May CPC - low?

[Webb]

After seeing an impressively good EPC in the last week of April, May seems to be starting quite slow. As I've read in other threads, a lot of you have experienced April's last week high EPC. My question is, are you experiencing a low EPC so far this month? For me, it's below the average of the last couple of months. Now it's $0.1x and even 100 clicks are sort of worthless.
It seems to me like Google is playing with their payout formula and "smart pricing" scheme all the time. I can't notice a trend at all. It keeps changing.

[ignatz]

FWIW, low for me too, although yesterday was good. probably like many others - I'm a bit over-exhausted trying to keep a pulse on changes. There are just too many variables... /me goes back to making content

[bresso]

Last week of April earnings were exceptionnally high. It's gone downhill from then: while my traffic has decreased by 1/3, I'm getting 7 times less :(

Also, CTR is jumping up and down on a scale of 1 to 5. Lately with their "improved targeting" I'm getting the lowest CTR I've ever had, and the lowest EPC ever too.

I can't understand how my traffic which was rated as excellent (as the EPC indicated) at the end of last month has become so worthless so quickly...

Just depressing :(

[4eyes]

Nope - high for me

May was approx 60% higher than March
April ramped up to May.

[Powdork]

Today is hitting a new low for me in CPC but CTR has been good. I have had the days where my CTR is high, CPC low. I have had days where CPC was outrageous and CTR was low. I have had days where they were both low. Sooner or later, statistically, won't I have to have days where they are both high?:(

OTOH, the lows are not quite as low as they used to be.

[Jenstar]

Mine is higher so far this month when compared to April.

[asp4bunnies]

After an abysmal April, suddenly I'm back to my pre-April levels (knock on wood) since this past Saturday. Where April earned X, March and (lately) May have both earned me 2.5X.

Also, I've noticed that the ads are targetting MUCH better than they were in April.

[iownjoo]

This month im earning about 1/7th of what I got last month. But the ads remain the same... Strange.

[Never_again]

Unlike many who have experienced a decline in CTR and EPC, our trend has been strong all year. No April problems for us. May is a different story. We have never had a stronger month. EPC are up almost 100% over any other month (we have been in the program since June 2003). CTR is also up, so our daily earnings have been super. Enjoying it while it lasts.

[howiejs]

EPC dropped again . . . can't figure it out - the adds remain the same - and the bid prices / advertisers are mostly the same .. .

[somerset]

Best month in every respect for me, covering 10 sites over all subjects. So much so, I'm going part time in my job in July. Adsense has proved to be reliable and steadily growing since launch for me.

I've found that because I have a wide range of subject matter I seem to be insulated from the ups and downs.

It's been interesting seeing which subjects are bringing in the insome.

[dazzlindonna]

May has turned my income from decent to almost nothing.

[irock]

Well, the first 11 days of May are excellent for me. But 12th of May is just disappointing... CPC fell below 40%.

[Freedom]

May EPC has been the best ever for me. 10 websites with diverse topics. I'm very happy.

[silent]

April 20-21st: Our CTR rate began dropping.
From then till now, steadily decreased CTR, and right now we are averaging 1/2 the CTR we have been consistently getting all year.

FACT: No changes to the site.
FACT: Our traffic has INCREASED 217% over the same period.
FACT: Our AdSense revenue decreased to 49.8% of its pre-April 21st consistent rate.
FACT: 3 emails to AdSense asking what exactly happened. 3 canned responses saying it must be our site, and that it's natural to have fluctuations in revenue.

BOGUS. This isn't a fluctuation. This is a downright consistent turn for the worst due to changes in their program. And, of course, there's little anyone can do about it. When I asked AdSense what we could do to increase the CTR and make (them and us!) more money, I got a canned response saying we should look on the AdSense site for suggestions...

My questions are these: how are publishers supposed to publish ads for a program that randomly changes its "rules" and payouts? All we ask for is a consistent ad platform. If we didn't make any changes to our site, its display of navigation, and its content and META stuff, then the resulting consistent decline in AdSense revenue must logically be a result of a change in THEIR program. And if they can't or won't explain changes in their program, how are publishers supposed to react to changes, and tailor the display and content of their sites to best maximize CTR and ad revenue?

my 2 cents. there, I feel better now... :)

[Powdork]

I agree that it sux, but they did tell us. The payout varies according to the likelyhood (history) of conversion through their tracking program. The problem I think lies in the fact that many niche sites are suited to sending people within their niche and Google displays the big picture. Here are what I think are some contributing factors.

My visitors don't want to go to travelocity, ORBITZ, or cheaptickets.

But they do because the ads are well written and the URLs are not visible.

They hit their back button (I hope).

The companies mentioned above participate in the tracking program. The companies that do benefit from my traffic are the local mom and pops that do not report conversions.

Of course the above is just conjecture. None of this would matter if Google would switch the ads away from those not converting to those that are or that don't report and then readjust as factors dictate.

[silent]

Powdork,

I agree with you about the payouts, however, my post was not really in regards to payouts, but to CTR. The payout has remained fairly consistent (dropped a litte); it is the CTR that has fallen off the face of the planet, and that's what bothers me. AdSense cannot explain what they changed to make such a dramatic and continuous drop in CTR happen to our site's conversion traffic.

We know we didn't change anything, and they admitted that they changed some things, but wouldn't say what.

My beef is that we don't know what AdSense is doing on their end to cause such a dramatic drop in CTR (or, if my suspicions are correct) a dramatic change in their reporting tools...which show the drop in clicks.

[nutsandbolts]

Lower than a Low thing from Lowville who has just won the annual Mr Low competition.

Looks like the guests at my wedding will be eating off plastic plates instead of the planned china....

[Powdork]

silent,
sorry 'bout that, I was going by the thread title. I would suggest you look into your new traffic and see if it is different from your old traffic. For instance I added a lot of traffic from photography directories which doubled my galleries' traffic. At the time I had adsense on the galleries and they got 0 clicks. Literally zero, after thousands of impressions. Could be something like that