Changing a layout really can reap dividends

[stuartmcdonald]

Partly as a result of this thread:
[webmasterworld.com...]

I reorganised the adsense layout on one portion of my site -- the results after one week with the new format were very encouraging and I thought I'd pass them on.

Previous layout of the main content had been very conventional (nav runs down the right side):

Adsense banner (728*90)
------
800 words of content (includes pics)
------
Adsense banner 468*60

I removed the top banner totally and instead added a 250*300 box after the first paragraph in the body of the 800 words, with the text wrapping around the adsense advert. I retained the 468*60 listing at the base of the page, folowing the logic that users finish the story and perhaps click out.

Clickthrough rate increased by 95%, eCPM by 65% -- both have moved from what I'd consider to be average levels to well above average.

I expected an increase in CTR as I'd been reading for ages that the boxes stuck in the middle of text had good results -- in the past I had resisted making the change because the 728*90 was earning good money as it was.

It wasn't till I read the thread mentioned above that I realised by ditching the 728 and adding the box the best paying ads would filter down into a format that historically gets a better CTR. Google could really do well by making that information clearer on the Adsense site.

The end result has been in excess of a 60% increase in income for this particular section of the site -- and that increase with the Easter weekend in the middle of it...

No, the site isn't about easter eggs ;-)

[david_uk]

I take it you mean that your ads are the same, but instead of being on top of the page you are getting them mixed up with the content instead?

My site has the branding banner at the top, the menu on the left and a large rectangle basically in the centre of the page with the text wrapped around it. It's been this way for a very long time, and the results are very good.

Interestingly, I was asked by one of the ads I see regularly in that box to host his banner at the top of the page exclusive UK advertising, replacing my branding banner. I do pretty well out of that ad on a cpm basis. He is still using adsense as well. I think that the number of clicks he is getting from the adsense block is a lot higher due to the positioning and layout. He's getting a ctr of about 1-2% out of the banner at the top, and if he's getting the average ctr of the adsense banner then he's deffinitely doing better :) So the moral of this is that positioning the ad block within text as opposed to a banner deffinitely works!

[stuartmcdonald]

Yes that's right - I agree totally

[crick]

I currently have a 250*250 in the content wrapped around by text and a large square at the bottom. I am thinking about removing the 250*250 with a large square (the only problem is that it takes about 80-85% of the width of the content area) and switching the large square with a 460*90. I think on shorter articles, I will just have one block within the content.

I want to replace the 250*250 because often there are only two ads as opposed three and the the font of the ads become too large.

[Pedent]

I recently made roughly the opposite change to that described in the original post, taking a square out of my content and replacing it with a skyscraper on the right. CTR dropped a little, as expected, but pageviews went up enough to almost compensate. I don't think my visitors like in-your-face advertising.

[Rodney]

Interestingly, I was asked by one of the ads I see regularly in that box to host his banner at the top of the page exclusive UK advertising, replacing my branding banner. I do pretty well out of that ad on a cpm basis. He is still using adsense as well.

This was exactly the arguement I was trying to make when the "Advertise on this Site" link was introduced.

It doesn't necessarily have to take away earnings, in fact it can do jus the opposite. Advertisers are looking for quality sites to advertise on and get as much exposure as possible. Many will do BOTH adsense and ads directly with you.

[BillyS]

Made this change this evening... From:

Top banner with 2 righthand skyscrapers to

Top banner, 1 righthand skyscraper and a bottom banner

I'll test for a week or so.

[wfernley]

I made the exact same change as Pedent.

My earnings are about average from before.

My CTR increased because my Impressions went down but my CPC went up which averaged it out.

[Tearabite]

Is there any consensus on if RIGHT side or LEFT side skyscrapers peform better?
I've read that since everyone reads left-->right, and since users are accustomed to nav menus on the left, that scyscrapers tend to to better there (on the left). i've tried a skyscraper on the left (but seperate from my nav menus) but it hasnt been long enough to know if it makes any difference.

anyone care to comment?

[Play_Bach]

> Is there any consensus on if RIGHT side or LEFT side skyscrapers peform better?

I put my skyscrapers on the left. The main reason I've heard for right side placement is that the ads are in closer proximity to the scroll bar and therefore more likely to attract attention. Also, the right side also is where Google (as well as Yahoo! and MSN) puts their ads, though is that because they want to maintain the typical placement of their search results (which long preceded contextual ads) or is it because it's a better place for the ads?

[BillyS]

I put my content on the right side because It's near my topic index. I've got one of those content, column, column sites.

If you want to navigate through my site, then you need to look to the far right. You also have to look past some adsense ads.

So far today, the CTR is pretty decent. It doesn't appear that moving anything is hurting me. To soon to see any trend.

[Pedent]

The main thing this thread has proved is that all sites are different. There are, of course, some general trends, but the only way to optimise your site is to test the different options.

[BillyS]

[quote}Made this change this evening... From:
top banner with 2 righthand skyscrapers to

top banner, 1 righthand skyscraper and a bottom banner

I'll test for a week or so. [/quote]

I guess it's been like two weeks now, I saw absolutely no difference, so it's saying this way. Saves me some space for banners.