As an SEO expert, I do site evaluations daily. It amazes me how people are willing to put Google ads all over their pages in the interest of earning a few extra bucks without considering the consequences to their business. Think about it. If you are selling a service or product, why would you allow the ads of your competitors on your site? Are you willing to sacrifice a sale for the few pennies you'll make if someone clicks on the ads? It's ok to include Google ads in some instances, even I have some ads on my site. Knowing where and when to allow google ads on your pages is key to maximizing revenue from your traffic while minimizing the chances of lost business.

Google ads are based on the content that is on your site. Because your content is about a particular product or service, the ads on your site will also be about similar products or services. If the ads are compelling enough, people will click them and leave your site. Sure, you'll make some chump change, but how much would you have made on a sale if you hadn't given your customers a window to the competition?

Many site owners know where to put ads to get the most exposure but not where to place them for minimized risk. Places on the top of the page, side and middle are the most common areas for Google ads. An ad on the top of the page will be seen before your content. If you absolutely must place ads, at least put your content first and place the ads on the bottom. If they've already looked through your material and haven't found what they were looking for, you can still make a little revenue on their way out.

Many websites don't sell products or services, but instead rely on Google ads for revenue. For these businesses, Google ads make perfect sense. Other businesses sell products for which Google ads can still be a benefit. For instance, if a business sells a specialized product that can be found nowhere else, Google ads aren't going to be a source of competition. Perhaps you sell an aftermarket car product that you yourself manufacture. If there is nothing else like it on the market, why not allow other aftermarket manufacturer's ads on your site? Your customers won't find your product on another site, yet they might be looking for other products in addition to yours that you don't sell. Another reason to allow competing Google ads on your site is if you are certain that the products or services you are offering are a great value. If you are cheaper than the competition, and you know it, it's a boon to your business to encourage your potential customers to comparison shop. In all likelihood, they will come back to you to make a purchase and you will have made a little extra money in the process.

You are probably saying to yourself, "Joe, we can block ads we don't want on our site". My reply is..."Why have ads at all, then?". Think about this: blocking your competitor's ads will not only reduce the number of ads to display on your site, but also decrease the relevance of the remaining ads. The more urls you block the less the chance of the ads being relevant. So what's the point of having them at all? In that case, they'll serve no purpose but to clutter up your pages.

What do you think it says about your business if you are using Google ads to generate extra income? I tell you what it says to me. It says you're not selling. If you're not selling, chances are your products and services, prices or website are not up to par or your site hasn't been optimized and you have no traffic.

In general, sites that sell services or products should be pushing their own stuff and not someone else's. When did business change? Just because you can make money placing ads on your site doesn't mean it is always (or ever) in your best interest.

Copyright 2005 Joe Balestrino

About The Author

Joe Balestrino

For affordable SEO, SEM, web design and more visit Joe's site for a free evaluation http://www.mr-seo.com. Listen to Joe's Podcast at http://mrseo.podomatic.com/. Or, read more articles on SEO visit http://mr-seo.blogspot.com.

joe@mr-seo.com