link unit ads, higher CTR but very lower CPC, should I remove them?

I see this all the time with AdLinks across many sites, it drives me crazy however I also see users actually "surfing" AdLinks.

Do not assume that by removing AdLinks that users will click on the other ad units, it simply does not work like that. If your AdLinks placement is correct you should experience a similar usability as AdUnits.

AdLinks can work extremely well BUT their overall average EPC IS lower than AdUnits insofar as my sites are concerned and a 0.10 click has to be better than 0.00 nothing? :-)

I integrated AdLinks from day 1 and they used to be about 50% of earnings and as much as I hate the lower EPC it was well worth it however recently this has reduced to 30% or so but this is definitely due to other things I am doing, not Google!

Do not assume that by removing AdLinks that users will click on the other ad units, it simply does not work like that.

you are right at this point. I noticed that on the week I removed the Link units.

What keeps adlinks on my pages in the minimal amount of space they take up.

They used to earn about 45% of my income, but those days seem to be long gone.

Think of it this way, it's incremental income for very little real estate or effort.

I have sites where the only AdSense I have is link units. They earn *very* well for me, and I typically have a lot more link unit clicks than ad clicks. It's not at all unusual for me to get $2-$5 clicks on them (this year anyway) I think if your site attracts good paying ads, it'll probably attract good paying link units too. I didn't start using them until I was about three years into AdSense, and I wish I hadn't waited that long.

I see lower epc from link units, but it doesn't seem to take from ad clicks for me either. So overall epc per page view is higher.

I see lower epc from link units, but it doesn't seem to take from ad clicks for me either. So overall epc per page view is higher.

More then half of my revenues in May are from link units.

There are viewer clicks on Ad Links at my sites,
but they produce more revenues.

The ratio of clicks ad blocks to ad links is
14:9

but the earnings ratio is
47:53

BTW to claify my last post, usual has a page

300x250 left in navigation
336x280 below content

Ad Links
120x90 left in navigation
468x15 in content between description and rest of content
160x90 below content

The 3 AdLinks use up far less space than even only one of the great ad blocks, but are 53% of revenues.

at is the meaning of 50p?

at is the meaning of 50p?

One Britsh Pound £1.00 = 100p therefore 50p = £0.50 or about USD $0.72

I have been avoiding the use of link ad units because they pay me under 10 cents per click while the rectangular ad units make around 20 cents! Also, my site is built in such a way that ads are to be integrated on sidebar or content area.

I prefer the bigger ads over these link ad units that tend to get more clicks resulting in 10c income, which in turn lowers the revenue of bigger ads.

I prefer the bigger ads over these link ad units that tend to get more clicks resulting in 10c income, which in turn lowers the revenue of bigger ads.

The thing is though if you do not try them out one will never know if one actually gets overall extra income, in my experience one does however placement is very important.

Incidentally the AdLinks click values do not seem to affect the AdUnit click values and quite often I have seen AdLink EPCs the same as AdUnits however overall they are less by approximately 30%.

I'll give you an example of my 2010 AdUnits v Adlinks:

Directory site

Actual earnings are near as dammit 50% each however clicks are another thing altogether:

Overall clicks = 100%

AdLinks = 61.54%
AdUnits = 38.46%

Main B&M site

AdLinks = 63.57%
AdUnits = 36.43%

Once again earnings are split 50/50 but I do expect this to change more to the AdUnits since I have made a significant ad placement that seems to be working extremely well however AdLinks' earnings do not seem to have been affected as yet which is good.

Huskypup - How about removing those linkad units and replacing them with bigger ad units?

I have tested all kinds of placement and ad types, and I still do! My finding says that having more ad units does yield better CTR but having quality ad types yields better revenue!

Higher CTR doesn't mean higher earnings as you know. SO, maybe we should be more focused on EPC, and not on CTR.

Huskypup - How about removing those linkad units and replacing them with bigger ad units?

Easy answer, an AdUnit won't fit where I have an AdLink.

Don't get me wrong I do use strategically placed AdUnits what I'm saying is that the day I implemented AdLinks I saw my earnings increase as shown by my stats.

I do know some have had disastrous trials with AdLinks, possibly my Adlinks positioning just so happens to be spot on, however I really wouldn't want to remove them.

I also run link units, mostly at the end of pages, sometimes in the middle.

Yes, I laboriously years ago went though pages editing to include?

An "include file" in the middle.

While I think, from memory, they have a reasonably high CTR but low EPC, I've never edited them. CTR goes up, EPC goes down and vice versa. eCPM when I remember to check, bored, doesn't dramatically vary.

I've always run an educational site, not a made for profit site. Putting in place some people's ideas would be a death knell. Educated people aren't fools, they know when you're "pushing" advertising down their throats.

How do I know this? Folks who have for over 10 years used my site to purchase a whole heap of stuff which aren't books from Amazon, long before AdSense was invented and kept me afloat.

Technical books are companion to my education site. In recent months alone I've sold BBQ's, 72 hour meals [they exist] and, Cobana's for the backyard.

It's called loyalty to the site.

Would you jeopardise that with "in your face" link units?

As usual, your mileage might vary and you might consider short term gains more important than long term.

I don't. Amazon, CJ, AdSense have been regular money in the bank, no effort on my part, for over a decade for Amazon, AdSense since almost day one [actually day six] and CJ I don't remember.