Targeting Advertisers

[Hcb1]

AdSense has a new feature. When adding a custom channel, a publisher can target advertisers with a short description of the site and a specification as to the location of the ad placement.

[tim222]

Are you referring to a checkbox with some descriptive text that reads, "Show this channel to advertisers as an ad placement" ?

If so, that's been around for awhile.

[vero]

Has anyone got experience enabling the "show channel to advertisers..." checkbox? And - if so - how would you compare overall earnings using it vs not using it?

[tim222]

Has anyone got experience enabling the "show channel to advertisers..." checkbox?

I enabled it on four pages about a year ago, and since then a few dozen advertisers have targetted those pages. However, I would say only 2 or 3 of them are relevant advertisers. I rarely see any of the other advertisers when I browse those pages. For example, on one page that mentions the name of a certain city, a plumber from that city has targetted the page. I'll bet that ad rarely appears. Probably a bottom feeder who's getting 2 or 3 impressions at 2AM for a couple cents per click.

[moTi]

same experinece as tim222, maybe a targeting advertiser here and there once in a while, but nothing to be excited about. maybe if you have a very high reputation that advertisers line up to be on your pages but i'd say it makes no difference on average size sites earnings-wise.
as ever, at first full of delight about new features and then underwhelmed by the effects. still waiting for a real burner application that makes a difference.

[vero]

Thanks for the feedback.

My concern is that an advertiser might target a subject, even if it's not overly relevant. If that ad appears instead of a more relevant (and thus more likely to be clicked) one - and it happens enough - it would affect earnings.

[tim222]

My concern is that an advertiser might target a subject, even if it's not overly relevant.

In my experience, yes absolutely.

If that ad appears instead of a more relevant (and thus more likely to be clicked) one - and it happens enough - it would affect earnings.

Well supposedly the system takes care of that by only showing the ads most likely to produce revenue. As in my example with the plumber's ad - I have never seen it on my site and I'll bet it only appears at times that when it really doesn't matter.