Don’t you just hate it when someone comes along and spoils all the fun?
For a long time now I’ve been recommending that publishers put little images next to their AdSense units to draw users’ eyes. So if you were showing ads for televisions and cameras, then you could put pictures of televisions and cameras right next to the ad unit. Your unit would have all the eye-catching attention of a graphic ad without the off-putting problem of looking like a banner.
It was a great strategy. Lots of smart publishers used it and had great results.
In fact, it worked so well that Google has now banned it. Of course, not until after they had tested it themselves.
The problem, Google says, is that if users associate the image with the ad, they’ll click expecting to find something that might not be there. The advertiser pays to get a click from a user who only leaves disappointed.
You can still put ads on pages with images, but you can’t do it in any way “that could easily mislead or confuse your visitors.”
I still don't see where this is written in the terms of service, but you can read Google's blog entry here.
Like many of Google’s rules, that one clearly leaves plenty of room for interpretation. And the general rule for Google’s rules still stands: don’t give Google a reason to start interpreting whether or not you’re breaking the rules.
If you’ve got images close to your ads, it may be time to move them away. Honestly, I can't see Google closing someone's account over this. It's far more likely that you would receive an email from an AdSense team member asking you to make appropriate changes to your site.
Does that mean you’re going to see a drop in your CTR? If that strategy was ever worth its salt, then you will. So you’re going to have to do some more experimentation to get your CTR levels up again.
You’re going to have to play with placement. You’ll have try targeting different keywords. You’ll have to play again with different unit formats.
In short, you’re going to have to take another look at your Web pages to make sure that you’re still squeezing out every penny you can -- even without the images.
I know some people are going to be thinking that that doesn’t sound like fun at all. But I think this is an opportunity. It doesn’t pay to be complacent with your AdSense units. You should be checking your optimization every now and then to see if a different layout wouldn’t bring in more clicks.
If you’ve been putting images next to ads, now you’ve got no choice but to rethink your pages. And if you haven’t been using images to attract eyes, then this is a good time to take another look at how your ads are laid out.
What are your thoughts?
Post them here!
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
December 22, 2006 01:27 PM
where does it say in there policy that images are banned?
are images above the horizontal ok though?
December 22, 2006 01:37 PM
Enough already
Will someone please give us the rules of the game and leave it at that?
Thank God Google doesn't run the NFL, NCAA or NBA or we would all be watching bowling on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (no offense to bowlers)
December 22, 2006 01:59 PM
Thanks for the heads up Joel. You just may have saved my ... bacon.
December 22, 2006 02:00 PM
I'm overly tired of Google changing the rules just because people are stupid. I wish I could find out how to get a YPN account (have been trying for months) and/or MSN adcenter account, and dearly hope that Yahoo/MSN get on the ball with that, as I know for a fact there are folks fed up with the Google ad-hoc policy changes.
December 22, 2006 02:00 PM
(How) does this affect the Instant AdSense Templates?
December 22, 2006 02:23 PM
BOYCOT
What if everyone boycotted google for a time: and fought back against google's "I AM GOD" complex and hit them where it hurts?
Are you afraid of losing a few dollars?
Seems to me you are already by playing google's games.
Isn't it time we all took a stand against tyrany?
Where would the United States be today if they didn't????
December 22, 2006 02:39 PM
I can understand Google looking after their advertisers interests, but as per the previous comments, I feel that Google forget that it is WE as webmasters that build, finance, market and generally do all the work on OUR websites so that they can use them as a vehicle to line their already bulging pockets.
It's about time they decided what the rules were, and stuck to them - after all - the advertisers have a CHOICE on whether to advertise or not with Google adwords. Google needs to recognise that without people like us who get a very small cut on the deal over all (and getting smaller) - that they wouldn't be nearly so profitable if it wasn't for us doing all the work, and taking all the expense.
They also need to recognise that a large proportion of the webmasters carrying adsense on their websites are also advertisers with adwords!
December 22, 2006 03:10 PM
Looks like you're going to need to change your site. Your ad has an image right next to it!
December 22, 2006 03:50 PM
To answer a couple questions...
On this blog, the design element next to the AdSense ads do not serve to confuse or deceive the user. It is merely a design element and I don't believe this new term applies.
Regarding Instant AdSense templates, take it on a case-by-case basis. Some templates have images and some don't. At the very least, I would put a border around your ads to set them off from the images.
I am still highly skeptical that anyone will get an account closed over this and I have never heard of it happening.
Just be aware and if Google sends you an email, make the changes they require.
December 22, 2006 06:03 PM
Why do big companies like eBay and Google act as if they are the Boss? They make their own rules and order their kingdom to follow them or get be-headed...
The policy to remove images next to the adsense ads has really been a very unfriendly move for the publishers. And Google is very ambiguous in the policy.
They do not clearly say that "No, you cannot put any images next to or above your adsense ads" What they have laid down in the policy can be interpreted in so many different ways.
I asked googele if they can give me an example of what kind of images ARE allowed, they replied saying that they cannot tell me. Even that reply can be interpreted as "Sorry, we dont know" or "Sorry, we are not supposed to tell you. Go you find it out for yourself!"
I thought i had come up with a very innovative way to solve this problem. I put colored image blocks next to the ads. I didnt see anything wrong with it. It didnt mislead the visitors, and surely didnt confuse them. But big boss says that even putting colored blocks is a violation.
What i now understand is that ANY images next to your ad is violation. Any image, whether or not it misleads/confuses the visitor is a violation.
When google came up with the Horizontal link ads ( that looks like a menu ), doesnt that mislead the buyer thinking that its a link on the site? When google allows us to remove the border of any ad and "blend" it with our content, doesnt that mislead the buyers in thinking that the ad is a part of the content ?
When Google does it, its fair. When we do it, its unfair.
I have been earning more than $150 every day from my Google adsense websites (Thank you Joel, its all because of your Instant Adsense Templates), And my CTR is high as 400%. And this policy has come as a real kick-in-the-butt.
December 23, 2006 04:42 AM
Hi Joel Comm, thanks for all the info you have been marshalling out. They have been of tremenduous help, please keep it up. google will wake up one fine day and discover they've been left in the cold by all for inconsistency. Lest I forget Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
December 23, 2006 02:05 PM
Hi Joel,
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy new years.
Sincerely,
Daniela
December 25, 2006 02:12 AM
Dear sir. wishing you a merry christmas and a happy new year.
December 25, 2006 06:20 AM
Way too many of the people complaining have crappy scrapper style sites. They use SEO to trick visitors into coming by and then provide no real information. And then they whine.
January 4, 2007 07:30 PM
I'm experimenting with putting google image ads next to google text ads - so far the results haven't been that great. I'm going to try putting referral buttons next to text ads as well to see if that works.
I would like to see people post some alternative solutions here... :)
February 23, 2009 07:19 AM
When will YPN go global? its hightime for google to get a strong competitor.