internet marketing for small business - 6 Ways To Optimize Your Google Adsense Earnings

The introduction of Google Adsense has afforded many website businesses a free and easy way to generate passive income. Indeed for some internet businesses, Adsense income has become their main source of profit. Whether a source of supplemental or primary income... whether your business sells products or services... or nothing at all, there's a place for Google Adsense on your website.

The beauty of Google ads on your site are their relevancy to the content of your page. The match assures your visitors are presented with ads of specific interest to them. And Google chooses these relevant ads automatically for you. No time commitment on your part.

However, not all Adsense sites are created equal. While some web businesses earn hundreds of dollars daily in Adsense income alone, other similar businesses are earning pennies. So, how do we distinguish the good from the bad? How do we turn our penny-making Adsense dribble to a steady, lucraative passive income stream? Follow the proven tips below and you're guaranteed to see a significant jump in Adsense generated earnings.

Where to place your Google ads on your web pages will vary, depending on the content on those pages. Give some thought as to the purpose of your page, how it will be viewed, where user focus is apt to be. Then determine how to integrate your ads into this space to achieve a look that's clean, uncluttered and inviting.

Typically Adsense ads placed at the top of the page work well. Placing ads near rich content and close to navigational aids, places with more user focus, are also preferred. And although many frown upon placement at the bottom of your web page (below the fold), well-placed ads directly below rich editorial content, often has the effect of compelling users to click on these for more information.

Tip. If you employ other types of ads on your page, such as affiliate advertising, place them apart from your Google ads, so one type does not overpower the other.

Google Adsense offers a variety of ad formats for inclusion on your website. And the positioning decisions you make above, may dictate a preferred format for you.

However, as a rule, the wider ad formats tend to outperform the narrow vertical skyscraper fromats. Why? Studies show that readers absorb information several words at a time, in a horizontal fashion. Narrower ad units cause the reader to skip lines and shift focus, a distraction which may make the reader leave the ad altogether.

As a rule of thumb, wider ad formats tend to outperform their taller counterparts, due to their reader-friendly format. Readers absorb information in thought units (that is, several words at a time). The wider format lets them comfortably read more text at a glance without having to skip a line and return to the left margin every few words as they would be forced to do with a narrower ad. The wider ad format also lessens the likelihood of readers leaving the ad unit altogether.

The most effective Adsense formats, according to Google, are the 336x280 large rectangle, the 300x250 inline rectangle, and the 160x600 wide skyscraper. And if ad space is at a premium on your web page, use one of Google's streamlined link unit formats, which can fit in locations normal ads do not. In fact, I've seen websites where this format actually looks like menu items for the page. However, remember, these are just guidelines. Ads well-positioned for your particular site will always work best.

About The Author

Alan Richardson is a well-known internet consultant and publisher with http://www.optimalwebservices.com - a Web resource firm in North Easton, Massachusetts, offering free advice and information for web-based small businesses and entrepreneurs.

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