Selected for a free AdSense optimisation call

earliest available appt 2020

[cabbie]

Hi fellow webmasters.
Like time no see.
I've has a few invitations for free adsense optimisation with google but always ignored them.
However, got one this morning and thought I would take them up on their offer.

"I’m Ajay, an AdSense optimisation expert. Your site xxxxx is doing well, and our team thinks that it has the potential to earn even more.
We’ve seen sites like yours show real growth before – so we’d like to offer you some tips to help get you there.
Learn how to build goals and strategies, as well as the latest on what formats work best, by booking a free consultation call with an AdSense specialist.
You just have to let us know the best time for a chat."

Sounds Great.

BUT either Google are taking the pis.. or these guys are way forward looking.
The 1st available appointment is February 2020!

WTF!
I would've been flat out scheduling a time for next week.
How do I have any notion of what time will be suitable 8 months from now? :)

[Dimitri]

This is because there are too many sites which are doing doing well but have the potential to earn even more :)

I bet that, at the end, they teach you to use the auto-ads and let them optimize everything for you :)

[tangor]

Well, at least they have communicated the utter urgency of setting up a meeting this important!

(Gives new meaning to "at your earliest convenience")

[Sissi]

This always good to take based on the previous discussions I hade with the ‚optimizer‘.

Feb 2020 is either a scam or a typo.

[NickMNS]

I have participated in such a focus group in the past. It has noting to do with you or your site. They show you potential changes that they are working on within the platform and ask you your opinion. It takes about an hour.

It was an interesting experience, but you learn nothing about AdSense you are simply providing them with your insight as a user.

[frankleeceo]

I actually like those focus groups, they provide direct insight into future changes, so that you align your strategy with that. It's better than shooting in the dark, or even going opposite direction to get annihilated. Too many people ignore the bigger picture / trend, or feel like their site is unique so they are immune.

Or it's just me. I learn the most when not taught the actual thing ha.

Based on my personal experience, those ideas sometimes do not work, or may be against your core values / strategy. But they will most likely work, if you could transfer and adapt to those ideas with your core strategy. It's always good to learn more about possibilities and test things, and then decide if those ideas work or not. Ignorance isn't bliss in business.

[matbennett]

As someone who runs a Google Certified Publisher Partner company, can I say what wonderfully good news this is :D ? Long may they continue flagging that publishers would benefit from help, then fail to support them!

More seriously, I'd usually recommend that any publisher that doesn't have direct support take these up. As @frankleeceo says, the specific advise for your site may not be great, but it's useful to understand what they are pushing. The 'experts' on these calls are usually well versed in best practice, so will advise techniques that would bring gains for most publishers if they applied them. That's useful as long as you understand the limits. Also do keep in mind that they work for Google not the publisher and they'll be pushing whatever the current agenda is too.

If you are doing a call (even in 2020!) also have a think about what you want from it. Are there features you are looking for? Clarification on specific points? Invite to local events? Might be your only shot to get those points forward for another year.

Unless there has been a recent change, these optimisation calls are not the same as the focus groups that NickMNS mentioned (which I'd argue are more useful) .

[Matador86]

I am waiting to get an appointment for my optimization call, will let you know if its far ahead or not.

[tangor]

A buddy, who play the game, once confided: "It's a sales pitch. Hoo Rah and all that." Which I took to mean that most of it is the company theme and a bit of razzle dazzle. That reminds me to ask him (about a year later) if he applied any of that knowledge/advice and what the results were. I'll let you know when I find out.

That said, if they are calling YOU, that means you've reached a benchmark in their eyes (traffic?) and want to upsell you to the next level. This is probably a good thing. :)

[Matador86]

Ok, just got another mail, they call me tomorrow! So that is scheduled pretty fast!

[Matador86]

Just talked to the guy. Pretty good conversation. He saw a couple of odd things in my account which he thought I could work on, he just sended me some articles that explain it. Short but good conversation with some tips.

[cabbie]

That's incredibly in contrast to my February 2020 scheduled call Matador.
The website in menition has increased revenue quite noticeably in the last few months with no increase in traffic or change to the website.
I put it down to changes in Adsense bidding or something.
But 8 months is a long time to wait to find out

[trebuchet]

Reminds me of Reagan's joke about the guy ordering a car in the Soviet Union.

Car dealer: "OK, your car will be ready in 10 years. Come back then."
Guy: "Morning or afternoon?"
Car dealer: "It's 10 years, what does it matter?"
Guy: "Well, the plumber's coming in the morning."

[ember]

I've had a few of these optimization calls over the years. They ranged from the person telling me to do things I was already doing to one guy telling me to be much more aggressive with ad placement, as if he wasn't aware of Google's ad placement policies. So they are interesting but take what they say with a grain of salt.

[Srihari]

Even I got today, and the first available date is May 2020. I double and triple checked but still the same. They will tell either to use amp, amp ads, google analytics and suggest using responsive and auto-ads. They won't be revealing any secrets of increasing revenue.