If you run a blog, it is common to have it monetized. After all, you need money to keep you going. The easiest way to earn from your blog is to sign up for Google Adsense.
With its huge network, Google Adsense is, undoubtedly, a favorite of the advertisers and if you can become a part of the network, you can earn handsomely.
However, a few clicks on the advertisements aren’t going to make much of a difference. What you need is regular clicks on the ads displayed
on your website and that too, from genuine visitors.
That is why, you should work towards increasing your Adsense CTR or Click Through Rate which is defined as the number of ad clicks per hundred ad impressions.
The more the CTR, the better will be your earnings. Here we will talk about a few techniques that can help boost the CTR:
Ad placement
This happens to be the most important factor that can affect CTR. If the ads are not in the general view, you are going to get a very few clicks.
Remember that visitors are more interested in the content that you are offering and not the ads. They will click on the ads only if something interesting catches their eye while surfing through the content.
That is why, proper ad placement assumes importance. Common recommendations are that you place the ads below the post title or just under the first para, just below the content, header, etc.
You can also get the heat map of your website/blog and place ads on the most clicked areas. Tools like HotJar, CrazzyEgg, etc. can do it for you free.
Ad size
The size of the ad also has its role in the CTR. If the ads are too small, they may not catch the attention of the reader and he/she may miss out on things that interest them.
To ensure that you do not lose clicks just because your ads are too small, try to make the ad blocks big.
However, the ads must not hamper the user experience in any way as that may deter people from visiting your site, let alone click on the ads.
Ad type
Adsense displays both text and image ads. While you may have a personal favorite, do not let that decide the type of ads that you allow on your blog.
It is suggested that you allow both text and image ads to be displayed on your blog/website. This will ensure that you get advertisers and viewers who like one or both types of ads.
This gives you a better chance at improving your CTR than choosing any one of the ad types.
Number of ads
Another factor that could be the cause of poor CTR is the number of ads on your blog. Do you have too many of them?
Well, though it may seem like the more the number of ads displayed, the better will the earning be, things can go the other direction if you overdo it. Put yourself in the shoes of your reader.
Would like to visit a website that has too many ads and makes it difficult for you to find what you are looking for? You wouldn’t, and so would your visitors.
Cut down on the number of ads that you display; 2-3 ads per page is usually the best choice.
Avoiding ad blindness
If you have regular, returning visitors to your website/blog, it is quite natural that they will get accustomed to the layout of the pages of your website or blog, including the ads.
This can create ‘ad blindness’ where visitors automatically tend to skip the areas where ads are displayed. This can be harmful for your CTR.
That is why, you should keep altering the type of ads, their position, sizes, color, etc. to continue attracting the attention of the visitors.
Adsense section targeting
Consider the case of two ads on your blog, one relevant to the content that you have put up and the other irrelevant to it. Which ad will get the most clicks?
Obviously the one that is relevant. Though Google has its own algorithms to display ads that are relevant to the context, sometimes the algorithms can get confused, especially because of the content that is on the sidebars.
To avoid that, you can use section targeting options provided by Adsense. The use of this will tell Google the position and context of your real content and thus, help display ads that have higher relevancy, meaning better CTR.
Responsive website/blog
Have you ever come across a website/blog that you have found difficult to view on your mobile phone?
Well, if you have, you know exactly how irritating it can be to scroll up/down or left/right to view the information given. This happens because the particular blog/website is not responsive.
It will not only affect the user experience, but also affect the CTR because many people couldn’t even see the ads.
So, make sure that your blog is fully responsive and works fine for tablets, mobile phones, etc.
Quality content
Content is the king and that is true, not only for SEO, but for better CTR as well. How?
Well, if the website/blog has valuable information that will serve the purpose of the reader, then he/she will stay on the page for longer and may even visit other pages to know more.
The result?
Higher chances of a better CTR as they see more ads that may be of interest to them!
Category blocking
The latest Adsense interface provides the webmasters to choose which categories they want to display and which they do not.
If you have found out that ads from certain categories do not fetch you much, you can choose to block them. This will open up opportunities for ads from other categories to be displayed on your blog.
Thus, your CTR will increase.
Increasing Adsense revenue isn’t very difficult if you know how to do it.
Take some time out, plan your strategy, and implement it. You will surely see your CTR rocket.
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