November 2014 AdSense Earnings and Observations

[RedBar]

The month that starts my traditional slide towards Xmas and New Year.

[terexberd]

$2 rpm... I was getting $15 rpm for months and earlier this month. WTF HAPPENED GOOGLE?

[breeks]

yesterday set a new daily record


with media.net :)


AdSense was decent also

[dethfire]

haha today I have higher RPM but my traffic is down. Amazing how one is up and the other is always down. Tomorrow my traffic will be high but RPM low.

[pbufh]

I think we will get pip today. Crazy month, but not as crazy as last month. cpc and crt through the roof!

[Jaideemaak]

The beginning of the end for Adsense?

[bbc.com ]

[SnowLeppard]

I like seeing ads. I wish I could click on my own ads sometimes, not to make a commission but to find out more about a new or interesting product or service.

[RedBar]

Friday was normal except for CPC being down however I'm going to predict that today, Saturday, is going to be my worst-ever AdSense day, nearly every country is showing 0 clicks.

[RedBar]

The beginning of the end for Adsense?

[bbc.com ]

Already being discussed here:

[webmasterworld.com...]

[eeek]

WTF HAPPENED GOOGLE?

For me it has been an explosion of unmatched requests. Hard to get people to click on an ad when there isn't one.

[netmeg]

I dunno, I've only had 474 unmatched requests this month, all on the only site I have left that has a link unit (there's only one page with ads, and it's a recipe)

[Jaideemaak]

Thanks RedBar, I didn't notice the other thread. It's an interesting discussion. Adsense has died completely for me this year and I'm in the process of removing ad units (500 culled yesterday) and trying to focus on affiliate programs. Irrelevant ads are highly unlikely to get clicked on and they just make my pages look spammy. My view is that the advertising model for website funding is gradually dying and I need another way to monetise, otherwise I will have to call it a day. In addition, Adsense just seems broken compared to how it used to be.

There are many possible reasons for the recent demise I have experienced with Adsense, but the main problem I have seen for a long time is wildly off-target and therefore irrelevant ads. I am wondering whether there has been a policy change.

In the past, the competitive ad filter was meant, as the name implies, for filtering competitive ads and Google wasn't keen on it being used to filter ads that you simply didn't like. However, on the Adsense front page now, under 'Stay in Control' it says "Block ads you don't like." They are now encouraging publishers to block ads. The filter is now 'Allow & block ads' with no mention of it being a competitive ad filter.

Google's old view seemed to be that they would serve the most relevant and best paying ads using their algorithm and auction methods, and publishers shouldn't interfere with or try to micro-manage the ads. The view now seems to be that they will serve up any old dross and it is then the publisher's responsibility to micromanage. I just haven't got time to do this and refuse to enter into a game of Whack-a-mole.

I have just looked at a few ads on a section of my site, which is a visitor guide for a very specific location in Southeast Asia. The site is in English for English readers, but there are lots of ads appearing in Thai, which most English readers can't read. I also see ads in Chinese and Korean.

On pages about massage shops there are ads for wooden floor boards (in Thai). On pages about local food and restaurants there are adverts for commercial kitchen equipment, takeaway services in Australia, and 'Happy Kitchen Games'. On pages about local hotels there are ads for serviced apartments in Perth, and I have also seen ads for guest houses in the UK, South Africa and even Brazil. On a page suggesting local activities for tourists there is an ad for investors about the Iraqi Dinar. WTF.

This kind of advertising is what I see all the time. It is totally irrelevant to the content of my pages and mistargeted in terms of context, geography and language. It's just spam.

None of these irrelevant topics are related to things I have looked at so it isn't IBA. Regarding IBA, I do get clicks for IBA ads, but I'm not keen on it. If I am looking at Widget A and then turn my attention to Widget 2, I don't then want to see ads for Widget 1. Also, if ads for Widget 1 show up it is obvious that my viewing habits are being tracked and it seems a bit creepy.

I'm sure that for certain niches in certain locations Adsense will still work. There is evidence here at WebmasterWorld that Adsense is still working for some people. It's just not working for me any more, even though it used to. With travel type niches the obvious way to monetise is through hotel affiliates. The one I started with wasn't successful, which I why I persevered with Adsense, but things have picked up since I changed to another affiliate. It's now going well enough to be able to start dumping Adsense.

The crash has happened incredibly quickly. Last November was great, but this November will be another terrible month. Yesterday's earnings were 4.69% of last November's daily average and 2.69% of last November's best day. The current projection for the whole of November 2014 is going to be 26.48% of November 2013.

[netmeg]

Is your traffic pretty much the same?

[RedBar]

Saturday ended up very much as expected with one of my lowest-ever earnings' days at 44% of November average, my rpm was actually my second lowest ever yet PVs were completely normal. Today is looking dire with very low traffic, is that it for me until 2015?

[ember]

Adsense has died completely for me this year

For such a dramatic collapse, I'd think either your traffic is coming from a different source or there has been a change in your niche causing fewer advertisers to spend money. Any of that happen?

[RedBar]

Google message for me today:

Your earnings on November 22 were 52% below our forecast ... We encourage you to investigate further to identify any potential issues with your site or traffic.

Let me tell you G, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my sites, as far as I know my traffic was as usual, now tell me what else I can do but stop telling me the freakin' obvious!

[MrSavage]

Up, up and away! Big day here and has been a wonderful stretch lately.

[ubound]

I have just looked at a few ads on a section of my site, which is a visitor guide for a very specific location in Southeast Asia. The site is in English for English readers, but there are lots of ads appearing in Thai, which most English readers can't read. I also see ads in Chinese and Korean.

This could be because Google thinks that you understand these languages. I often see ads in Chinese because Google thinks I understand Chinese (which I don't. I just like to read about China and Asia in general).

To make sure you can sign in here
[google.com...]

and see what Google thinks you understand language-wise. Try removing these languages and see if you still see ads in these languages.

BTW you will also see what Google lists as your interests to target ads that you see. You can edit those too.

[RedBar]

Normal day Sunday except for the fact my CPC was 66%, please G, no message saying my earnings were down possibly because of xyz!

[RedBar]

Today's CTR at 25% of average, fubard. For the first time I see that India has my highest cpc so far today!

[MrSavage]

Red hot earnings continue. I have to be realistic about the time of year and how much I'm making. That said, this is a real reminder of how well Adsense used to be for me. I'll take what I can get and if it ends in a month, so be it.

[glitterball]

I have just looked at a few ads on a section of my site, which is a visitor guide for a very specific location in Southeast Asia. The site is in English for English readers, but there are lots of ads appearing in Thai, which most English readers can't read. I also see ads in Chinese and Korean.


This could be because Google thinks that you understand these languages. I often see ads in Chinese because Google thinks I understand Chinese (which I don't. I just like to read about China and Asia in general).

To make sure you can sign in here
[google.com...]

and see what Google thinks you understand language-wise. Try removing these languages and see if you still see ads in these languages.

BTW you will also see what Google lists as your interests to target ads that you see. You can edit those too.

I have been moaning about this issue for years - my sites often cater for people who are physically in a country where they don't speak the local language. Google by default ignores your browser language and forces you to the localised version of Google and displays ads in the local language. Maybe it is an attempt to encourage cultural integration.

[RedBar]

For me it's on its back with all four paws in the air! Goodbye November?

[jbayabas]

I used to do really well with adsense working just 2 hours a day. Now, I work like a slave for over 8 hours a day and earnings remain miserably low . Sometimes I would just lie on bed and look at the ceiling and wish I would never get up. It's really depressing state I'm in. :(

[RedBar]

Wow, new record lows from the USA for me on Wednesday:

PVs 48.8%
Clicks 30%
CTR 60.5%
CPC 44.1%
RPM 26.7%
Earnings 13%, Yep 13%

Overall earnings were 43.1%, my 7th lowest-ever day, I expected lower earnings but not this low.

[Mentat]

Thanksgiving day = days long week-end in US.

CPC is horrible :o
Record low!

[ember]

I used to do really well with adsense working just 2 hours a day. Now, I work like a slave for over 8 hours a day and earnings remain miserably low . Sometimes I would just lie on bed and look at the ceiling and wish I would never get up. It's really depressing state I'm in.

It sounded as though you were adding other revenue streams. Are they not working?

Maybe it's time to consider getting a job?

[ember]

Double post.

[RedBar]

The US is flatlining for me today, I can't get clicks if I have no visitors from there, I've never seen anything like this, PVs at the moment about 15%.

You guys have far too many holidays <ducks>, heh, then again it doesn't look as though anyone will even read this post!

@jbayabas - Fortunately for me I never gave up on my real world business even though at one time I was earning USD 10+k month from AdSense and I often thought/knew that it was a darned sight easier to do.

A while back I was hit by Google's image theft and that put a completely different perspective on things, my AdSense earnings have tumbled down to the point where it has stabilised to just a few hundred Dollars a month. My global industry has seemingly walked away from Google's shenanigans and returned to traditional marketing methods and most, seemingly, are doing ok.

My traffic levels are nowhere near those of a few years ago at about 7%, yes seriously 7%, and I am still seen as one of the top global sites within my industry. My trade, and many others, will continue to survive without Google ads and without Google search, they were a game-changer for a while, they're not now.

Your predicament is one of asking yourself seriously whether or not you can EVER get back to those previous earnings' levels or has your niche been smashed to pieces by black and white animals?

You can't simply lay there and hope, you have to be rational and ask if it is recoverable, I suspect not since this has been going on for you for several months, then when you have your answer don't look back. Get on with whatever new needs to be done and forget the what ifs.

I bet many of us here have been in a similar position at sometime in our lives and wondered, what the heck do I do? Examine your positives, discard the negatives, and if it means a complete lifestyle change, so be it, you'll end up being a happier person for it.

[ian_D]

I don't know who should be blamed, google for making the rules, facebook for exploiting them, the downfall of society in general, or web developers for allowing things to get to this point.
I used to care. I used to spend all my time on the web, exploring, creating, learning...
Now I look at a few pages and have to walk away. The web no longer represents or respects my values.

When garbage like this is the lead article on google news, I have no interest in supporting the web in any capacity any more.

Ontario man facing 9 charges in foot-licking case
CTV News-5 hours ago
An Innisfil, Ont. man has been arrested in connection with a series of sexual assaults involving women's feet. The man is accused of several ...

Todays internet has flushed family values and decent morals down the toilet in favour of dirt and scandals that get shared and liked on 'social' sites.
If you don't participate, you don't get the traffic.
I don't know if what I see on the web now really truly reflects where our society is headed, or exposes what's always lurked in dark places anyway.
I dunno, it's just scary...

[ember]

You guys have far too many holidays

I agree. I used to like them when I worked a regular job, of course, but now they just get in the way of earning money :)

Todays internet has flushed family values and decent morals down the toilet in favour of dirt and scandals that get shared and liked on 'social' sites.

Yep. We are awash in uniformed, misinformed, uneducated and ill educated people who live by the celebrity news of the day. I never wanted to be old and grumpy, but I am getting there. Things really have changed in the last 20 to 30 years and not for the better. I do think the internet is a large part of the problem.