Google AdSense on SEO Sites

[incrediblehelp]

I was browsing around some seo sites from this forum and from google search results. I was spotting many of them using google Adsense on their front page and sub pages of their websites.

Can anyone tell me why they would be doing this? I can see some shopping sites using Adsense because they may not actually sell products, but why would seo websites use them?

Of course if these seo sites achieved some solid results on google, they could earn through click throughs to other seo’s that appeared on google adword results but why would they want to have visitors leave their site only to go to one their competitors?

Any comments?

[cbp]

Can anyone tell me why they would be doing this?

To make $

You can use your Adsense control panel to not show compeitor sites.

CBP

[glengara]

I had them on for less than a month, too many of the services offered fell into the "dodgy" category...

[incrediblehelp]

If the site is selling SEO, why would you want AdSense appearing on the site????? I don't think you would block all competitors from the AdSense module, but even if you did why would you want AdSense on the site with little or no results?

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

why would you want AdSense on the site with little or no results?

Indeed... why would you want ANYTHING on your site that didn't get "results"? but I assume AdSense is there because it does get results... why do you assume otherwise?

[MtraX]

Well guys

You won't believe me (maybe it's been mentioned before), but I have this theory that having Google Adsense on your page boosts your ranking and ensures that Google crawls your page quite often. This will help giving you the edge over competition who's trying to rank better than you in Google.

Let me know what you think about that. I mean, I have this personal site at http://www.tolken.co.za as a means of listing some of my personal interests and skills and low and behold, within 2 weeks I was ranking page one on certain keywords, allthough I did do my homework on my keywords, so maybe you can disillusion me ? ;-)

Regards
MtraX

[minstrel]

That's a hard one to prove or disprove, MTraX.

If you have AdSense on a page/site, you should certainly see frequent crawls by the AdSense bot, but if you have accurate web logs you should see that identified separately as Media Partners GoogleBot (rather than just Googlebot).

My sites are generally updated fairly regularly so usually I also get regular visits from Googlebot. Since adding AdSense a month or two ago, I can't say I've seen any remarkable change in Googlebot visits - having said that, I have seen a bit of an increase in Googlebot activity but I've also seen increases in visits from the MSN and Slurp spiders in that time period and I doubt that it would be reasonable to attribute that to AdSense.

[OneMoreBite]

I have this personal site at http://www.tolken.co.za as a means of listing some of my personal interests and skills and low and behold, within 2 weeks I was ranking page one on certain keywords ... maybe you can disillusion me ? ;-)

What were the keywords? It's easy to be No. 1 on obscure keywords or rarely searched keywords.

If a site has a product or service they are marketing, and they still display adverts for other businesses with similar goods and services, it tells me they ain't too bright! LOL

Kathryn

[incrediblehelp]

Originally Posted by minstrel

Indeed... why would you want ANYTHING on your site that didn't get "results"? but I assume AdSense is there because it does get results... why do you assume otherwise?

You misunderstood me. I was replying about the fact that you can block certain advertisers in AdSense. of course if an SEO blocked all competitors and had AdSense on their site, whats the use?

I dont believe the therory that AdSense gives your site a boost either.

[achronister]

The Adsense bot and Googlebot should be completely separate and serve results to separate databases. I don't see any correlation between frequency or crawls or ranking.

I would say it is conceivable to have adsense on a page the never has been crawled or will never get crawled by the googlebot.

[flood6]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

You misunderstood me. I was replying about the fact that you can block certain advertisers in AdSense. of course if an SEO blocked all competitors and had AdSense on their site, whats the use?

I dont believe the therory that AdSense gives your site a boost either.

I think what they are saying is, you can block competing sites' ads while still allowing complimentary sites' ads.

Like you offer SEO services and with competing ads blocked, AdSense will display ads for website design, hosting, security, software, etc. I don't know how well this works in practice, but I think that is the idea.

[bhartzer]

I've tested it myself have have found that having Adsense on a page has no effect on rankings. However, if you add Adsense code on your page and then take the code off or don't have the code on there and then add the code on then you've made a change to your page. And Google seems to like that. So, in that sense it could potentially have an effect on rankings.

As for SEO firms that have Adsense on their site, you have to question a company's motives and overall objectives if they have any forms of advertising on their website, not just Adsense.

[OneMoreBite]

If you add Adsense code on your page and then take the code off or don't have the code on there and then add the code on then you've made a change to your page. And Google seems to like that. So, in that sense it could potentially have an effect on rankings.

Yes, Google likes changing (updating) content, and that can be accomplished by making any change to the page. Of course, it's not the AdSense code that does it, but simply the changing content.

Kathryn

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by bhartzer

As for SEO firms that have Adsense on their site, you have to question a company's motives and overall objectives if they have any forms of advertising on their website, not just Adsense.

Well, I'm not an SEO firm but my reaction to reading this was, "why on earth would you say that?"

What's wrong with an SEO firm or anyone else advertising appropriate services or products on their websites?

[incrediblehelp]

If the SEO website is advertising web design, IT, logo design or other services that they don't offer themselves, then yes I can consider this a smart move. My point of this discussion was the fact that I am finding many sites now (not only SEO sites) that are using AdSense that directly competes with services that the websites offer. Maybe this is just lazy AdSense managment???

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

My point of this discussion was the fact that I am finding many sites now (not only SEO sites) that are using AdSense that directly competes with services that the websites offer. Maybe this is just lazy AdSense managment???

Or maybe not. This seems to reflect the common assumption that one should do everything possible to keep your visitors/customers away from information about competitive products or services. I don't agree. I think potential customers are just as likely to see competitive ads on your site as a measure of the confidence you have in your own services or products. Put another way, it's a bit like saying, "go ahead - compare me to the rest - I'm pretty confident you'll decide I am better and come back to me anyway".

[Dave Hawley]

Put another way, it's a bit like saying, "go ahead - compare me to the rest - I'm pretty confident you'll decide I am better and come back to me anyway".

Exactly. That is why we have no problems with using AdSense advertising competition. I'm not so naive that customer wont shop around, I make it easy for them and get paid for it.

[incrediblehelp]

Looking at this way I do agree to a point. We must remember that getting one internet user to your site is very hard work in the first place and putting AdSense on your site, giving a user a one click option to leave your site, is somewhat risky with fickle internet users. Wouldnt you prefer to add more info your site and keep the user interested in your site for as long as possible instead them click away DIRECTLY to a competitor that is advertising on AdWords? Users can simple shop using search engines instead of leaving your site to shop competitors by way of AdSense.

[OneMoreBite]

The trick is finding a balance so pages which are created to guide the visitor toward an outcome, such as making a purchase, joining a mailing list, etc. probably wouldn't be the best place to put adverts, yet other pages with articles, etc., i.e. more informational in nature, might be a good place.

It's true that many visitors drop by, aren't really interested and fly away, and sure, why not provide AdSense ads in that case. Yet if that is occuring often within a site that is meant to create revenue, then that's another problem which should be addressed. I agree that it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of time and money to bring in visitors and then entice them elsewhere for a few pennies.

Kathryn

[ferret77]

I have adsense on my site

for awhile i had it on the front page

I still have it on a bunch of inner pages

why, becasue I like gettting a extra hassle free few dollars a day

I don't care If I advertise other web design firms

or other seo firms

anyone who buys seo services from a ppc ad is proably not that bright and looking for a 200 dollar fix

The vast majority of people who visit the site are just window shopping and will leave the site anyway

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[tiger1]

<<<<
If the SEO website is advertising web design, IT, logo design or other services that they don't offer themselves, then yes I can consider this a smart move.
<<<<
Unless it is a high value keyword, you're better off having a partnership/referral with companies in a related field.

[incrediblehelp]

I agree tiger1

[DarrenC]

Yes, Google likes changing (updating) content, and that can be accomplished by making any change to the page. Of course, it's not the AdSense code that does it, but simply the changing content.

Not sure if I agree with that quote.

Simply because its been mentioned in the past that G loves static HTML files rather than dynamic PHP/ASP, static been exactly that.

[ferret77]

mentioned in the past that G loves static HTML files rather than dynamic PHP/ASP

it doesn't make any difference but in my expereince google sometimes would follow all the link from urls with multiple parameters in them