AdSense team meeting: worth the time?

With plummeted Adsense earnings, should I even bother?

[shallow]

I've been invited to attend an "AdSense team in a city near you" meeting. They say at the free event I will "learn how to make the most of my Google partnership and walk out with tools to increase your AdSense revenue."

But I'm wondering if it will be worth my time (the drive is 73 miles - one way) and effort.

My earnings plummeted with each Panda update, down 50% and even more most days from what I earned just two years ago. Google took away more than half of my traffic; little traffic, little earnings.

Has anyone attended these meetings and found them to be beneficial?

Thank you.

[ken_b]

My earnings plummeted with each Panda update, down 50% and even more most days from what I earned just two years ago.

OK, but is the drop in income because of AdSense, or because of a drop in traffic?

If it's an AdSense issue, like lower epc or ctr etc, maybe attending could help.

If it's a traffic volume issue the AdSense team might not be much help.

That said....

If you have been placing AdSense in what they consider "less than the best" spots on the page and letting traffic volume make up for the "less than optimal ad placement" they might be able to help. Of course your site might look like an MFA site after they get done with it, but hey..... the money might make up for that.... until the spam team takes a look.

[breeks]

Been a couple of times:

Place more ads on each page
Use Google +
Use Image & Text ads
Make a mobile site
Get a free cookie and Google pen & note pad
Place more ads on your pages

Now you don't have to go :)

[ember]

I think it is worth it just to be in the same room as other AdSense publishers. Breeks is right about the suggestions they give; I learned as much from talking with other publishers as I did meeting with the Adsense people. And not everyone is invited to these meetings, so you will be with people who are doing well with Adsense. It is also nice to know that you are one of the publishers that Adsense is keeping an eye on. And your friends will be impressed that you actually talked with people from Google :)

[edited by: ember at 9:11 pm (utc) on Aug 2, 2012]

[bhartzer]

Get a free cookie and Google pen & note pad

Surely the free cookie, Google Pen, and notepad is worth the drive!

You might actually benefit from networking with the other people who attend the same meeting. They're website owners, too, and perhaps sharing traffic/links/tips might be more beneficial.

And if you're a blogger, you might want to blog about it and create some content for your site.

[shallow]

Thanks everyone for all the insights and suggestions. I'll go; it surely can't hurt and maybe, hopefully, it will help. Thanks again!

[jpch]

I must have missed the Free Cookie the last time I went cause all I got was the Free Pen and Notepad. Still, I'm going to the next event in my city as I have nothing better to do that day. This time I will be keeping my eye out for that cookie!

[shallow]

I must have missed the Free Cookie the last time I went cause all I got was the Free Pen and Notepad. Still, I'm going to the next event in my city as I have nothing better to do that day. This time I will be keeping my eye out for that cookie!

So which was better, the free goodies or the information you got? :)

[shallow]

OK, but is the drop in income because of AdSense, or because of a drop in traffic?

It's definitely related to a huge drop in traffic. There has been a slight drop in CTR and RPM.

I think there was another recent Panda update and things went from bad to worse. After the first iteration of Panda, I thought things could never get worse, but I was wrong.

[Zivush]

I wouldn't miss a meeting with Google Adsense.
They can give you some good advice. Try to ask for 1 on 1 meeting in advance.

[breeks]

Last time I got a T-Shirt and Google USB hub so maybe its worth it for the swag and meeting other publishers. :)

[shallow]

Try to ask for 1 on 1 meeting in advance.

Will do. Thanks for the suggestion.

Again, I appreciate everyone's input, and also appreciate the humor. I think they're giving out free Nexus 7 tablets to participants instead of the other stuff. ;0 0P

[JCKline]

it surely can't hurt and maybe, hopefully, it will help.

Unless you choke on the cookie!

Personally, I wouldn't waste the gas. If they shared anything new, we'd have heard about it by now...right?

[netmeg]

Maybe. Maybe not. You think I share my *best* secrets with you lot?

(ork ork)

If you get the chance, go.

[jpch]

So which was better, the free goodies or the information you got? :)

The information I got was basically confirmation that I was doing just about everything right. I expect more of the same this time. Not saying this to sound cocky or arrogant but this was their advice last time:

1. 3 Ads per page with at least 1 ATF.
2. Create Reports in Google Analytics to optimize your ad placement.

When I showed the Google employee my Google Analytics and how I had it set up he kind of chuckled and make a joke about they could use me the rest of the day to show other publishers how to set up Google Analytics.

So, if I learn something new that will be great. If I make a new contact or two even better. And if nothing else they'll just confirm what I'm already doing which is always nice as this isn't something you get unless you share your sites with the world or someone else that also using AdSense.

[Adsgadget]

@Shallow

I personally think it can't hurt to go. If you get back home and feel like you just wasted the gas, then consider using another ad platform, there are many options out there..

[shallow]

I thought I'd update you about the AdSense meeting that I attended in Atlanta last month. There were about 20 others in attendance; I'd guess that about a third of the seats were empty.

The meeting was so-so. Mostly a waste of time, imho.

The primary thing they pushed was making your site mobile, talking about services they covered in a newsletter I received at least a month before.

Then we each had about a 15 minute one-on-one session with an AdSense rep to look at and discuss our sites.

Reps for the "Great Google Social Networking advocate" did absolutely nothing to encourage attendees to make even a slight "connection" with one another. I've attend many, many small group meetings during my long life and brief introductions always took place.
So you knew nothing about the kind of sites other publishers owned.

Immediately after the presentations, people were called up for their one-on-one meeting with an AdSense rep. After my session, I looked up and there was hardly anyone left in the room except for those still waiting for their session. So even if you wanted to start a conversation with another attendee, it was not really possible. I regret having no opportunity to talk with other site owners.

Oh well, my bagel was tasty. And my grandchildren liked the pen, and the usb drive that looked like a Rubik's cube.

btw, I asked why I had been selected for the meeting and she said it was on first-come-first-serve basis so I'm not sure whether it's a case of "not everyone is invited to these meetings."

[edited by: shallow at 4:22 pm (utc) on Sep 18, 2012]

[netmeg]

Every person who goes to one of these things should make the point "Why is Google promoting responsive design so heavily when they have such a limp selection of mobile ads available"

Ticks me off how they are putting such a push on responsive design and mobile sites across all the products, but they *aren't serving responsive ads*

[ember]

Immediately after the presentations, people were called up for their one-on-one meeting with an AdSense rep. After my session, I looked up and there was hardly anyone left in the room except for those still waiting for their session. So even if you wanted to start a conversation with another attendee, it was not really possible. I regret having no opportunity to talk with other site owners.

btw, I asked why I had been selected for the meeting and she said it was on first-come-first-serve basis so I'm not sure whether it's a case of "not everyone is invited to these meetings."

Interesting. In my meetings (I've been to three), I met with publishers while others were called to their one on one meetings. And the rep I met with said we were invited because we were doing well with Adsense (a lot of people aren't). If nothing else, it was good to have an actual Google human look at my site and reassure me that I'm doing things right.

[shallow]

I met with publishers while others were called to their one on one meetings.

There were several one on one meetings going on at the same time. When I was done, most people had left the room and the last batch were being called up.

And the rep I met with said we were invited because we were doing well with Adsense (a lot of people aren't).

If that is true than I somehow slipped through the cracks. I never made a killing like some in these forums suggest they do, but what I was making was cut in half because of Panda, which cut my traffic in half almost over night.

Anyway, still discouraged, I plug along because I'm retired and it gives me something to do. :)

[ember]

If that is true than I somehow slipped through the cracks. I never made a killing like some in these forums suggest they do, but what I was making was cut in half because of Panda, which cut my traffic in half almost over night.

Adsense and Search are totally separate. They don't even talk to each other if they car pool to work. Adsense is Adsense and that's all they can talk about. So these Adsense meetings do not help much if you've lost tons of traffic.

[jpch]

My Google T-Shirt and Golf Balls arrived today. Life is Good.