Google Ads - When to use them?
When I saw Adverts appear recently on the BBC website, I was somewhat surprised! Clearly there are some sites where adverts fit in, while on others they seem out of place. Some content sites like Chiang Mai Plan need adverts, while others, like the BBC to me it seems strange!
I have seen adverts appear on many news media sites such as The Nation, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that the BBC wants to convert its massive traffic into some money. Which leads to the question;
Which types of sites should use Ads? And which sites should be ad-free?
informational sites
Informational sites, which aren't selling something, offering a service, probiding an appliction, just providing information I think stand to benefit from ads most. The reason they stand to benefit, is the type of traffic they draw, and the type of ads that something like adsense provides.
When I go to the web to search out a bit of information, I generally google for a few variations on the term, open up 5-10 tabs from the search results, and filter through those to get a variety of perspectives on what I'm looking for. it's almost always a selection of sites that are useful, rather than just one.
So, if you have your hypothetical site which is stocked with all variety of infromation about personal finance, your traffic will be made of up of people looking how to balance their checkbook, consolidate loans, choose a mutal fund, etc. And, they likely won't be looking for your site in particular, but information about these things.
Google ads, being placed by content, are apt to provide other sources of the information your viewers are looking for, and as such get clicks more frequently.
Absolutely Correct
Rob is absolutely correct,
Whenever I determine if a website is fit for google ads or anytime of visual advertisements (banners, links, popups, floating popups) I first look at what type of site it is.
Information, ecommerce, business, etc. The type of information on the website is also very important.
Many people who run informational sites such as information on a particular business make the big mistake of placing google ads on their website. This is a mistake for many reasons, the first being you instantly lose credibility and professionalism. The second is that your giving your competitors a chance to steal your users (potential customers). So you gotta be careful the content is of the right type.
Sean