First, I have to say that PubMatic is a great tool to rotate multiple advertising networks on your site. Take a look at a previous post discussing how they work here.
Determine where to place the AdSense code
The test, and I am only 2 weeks into this test, is to determine where best to place advertisements on your page. I had originally identified two places to put the AdSense code, on the right navigation as a 300×250 rectangle (although more common are the skyscrappers) and at the bottom of each post. Recently I added the code to the top of the page.
Three common places to place AdSense
I wanted to compare the following placements.
- Top of Page, 728×90
- Right of Page (in Navigation), 300×250
- Bottom of Each Post, 468×60
Results of Placements
Results below are shown as a eCPM which is an “effective” CPM or Cost Per Thousand. In other words, for every 1,000 advertisements shown what is the total revenue (on average) of the Google AdSense ads.
- $.22 eCPM : Top of Page, 728×90
- $.02 eCPM : Right of Page (in Navigation), 300×250
- $.15 eCPM : Bottom of Each Post, 468×60
Therefore the top of the page is 10 times more profitable than the right of the page. Obviously part of the reason is that the Top of the Page ads are the first a visitor sees. Influencing these tests are where on the page is the 300×250 placed, in the top fold or not. Top fold is the first area of the screen that a visitor can view without scrolling down. The reasoning for the bottom of the post is that a visitor will hopefully read the full article and when coming to the end will see relevant offers presented by AdSense.
Conclusion
Test multiple placements, for me the top of the page is by far the most profitable. However, some may view ads at the top of the page distracting so you will need to balance your desire for ads there.
