Combo Ad Units/Link Units

[littlegiant]

Lately I've been occasionally seeing my regular ad units (especially the 468 x 60 and the 336 x 280 size) display some kind of wierd link unit style appendage at the bottom of the ad block. Is this some new kind of experimental format? If so, I never heard any announcement about this nor do I think it's fair that it's imposed without our approval. I don't want link units of any kind on my sites. They don't perform well in my niche. On the other hand, perhaps this is just a glitch? Has anybody else noticed this?

[cocacolafun]

I've seen it too.

It's hard to tell if this will help or not.

[HarryM]

My guess it's experimental. I have only seen it three times and then briefly. I checked other similar pages to see if it was showing there, found it wasn't, and when I went back to the original page it had gone.

I have only see it in 468x60 banners. Twice there was a line of 4 links at the bottom, and once there was a link that said 'more'. Felt like clicking on it to find out what it did, but chickened out at the thought of breaking the TOS. :)

Littlegiant, I'm glad you started this thread because I have been searching WebmasterWorld with no success, and was just on the point of starting a thread myself.

If it works, I think it's a good idea.

[added]Providing we can opt in or out.[/added]

[edited by: HarryM at 8:40 pm (utc) on Aug. 22, 2007]

[littlegiant]

I'm starting to see it more and more. I'd really like to see AdsenseAdvisor comment on this because I haven't read a single word about this and I'm not so crazy about having my sites being used as guinea pigs. I don't use link units at all. I tried them and the results were dismal at best. I'm definitely in the 'every click must count' camp. Also, I've seen instances of this new format where the mini link unit (for want of better name) gets mashed together with --i.e., superimposed on top of-- the 'Ads by Google' logo and it looks like hell.

[icedowl]

I've seen it in a leaderboard. It looked funny and more like it was not a part of the adblock at all. I'm not sure I like it. :o

[HarryM]

I've just seen it at the bootom of a Wide Skyscraper. Just 2 links.

[Khensu]

3 links on a 250x250.

I want to know if you are charged an additional pageview like a link unit?

[gibbergibber]

I don't know what my visitors think, but personally I think they look really messy and unprofessional.

[AdSenseAdvisor]

Thanks for all your feedback about this test. The ad formats you've noticed are part of our ongoing commitments to helping publishers earn more revenue, creating a better user experience, and improving advertiser performance.

While you can't opt out of this test, please know we are paying careful attention to your feedback. Additionally, if you have ideas for new ad formats, the team will be happy to consider your suggestions.

-ASA

[moTi]

I'm glad you started this thread because I have been searching WebmasterWorld with no success, and was just on the point of starting a thread myself.

[webmasterworld.com...]

[webmasterworld.com...]

[zjacob]

AdsenseAdvisor,

I have a suggestion for experiments.

As you're testing ways to enhance everyone's revenues, why don't you let advertisers enhance their listings with small images of their products on the left side of the text listing and first test how this affects conversions/revenue/etc with your own algorithm assigned images, for example?

There is already a body of evidence from the publisher side that adding images near the ads enhances CTR, but controlling the images from Google and advertiser side (keeping them non-offending, for example), could be a way to enhance everyone's revenues and user experience.

[Skeptic]

I've noticed it on my 300x250 rectangles. Usually its at the bottom, where the "Ads by Goooooooogle" usually shows up instead.

AdsenseAdvisor, how about implementing some multiple Google-referral links into a "Adlink" style unit? I was only thinking about the standard Google referral products (Google AdSense, Google AdWords, Google Checkout, Google Apps, Firefox plus Google Toolbar, Google Pack) but perhaps someone else would like to see "Referrals 2.0" products in an "Adlinks" style to put on pages.

[littlegiant]

Thanks AdsenseAdvisor!