5 Tips for Increased CPC Ad Performance

I have something to tell you that you probably don’t want to hear.

Advertising isn’t a gold mine for most bloggers (unless you have hundreds of thousands of page views each month). Still, every little bit helps, and it probably is a revenue stream that will add to your blog’s value.

There are many different kinds of ads that you can place on your site – CPM, CPA, CPC, private ads, affiliate ads, and even more – and there are tricks to making each one work better.

For CPC (cost per click) ads like Google Adsense, you get paid each time a reader clicks the ad.

Sounds straightforward, doesn’t it?

It’s not.

Adding an outline to the ad space could increase or decrease its clicks. Moving the ad up or down on the page can make a big difference. The goal is always to make the ads more visible, more noticeable, so that readers click on them.

Having said that, don’t forget that your site is primarily for your readers. If your site is loaded with obtrusive, flashing distractions, you are going to annoy your readers. They are going to stop reading your content or read only through an RSS reader. They will trickle off.

A few weeks ago, Google shared this “heat map” showing typical ad spots and their average performance. The darker the image, the better an ad in that spot is expected to perform. In other words, darker colors mean more expected revenue.

5 Tips for Increased CPC Ad Performance

1. Move your ad up above the fold. Above the fold means that the ad is displayed in your browser without having to scroll down.
   
2. Move your ad to the spot just above your main content. Readers are already looking for your awesome content, so they will probably notice this ad block first.
3. Move your ad toward the nav bar. Readers scan the navigational menus, so they are likely to click ads here.
4. Move your ad toward the left. We read from left to right, so it’s natural that people will notice the ads on the left more than those on the right.
5. Move your ad to the spot immediately following your post. When your readers get to the end of your posts, they might wonder, “What next?” A very well targeted ad at the end of the post will give readers an option. (Note – I use a plugin to display related posts in this position.)

If you want to read more about the heat map and ad placement, visit the Google Adsense Help topic called where to place my Google ads.