Overall best ad placement design?

Maybe I should try a different design of ads...

[makes a little sense]

So, I was wondering what "design" or template you guys and gals use for AdSense. I currently have a skyscraper on the left side, with a 468 width adsense ad on the very bottom (in other words, I have my ads in an "L" shape).

This is going to sound idiotic, but should I be placing a 468 width ad on the near TOP of my page, instead of on the bottom? Never really thought about this but do most of you get clicks from an ad which is 3/4 from the top and somewhat centered?

Thanks for any input given. :)

[dataguy]

Two words: heat map.

[purplecape]

IMO you can't just look at the heat map. You've got to have SOME concern for aesthetics and the experience of your visitors.

Prominent ad placements may not be any more effective, either. Say you increase your CTR from 3% to 5% but see a corresponding decrease in click value due to smart pricing. What have you gained? Nothing, and you've made your site look worse.

Test. Test over the long-term. But stay focused on what your limits are.

[jcmiras]

I totally agree with purplecape, that is why I put only one adsense unit in my site pages. Increasing it further will increase number of clicks but decrease the CPC.

[signor_john]

There's so simple answer. Test and see what works best on your site (within any constraints that may be set by your editorial judgment).

[AdSenseAdvisor]

The best location for Google ads varies from page to page, depending on content. I would encourage you to use channels. Channels allow you to break down reporting to monitor the performance of sites, sections of sites, or even individual ad units to see where ads perform best on your site.