Should I block good ads because of repetition?

(In an attempt to generate variety)

[farmboy]

I have a site that gets good targeted ads with AdSense and good results - although the results aren't nearly as good as when I first put up AdSense back when the program started.

I can click on an AdLinks display on the page and see that there are a number of appropriate ads available, but the same ads keep appearing on my site. I guess that's because the advertisers paying the most are having their ads displayed.

I've been considering blocking some of the good ads for a few weeks to see if the other ads will appear in their place and if my returning visitors will click on the "new" ads.

Is there any reason not to try this? Has anyone tried it?

FarmBoy

[GoldenHammer]

You may try anything except "..... I can click on an AdLinks display on the page and see that ..... "

Good luck .... :)

[21_blue]

Don't do it. You are potentially going to damage an equilibrium that is generating a reasonable income, possibly quite severe damage, and it may take you a long time to recover from it.

Don't do it. Given time, the Adsense bot finds the best ads for your site (apart from possible a few exceptions, but these will be 'poor ads' for one reason or another). It can take the Adsense bot quite a while - weeks, if not months - to get the best ads for your site. We have had some ads appearing on our site since the very beginning and we get good earnings from them.

Don't do it. Although you had higher earnings at the start, it is quite normal to drop from an initial high (this also happened to us) because of factors such as smartpricing and a change in the demand/supply equation.

By the way, did I make it clear that I don't think you should do it?

[thaidomain]

Thanks Goldenhammer for that reply. Over the past few years and quite a few times (though not daily) I have been clicking on Adlinks to see what ads where displayed (never clicking on the ads itself, of course). When rereading the terms of use I realize this is not allowed, and I realize now this possibly ups the impressions. It was an honest mistake, I thought I was doing no evil, just satisfying my curiosity. No more!

[Moglex]

Seems like a good thing to try.

If it doesn't work you can take the block off triple quick.

[Speculation]

The only reason not to try it is if you think the AdSense 'bots are going to throw a almighty strop when they see you are ignoring their choosings, and modify their algorithms to exclude the people you are blocking even if you take the block off.

Chances of that being the case: (aprox) 0.

[/Speculation]

[hunderdown]

I would advise against it too. There are ads that have been on my site for two years now. After a slow decline in spring/summer of 2004, when Smart Pricing was introduced, my monthly earnings have been moving up.

I would only consider it if you have clear evidence that most visitors -- say at least 75% -- to your site are return visitors. And if that's the case, then you have an unusual site, unless it's a forum.