test it for myself which had great results. I emailed the Adsense Team to give me the all clear they said I was violating the TOS - I decided to remove the images altogether. Best that you do tell them when you make changes - even if its something you or everyone else thinks is minor.
Do yourself a favor now and email google and ask them if it is 'ok' to do so. I posted my example site with the picture structure that you have as well, and I was told to put borders around my adsense. Currently, here is the site - www.dietdiscussions.com Before, I didn't have borders around the adsense..they told me to do so to not be in violation.
I had emailed google in the past regarding images next to adds and their reply was that you need to create a clear border that seperates the images from the adds therefore not misleading the viewer that the google link sells what image you are displaying. I have an exercise site and i placed various images next to the adds, such as treadmills, exercise bikes, and such like. google stated that the image did not represent the add as a treadmill next to an add displaying health food or an exercise book, mislead the viewer into believing that that the add would take them to a page or site that sold treadmills. As the text adds are random you can never garantee that the image will represent the add if you do place images next to adds then i would suggest that you make them as broad as possible hope this helps
So I guess the consensus is that you can place images near adsense ads - notably on top of them but with a border around them so the surfer doesn't get mislead.
Also... Google told me the images must be generic.. let me explain: Say you have pages talking about iPods and Mobile phones. Your ads are for iPods and mobile phones, but you have no control over which ones are ipods, which are mobile phones, and you get the odd generic mp3 site ad. .. and .. vs .. and .. An image of an iPod Nano above your ads would be BAD as the image is suggesting that the ad will take the user to a site about iPod Nanos, but that may not be the case, they may get a phone site, or creative Zen mp3 player. Also the user may click the ad under that sony phone, thinking they will get a page about that sony phone, it is more likely they will not find what they expect... Google does not like this as the visitor has been "mislead".. BAD However you could use a more generic photos, such as a woman listening to music, or a man on a phone. They would work just as well and there is much less chance of the visitor clicking an ad thinking they are getting one thing then getting another. Hope that is clear. As always, if in doubt, email G a link to your image/ad page and ask them if it is OK. Recently I made a site using the AdSense for search and made some changes to the generic code to change the way it functioned slightly. I emailed G as in the TOS it says you can not change the code, explained that my changes were mostly cosmetic, and within 2 days they emailed back with a big "the adjustments you have made.............are both acceptable" and ".... we appreciate you emailing us before going ahead with your site....."
well i mail to google and that mail me back that i can't use the images over ads with my google ads, no things that could put the attention to ads so i remove the images
It depends how you interpret what they say about being careful developing any website design, in order to avoid confusing users, etc. For example, AdSenseAdvisor said: