Why is it so hard to convert on forums?

I can't get a click on the forum part of my site to save my life. I have tried so many different positions.

Whats working good right now?

 

Forum visitors are typically regular return visitors who become ad-blind. They just don't notice the ads and, besides, they are there to read and respond to posts, not clicking ads. Forums are difficult to make money on with Adsense.

 

The readers just don't see them anymore. It would work if you kept changing the color. Maybe worth trying.

 

Ditto to what the first two said. It's very hard to make money with forums. You'll need a HUGE amount of traffic to make any reasonable amount of money. You could try the changing color thing but I don't think it'll make that much difference.

 

for 3 years at DP I did not click on the ad even once

 

There are ads on DP? I never even noticed :-p

 

lol

exactly forum users become ad blind

 

Well,
Its all depend on your placement.

 

Its hard to get clicks on forums. Possibly cos of ad placements and colors. Also, forum users become used to the ads and hardly click. Anyways, try to test different colors and ad placements.

 

You can increase CTR with two rectangle ads underneath the menu bar but it also decreases your traffic because people get irritated with the navigation and having to scroll down. Anything over 1% CTR is hard to get on forums, and I know it all too well. I got 650,000 page views in the forum section of my site and that section brought in $300 bucks for March. If that gives you any idea.

 

me getting around 10 clicks per day per 6,000+ impressions on my celeb forum.

 

Look past PPC to monetize forum websites. You should make much more.

 

ok i got 77 out of 1/3 more traffic so you should be able to do a lot better than 10 clicks. I use text ads only very well blended with 0000FF as the link color code... i have one leaderboard as under the menu bar, tower left side (this tower does well). I also use link units which do ok... I think you need to try some experiments with channels if not all ready.

tendulkar2 I notice on your forums your menu ad disappears when you go to the threads? Can you change that so it still shows on the threads? I make sure 3 ad units show on every single page my visitors go to... the leader board ad in your threads sticks out with the white background, like it is out of place, can you blend it better? Consider a link unit at the top of your forums those tend to do well for me... just some suggestions

 

hi filipina,
thanks for your suggestion.I'll blend the leatherboard in the threads now and will add a link unit.thanks for your suggestion.

 

put your 760*60/90 banner below first post. allow text ads in it, you will be paid in PPC.
for other places select image ads you will be paid in PPM

 

it's a bit "nasty" but i've seen forum add google links into users signatures.

blend them in as sig links and they might have good CTR

 

I use CPM ads on my message board instead. Works out a LOT better.

 

Yeah, same as what the rest said it is very hard to make money via adsense or any PPC program on a forum. Your best bet to monetize your forum is to have paid advertising/CPM and/or offering your users a paid service....

Cheers ....
Gerald.

 

Try different ads placements. Try adding a link unit after the first post, like its here in DP.

 

The interesting thing about my forum is that there are hardly repeat visitors. It is this chemistry help site below. So the influx of new people is great and returnign low. they ask the question the leave