Requesting Suggestions on Layout

Purely content site - thinking I can improve CTR

[NoLimits]

Currently, my layout is as follows

C = Content
A = AdSense Ad

I would like to know what works well for you folks. My current layout is as such.

CCCCCCCCC
AAAAA
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
AAAA
AAAA
AAAA

I was considering changing it to

CCCCCCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
AAAAAAAAA

Has anything done a similar change on a content site, and if you have - were your results satisfactory? (or better than the "not mixed in with content" adverts?

Thanks in advance for any information shared.

[kenfused]

I think your change will help.

I am getting better CTR after putting the Larger Box in the Upper left of new pages with content on them.

Check out the google hotzones map

[NoLimits]

I ended up doing it like this:
A = AdSense Ad
. = Blank Space
C = Content

I was going to put the bigger ad block in and wrap text around it, but I realized that I have many images that cause it to wrap poorly. So I basically just moved the bigger ad block to the top, and put the other one down below... I'll post back results after a week.

....TITLE....
AAAA
AAAA
AAAA
CCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCC
....AAAAA....

[ve3cnu]

Your change:

CCCCCCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
AAAAAAAAA

is exactly what I would have suggested.
Or possibly-

AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
AAAA

[spaceylacie]

Or this:

AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCAAAA
CCCCCAAAA
CCCCCAAAA

<edit- oops, you said would not work, I missed that post...>

[bts111]

Go with...

AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
AAAACCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCC
AAAA

I have pages with 30 to 40% ctr's with this positioning.

Keep testing. The dollars will start rolling in ;)

[impalassz57]

Now with all of you saying making these changes have any of you had problems with frontpage not able put ads at the bottom? the only thing that has been successful for me is putting a small ad banner and it will actually blend in with the big ad and it will actually take up just about the whole top of your page. My ctr seems to be ok I just need more traffic I guess to my site.

[YesMom]

I get my highest CTR with this layout:

CCC CCCCCCCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCCC CCC
CCC AAAAA CCC
CCC AAAAA CCC
CCC AAAAA CCC
CCC CCCCCCCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCCC CCC

Just the one adblock... a little white space to the right of it.

<edit>The C's on the right middle should be all the way to the right... it won't show up like it should.</edit>

[Roadkill]

I think it really depends on what the content is. For me this is best.

CCC CCC
CCC AA CCC
CCC AA CCC
CCC AA CCC
CCC AA CCC
CCC CCC

I like this pattern exchange, kinda cool.

[OddDog]

that is a great idea Yes Mom.

I will try that and I thought I had tried them all!

I have a site with a 30%CTR an will try it out there.

[NoLimits]

This has turned into a fantastic thread!

I'm excited to try some of these on various other sections of my site.

Thank you all for sharing!

[ken_b]

My best performing page looks like this, below the top nav bar...

(Using a single 160x600 adblock on the page)

CCCCCC
CCCCCC
AACCCC
AACCCC
AACCCC
AACCCC
AACCCC

I also get pretty good performance from a single 250x250 block, like this.... N = On page navigation links (these are sometimes VERY LONG pages).

CCNAAAA
CCNAAAA
CCNAAAA
CCCCCCC
CCCCCCC
CCCCCCC
CCCCCCC

Most of my pages look something like this...

L = Adlinks 160x90 - 4 links
A = 300x250 ad

CCCCCC
CCCCCC
LLCCCC
CCAAAA
CCAAAA
CCCCCC
CCCCCC

(Adding the Adlinks units pretty much doubled my income from this last group of pages)

[NoLimits]

Bah! I just couldn't leave it alone...

I want the text to wrap around the ad because I think that is part of what is getting high CTR.

I can't use a big ad block like I would like to because in articles with images - the page gets way to wide.

So what I am testing is something like this (using a half banner)

The - is blank space

CCC -TITLE- CCC
CCC AAA CCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCC CCC
CCC CCCCCCC CCC
CCC AAAA--- CCC
CCC AAAA--- CCC

[shafaki]

CCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCC
ccCCCCCCCCCC
--CCCCCCCCCC
--CCCCCCCCCC
--AAAAAA
CCCCCCCCCCCC

CTR = 6%

[jdvjdv]

Shafaki, what is the reasoning behind the blank space indicated in your diagram by hyphens? Does it somehow help you get 6%? Please explain, thanks.

[GoodLucre]

Great coverage on a heavy content page. Typical for my Article pages. Great moneymaker!

N=Navigation Area
LB=Link Block
C=Content
A=Ad Block
S=White Space

LB--Title---
NNCCCCCCCCCC
NNSAAACCCCCC
NNSAAACCCCCC
NNSAAACCCCCC
NNSAAACCCCCC
NNCCCCCCCCCC
NNCCCCCCCCCC
AACCCCCCCCCC
AACCCCCCCCCC
AACCCCCCCCCC
AACCCCCCCCCC
AACCCCCCCCCC
NNCCCCCCCCCC
NNCCCCCCCCCC
NNAAAAAAAAAA

[nervo]

Just the one adblock... a little white space to the right of it.

I like that simple subliminal element with a white space on the opposite side balancing and making the ad more distinct. Great stuff!

[NoLimits]

Back from the dead -------

Okay, so I am seeing a higher CTR from :

CCCCCCCCCC
AAAAACCCCC
AAAAACCCCC
AAAAACCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
AAAAA

.... much better CTR when compared to my old one

CCCCCCCCCC
AAAACCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCC
AAAAA
AAAAA
AAAAA

So fantastic, the CTR is up by an amount that I would consider significant. The problem is, I've noticed a substantial loss in EPC.

I attribute this loss in EPC to the "first" ad displayed not being clicked on as much as with the old layout. In the new format, the 2nd or 3rd box down must be getting visited (or my epc is just changing too much for me to experiment).

Has anyone found a way to impliment a single ad in the top left "hot zone" that performs equally, or close to as well as the large ad block?