July 2015 AdSense Earnings and Observations

[RedBar]

The start of the summer holiday season for many often with huge ups and downs in traffic.

[webcentric]

You can force a responsive unit to always be a rectangle or horizontal or vertical by altering the code itself e.g. data-ad-format="horizontal". Of course if you want horizontal on desktop and a rectangle on mobile, you can use media queries (see the Exact size per screen width example) on this page [support.google.com...]

[Ironside]

There doesn't really see any point in using a responsive unit if you are going to force it to stay the same shape all the time.

Anyway, the 300 x 250 fixed size ad unit shows perfectly okay on the iPhones and some of the other popular phones. So I'm using this particular sized unit and people are clicking on it and I'm earning money from it. So I think I'll just leave it there for the time being.

[webcentric]

There doesn't really see any point in using a responsive unit if you are going to force it to stay the same shape all the time.

Sure there is. Shape and size are two different things. I like horizontal units on the desktop, tablet and phone (in some cases). When the ad-data-format is set to horizontal, I get exactly what I want. To each his own of course. I use rectangular units in certain places on phones as well. Different solutions for different layouts/circumstances. :)

[marsradio]

@RedBar Don't blame you. I think I'll be right behind you. This is pointless. It's an exercise in futility. I'd rather have ad-free sites than virtually give my space away for almost nothing.

[RedBar]

This new Panda is playing havoc with my sites, so far on this Google Friday I have had 2.9%, that's two point nine, of average US PVs ... Almost a quarter of a Googleday and I have 2.9% ... Awesome, simply awesome!

[Ironside]

My best performing ads start off with a 200 x 90 link unit which is above the main menu on the left column. This renders perfectly on any mobile device and comes up just below the menu. I was using a responsive unit at the top just under the menu. This would render as a rectangular unit on a mobile, whereas it showed as a 728 x 90 banner on the desktop. Strangely, this didn't get an awful lot of attention so I've removed them now. A lot of information suggests that ad unit should be very close to the top, however one of my best performing units is again a responsive unit that is placed at the very end of the document. This renders as a 728 x 90 on a desktop, but when viewed on a mobile in portrait view it's a rectangular unit that fills the space perfectly. I'm not that keen on the small banners that often show up, I would don't think people will take much notice of them, I think that having something that is in your face is much more likely to get attention. Problem is, a mobile phone such as an iPhone has such a small viewing screen that I think you've got to be a little bit more aggressive in order for people to actually pay any attention to it.

But using Crazy Egg, I can actually locate parts of the screen that people are stopping and reading the information. I've started putting my ads in these location and it seems to be working. Sometimes that may be a court or even halfway down the screen. It's extremely useful to know exactly where people are stopping on your page, and where people don't read much.

How important you think it is to let advertisers know about some of your AdSense placements?.

[netmeg]

I always do. All it costs is time.

[eek2121]

As expected, earnings went into freefall mode once i reached my cap. Ironside. can't share the code with you. Not using wordpress or PHP. I have a custom CMS that I wrote.

[whyohwhy]

This month had been depressing. The trend I usually see is a quiet first 10 days then things pick up for the next 18 before dying for the last couple of days. This month the quiet 10 days extended to a quiet 23 days and I was ready to write the month off. But then yesterday and today I am seeing the sort of CPC figures I have not seen in years and whilst I am sure it is too late to make July a great month a few more days of these sorts of figures and it will become repectable. I don't know what have done at adsense but I hope they don't switch things back.

[Ironside]

I should exceed last month earning by the end of today which is encouraging. I think it's down to me rearranging my ads that has increased my earnings. I just cannot believe how well the text links are doing, they get more clicks than anything else. Also, my 300 x 250 non-responsive rectangular unit embedded in the text also does quite well. So I think I believe that as it is, I really don't see any point in changing this to a responsive unit, or adding any code to it. One of my best performing ads is a responsive ad I have at the very end of all my articles. This shows as a 728 x 90 banner on a desktop and probably the larger tablets, but as a small rectangle on smaller screens, really does do well.

[Mentat]

Today (Sunday) I have he lower eCPM ever!

Even lower than 5th of July!

[Ebuzz]

I would recommend raising this issue with the Adsense Support, while all of you are still able to. Support is offered for people who earn over $100 a month.

It won't solve anything, but at least it lets them (Google Adsense) know the scale and scope of what's going on. Maybe, the death of Adsense begins this year?

Keeping quiet and posting here will not solve or achieve anything, that's for sure. It seems we have a real problem, and it's a long term one, not a phase....

[Ebuzz]

Today's traffic seems very high. Earnings very low. No surprise. Adsense is dying as far as I am concerned.

Or put it another way, a sunset industry, and the sun is indeed setting on Adsense.

Shaping up to be a single digit day. Wow.

[Ironside]

Why don't you do what I've done and make your AdSense a little bit more aggressive so that you have at least two AdSense units at the top and one decent one at the very bottom. Ever since I rearranged my my profits have started to increase. Traffic to the website remains the same as it has been for ages. It seems that this is the only way for me to turn things around. Originally I was creating different channels for different pages so I could keep an eye on how well each page was doing. However, I have now abandoned that idea and have for example my 160 x 600 skyscraper unit on several articles. I've done the same with my bottom responsive unit, one unit/channel does the whole website. So it means that that one unit is getting all the profit.

[Ebuzz]

I'm wary of potential penalties if we splatter ads all over the page. Google had an "above the fold" penalty a few years ago and I believe having Adsense on a page is a small negative hit for your ranking, all other factors being equal.

My layout is optimal enough though. I even added extra link units which helped only a small bit. The issue is within Adsense.

[Ironside]

I totally understand not wanting to make the page look completely unappealing. However, Google allow you to use three ad units and three link units, so really how can they give you a penalty if you are sticking to the rules? I have a few articles that are very sure, some of them only contain one paragraph of text. In these cases I only have one ad unit and one link unit.

However, other longer extensive articles have a maximum units allowed. However, I have found that putting two of them at the top where people can see them straightaway seems to be helping. I must admit I'm confused with AdSense as well. A month or so ago my earnings were pitiful, however they are starting to increase slightly now and the last three months have seen my earnings increase.

I really don't know why this should be, maybe Google favour websites that provide extensive articles and information that people are looking for. Maybe it's the fact that my website is receiving over 3000 visitors each day, rather than just a few visitors. I would suggest that if a website is receiving around 3000 hits a day but is not earning at least $12 each day then something is wrong. Either your ad placement is completely out of place, or the information the website is providing is not satisfying its guests and they are leaving pretty much as soon as they arrive without even bothering to spend any time on the page. After all, I think that you have to keep someone interested for a few minutes in order to get some clicks.

[RedBar]

So unbelievably bad I've already removed 1,000 ad slots on one site.

My US EPC is running at 18.4%, this has gone beyond a joke, it's a complete collapse of the programme for me.

[Ebuzz]

@ RedBar

Good for you. I believe there are some people that removed their Adsense completely because they consider Google as insulting them with the performance they are getting now, compared to previous years. Even though their site income may turn to zero as a result.

Respect these guys....

[MichaelP]

Yeah, July is the worst of the worst. I actually signed up for bing (media.net) ads today to test it out. Any others to check out? Can't imagine being worse than adsense has become.

[RedBar]

The only thing I can now do is to try and force up my EPC values by reducing AdSense ad slots, I have no idea if this will work however yesterday saw my US EPC fall below that of India. To be more precise from over 60 cents/click to 10 cents giving an RPM of 12.2% of July average.

Yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong is there?

I'll see how today goes but it's very easy for me to replace another 2,000 ad slots at a stroke on that site plus 3,500 on two other sites.

[Ironside]

I've got one of those "helpful" messages in my AdSense account telling me that one of my AdSense units could do better if I make it more viewable. However, this unit they are talking about is one of those link units, it's actually in the left-hand column above the menu and is placed on nearly every page of my website. I don't quite understand why they're telling me it's only seen for 7% of the time it is loaded. I can't quite work out because even if it meant the 7% related to the amount of pages that was being loaded that still wouldn't figure because I have around 30 articles of which this link unit appears on all of them, but 7% of 30 is around two, I certainly get more views than that.

[marsradio]

I think Adsense is being run by a bunch of noob kids who don't know WTF they are doing. For perspective, some of these kids who are F'n with the knobs and controls were probably in the 2nd Grade watching SpongeBob when Adsense was first rolled out. Now they are behind the wheel of this sinking ship and haven't a F'n clue what they're doing. Pathetic and disgusting!
I've been sitting on an invite from Media.net. I think I'm going to give it a try. WTF do I have to lose!

[Ironside]

I'm signed up with media.net, anyone had any decent payments with them? Having using the eBay affiliate for a few months now and even though I don't get anywhere near the amount I do with AdSense, it's not too bad, certainly a lot better than Amazon.

[breeks]

I use media and they are doing decent on the site I use them on. Should hit over $800 this month using one ad only at the end of each article.

Media RPM is rising, they just took me off the newbie ads and getting better quality advertisers.

They always pay on time, quick to offer support and mobile ads look great.

Tempted to move them up and Adsense down.

[Ebuzz]

Has anyone ever caught Adsense red handed in deducting their earnings and clicks so that everything in your account is "capped"? Looks like I just (inadvertently) witnessed Adsense removing a whole ton of money and "shaving" off a whole lot of clicks -> in real time.

How would you feel when 9 clicks gets shaved off down to 3 clicks? And $xx shaved down to $1?

Be in doubt no more. Adsense CONTROLS how much you earn, how many clicks you get, and the CPC. I just saw it with my own eyes. They control practically everything.

And I think the message is loud and clear. Either you put up with what they do, and accept it, and "trust" them, or go use something else...

[netmeg]

However, Google allow you to use three ad units and three link units, so really how can they give you a penalty if you are sticking to the rules?

Because rules for Google search are not the same as rules for Google AdSense. The two departments don't talk to each other. Many people who have followed AdSense' recommendations have found themselves penalized or demoted in search. You have to proceed with caution, and use common sense.

I'm signed up with media.net, anyone had any decent payments with them?

I've had low months and months with mid four figures with Media.net. They are reliable and always pay on time. Sometimes their reports lag. One thing to be wary of - you will NOT start doing well with them till they get a good look at your traffic quality. For me it took 4-6 weeks. So you have to be patient with them, but if you are, you can do well with them.

How would you feel when 9 clicks gets shaved off down to 3 clicks? And $xx shaved down to $1?

Happens to everyone, all the time. Invalid clicks are removed in real time AND at the end of the month, depending on how they are detected. Of course AdSense controls what you earn. AdSense is what it is. That's the deal we all made - we let them determine how much the clicks are worth in exchange for ease of implementation - all we have to do is place a bit a code. That's what Google offered, and that's what we signed up for. And there's no reason on Google's part for changing that. The advertisers are in the drivers seat (as much as anyone is other than Google) not us. If you want true control, you need to sell your own ad inventory at the price you set. That takes a lot more work, but it also gives you more control and hopefully more money. And while my earnings from AdSense haven't dropped (and some years have greatly increased) that's what I'm heading towards, so as to have more control.

[Selen]

And while my earnings from AdSense haven't dropped..

... but if your traffic increased and you make about the same then it's a little misleading statement ;)

[netmeg]

I can't really do apples to apples like that, because every site doesn't have the same amount of content over the same time period every year. Plus I reduced my AdSense because I sold more direct ads and used three new ad networks this year. My overall traffic was up, my AdSense impressions were actually fewer this year.

[silentneedle]

Just read an German article where Google is calling Adsense a "legacy business", feels like a smack in my face. Thanks Google.

[netmeg]

This post doesn't mean anything but it's apparently the only way I can get rid of the goddam "Email notification of new replies" checkbox.