Forum Moderators: martinibuster
(1) It will tend to take clicks away from adsense ads as rather than click an ad which seems like it is related to what they are looking for, they may instead do a search for it.
(2) Search EPC is incredibly low, so low if I mentioned it you may not even believe it is so. Plus saying what it is violates G's TOS anyway. The first few days I assumed the very very low EPC was simply an error but it was not!
The good thing about Search is the CTR can be much higher than Adsense if used on sites well suited for it, but 5 times nothing is still nothing if you know what I mean!
To put it nicely, it would be a waste of your time to even tinker with websearch.
If you are really curious, try it for a week.
You will see what others are talking about.
After two weeks, I removed yesterday the search box. I can do something better with these thousands daily searchs (or do nothing and don't loose these visitors for a few dollars).
Now I can carry on deploying a free sitesearch as my site grows and I may get a couple of extra cents into the bargain. I've seen from my stats that most of my visitors don't actually click on the sponsored search results... they click through to other pages on my website. That's fine with me.
But I wouldn't describe it as a "money-maker", no.
is ANYONE still using it? And if so, why? You can get a site-search script for the great price of FREE from a myriad of respectable companies (I use Fluid Dynamics) so "I like having a search function" doesn't hold any water as an argument.
is ANYONE still using it? And if so, why? You can get a site-search script for the great price of FREE from a myriad of respectable companies (I use Fluid Dynamics) so "I like having a search function" doesn't hold any water as an argument.
Yes. As to why, see my posts in earlier threads on this topic.
Yes. As to why, see my posts in earlier threads on this topic.
I have never seen any arguement that makes any sense.
Keeping site search around is just foolish at this point.
I have done extensive testing with and without the box and its inclusion is net positive for my site.
M
Mike schmitz, are you really happy with your search income. Are you earning more than the 1 or 2 cents EPC which many others have reported at the forums, with some even making less than 1 cent a click according to his post? You sure must have a very high traffic site to be satisfied with that!
If that is what we got, you are right - that would sucketh.
m
Think of the search as "This page isnt what I was looking for" aid.
I do, but I just use my own search script with regular AdSense on the results pages and I make a lot more money than I did with WebSearch.
I had missed the change in TOS, permitting AdSense display on your own search results pages.
Err... yeah, so have I in that case. I thought AdSense was definitely banned from search pages?!
Right, I'm off to check the FAQ again.
<added>
9. Can I display ads on search results pages?
Google AdSense now will allow ads to be placed on search results pages through our Online AdSense Program.Alternatively, Google WebSearch plus AdSense for search offers publishers the opportunity to provide search to their users, and to earn money from Google ads served to the search results pages.
My italics.
Hmmm... I missed that one.
</added>
I do, but I just use my own search script with regular AdSense on the results pages and I make a lot more money than I did with WebSearch.
Right on, thats what I do and I make a ton more than I would with websearch.
Regular adsense on search pages was not busted, so no need to go and ruin it with websearch.........
I just think of WebSearch as an extra feature for my visitors, which allows them to search my website fast, not to make money. (a few extra cents, but nothing worth mentioning)
You could also use WebSearch on 404 (not found) pages.
Otherwise, it's really a waste of time I think.
Arno
The CTR is usually higher than regular AS ads, but the CPM averages only 2 cts! This is (almost) nothing, especially for sites which have average EPC of 10+ times higher.
I think you meant "the EPC averages only 2 cts." It's hard to imagine CPM (effective cost per thousand) being that low. (Two cents sounds awfully low even for EPC, which just goes to show that search revenues vary by topic.)
I just think of WebSearch as an extra feature for my visitors, which allows them to search my website fast, not to make money. (a few extra cents, but nothing worth mentioning)
That's a reasonable attitude if you don't get much search traffic. (Search represents less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the traffic on my site, for example, so being able to offer a familiar search tool to my users--most of whom find my site through Google--is hardly the financial sacrifice that some have made it out to be.)
You could also use WebSearch on 404 (not found) pages
That might be risky. See the "Ad Placement" section of the AdSense program policies, which contains the statement: "No Google ad may be placed on any non-content-based pages. This includes error, login, registration, 'thank you' or welcome pages."
I think you meant "the EPC averages only 2 cts." It's hard to imagine CPM (effective cost per thousand) being that low. (Two cents sounds awfully low even for EPC, which just goes to show that search revenues vary by topic.)
In my case, CPM is higher than U$ ,70 (the EPC is very low to me - not for google - but CTR is very high in anyway...can imagine how google earns with more popular search engine of web and higher EPC)
I just think of WebSearch as an extra feature for my visitors, which allows them to search my website fast, not to make money.
Your own search script along with regualr AdSense will provide the same feature for your visitors AND make some decent money for you.
Your own search script along with regualr AdSense will provide the same feature for your visitors AND make some decent money for you.
1) It won't provide the same feature. It will provide only a similar feature.
2) You won't make decent money unless you have a reasonable level of search traffic.
europeforvisitors, you might be right about the 404 pages. I don't feel like reading the TOS now, so don't know if this also applies to WebSearch?
As mentioned before, using your own search script with AdSense may be better, although you need a site which is fully searchable and script that's fast too, and the ads will probably be less well-targeted.
p.s. I don't know how to edit my previous post, can someone tell me why there's no "owner edit" icon, while I'm logged in?
You won't make decent money unless you have a reasonable level of search traffic.
You'll make more than with WebSearch regardless of the amount of traffic. $50 for 200 clicks is a lot better than $8 for $200 clicks (amounts fabricated to stay within the TOS).
It won't provide the same feature. It will provide only a similar feature.
True. WebSearch only returns pages that are indexed in Google where a true site search script returns all pages that match the query.
