New Observation in Adsense Skyscraper for Premium Partners

[Imaster]

I think perhaps Google has found a way to fill in the blank spaces when only 3 or less ads are displayed in a sykscraper.

I recently checked one of its premium partners site and noted the following observations on surfing several pages:

1. Page 1

I saw a complete blank sykscraper and there was a mention above the sykscraper saying "This blank space brought to you by Google" with a link.

Now a point to be noted is that premium partners didn't have any "ads by google" or such notes. On the other hand, now all skyscrapers have "Ads by Google", even for premium partners.

2. Page 2

There were two ads in the top and the next two ad slots were filled with related searches from Google. So if you site is specific to widgets, the related searches keywords were blue widgets, red widgets, etc.

3. Page 3

Three ads and the fourth slot filled with related searches.

4. Page 4

One ad and the rest three slots filled with related searches.

The format of the search url is "http://www.google.com/search?sa=P&hl=en&q=keyword"

Does one earn in case somebody clicks on the related keyword link which goes to google search. I am doubtful, as it would be like google advertising its own search keywords on these sites and paying them for it. Perhaps, its taking advantage of the PSA's with its own fillings :)

So perhaps, we may see this change for normal affiliates too.

[nipear]

Interesting, but I don't think this would fly with a lot of publishers.

PSA's are one thing. But sending visitors to other sites free or to google searches free is another.

[Clark]

I'd LOVE to see an example of this. If it's true, that is a serious abuse of power.

[Imaster]

Clark,

I sent you a sticky with the url. Make your analysis and let me know if you see the same.

[Clark]

You are absolutely correct. I looked at the javascript and played around to get it to load and those searches are definitely added to the bottom.

There were some codes to fool around with the color:

google_color_background = 'ffffff';
google_color_text = '000000';
google_color_link = '0000ff';
google_color_url = '008000';
google_color_border = '336699';

If anyone wants to fool around with losing their account, let us know if you can change colors with that :)

I would try it with his account but that might get him in trouble so I won't.

[chiyo]

Remember that if they are a premium partner, they "work with" the partner to be more flexible in ad serving. So that's porbably what the agreed. Hardly an abuse of power.

[Clark]

Oh. Do they actually really "work with" them, or basically lay down the law?

[chiyo]

send then 1,000's of dollars in adsense revenue a week and lots of places to place their adwords, and suddenly people get more flexible and forthcoming! Business reality.

[Imaster]

I think it would have been discussed before providing that feature and my guesses are that they are paid for each clicks on those keywords.

Another funny thing is the related keywords sometimes aren't related to the page content, but the prior referral page's content. Not only the related searches, but also the ads sometimes are related to the prior referral. Just my observation.

I was surfing randmcnally.com (a map site), and then I check out the premium partners page and I got the following related keywords, which clearly suggest that they are not referring to the actual page, but the referral page (I say this because the actual page on the partners site is completely unrelated to these keywords)

rand mcnally maps
web search engines
yahoo auctions
trip maker
ebay
search text
paypal
ebuy
roadmaps
web search

Then I went to the premium partner site from WW and I noticed 4 ads & 1 related searches.

All the ads were related to Pay-Per-Click Search, We Pay $0.06 Per Visitor, etc.

The page content on the premium site was completely different than these ads. So could it be considering the previous page's content?

[edited by: Imaster at 6:27 am (utc) on July 25, 2003]

[Imaster]

To add more to the message no 1 on this post,

Another page, I saw four ads and yet 1 related searches keyword. So no matter what, related searches not only act as fillers, but load all the time.

[Clark]

I wonder if the key here is the referral page or rather a cookie? Meaning the user is targetted as much as the page is.

[Imaster]

Perhaps its a combination of both for premium partners & the page content only for normal affiliates.

I tried both the examples and for premium partners it showed me a combination of both or mostly just the referral page.

On normal affiliates, it showed only the ads relevant to the page content, irrespective of where the surfer came from.

[ssjxxx]

If anyone wants to fool around with losing their account, let us know if you can change colors with that

You can definitely change the colors with the Javascript variables shown in this discussion.

[Imaster]

You can definitely change the colors with the Javascript variables shown in this discussion.

Please do share with us what makes you think that it is perfect & within the program policies to add those font tags to the code.

Or do I still get the old version of the program policies from Adsense site? ;)

The AdSense ad code must be pasted, without modification, into websites.

[google.com...]

[Clark]

Per another thread on the topic, it probably isn't ok and would suggest not to try until you get permission. I think someone actually asked Google and was told NOT to.

[ssjxxx]

Please do share with us what makes you think that it is perfect & within the program policies to add those font tags to the code.

Perhaps I did not state myself clearly in my previous message. The javascript variables shown in prior postings do work. That's all that I was stating.

I do not think that this is within the program policies, and I never intended to make any such claim.

[Imaster]

Perhaps I did not state myself clearly in my previous message. The javascript variables shown in prior postings do work. That's all that I was stating

I get you now. That makes sense :)