Last week, in the first half of our series designed to help you better understand your earnings, we introduced you to the ad auction for AdSense for content. To recap, eligible ads compete to appear on your pages; our ad auction determines which ads show, and how much you can potentially earn from them.
Now, let's talk about smart pricing, a tool designed to help advertisers bid efficiently and effectively on many publishers' ad auctions at once. Our Chief Economist, Hal Varian, explains the purpose of smart pricing, how it plays a role in the ad auction, and how it benefits the entire advertising ecosystem of publishers, advertisers, and users.
Although we aren't able to provide detailed explanations of our algorithms, we'd like to address a common misconception and show that smart pricing isn't intended to be a 'punishment' for publishers. It's designed to increase advertiser confidence in AdSense sites by helping them set more accurate bids that reflect the business results they're looking for. This then allows advertisers to increase their maximum bids, which ultimately helps publishers earn more in the long run.
We'll let Hal explain the concept of smart pricing in more detail:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1BaOMqcyQY
Finally, we'd like to take a moment to address some of the questions we've received about the relationship between smart pricing and the AdSense for content revenue share. Smart pricing can impact which ad wins an auction for a particular content page. However, since the revenue share is fixed for all publishers, smart pricing doesn't impact the percentage you actually earn for a valid click. Any changes to advertiser bids as a result of smart pricing will proportionately affect the amount both Google and the publisher earn.
Thanks for following our two-part earnings series. We hope you found the content useful, and that you now have a better understanding of the factors that influence your earnings.
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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/30/2010 09:54:00 AM --
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
[Inside AdSense] Learn AdSense optimization techniques with our new video series
Did you know that a simple change like enabling both text and image ads can boost your eCPM and revenue? Or that a 300x250 medium rectangle typically performs much better in terms of revenue than a 250x250 square? Or that widening an AdSense search box can double the number of queries performed on your site, leading to higher earnings? If you didn't, don't sweat it -- the AdSense team and I have come up with a list of six top optimization tips and best practices that can help you earn more quickly.
Many of our publishers' sites and accounts aren't fully optimized for AdSense, which means that they're not earning as much as they potentially could. In these AdSense optimization videos, we walk you through some of the top optimization techniques and explain why they're helpful in boosting your eCPM and revenue. Incorporating these techniques into your website and AdSense ad layout can help you monetize your traffic like never before!
In the six-part video series, we talk about how to:
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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/28/2010 10:22:00 AM --
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Many of our publishers' sites and accounts aren't fully optimized for AdSense, which means that they're not earning as much as they potentially could. In these AdSense optimization videos, we walk you through some of the top optimization techniques and explain why they're helpful in boosting your eCPM and revenue. Incorporating these techniques into your website and AdSense ad layout can help you monetize your traffic like never before!
In the six-part video series, we talk about how to:
- Upgrade to high-performing units
- Monetize more content
- Optimize search box placement
- Opt-in to text and image ads
- Use link units
- Opt-in to placement targeting
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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/28/2010 10:22:00 AM --
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Thursday, September 23, 2010
[Inside AdSense] Insight into your earnings Part I: Explaining the ad auction
"Why do I earn more money from some ads and less from others? Why do my AdSense for content earnings vary from day to day, or week to week?"
If you've asked yourself questions like these before, you're not alone -- we often hear from publishers that they're unsure of how earnings are calculated and why their earnings fluctuate. As part of our efforts to be more transparent with publishers, we're kicking off a two-part series to help explain these topics. With the help of Hal Varian, the Chief Economist here at Google, we'll show you how ads are targeted to your pages, priced by the ad auction, and translated into the earnings you receive.
Today, Hal will introduce you to the ad auction for AdSense for content ads, and explain both what it's for and how it works. Like a traditional auction, advertisers bid in our ad auction to show ads on your pages. The number and price of ads in the auction changes from moment to moment, based on how much advertisers are willing to spend and how they've set up their ad campaigns -- this is why we call our auction 'dynamic,' as these factors can then affect how much you earn.
If you're ready to learn more about the ad auction and how specific prices are calculated, watch the video below and visit our Help Center.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vWp2-QMOz0
So what can you do as a publisher to ensure you're maximizing your earnings? Here are some tried-and-true tips to increase the amount of competition among advertisers in the ad auction for your pages.
That's it for today. In Part II of our series, we'll discuss how smart pricing affects advertiser bids in the ad auction, and clear up some myths about how it works.
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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/23/2010 09:36:00 AM --
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If you've asked yourself questions like these before, you're not alone -- we often hear from publishers that they're unsure of how earnings are calculated and why their earnings fluctuate. As part of our efforts to be more transparent with publishers, we're kicking off a two-part series to help explain these topics. With the help of Hal Varian, the Chief Economist here at Google, we'll show you how ads are targeted to your pages, priced by the ad auction, and translated into the earnings you receive.
Today, Hal will introduce you to the ad auction for AdSense for content ads, and explain both what it's for and how it works. Like a traditional auction, advertisers bid in our ad auction to show ads on your pages. The number and price of ads in the auction changes from moment to moment, based on how much advertisers are willing to spend and how they've set up their ad campaigns -- this is why we call our auction 'dynamic,' as these factors can then affect how much you earn.
If you're ready to learn more about the ad auction and how specific prices are calculated, watch the video below and visit our Help Center.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vWp2-QMOz0
So what can you do as a publisher to ensure you're maximizing your earnings? Here are some tried-and-true tips to increase the amount of competition among advertisers in the ad auction for your pages.
- Keep creating high-quality sites full of original content to attract more advertisers, and use Google Analytics to see which content is generating revenue.
- Try adding popular advertiser formats such as the 300x250 medium rectangle to your pages.
- Turn your channels into targetable ad placements to help advertisers identify and target premium locations on your pages.
- Experiment to find the optimal locations for your ads, while making sure that your layouts won't generate accidental clicks.
- Help advertisers find your sites by claiming them in Ad Planner. You can add descriptions and categories that describe your content, which will help increase the visibility of your ad units to interested advertisers.
That's it for today. In Part II of our series, we'll discuss how smart pricing affects advertiser bids in the ad auction, and clear up some myths about how it works.
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/23/2010 09:36:00 AM --
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
[Inside AdSense] Join the conversation: Getting to know our Top Contributors
As we mentioned in our post last week, we're working on ways to introduce you to our Top Contributors to the help forum. A Top Contributor (TC) for over a year, Gracey tells us about why she became a TC, shares some of her experiences as an AdSense publisher, and provides some tips for all of you. We hope you enjoy getting to know her, and continue to visit the help forum with any questions you may have!
What does it mean to be a Top Contributor (TC), and what do you like about it?
Being a TC gives me the ability to call on an AdSense Pro to help out someone who really needs help; for me, that's one of the main reasons I accepted the invitation. The other thing I really enjoy about being a TC is the ability to call on other TCs for help when a situation has me stumped. All of the TCs are good people, each with different areas of expertise. I believe in 'paying it forward' or the old adage 'what goes around, comes around,' so in helping others, I believe that someday when I need help, there will be someone there to help me.
What it doesn't mean is that I'm any smarter than the next publisher -- most of what I know came from the AdSense Help Center and from my own experiences, and these are things any publisher or volunteer in the help forum can learn. I like that being a TC, I learn something new every day. Helping others to resolve issues often means searching for answers I don't already have.
Being a TC also doesn't mean that any of my sites are exempt from being disabled. Just like any other publisher, my sites must meet quality standards and follow all the AdSense program policies and Webmaster Guidelines.
Are you a Google employee?
No, I'm not employed by Google in any capacity. I'm simply a publisher -- one who ran into her own problems a while back and came to the help forum for guidance. I stuck around the forum because I started learning things that I didn't know before.
What is your experience like as a publisher?
I've been an AdSense publisher since 2005. I have about 13 blogs and 3 websites, with AdSense ads displayed on only two of my blogs and one of my websites. I'm careful to only use AdSense on sites I feel would be acceptable to AdWords advertisers. It's important to me to maintain the quality of my sites, and at this point in time my schedule is busy enough that I can only reasonably maintain 3 or 4 of my sites on a regular basis. One of my sites (without AdSense ads on it because it's about AdSense and Blogger) has been helpful for many new publishers.
What's the most important piece of advice you can give a new publisher to help them make the most of AdSense?
I think the most important thing new publishers can do for themselves is read. Read everything available in the Help Center that relates to the products you are going to use, and do that before putting ads all over your website.
One other thing I'd tell a new publisher is to ask for clarification in the help forum when he or she doesn't understand the meaning of a policy. AdSense provides a great deal of information to help publishers, but many of them run full tilt to the ad code and never look back at the policies and guidelines.
How can publishers best utilize AdSense for content?
AdSense for content requires some work and diligence. Rather than just grabbing ad codes and plastering them wherever you can on a site, take the time to set up test ads on your site pages. Setting up a different ad size, format, or color combination on various pages throughout your site can help you discover the ones that may be the most effective for you. Use custom channels for each ad on each page during this simple test and give it some time. After a month or so, when you view the reports for each of these ads you should have a good idea of what ad formats and colors work best on your site.
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/21/2010 01:20:00 PM --
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What does it mean to be a Top Contributor (TC), and what do you like about it?
Being a TC gives me the ability to call on an AdSense Pro to help out someone who really needs help; for me, that's one of the main reasons I accepted the invitation. The other thing I really enjoy about being a TC is the ability to call on other TCs for help when a situation has me stumped. All of the TCs are good people, each with different areas of expertise. I believe in 'paying it forward' or the old adage 'what goes around, comes around,' so in helping others, I believe that someday when I need help, there will be someone there to help me.
What it doesn't mean is that I'm any smarter than the next publisher -- most of what I know came from the AdSense Help Center and from my own experiences, and these are things any publisher or volunteer in the help forum can learn. I like that being a TC, I learn something new every day. Helping others to resolve issues often means searching for answers I don't already have.
Being a TC also doesn't mean that any of my sites are exempt from being disabled. Just like any other publisher, my sites must meet quality standards and follow all the AdSense program policies and Webmaster Guidelines.
Are you a Google employee?
No, I'm not employed by Google in any capacity. I'm simply a publisher -- one who ran into her own problems a while back and came to the help forum for guidance. I stuck around the forum because I started learning things that I didn't know before.
What is your experience like as a publisher?
I've been an AdSense publisher since 2005. I have about 13 blogs and 3 websites, with AdSense ads displayed on only two of my blogs and one of my websites. I'm careful to only use AdSense on sites I feel would be acceptable to AdWords advertisers. It's important to me to maintain the quality of my sites, and at this point in time my schedule is busy enough that I can only reasonably maintain 3 or 4 of my sites on a regular basis. One of my sites (without AdSense ads on it because it's about AdSense and Blogger) has been helpful for many new publishers.
What's the most important piece of advice you can give a new publisher to help them make the most of AdSense?
I think the most important thing new publishers can do for themselves is read. Read everything available in the Help Center that relates to the products you are going to use, and do that before putting ads all over your website.
One other thing I'd tell a new publisher is to ask for clarification in the help forum when he or she doesn't understand the meaning of a policy. AdSense provides a great deal of information to help publishers, but many of them run full tilt to the ad code and never look back at the policies and guidelines.
How can publishers best utilize AdSense for content?
AdSense for content requires some work and diligence. Rather than just grabbing ad codes and plastering them wherever you can on a site, take the time to set up test ads on your site pages. Setting up a different ad size, format, or color combination on various pages throughout your site can help you discover the ones that may be the most effective for you. Use custom channels for each ad on each page during this simple test and give it some time. After a month or so, when you view the reports for each of these ads you should have a good idea of what ad formats and colors work best on your site.
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/21/2010 01:20:00 PM --
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Monday, September 20, 2010
[Inside AdSense] Introducing themed ads in Custom Search
Last year, we took a big step forward in improving customization of the look and feel of results by providing plug-n-play themes in the Custom Search Element. This enabled you to choose from among a palette of predefined styles. You can find a style that matches your website and start using search, or further customize the style if you like.
We're taking themes one step further. Each theme now has ads displayed with a look and feel that match the overall style used for the search results.
The result is harmony between search results and ads, which we think makes for a great user experience. The following screenshots show search results and ads for three different themes: espresso, minimalist and green sky.
We hope you agree that your visitors will enjoy themed ads. As always, be sure to send us your feedback.
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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/20/2010 12:50:00 PM --
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We're taking themes one step further. Each theme now has ads displayed with a look and feel that match the overall style used for the search results.
The result is harmony between search results and ads, which we think makes for a great user experience. The following screenshots show search results and ads for three different themes: espresso, minimalist and green sky.
We hope you agree that your visitors will enjoy themed ads. As always, be sure to send us your feedback.
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/20/2010 12:50:00 PM --
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Thursday, September 16, 2010
[Inside AdSense] Supplement your AdSense earnings with Google Affiliate Network
Many publishers are very good at recommending just the right stuff for their users. We love seeing influential publishers in all genres — from foodies to techies to moms to shopping experts — delight users by giving them access to products and services that they believe in. When these trusted publishers recommend a book, a gadget, or a new perfume, their audiences are very likely to follow.
Have you ever wondered if your users buy the products you recommend? Have you wished you could be rewarded for driving sales and conversions? You can. With Google Affiliate Network, publishers can access cost-per-action (CPA) or affiliate ads. This means that you can start working with advertisers who will pay you a performance fee for driving a sale or other conversion. Many AdSense publishers have already started using Google Affiliate Network to complement their AdSense ads and earn additional revenue.
Here's how to get started:
How are Google Affiliate Network ads different from the ads I serve through Google AdSense?
Affiliate programs are not ad units or campaigns; they are ongoing programs that allow advertisers to reward publishers (or "affiliate partners") for driving sales or conversions. While your AdSense ads are automatically targeted, you will select which Google Affiliate Network advertiser programs to join and then choose which affiliate ads to add to your site.
Can I promote my Google Affiliate Network ads?
You may promote Google Affiliate Network ads on your site. If you endorse the product that you are referring, feel free to let your users know. By adding your personal review of the products you refer, you can help your users make more informed choices.
Note that you may not promote or call attention to AdSense ads in the same way. Learn more about important differences between CPC and CPA ads that explain the reasoning behind these separate policies.
What kinds of advertisers are in the Google Affiliate Network?
We have a diverse range of advertisers who run successful affiliate programs through our network. Just a few examples include Target, Barnes and Noble.com, Blue Nile, Aéropostale, and Wedding Channel Store (The Knot).
Is this available for publishers outside the United States?
Yes, publishers in all countries supported by AdSense are eligible. However, the majority of advertisers in the Google Affiliate Network are currently focused on the US market.
How do I get paid?
If you've earned at least the minimum commission, you'll receive consolidated payments through your Google AdSense account.
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/16/2010 10:10:00 AM --
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Have you ever wondered if your users buy the products you recommend? Have you wished you could be rewarded for driving sales and conversions? You can. With Google Affiliate Network, publishers can access cost-per-action (CPA) or affiliate ads. This means that you can start working with advertisers who will pay you a performance fee for driving a sale or other conversion. Many AdSense publishers have already started using Google Affiliate Network to complement their AdSense ads and earn additional revenue.
- Sign up for a Google Affiliate Network account with your AdSense Publisher ID.
- As you soon as you're approved for Google Affiliate Network, sign in and apply for advertiser programs.
- Follow the instructions to start displaying cost-per-action ads.
How are Google Affiliate Network ads different from the ads I serve through Google AdSense?
Affiliate programs are not ad units or campaigns; they are ongoing programs that allow advertisers to reward publishers (or "affiliate partners") for driving sales or conversions. While your AdSense ads are automatically targeted, you will select which Google Affiliate Network advertiser programs to join and then choose which affiliate ads to add to your site.
Can I promote my Google Affiliate Network ads?
You may promote Google Affiliate Network ads on your site. If you endorse the product that you are referring, feel free to let your users know. By adding your personal review of the products you refer, you can help your users make more informed choices.
Note that you may not promote or call attention to AdSense ads in the same way. Learn more about important differences between CPC and CPA ads that explain the reasoning behind these separate policies.
What kinds of advertisers are in the Google Affiliate Network?
We have a diverse range of advertisers who run successful affiliate programs through our network. Just a few examples include Target, Barnes and Noble.com, Blue Nile, Aéropostale, and Wedding Channel Store (The Knot).
Is this available for publishers outside the United States?
Yes, publishers in all countries supported by AdSense are eligible. However, the majority of advertisers in the Google Affiliate Network are currently focused on the US market.
How do I get paid?
If you've earned at least the minimum commission, you'll receive consolidated payments through your Google AdSense account.
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/16/2010 10:10:00 AM --
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Monday, September 13, 2010
[Inside AdSense] Join the conversation: Visit the AdSense forum
If you've ever had a question about your AdSense account, you've likely visited our Help forum, a virtual meeting place where a community of publishers, advertisers, AdSense experts, and Google employees convene to discuss all things AdSense.
If you browse through the discussions, you'll notice replies from Google employees and non-Google contributors who are passionate AdSense publishers and experts. We rely on all of you to keep the conversations lively, providing each other with information that ensures the forum is a fantastic place for you to interact, troubleshoot, and learn from one another.
You'll also notice some posts from our Top Contributors. Top Contributors are the rock star volunteers of the forum who regularly help their fellow forum members by answering questions and providing product expertise. We trust our Top Contributors to give you top quality advice; in fact, the Top Contributors teach us new things almost every day! From optimizations to tuna fishing, they know a lot, and we're working on ways to introduce some of them to you in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we encourage you take a look through the current forum discussions and join the conversation!
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/13/2010 01:10:00 PM --
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If you browse through the discussions, you'll notice replies from Google employees and non-Google contributors who are passionate AdSense publishers and experts. We rely on all of you to keep the conversations lively, providing each other with information that ensures the forum is a fantastic place for you to interact, troubleshoot, and learn from one another.
You'll also notice some posts from our Top Contributors. Top Contributors are the rock star volunteers of the forum who regularly help their fellow forum members by answering questions and providing product expertise. We trust our Top Contributors to give you top quality advice; in fact, the Top Contributors teach us new things almost every day! From optimizations to tuna fishing, they know a lot, and we're working on ways to introduce some of them to you in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we encourage you take a look through the current forum discussions and join the conversation!
--
Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/13/2010 01:10:00 PM --
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010
[Inside AdSense] IAB's Long Tail Alliance AdSense webinar
To keep you updated with the latest industry news, insights, and best practices, we'd like to let you know about an upcoming educational opportunity held in partnership with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
On September 14, 2010, the Google AdSense team will be co-hosting a webinar with the IAB Long Tail Alliance to cover "What You Need to Know about AdSense." Members from the AdSense team will cover tips and best practices to help you maximize your AdSense revenue.
Click here to register for the webinar.
If you'd like access to future IAB Long Tail Alliance seminars and events, you can become an IAB Long Tail Alliance member. Membership provides you with access to an ongoing series of web seminars, resources, and events that are all specifically designed for small and growing publishers. Register using the promotional code GOOGLELTA to receive $100 off the price of a membership.
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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 9/08/2010 09:45:00 AM --
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