Images and Drawing Attention

[DeROK]

I recently asked Google support about whether or not a certain image would be considered acceptable. It was for medical purposes, but I didn't want it to be considered adult content.

Anyway, they said everything was good, but then additionally mentioned that I shouldn't use images to mislead users into thinking the pictures were part of the ads or draw undue attention to ads.

This got me thinking. I do have images next to some of my ads. I don't place them there to say "HEY LOOK AT THIS AD!" I put them there because that's where users look. It's the same reason why the left side of the page is better than the right. If any images next to an ad is drawing undue attention, then by that logic, so is putting the ad in the center of a page.

So does this mean that all images next to ads are bad, or just if you have an arrow pointing to the ad, or specifically place a best buy logo near the ad because their ads show up in that spot?

They suggested using borders to clearly mark where an ad begins and ends, but that makes my CTR go into the crapper.

If I just have normal pictures next to ads am I going to get booted, or is it only if I do something that's clearly, without question, intending to draw attention to the ads?

[jomaxx]

There's no hard and fast rule, nor could there be. ASA has specifically said that using arrows to point to ads is out of bounds. The Program Policies generally prohibit "undue", "deceptive" and "unnatural" means of drawing attention to ad blocks.

My feeling is that if you're making such design decisions specifically in order to get people to look at the ads, then you're halfway to "undue" already.

[Scurramunga]

Wasn't there something said by google about placing borders around images or ad blocks in cases such as these?

Given this, I can't see how images could be considered as drawing undue attention any more than using pretty text colors in ad blocks or placing ads near menu bars etc.

[DeROK]

I'm not making site layout decisions based on the ads, but I am thinking about where people look the most when I place my ads.

The images where already there before I joined adsense. But when I placed the ads, I wanted them to be where people would see them.

[SenseRely]

When you ask Google about your page and they tell you it's ok, then do not worry. If they don't tell you: change the image or do something, then it's fine.