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reikiman
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Location: Mountain View, CA
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 Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:38 pm Post subject: Report on the Google Adsense Bay Area Forum |
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Last night Google hosted a meeting with about 75 Adsense users (publishers) in the Bay Area. I live less than 2 miles from Googles headquarters, and was able to attend.
I took a bunch of notes and just finished writing them up:
http://web-building.7gen.com/income/adsense-forum-2005-03.html
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mdmsports
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 87
Location: New Jersey, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:37 am Post subject: |
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That was an awesome report, thanks for taking the time to write it and post it.
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netadventures
Joined: 27 Jun 2004
Posts: 135
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:58 am Post subject: |
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David,
Thanks so much for that awesome report. I wish I could have been there, but your report was definitely a great alternative.
Actually ... California. It's snowing where I am. Yes, I definitely wish I could have been there. 
Thanks again,
BJ
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Tanya T.
Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 80
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 1:51 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the great notes! 
May I ask you something? When Cheng Wu was talking about blending the ads into the content how did Google guys react? Did they agree that it is an all right thing to do?
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reikiman
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Location: Mountain View, CA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Tanya T. wrote: | Thanks for the great notes!
May I ask you something? When Cheng Wu was talking about blending the ads into the content how did Google guys react? Did they agree that it is an all right thing to do? |
Yes, they did. When he used the word "trick" nobody flinched an eye.
Which is interesting because in the Google Precepts one of them talks about not trying to influence your visitors to click on the advertising. But they were concerned about blatant stuff like "SUPPORT ME BY CLICK ON ADVERTISING" (e.g. like the "donate via paypal" buttons you see on some sites).
What Cheng Wu talked about, and for that matter Chris Prillo was on the same wavelength exactly, is I think in alignment with Google's desire. Namely, for the act of clicking on an Adsense link to be natural. Which I think comes back to their virtuous circle of acting to assist every stakeholder. The publisher wants clicks, and the advertiser wants sales, and the reader wants good information.
If the publisher were to connive their readers into clicking a) the advertiser wouldn't get sales and b) the reader wouldn't get good information.
If the publisher were to simply place the advertising in place, and nothing more, then a) the readers are at full choice to click on the ads, and b) the advertisers are receiving people who are more likely to buy.
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Lupi
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
Posts: 10
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for this very informative article! Is the Bay Area Forum held regularly? |
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Tanya T.
Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 80
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:47 am Post subject: |
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That is nice to know that Google is OK with us blending the ads with the content. I was worried they might not like the idea too much. But you are right, it is money for them and sales for the advertisers, so everybody is happy
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Bobby
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 764
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:48 am Post subject: |
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Reikiman,
I read another account of that Google meeting and it indicated they had some type of graphic that showed which page layout/positioning generated the most clickthroughs.
Do you recall what was presented?
Thanks,
Bobby |
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reikiman
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Location: Mountain View, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:04 am Post subject: |
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Yes, there was some handouts one of which was a "heatmap" showing the general location on the page for ad units, and the frequency of them being clicked on.
I recycled the handouts - but as I recall the heatmap, the hottest sections were in the middle of the page rather than at the edges.
This correlates with the claims by the presenters, that putting the ad units with the body of the content greatly increases clickthrough rates.
I've been experimenting - my general design were to put the ad units in a column on the right hand side of the page. On two sites I've moved the ad units into the body of the pages, interspersed with the text. I'm seeing double the clickthrough rate.
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Bobby
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 764
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:48 am Post subject: |
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| reikiman wrote: | | ...the hottest sections were in the middle of the page rather than at the edges. |
Do you mean the vertical middle of the page as opposed to the horizontal?
| Quote: | | I've been experimenting - my general design were to put the ad units in a column on the right hand side of the page. On two sites I've moved the ad units into the body of the pages, interspersed with the text. I'm seeing double the clickthrough rate. |
I've had that same experience on some pages. But I've also had some pages where I went back to the right hand side vertical column.
By the way, "Ad Links" are performing very well for me.
Bobby |
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reikiman
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Location: Mountain View, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:59 am Post subject: |
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| Bobby wrote: | | reikiman wrote: | | ...the hottest sections were in the middle of the page rather than at the edges. |
Do you mean the vertical middle of the page as opposed to the horizontal?
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What I mean is ... er.. both.
They had the boxes aligned in the typical page layout. A rectangle at the top for a masthead, a rectangle at the bottom for a footer, rectangles on the left and right for navigation, and rectangles between that. But the diagram didn't have labels, they were just rectangles. But, you know, the typical page layout is what I said, right?
The hottest were a little ways down from the top, and in the middle portion (horizontally speaking) ... but there was some hot sections elsewhere, like I think along the lefthand side.
Hope this helps.
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tsinoy
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:26 am Post subject: |
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hey reikiman,
I didn't know there was one, is this by invitation only? I live only few miles away I should have attended... anyways... awesome report!
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reikiman
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Location: Mountain View, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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Right, it was invitation only. I have no idea how they selected participants. It certainly was a great experience, too.
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Bobby
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 764
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| Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| reikiman wrote: | | Right, it was invitation only. I have no idea how they selected participants. |
You missed an opportunity there Reikiman.
You should have just said, "Google selected the smartest, best-looking publishers and invited them to the forum"
Bobby  |
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Charlie
Joined: 22 Aug 2003
Posts: 3305
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:19 am Post subject: |
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| Bobby wrote: | You missed an opportunity there Reikiman.
You should have just said, "Google selected the smartest, best-looking publishers and invited them to the forum" |
Perhaps they missed an opportunity too...
If they'd used those words in the invitation, perhaps more of us would have turned up.
Just a thought,
Charlie.
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