Channels

is this my only choice...?

[finer9]

Hoping you could give me some advice.

I have owned about 30 content sites for a long time...decent sites.

A while ago, I put AdSense code in all of them.

Recently, the network as a whole is doing well revenue wise, but I have NO clue which sites are doing the most.

I understand that I can create 30 channels, and add code to each of my sites.

Is that my ONLY choice? Even though the Google code is in each site already, they can't/won't tell me what sites are delivering more clicks?

Thanks for any help,

[loanuniverse]

Is that my ONLY choice?

Pretty much. And I think is only 20 channels so you might have to combine some sites.

[oldskool79]

There are a few 3rd party tracking scripts that you can use to track adsense. Most of them give you much more info than using channels.

Do a search on Google for "adsense tracker" and you'll turn up a few.

[loanuniverse]

Scripts are great, but the revenue information can only be gotten from Google. Trust me clicks from site A might be worth 1/10th of those of site B.

[ronin]

Google's intention behind the AdSense programme with regard to publishers is as a revenue generator to those who run editorial based sites.

You're supposed to put it on the page, tweak it a little bit occasionally and otherwise leave it, not endlessly analyse it. If it were possible some people would work out how to spam AdSense into oblivion. Your intentions and mine may be honourable, but not everybody's are.

The analysis tools are deliberately limited to prevent AdSense being destroyed by spammers. There is enough to work with.

(A couple of months ago we didn't even have channels).

[oldskool79]

You're supposed to put it on the page, tweak it a little bit occasionally and otherwise leave it, not endlessly analyse it.

Any intelligent webmaster is going to tweak and optimize adsense (within the TOS) so that it brings them the maximum amount of revenue. That is good for the webmaster and good for Google.

Any tool that helps you do this is extremely useful. If you want to just throw it on the page and take what you get you more than welcome to, but many of us know that with a little tweaking here and there you can increase your revenue.

In fact, just by changing my ad size a week ago I increased my CTR by 30% -- which brings me in a lot more money each month.

[finer9]

yah, its like saying 'don't worry, mind control is a good thing, it keeps you safe' heheh

[ronin]

many of us know that with a little tweaking here and there you can increase your revenue.

Absolutely. I'm all for optimising as much as I can within the limits that Google sets. I'm a lot happier with channels than I was before.

But as I said, if Google allows too much analysis, a couple of greedy short-termists will seek out loopholes and break the system.

Don't think it's possible?
Why doesn't Commission Junction do CPC anymore?

[jomaxx]

I can see how much you'd like to have reporting on at least a site-by-site basis. In fact, that's what I thought Google would eventually introduce. But for most people the channels model is a lot more flexible and a lot more useful.