Collapse in Adsense CTR - What Next?

[webman1010]

Hi

I have a Facebook fanpage that I use to generate traffic for my .com domain with. I have around 7000 fans in total.

Between January and July of 2015, my overall Adsense CTR was 2.17%. By March 2016, the CTR has dropped to 0.78%. I've not altered the ad formats during this time period. I have only altered the Wordpress theme so it's more mobile friendly and I doubt that this has caused the drop in CTR.

My theory is that the Adsense CTR may have dropped as I have a 'captive audience' from the Facebook fan page. Maybe they have started to 'blank out' the ads after seeing them repeatedly? Is this possible?

I've no idea what to do next to be honest, any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[ken_b]

altered the Wordpress theme so it's more mobile friendly

That could have a huge impact on CTR depending on whare the ads end up showing on a mobile screen.

If the drop down below the fold for instance.

Maybe they have started to 'blank out' the ads after seeing them repeatedly? Is this possible?

Sure, ad blidness happens all the time, especially if you have a lot of repeat visitors.

.

[piatkow]

Try taking the ads off for a week or two and then putting them back.

If you have a regular readership it really is worth changing ad formats or positions from time to time or even, as suggested above, having a short ad-free period. I have tried this and, although it didn't put CTR back to the early high level it did give a visible boost in income.

[webman1010]

Thanks Ken B. Ive checked the ads on various mobile devices, and the 'main money maker' which a tower placed right at the top of each article is still above the fold before any content.

So I am thinking that it may be ad blindness.

[trebuchet]

My theory is that the Adsense CTR may have dropped as I have a 'captive audience' from the Facebook fan page. Maybe they have started to 'blank out' the ads after seeing them repeatedly? Is this possible?

Ad blindness has got nothing to do with it. Users don't go 'ad blind' overnight, not even if they're regulars. The real answer is that Google 2016 pays out on far fewer clicks than Google 2015.
My CTR was constant at 1.3-1.8% for years and years. Since Christmas it's been half that, even though Statcounter suggests that raw clicks haven't significantly changed.

[RedBar]

and the 'main money maker' which a tower placed right at the top of each article is still above the fold before any content.

Seriously? The first thing anyone sees is an ad that they have to scroll past?

[ken_b]

Users don't go 'ad blind' overnight,

Overnight?

July of 2015, my overall Adsense CTR was 2.17%. By March 2016,

Eight (8) months is hardly ... "overnight".

That's plenty of time for users to start skipping over ads.

.

[trebuchet]

Eight (8) months is hardly ... "overnight".

Well the OP didn't say what his CTR was in the interim. But most of the posters here have observed a significant slump in CTR that started around Christmas. Perhaps he/she will fill in the blanks.

[netmeg]

Are you getting any inflated pageviews?

[AmpedSense Plugin]

>The real answer is that Google 2016 pays out on far fewer clicks than Google 2015.

I've seen less from Google lately as well. Not sure if advertisers have been changing or what.

However, it does help out to test different ad locations, sizes, etc and see which ones have the best effect. Sometimes just testing/rotating ads helps defeat banner blindness.

I have tons of experience with split testing ads, especially in wordpress - feel free to reach out to me if you need any guidance!

[webman1010]

Seriously? The first thing anyone sees is an ad that they have to scroll past?]

Yes, seriously, I looked at the reports and the tower placed at the top of the page before any content was responsible for about 90% of my Adsense revenue over many months.

[IanCP]

Addressing the topic, I have noticed a dramatic change in CTR for the year 2016 so far. Downwards.

Previously I had always thought as your traffic declined, [I have also among many others, been hit by the "Google Animal Zoo"] then you get served up the crumbs off the table in AdSense ads.

Given my traffic has actually risen, mostly from bookmarks/inward links, that theory doesn't hold water.

I must now wonder just how many of my visitors might have innocuously installed AdBlockers which have an impact. It can only be krap, irrelevant ads, or AdBlockers, or both..

If this is a universal problem? Then Mr. Google has a far, far bigger problem than I might ever have.

Alternatively, if after nearly 20 years I am finally found to be redundant in the overall scheme of things? Then so be it!

My sites were never set up nearly 20 years ago to make money - they never will be.