Not Just Double Underline: Single, Dashed and Other Ad Link Formats

The Original: Double Underline Links

In text advertising comes in many formats. The original and most recognized format for the hooks – the highlighted terms which carry the ad bubble – is the double underline. But there are other formats that could be more suitable for your website and it’s important to know the differences.

I already wrote a tip relevant to this topic: use a distinct format for in text ads. In text ads should be subtle enough not to interrupt uninterested readers, and yet they should send a clear signal to readers informing them about available additional information. Using a distinct format assists your visitors in determining whether or not they are interested in the advertisers’ content. Informed readers lead to clicks based on permission which in the long run helps achieving higher revenues from happy advertisers.

The double underline format has been in use as default by leading in text ads networks and with time has become the industry’s standard. Readers already recognize double underline links as standing for in text ads and they can make their choice: keep on reading uninterrupted, or hover with the mouse to learn more before they decide if they want to click on the advertisement. The double underline format is not in common use for anything else, which makes it a distinct and preferred format for in text ads.

The Evil Alternative: Single Underline Ad Links

In the earlier days of in text advertising, publishers where offered to set the ad links to appear with the regular single underline format. The justification was that readers complained that the then new double underline links were disturbing their reading. Consequently, readers where then clicking on the ad links without knowing that they lead to advertising landing pages instead of additional non-paid-for content. I call this the Evil Alternative because it contradicts the idea of permission marketing. When visitors are fooled into clicking, they tend to get angry and quickly leave both the advertiser’s landing page and the original website. Despite the short run increase in click through rate (CTR), after a short while the revenues from such ad links would drop as a result of advertisers refusing to work with a website that has high bounce rates. No advertiser wants to pay high pay per click sums for unintended clicks.

To avoid this unwanted result, the in text ad networks had to set single underline in text ads to require two clicks. The first click would only open the bubble – without charge to the advertiser and without payment to the website’s publisher. Only the second click, after the ad was opened within the bubble, would be counted for charges and payments. Although this was better than the unintended clicks, with this double click requirement, the number of paid for clicks decreased substantially and readers found the confusion between regular links and ad links quite annoying. Bottom line is that using the single underline format for in text ads on a website is in fact the evil alternative and it is not recommended.

The Positive Alternative: Other Distinct Underline Formats

Positive Alternative is a nice rhyme which already makes it interesting. Some website publishers simply don’t like the standard double underline format. They feel it doesn’t go well with their website’s design or that their visitors either disregard them or dislike them. While keeping the best practice of using a distinct format for ad links, they still wanted other graphical formats. And the ad networks agreed. Hence the dashed, zigzag or combined underline formats were thrown into the online advertising ring.

Instead of the standard double underline format, publishers can now choose other link formats that are still clear enough as being different than the regular hyperlinks. Ad links can be formatted as a dashed underline, a zigzag underline, or any combination thereof. In fact, they can come in many other graphical appearances as well. As long as readers understand that they are different than regular links, this works quite well. It should be noted that new visitors would not recognize the in text ads as such, since these formats are not the industry’s standard which they recognize from other websites. This usually means a higher rate of hovers and then clicks, which explains why this is the Positive Alternative. But then again, it may also annoy the visitors a little as a new type of interruption.

Bonus: Icons Next to In Text Ads

In the spirit of the search for balance between making the in text ads stand out and not interfering with the flow of reading, there is another bonus option: adding a small icon next to the highlighted term. Some of the leading in text ads networks allow publishers to insert a small icon next to the ad link. This icon can be anything from a tiny bubble symbol that signals to readers that there is a bubble waiting for them upon a hover, and on to an icon which is relevant to the ad’s content. For example, a tiny magnifying glass icon when the bubble only contains further search options. Adding such an icon may prove to be exactly what your visitors are looking for – a distinct format that helps them identify which link is a regular hyperlink and which link is in fact a paid for advertisement. However, some visitors find these icons to be a little too much for them when added within text.

Best Practice: Try and Try Again

With all these options of formats for in text ad links, the best practice would be to conduct some testing. You may start with the default of double underline links and then, after you have accumulated enough information, test the results with other formats like the dashed underline and adding an icon next to the links. You should monitor both the bottom line results and your visitors’ feedback until you find the balance best suited for your website. And then, after a while, you should probably run some further testing. That’s how it is with website monetization, the optimization process is ongoing. But it’s also fun.