"Change to ads about?" ad units

[sirkei]

Just noticed on my site that there is a "Change to ads about?" ad unit. This is not ad link and it is being displayed in my 300x300 rectangle ad unit.

Cheers.

[Zygoot]

Probably a Premium publisher.

[Jenstar]

They have been testing those since last year:

[webmasterworld.com...]

<added>It is not a Premium thing</added>

[Marketing Guy]

Noticed these today on my site too popping up infrequently - about once per 5 page views I would guess. CTR is up a fair bit, but too soon to tell really.

[schaap]

hey guys,

i was visiting my site and i noticed this in my ad block:

<snip>

A function on the left where you can choose the subject of the ads, or typ in a keyword, and it reloads to show corresponing ads.

Anybody had these?

Yvo

[edited by: Jenstar at 12:07 am (utc) on May 25, 2005]
[edit reason] Sorry, no screenshots please [/edit]

[Galtego]

I just started seeing these. In the smaller blocks - there is no search box - only "the change to ads about" section. On a reload of the page, the option went away.

[HitProf]

Yvo, you may want to remove your url ASAP befor a mod does.

[ddogg]

Dang I was just going to post a new thread about this. You guys are quick.

[beggers]

It looks like they're allowing people to add some tiny graphics to the text ads. Have you seen the ones with the little eBay logos attached to them? I started getting them a couple of days ago.

[icedowl]

I've been seeing this entry box as well as the little icons next to ads, and the blocks of "change to ads about" with a list of topics below it.

I feel like a guinea pig today. I suppose tomorrow I'll feel like a mouse in a maze.

[Nikke]

I have them on a new channel only, where the CTR hasn't picked up yet. I don't see these on any channels that have the Adlink block.

[berto]

I also saw the "change to ads about..." on one page, and it too was gone with a page refresh.

Very intriguing.

[sarcasm]I can't wait for the discussion to start[/sarcasm]: Is it okay for us to click on the "change to" links? (Much like the earlier discussions about whether it's okay to click on Ad Links links.)

[fischermx]

Like 3 months ago, I received a newletter from those "be rich in a month" sites, where they were showing this new feature.
I never heard again of them until now.

[miracle]

I also saw this for the first time today. Hope it brings in more clicks.

[annej]

Hmm, I would assume that they will keep them on pages where they bring in more profits and drop them if they don't. Kind of like they gradually decide which ads to show depending on which get clicked on.

[TampaLou]

I've seen the "Change to ads about:" on multiple sites in multiple ad layouts: both the 728 marquee and the 160 skyscraper. In one case the subject matter varied widely (from sleep products to Quentin Terrentino -- it was on one of my online commentary pages), while on another they were very similar (Radio Stations, Online Radio, etc.) With the 728 I believe the change to ads about came in the rightmost box; in the 160 it's in the top.

I notice in the 160 (which I'm looking at right now) that the font it slightly smaller for the text in all of the ads with the "change to ads about" skyscraper versus the ads in the 160 skyscraper above it. It's subtle, but noticable. The URL looks about the same, but the title and description look just a little bit smaller. Also I notice the simple "Ads by Google" for the "change to ads about" skyscraper. I don't recall how it looked on the 728, but perhaps they avoid the Gooooooogle on those ads with the "change to ads about".

Overall, I like it: if people are going to click to change the ads to something else, then odds are that they're going to potentially find something of interest and click through to see what it is.

[icedowl]

I'm currently looking at a "Change to ads about:" in a large rectangle. It's at the bottom, after 3 regular ads.

I've seen them at both the top and bottom of the 160x600 skyscraper, and at both the left and right in the 728x90 leaderboard.

Overall, it looks good.

[TheDonster]

These seem to be really great from what I've seen on my site. Targeting is bang on and they give the user a larger choice. The real advantage from my viewpoint is that they are similiar to an adlinks ad but the user can change the links while staying on the same page. So far they seem to have a higher ctr but that could very well be the novelty effect. It would be cool to see these as an option.

[tebrino]

I am just looking at one. Leaderboard with just one ad and "change to ads about". Interesting thing is that it shows same links as in Adlinks ad unit.

[xtreem]

Is this a new ad format? Im seeing a "Change to ads about" form in the place of one of my panels in a 4 panel ad unit. Which lets you change the ads, as well as let you type in a topic to display ads about.

Anyone else seeing this? Do you think its ok to click these 'ad topic changer' links? (I would suspect its ok). Would changing the topic of the ads be recorded and have an influence over the targetting of the ads in future?

It seems pretty neat anyway. Just thought Id see if anyone else is seeing it.

[Harry]

Just saw it. It's a cool feature that will probably encourage visitors to interact more with the ads, hence, make them less suspicious and more proactive. Should lead to better clickthrough.

Very cool feature.

[sailorjwd]

I'm seeing them too and my CTR and CPM are at the high end of normal.. I hope it is 'a good thing'.

[sailorjwd]

Now that I'm looking for them I can't find a single one! Google is tricky.

[2PACroatia]

i left window open with topics to change your ads..
then i calculeted with overture bids tool..to find out that highest paying Change Ads To is 4$ and lowest about 0.10
but i don't know if it's okey to click for the owner of the adsense account on this Change Ads To..

[martsd]

I just saw Adlinks in my leaderboard the first left one turned out to be Adlinks - which works within the Iframes - the users can choose between four keywords and when they click the remaining 3 Ads to the right change according to the keyword.

It was awesome! - Am I first one to notice it? - or am I the last one?

[ken_b]

I think they've been doing that for a while. It seems to me Jenstar commented on it in response to another post recently.

[martsd]

I knew I couldn't be the first - thanks! Ken_b

[JoaquinG]

i see one on mi site.

only one time.

[YesMom]

I changed the ads when I found one on my site... and also (no one has mentioned this!) there is a box to type in a search term and change ads to that term. It works very well.

I'd LOVE to see this on all my AdSense skyscrapers and leaderboards. It is a nice addition. Hopefully they will keep it.

[JoeS]

I don't understand the point of these change to ads.

They are asking a user to choose ads that they want to see? Why would a user care when they probably hate seeing the ads in the first place?