Forum Moderators: martinibuster
However, I perused Google's published policies, and I could not find anything forbidding this. I found a policy saying that you cannot offer incentives, but I am not offering any incentives. I found a policy on code modification, but I did not modify the AdSense code. Am I missing something?
One reason Internet advertising has such low clickthrough rates is that most people naturally skip over anything that looks like an ad. As many of you know, this phenomenon has been dubbed banner blindness. I designed <graphical images surrounding AdSense ads> to mitigate the effects of banner blindness so that users don't subconsciously glance past them and might instead pause for a second and notice.
Since the point of advertising is to get your product or service noticed, I think advertisers would welcome techniques that improve advertising effectiveness. I understand that Google is taking the safe position as it is easier to tell me no, but I could not find the policy that it claims forbids this.
Is Google stifling creative design? What are your thoughts on this?
[edited by: espeed at 4:37 am (utc) on Mar. 29, 2004]
[edited by: Jenstar at 4:46 am (utc) on Mar. 29, 2004]
[edit reason] Sorry, no specifics for AdSense tools/addons/helpers [/edit]
I don't need any random clicks from people who don't think they are ads.
Google would be perfectly proper in removing your AdSense account.
[edited by: Jenstar at 4:45 am (utc) on Mar. 29, 2004]
[edit reason] Removed specifics [/edit]
Anyway, I've got a secret for you: properly integrated text ads are far less susceptible to banner blindness than ad placements that scream "look at me!" Others can chime in to agree or disagree with me, but that's been my experience.
As you know, changing the color of ads can improve effectiveness. My theory is that changing the shape of ads will also improve effectiveness as it would diminish the effects from banner blindness.
I consider my site to be a 20-city-block piece of real-estate and Adsense to be a fast-food restaurant. Since I own all 20 blocks I could install a fast-food restaurant on the corner of every block but the pedestrians won't be hungry for a snack at every crosswalk will they? It's in my best interest to set up a burger joint on 3 of those 20 blocks. That way they see other scenery while they walk but sooner or later I know they get to the point when they are hungry and so I have set up strategic establishments for them to dine. My site has Adsense on less than 5% of the pages but it works just fine. How many burgers can one person eat anyway? I believe that the proliferation, over-saturation and over-eager placement of ads will be counter-productive. Trying to hide or stealth adverts is not a good idea much as trying to making someone believe that a hamburger is a croissant.
If yours looks that much better you should compete with their product.. I prefer the consistency of Google Ad's and would quickly skip over anything graphically persuasive. I see AdSense as nothing like a banner.. I see graphical borders and twirlygigs as banners.
I like the AdSense options the way they are.. not too overbearing on the eyes and usualy very relevant.
The hallmark of creativity is it's ability to not only transcend limitations, but to thrive because of it.
The canvas is stretched. It may not have the dimensions you desired, but it's up to you to work with what you got. We all do.
:) Y
In the end, whatever proves useful in the long term to visitors is what they are going to click on. So if they don't like a disguised advert, your site will suffer. If they don't like general adverts littered all over your site, the CTR will dwindle to nothing. But if they are actively looking for information on flights to Brazil in May from Heathrow and 4 relevant ads appears on a Google ad, you'll get a good CTR.
If you help them, they'll value the adverts and your site more.
They've been experimenting with that for months. I wonder if this time it'll stick?
It's easy to remove the border on Ad's leaving them quite unboxy :)
On the other hand if they've been testing this, they must have easily enough stats to draw significant conclusions about effectiveness, although suppose it doesn't mean that its going to work better for anyone running Adsense, because Googles change will be based on 'global' response I guess. Unless they vary for different Adwords advertisers?
