Frustration with new AdSense code

It was easier to manage old style AdSense code with lots of channels

[KenB]

I'm in the process of trying to update my site's AdSense code, which is circa 2004 with the new CP controlled code. The original code put all the variables in the JavaScript instructions which meant you could create one piece of ad code and then dynamically replace the channel ID. This made managing lots of channels really easy. The drawback was that anytime changes to the styling of the ad unit was needed, the JavaScript code on the site would have to be updated. This could cause problems for those who were coding challenged.

With the new style code, you create and save ad units in your AdSense control panel and then call those ad units via an ad unit ID. This allows styling updates without the need to change any JavaScript code, which is good for the coding challenged. The drawback is that one has to create a unique ad unit for each channel.

In my case I make really heavy use of channels (~50 for one site) so that I can carefully track my ROI for different types of articles/resources. This detailed tracking allows me to determine how to invest my money in new content and what I need to focus on the most. I also need to know how long it takes for specific types of articles/resources to recoup my up front investment.

Under the old ad code it was really easy to manage my channels. All I did was create a new channel in my AdSense CP and copy the channel ID to a PHP variable in the article/resource code this channel ID would then be inserted in my AdSense code when the PHP was processed. If I needed to update the styling of the ads I could also do this by changing one set of AdSense code in a single AdSense include file.

Under the new ad code I must now create a new channel and then create new ad code for the new channel. The resulting ad unit ID is then added to my code along the lines of the way the old channel ID was added to my code. If and when it comes time to update the look of the code I will have to go through every single ad unit on my AdSense CP and update each one individually. This represents a MASSIVE waste of time compared to the old system.

What Google needs to do is hybrid the old and new AdSense code. Keep the new style CP controlled ads, but allow the channel ID to be added to the JavaScript if the publisher desires. For instance the following should be allowed:

<script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN";
google_ad_slot = "NNNNNNNNNN";
google_ad_channel="NNNNNNNNNN";
google_ad_width = 336;
google_ad_height = 280;
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>

This would allow the styling of an ad slot, which would be handled by the "google_ad_slot" variable to be totally separate from the channel ID. I could then have only three ad units that would need to be managed in my AdSense control panel for any given site. This would streamline my work when updating ad code, but still allow for easy ad styling changes for the coding impaired.

[levo]

I've switched back to the old code recently. Both of them call the same .js, and I don't think there is a difference - speed/targeting vise.

The only drawback is, you can't define font/size for specific placement.

[KenB]

The only reason I'm even trying to update my AdSense code is to see if doing so would help speed up my site. So far I've spent like three or four hours just creating all of the necessary ad units for each channel and copying the ad unit ID to the appropriate PHP variable.

My Google Page Speed add-on for Firefox keeps complaining about needing to combine JavaScript files to reduce the number of requests and most of the files Page Speed suggests combining are directly related to AdSense. I was hoping that maybe if I used the new code the master AdSense JavaScript file would need fewer supporting files.

[netmeg]

I have some of the same issues, and I would love it if they would make a sort of hybrid between the two styles of codes. But I don't hold out a lot of hope, and yes, I've spent hours upon hours creating ads.

That's one other point in favor of the Ad Manager (despite the fact that I've given it up) You can create all your ad blocks in bulk in a delimited file and upload them. What a time saver!

I don't know how the people with the really huge sites do it. Maybe they get extra tools to work with.

[levo]

Admanager code is even slower than Adsense code. The js call is on top of the page, and the page doesn't render until it gets the ads.

[netmeg]

Yes, it doesn't play well with AdSense, which is one major reason I dropped it. But it does have some aspects I wish were incorporated into AdSense.

[KenB]

Okay, now that I have created almost 50 ad units and am still going, here are a couple gripes with the Get "Ads > AdSense for Content" tool.

1) It always defaults to the multi-step wizard and I want single page view. Certainly this could be an account option.

2) When using the back button after creating an ad unit and copying the ad code. The "Ads > AdSense for Content" behaves inconsistently. Sometimes it contains the data from the last ad I created (ideal) and sometimes I have to start over (wastes time). Maybe what would be helpful is a "base on" drop down, which would set everything the same as the ad unit that was selected from this drop down list.

Really what it appears to me is that the entire "Get Ads" setup is based on serving the most technically challenged users and there needs to be some setting to streamline things for more technically savvy publishers. I don't need a wizard to hand hold me every step of the way. I want to accomplish my task with as few clicks as possible. Creating 50+ ad units is tedious enough as it is, the extra clicks don't help.

And to think if I could just put the channel ID in the new JavaScript code like I describe above I would only need three ad units and I would have been done my entire exercise in about 1/2 hour. :(

[netmeg]

I echo all you've written, and I made those suggestions every time they called for suggestions. So, maybe in about, say, five years...