Should site targeted override MFA's in placement?

[david_uk]

I've not been opted into site targeting since the start - I've never actually tried it out. But I seem to be opted into cpm. Reading EFV's thread about the success he's had with them has got me thinking.

In that thread, it seems clear to me that in his case the algorithm has sucessfully deduced that some high paying campaigns are the best option to place, and in my case it's correctly deduced that cpm campaigns shouldn't show. A Google algorithm that seems to work correctly - hang out the flags!

I've got to thinking that maybe it's worth seeing how the algorithm works with site targeted ads and my site, so I've opted in to see what happens. I know I won't see any results until / if advertisers actually start to sign up so it could be a while.

In my mind, what should happen is that the high cost clicks should show in the main earning blocks the vast majority of the time. Obviously there are occasions where site targeted might get shown if they are the best option, and the algorithm works. At this point I start having problems, based on past experiences in allowing Google free reign. On other blocks and pages I have removed ads due to poor overall performance. If the algorithm works correctly, then if I put back the ad blocks I should see some site targeted ads, or cpm campaigns that pay better than the previously poor performance.

My only worry with this isn't that the algo will wrongly place cpm campaigns where they just wont pay, but that they will (as usual) just plaster the ad space with MFA's, along with all the long term smart pricing penalising that goes with that. Incorrect placement is a fear based on what others experiences have been with site targeting, but I think all in all it's time to give it a go. I can soon pull it if it doesn't work out.

I'll report back from time to time.

[europeforvisitors]

I've not been opted into site targeting since the start - I've never actually tried it out.

Site-targeted CPM ads aren't an option; they're enabled by default. The only way to avoid them is by e-mailing AdSense support and asking to have site targeting turned off.

Is it possible that you're thinking of "image ads," which can be either CPC or CPM (and which can turned on off via the AdSense console)?

[david_uk]

Not on this occasion. I emailed them a while back asking to be opted out of cpm campaigns. They emailed me back asking me to confirm that I wanted to do this.

I understand that nowadays this seems not to be an option, so maybe they've opted me back in again.