An idea: sponsored link image

[dzcap]

Publishers may not label the ads with text other than "sponsored links" or "advertisements."

What about displaying an attention grabbing image with the text "sponsored links", anyone think this will increase CTR or is this prohibited?

[ann]

careful, you never know when a real live person may review your site.

[ArtistMike]

Try it and then ask Google to come and look at it.

[dzcap]

I mean using a static jpeg, not a flashing gif. The jpeg only have the text "sponsored links" and nothing else. I think this is basically the same as the image over ads method with a different type of image.

So are you guys telling me to try it and get banned or do you really mean try it and ask google?

[Prolific]

dzcap, it doesn't matter if it's text or an image - if it says anything that points out the ads you're gonna get yourself in trouble. My recommendation: don't do it.

I think you need to read the Adsense TOS a little more carefully.

[dzcap]

OK, just an idea anyway, guess I'll think of something else.

[ann]

My answer was in irony but don't do it. You are allowed sponsered links or the word advertisements over the ads but not so sure about a gif saying same thing. Wanting a gif would indicate you wanted some other text on it.

So if that is the case....don't do it.

Ann

[lammert]

What about displaying an attention grabbing image with the text "sponsored links"

I know one case where a publisher--no, it wasn't me--had such a GIF image above the ads (with slightly different text). Google wasn't amused so to say and after some email contact between AdSense and the publisher the image was replaced with something less attracting.

Having an image with text in it to point at the ads might be defined as cheating by Google because it could be seen as a way to hide the text for the bots. In fact it is a mild form of cloaking: the text is visible for the human visitors, but not by Googlebot and Mediabot.

[ronin]

[sigh]