Prevent "Expanded Text Ads" from showing

[GreenDog18]

From what I understand when Google decides to show just one ad (not a PSA) in a bigger adsense box, this is called an expanded text ad.

How do I prevent this? (Yes, there are plenty of ads that could be shown)

When they do this it lowers my CTR and earnings. Plus, it looks horrible.

[netmeg]

I don't think you can. If that ad outbids the two or three or four ads that would otherwise show, it'll display.

[GreenDog18]

Wonderful, so basically,

Google shows an ugly ad.
Visitor comes and sees an ugly ad.
Visitor bounces back to SERPS.
Google hits me with Panda...

Ok, got it figured out... I think.

[netmeg]

If visitor bounces back just because you're running an ugly ad, then you got more problems than AdSense.

[GreenDog18]

If I was to visit a site and saw ads like the ones being displayed on my site I would leave immediately.

I wouldn't stay long enough to check out content or anything else.

They don't blend into the site at all.

I have great content/great design... What other problems could I have?

It is plain in simple... the ads are horrible looking and drive people away from my site.

Good CTR and Bounce Rate when they were not showing these.
When they started showing them I had a horrible CTR and bad bounce rate.

Sounds like my only problem.

[HuskyPup]

I'm not quite sure what you're seeing since you keep mentioning text, is it anything like this:

[img829.imageshack.us...]

[Chapman]

I have to agree with GreenDog18's position on not offending visitors - or that indeed they CAN be offended.

I had to remove about 1200 AdLink units today (due to an inexplicable "spammy" format change by Google) that have been on my sites for eight years.

What was once a well thought out blend of content and advertising was completely compromised by a "click me" focus using a variety of different arrows.

The thousands of people that link to my sites (as well as new visitors) would have been outraged at the obvious deterioration of overall site appearance and integrity.

I'm going to take a revenue hit with the removal of all those ads but I'm NOT going to risk losing my audience just because Google has a "better" vision.

They come for the content, not the ads. Without those ads they'll come back, with them... probably not!