What did DownTime do to you?

[OptiRex]

We all like to speculate what these maintenance downtimes are about and many of us have some strange metrics in the following days.

Me?

I'm seeing some of the highest Page Impressions and unique visitors of the year and definitely the lowest CTRs therefore the lowest eCPMs.

Coincidence? Probably since my EPC is holding firm however I can't help but wonder if I am being invaded by Pirannasites out of my view:

[webmasterworld.com...]

Of course I could use the preview tool however I do have other things to do during my working day rather than sitting here checking what is being displayed on my sites in another country at some strange time when I'd rather be out enjoying myself!

Then again, are there loads of rogue bots and spiders running around at the moment, LookStupid used to be one of the worst at this time of the month for doing such things on my sites?

Don't get me wrong, my sites are earning well, it's just that like many others I feel that I ought to be able to calculate that for every extra 1,000 Page Impressions I should earn USD XX.XX amount more, however it does not work like that since none of knows what is happening on our pages elsewhere whilst we're in the pub, fast asleep or on holiday.

AdSense is like no other "business model" whereby, usually, X amount of extra effort derives X amount of increased income, then again, how many successful and happy AdSense publishers are there that have been able to escape the "rat race" who, only just a few years ago, would never have dreamt such a situation were possible?

Do you construct more pages and see a proportional increase in revenue or do you actually see a gradually reducing CTR etc the bigger your site(s) become.

Ok, several questions above. Let rip:-)

[Car_Guy]

Things fluctuate. They are beyond my control. I can't figure out what exactly is going on without having a talk with a Google employee that's looking at my site, my AdSense reports, and information that only employees have access to. Since Google doesn't seem to want most people to do that, and since I don't think I should have to pay to go to a seminar just to talk to a Google employee in person, I've signed up with YPN, which actually publishes their Customer Service phone number.

[TheDonster]

In regards to adding more quality pages, this has been the only reliable method that (so far) has worked for me. I tried all the various optimizing hints and was able to tweak upwards only so far. What is eternally frustating as Optirex points out is that AdSense is not a predictable business model in any traditional sense. You can get the best traffic day of the month and for x reason, it will be a low earning day.

This fact is extremely frustrating since with say an eCPM campaign, the more traffic you get, the more you get paid. Now that I'm into my second year with AS, I like to look over the stats as compared to the previous year. Having added 1500 pages to my site over that time, my average monthly revenue has increased 30% and it is consistent. The other advantage with that many pages added in such a short time was my site went from page 2 on serps to the golden number 1 spot for many of my site's keywords.

As has been mentioned many times here on this board and in Google's guidelines, building your site to be the best you can make it will attract the visitors first and foremost - the profitability factor should be a secondary consideration that will follow naturally.

[andrewshim]

ditto, ditto and ditto.

After 2 years with Adsense (the first was better forgotten) I have come to the conclusion that Adsense CANNOT be relied on as a main source of income... NEVER.

I posted this in another thread but comparing just 2 months ago when I was #103 and now that I've broken into the top ten (#7) my earnings are not what I would consider proportionate to the increase in traffic.

That's why I'm building myself the best site that I possibly can so that I can diversify the way I monetize my site.

SNAFU is good when you know it is SNAFU. Sort of like knowing the weather will ALWAYS be unpredictable so always have an umbrella with you.

[Car_Guy]

Certainly, adding more quality pages is what we should all strive for, but one of the things that can make all this puzzling is that having one popular page on your site that gets a lower percentage of clicks could potentially result in problems that include smartpricing (which only some Google employees seem to really fully understand).

Yes, I could spend my spare time wading through insiders' blogs, looking for hints and reading between the lines. I just don't have the inclination or the time.

[Chapman]

What do you think SNAFU did to you?

I certainly didn't expect it was going to help me... and I guess I'm pretty happy that it didn't seem to hurt me!

However, like OptiRex and others have commented, I am concerned by what seems to be a continually decreasing eCPM. Periodic additions of pages only seems to keep me treading water... it never seems to help reach the next goal (although traffic increases DO!).

It may be just a coincidence but eCPM appears to have diminished by about 18% since Saturday's maintenance. I have seen a steady decrease every month (except for May?) and my calculations show it to be down 46% since this time last year.

Soooo, other than that and some strange reporting anomolies... I guess I got off pretty easy! :-)

Chapman

[edited by: Chapman at 4:28 pm (utc) on Sep. 28, 2006]

[ken_b]

What do you think SNAFU did to you?

Nothing. My site goes on just as before, which is what I expected.

[Khensu]

I am being invaded by Pirannasites

Thanks for using my word Opti

Basically it is an all inclusive term that emcompasses all the types of scammers which MFAs are just a part.

I think GooG has gotten too blase with the term MFA and needs to have some "shock therapy" as it were. Something of a larger scope with a pestilence spin that would stick in their craw more.

As to SNAFU: CTR down 10% eCPM up 40%

So I am seeing a slight rise in overall profit, less low-end ads less clicks because of them but more money because better ads are getting through.

[ann]

Khensu,

I have your low end Piranna ads...want'em back?

Sice snafu It is like the floodgates to adhell have been opened. Everytime a bunch starts up my numbers across the board start to fall then it takes hours to get them stopped.

Soooooo, SNAFU lives!

Ann

[Khensu]

Sorry ann that things are getting rather fishy for you!
(bah-dum-bumph)

The other thing I noticed that post SNAFU was it took 3 days for my filter to pick-up any new additions, not the Googlevised 12 hours.

You might want to contact them and let them know you are being chewed down to the bone. (not that you will get anywhere but you can always try)

Ironic how you named it and then it came to get you.

[edited by: Khensu at 7:32 pm (utc) on Sep. 28, 2006]

[dibbern2]

Do you construct more pages and see a proportional increase in revenue or do you actually see a gradually reducing CTR etc the bigger your site(s) become.

All right, someone has to swim against the current here and say that AS is predictable.

When I build more content, if I follow a strict model that's based on my best performing pages, I usually get.... more high performing pages.

I say *usually*, since nothing ever works every time, but its more than 70%. It's when I go off on a new idea that I think will be better than everything else that I sometimes end up with disaster results. That's no fun, but I figure its an ongoing learning/betterment process.

[OptiRex]

someone has to swim against the current here and say that AS is predictable.

If what you are doing is working, great, keep on trucking...

Now today, Thursday, after yesterday's unusual Wednesday, I am seeing so far after 15 or so Google hours, the highest CTR, eCPM and EPC of ALL THE YEAR 2006!

I'm including the 2006 in case of future searches etc.

I've already overtaken my best day of the month with 100 clicks less...just how is it possible to have an average EPC increase of 17.86%?

Have all the companies in my niche suddenly decided to increase their bids on the 28th September?

Hey, maybe the SNAFU maintenance decided it was my time to reap some rewards...and Friday I will have a "normal" day:-)

[ann]

That was your early xmas present, Enjoy!

Ann

[Khensu]

Opti

Signifgantly Noticeable And Fruitful Upswing

My average click is up from 20 to 25 cents.

[edited by: Khensu at 1:06 am (utc) on Sep. 29, 2006]

[Khensu]

Ann

Strikingly Nasty Altogether Freakish Uprising

[OptiRex]

Signifgantly Noticeable And Fruitful Upswing

You're not kidding...the first 100 or so clicks this morning were more than double my average EPC:-))

My stats also seem to be updating on a more regular basis too.

I'm away all next week at my trade's largest exhibition of the year in Italy so it will be interesting to see what happens with visitor levels!

[Car_Guy]

My earnings are much better, too. As of 6:00 pm today earnings are what they were at 9:30 pm yesterday.

[ann]

I perfer the original: Situation normal all..ahem..fouled up.

Ann

[Chapman]

I'm away all next week at my trade's largest exhibition of the year in Italy so it will be interesting to see what happens with visitor levels!

Sounds like great fun... I envy you! It'd be nice to be back on "the continent" once again!

I can't imagine what threads we'll have to startup for ourselves while you're gone... hurry back!

Chapman

[Khensu]

Oh I like the original best too ann.

I'm just having too much,

Silly New Acronym Fun Unlimited

[ann]

Yep :)

Fun is where you find it.

I'm off to apply some more flea powder, my eCPM is dropping again.

Ann

[andrewshim]

You know... the longer this thread continues, I can just hear them fleas...

Stop? Never! All Fleas Unite!

[ann]

ROFLMAO

Ann

[OptiRex]

Didn't mean to hi-jack it. :(

No problemo...these are the kind of threads I personally like.

Stop? Never! All Fleas Unite!

I think they united on my wife's cat this summer!

Full day's results from 28th September:

Best-ever day since 23rd May even though the final 25% of clicks were HALF the value of the first 25%...

And AdSense seems to be broken this morning, no updation whatsoever!

[andrewshim]

ROFLMAO

yeah... never mind... because

Rotten Ol' Fleas! Leave Miss Ann Okay?

[rocker]

Single New AdSense Feature Uploaded!

The 200 x 200 ad unit.

Has anyone tried it yet?

[ann]

I have been thinking about this one -200x200- and trying to decide which page to put it on.

Ann