Sometimes, despite their subtleness and clear advantages to the website’s publisher, visitors do complain about the introduction of in-text ads to a website. Most often, this would happen when a website has a community of regular visitors who are not always open to changes. From my experience, the number of complaints will be very low when compared to the number of visitors and they will also disappear after a short while. Nonetheless, sometimes a publisher must deal with the complaints. This is especially true when the complaining visitor is an important member of the community or simply a noisy one.

Before the Complaints, Be Transparent and Explain

The best way to respond to complaints about in text ads would be to avoid such complaints entirely by being transparent and explaining to your visitors why you are adding the ads to your website. Sharing with your readers the need for advertising revenues to cover your costs and keeping the content free will build a stronger relationship with them. If you highlight the advantages of in text ads, you will most likely avoid all complaints. Your in text ads network should have a ready-made paragraph that can help you with drafting this explanation.

The best place for an explanation would be in a blog post or in your FAQs section. Sometimes, especially for dynamic content websites and blogs, a link from the sidebar to this explanation would keep transparency and gain appreciation from your readers.

Yes, Visitors can Opt-Out from, or Remove In Text Ads

If complaints persist, you can offer your visitors the choice to actively remove in text ads. Theoretically, this will lower your potential revenues, because the removing visitors will not click on ads, but in real-life, such complaining visitors are unlikely to click anyway.

How can users remove in text ads? Easily. Your in text ads network should be able to provide you with a link that will enable visitors to opt-out. This link would usually lead to an explanation about the ads, and then visitors will be able to choose to remove them. Technically, such visitors will pick up a cookie to their computer that will tell the in text script to refrain from highlighting links for such users.

Having this option for visitors to remove in text ads should also be helpful in internal discussions when you need to persuade the team to accept the new form of ads.

Smart Ad Placement for Returning Users

An extreme case for removing in text ads could be when you choose not to show them at all to your returning users. Some websites have a core community of frequent users. Such returning users can be an important part of the website’s goals, but in certain cases, they simply don’t click on ads, yet they do get annoyed by them. If you have such users, you probably know them already. They can be identified by how they reach the website – for example, by direct approach as opposed to Google search, or by being logged in as a registered user.

If you know that your core community of visitors generate much less per-per-click (PPC) advertising revenues because they simply don’t click on ads, it could be wise to remove PPC ads from their user experience entirely (you would still be able to gain some revenues by display ads that pay per impression).

Removing In Text Ads for Returning Users

How can you remove in text ads for your website’s returning visitors? First, you need a method to identify them – a cookie, sign-in, or their approach link could do the trick. Then, in your design, have the in text script run only on pages that are loaded for other users. If the balance of new and returning users in your case is relevant, you can also focus on the other group, for example – identify the visitors who arrive to your website through Google and other search engines and have the script run only for these users.

Please note, this will lower your revenues and you should take this fact into consideration before removing in text ads to entire groups of users. However, in the overall balance of your website, it could be a solution for avoiding complaints from regular users while still monetizing other sources of traffic to your website.

The combination of In Text advertising and the Mobile Web holds great potential for advertisers. The combination of actual permission from potential customers to view an advertisement that is related to a specific term together with the location and additional information from the mobile network can yield high conversion rates for advertisers. Especially local advertisers. This combination also promises publishers high revenues from their websites. But some changes are still required.

The Mobile Web Experience and In Text Ads

The Web is going mobile, that’s no news by now. But when the method of access changes, other things are affected as well and only time will tell how the user experience will be modified. Currently, the dominating format of access to the internet through mobile devices is either by touch screens or tiny displays. In both cases, there’s no mouse or cursor like we’ve got used to in bigger interfaces.

Since In Text ads require a mouse hover from the user, the lack of a mouse to hover with requires another trigger to open the advertising bubbles. The aggressive option is to use In Text links without bubbles, so that users who touch the double underline links will be redirected to the advertiser’s landing page without reading the initial ad. While this will drive click through rates up, it would decrease the quality of visitors and the overall results.

The Two Clicks Mode and Alternatives

The more reasonable alternative is to require two clicks. The first click – or touch on the screen – would only open the bubble with the ad inside. And then, the user will have two options, either closing the bubble and remaining on the original page or touching the bubble and continue to the advertiser’s landing page. To enable this choice, the closing button or X mark should be enlarged for easy access with bulky fingers. Under this double click mode, advertisers will be very happy, because users will grant active permission to get to their landing pages, twice, and they will not be paying for unintended clicks.

The problem with the double click mode, however, is that it will decrease the click through rate and publishers will see a much lower volume of clicks. To compensate the publishers for the loss of clicks, advertisers would probably need to pay higher prices per click (PPC), but with the conversion potential, this should be worthwhile for them.

There are two other viable possibilities. The first is to charge advertisers for the display of the bubble even without the click, which should work well for branding campaigns. Such display is better than standard mobile ads because it is triggered only upon the user’s interest and attention is guaranteed. The second possibility is to open the bubble upon the first click, display the ad, and then redirect to the advertiser’s landing page after a couple of seconds. This mode is quite aggressive, but with the permission of both publisher and advertiser, it can work well for certain campaigns. To avoid visitors’ frustration, it would be best to use this mode when the landing page offers genuine added value to the visitors, like freebies or highly relevant search results.

In Text Ads and the iPhone

So, I hear the question again and again, do In Text ads work through the iPhone? The short answer is yes, they do. The longer answer is that yes, they do, but the in text ads networks still need to improve the interface, enlarging the closing button on the bubble and requiring two clicks from users or one of the alternative modes discussed above. This is of course also true for other mobile devices like Google’s Nexus One. It can also work on mobile devices without a touch screen, but to a lesser extent.

In Text Ads and the iPad

When writing these words here, Apple’s iPad has already been announced but is yet to be released. Assuming it will be as successful as expected, the In Text ads networks will also need to make the required adjustments to make sure their ads work on it properly. The best guess is that it would be similar to the iPhone and the same changes will take place.

In Text Ads and Kindle

I haven’t seen In Text ads on Amazon’s Kindle, but the market of digital books is boiling and it would be logical to assume that some digital readers would offer free books in return for exposure to advertising. Here too, In Text advertising has tremendous potential. You can imagine that when reading Alex Garland’s The Beach, right there next to the beautiful description of the Thai island and highlighting the beach’s name, an In Text ad with an offer for a vacation in Thailand could do magic for both readers and advertisers. Technically, it is possible to integrate In Text ads to run on digital books, and the near future will probably include this combination as well. See you in Thailand!

OK. I’m convinced. I understand the advantages and I want to tap into this hidden treasure. I want in text ads on my site. But… You know, there are so many hurdles to jump over, so many people objecting the idea – my visitors and community members, the authors and editors, the website’s designer and the IT team, even my boss… I need some answers. Well, here they come.

Visitors and Community Members Always have Something to Say

“Dear Webmaster, Why do I see double underline links? What’s with the new in text ads? I loved your website the way it was before!”

Dear Visitor, Thank you for the compliment and for reading my website. As you well know, creating all this content and keeping the website up for you and the other readers and community members take a lot of effort and money. To finance this operation, I had to put ads on my website. This way, you can enjoy it all for free. The new double underline links are in text ads. They bring you relevant content from advertisers and when you click on an ad, they pay me a few cents. As opposed to the banners we already have that might disturb you a little when you’re reading, these new links are only there if you’re truly interested. They will only open a bubble with a small advertisement once you hover with your mouse over them. If you’re not interested, you can simply continue reading without interference. I’m sure you can understand this and I look forward to receiving more feedback. Thanks!

By the way, you won’t necessarily get objections from readers and community members. Many of them already know what in text ads are and they got used to them in other websites. Even if you do get a complaint, don’t get alarmed. In most cases, you will get just a few complaints out of many visitors, which means that all the others approve the new method. And also, within just a few days, the complaints will fade away. It is also recommended to add a clause or an FAQ explaining what the in text ads are and why you need them. In rare cases when the community of regular visitors still objects, you can offer them the option to opt out of the in text ads and click on a button that switches them off.

Authors and Editors Never Like Ads

“Dear Editor in Chief, I don’t like the new double underline links because they ride on top of my prestigious original content that I write for you… this is humiliating!”

Dear Writer, I really liked your recent post, well done! As you know, in order for me to keep paying you and finance our wonderful online project, we need money. The revenues from the banners are not enough anymore and we had to insert new methods of website monetization. These double underline links supplement your content with relevant advertising, but they do not interfere with the continuous reading and neither do they alter your content in any way. In fact, while animated banners try to grab away the attention of your readers, these links are optional and the ads don’t open up unless the readers hover over them intentionally. As for the humiliation… come on! Some of the banners that Google AdSense places these days include much more disrespectful messages. The in text ads are subtle and relevant. Please let’s give them a try and I’m sure that with time, you will learn to love them too and prefer them over the other ads. You wouldn’t want me to insert full-page ads that cover your content entirely, right?!

Web Designers Want Control

“Dear Website Owner, I’m responsible for the design of this beautiful website and I don’t remember including double underline links on it!”

Dear Designer, I love the website’s design and so do all of our visitors. You’re brilliant. The new double underline links are in fact in text ads. They help me make additional money from the website and then pay for your beautiful work. Because the in text ads don’t take any space on the website, they actually leave you more freedom to design the website as you like. You can also determine the color of the links and easily control their general appearance to match your design. When these in text ads earn us enough money, we will be able to remove some of the display banners and then you will have the liberty to add more white spaces, which are the latest fashion in online design – what do you say, can you perhaps do this job for me? With the new revenues from in text ads, I can now even pay you on time…!

The IT Team Hates more Work

“Dear Publisher, We have enough work already maintaining your IT infrastructure and keeping your website up at all times even with the recent surge in traffic. We don’t have time to integrate in text ads as well. Sorry.”

Dear IT Team, Thank you for all the efforts. We broke a record in traffic yesterday and the website’s performed remarkably. We have to insert the new in text ads to help finance the operation. The good news for you guys is that it shouldn’t take more than a minute. All you have to do is take this one line of Java script and add it to the footer of the template page, just before the Google Analytics script. Everything else is automated, from the loading, through the text analysis and keyword highlighting, and on to the hovers, clicks and payments. The new script won’t affect the IT work on the website at all. Can you please devote one minute for this? It will pay off quickly.

Your Boss doesn’t Like Changes

“Dear Subordinate, Stop hassling me with all your ingenuity and changes. I’ve been in the publishing business for 68 years now and I like it as it is. We had enough changes already.”

Dear Boss, You look so nice today, is this a new suite that you’re wearing? You taught me that money talks, right? Well, here’s a new source for additional revenues that can add more on top of all our advertising earnings. In text ads can be a significant source of income. The Encyclopedia Britannica has been in the publishing business for 150 years and they’re using it. Even your marketing guru Seth Godin has added them on his brilliant website Squidoo. (If you need more examples from your specific filed, drop me a word and I will send them over). We don’t have to commit to anything. We can start with a trial for a couple of weeks, see how much it pays and then decide. I’ve already convinced the designer and the IT team. I think it’s really worth a try and I will handle it all by myself.

From Absence, through Protest, to Legitimacy – the Advertising Penetration Cycle

I wrote before about the cycle that every new advertising method goes through. It begins with early adopters, followed shortly after by the early objectors, and then settles right in the middle of the mainstream. In text ads are no different and they’re already passed the objections and are en route to become an industry standard. Once you’re personally convinced with the benefits of in text ads, all you have to do is climb over these obstacles from your community, editors, designers, IT team and your boss, and I hope this list of answers will come in handy.

Surprisingly, online publishers often ask if they can monetize their websites with in-text ads even if their content is not in English. The answer is that, of course, yes they can. The question sounds surprising because most monetization schemes, including Google AdSense and other AdSense alternatives, do work in many languages. But, in fact, it is a very legitimate question. In text ads are closely tight to the actual text and as such, the provider needs to be able to analyze content in each supported language. And, as it turns out, not all providers can support languages other than English. So, the first part of the answer, again, is yes, you can monetize non-English content with in text ads, but you must check with the provider if your language is supported.

Different Languages Worldwide

The second part of the answer is that you must also consider the geographic aspect. Even if an in text ads provider supports a language, the provider must also support the geographic location of the visitors. For example, let’s say that a provider supports monetization of German content. It’s a good start. But if this provider only has ads for the American market, visitors from other German speaking countries will be left untouched. If, for some reason, you target German speaking visitors from the US, then it may work. But if you’re counting on visitors from Germany and Austria, then obviously US ads won’t be enough. Accordingly, before choosing your in text ads provider, you need to make sure that there’s both support for your website’s language and for your visitors’ major locations.

Multiple Language Websites

More and more websites today offer content in multiple languages. This is true in countries like Canada where both English and French are required, and in the US where Spanish works well next to English. But it’s also common in international websites that operate in many different languages. If a big website has content in English, German, Spanish and French, there’s no reason to integrate in text ads on the English section only. It’s money on the table. Working with one provider to cover all languages will leverage the website’s reach to get better monetization results.

Examples for In Text Ads in Spanish, German and French

Usually, a question like this comes with a follow up question – can I see some examples? Clearly, English examples for in text are everywhere, and I always like to point out Britannica and Squidoo. If you’re interested in other languages, I can direct you to a couple of examples from my own experience. For an example of in text ads in a Spanish website, see Punto Fape, and for an example of in text ads in a French website, see Top Serie. If you need more, drop me a word – in any language!

As most new online advertising methods pave their way in their early days, so did in text advertising started as a monetization solution for smaller websites and blogs. But with time, more and more big and reputable websites added in text ads to their monetizing plans and we get this question quite often – do in text ads work well for the big guys? And the answer is yes, big time. In text ads serve as an AdSense supplement and adding 30% to 60% on top of your AdSense earnings is a big incentive to giving in text ads a chance.

I’ve recently had the opportunity and privilege to work closely with several large websites, including Squidoo.com and Britannica.com, and following are a few insights into how to best integrate in text ads into such big websites.

Big Websites Need Robust Solutions

The major or perhaps even the only characteristic that all big websites share is the volume of traffic they get. In fact, this is probably the definition of a big website: a website that gets lots of visitors. Accordingly, the first concern a publisher of a big website should consider is the robustness of the solution selected for monetization.

There are over twenty in text ads providers, and with the expansion of in text penetration, this number keeps growing. However, many of these providers are making their first steps in this field, and such new systems may not always be able to support large volumes of visitors. The limitations can be in the automatic realm – is the IT infrastructure capable of withholding millions of queries and clicks every hour? The established in text providers have proven that yes, it’s more than possible. So just make sure you’re working with one of those.

Another type of limitations is in the manual aspects of the integration. Some of the in text providers require manual involvement in the choice of highlighted terms and the matching of ads to text. For a website with a high volume of content or with dynamic content, manual involvement in the process can prove to be inefficient, so you need to check this with the potential provider as well.

Lots of Content and Ajax

Some of the larger websites also tend to have a lot of content in each page. The in text algorithm needs to analyze the text in real time without delaying the loading time. Some in text providers solve this by caching the content and doing the analysis offline, but since the online advertising market is rapidly changing, you may lose monetization potential with offline analysis. Therefore, a big publisher should make sure that the content analysis is done online with each page’s loading, but with no delays to the website’s behavior.

If each web page has a large volume of content, like with an encyclopedia or with long articles, the publisher may consider using Ajax for loading the content only when users scroll down. In such cases, the in text algorithm needs to run again and again with each scroll, or otherwise – the monetization will be limited to the first few paragraphs only. Britannica uses Ajax with in text ads perfectly. If you have a large volume of content, you should make sure the in text ads provider can manage it professionally and maximize your potential earnings.

Multiple Level Reporting

Big websites also tend to cover different content or different types of content. For example, Squidoo has both regular articles and a specialized section for books; or a website can have an articles area and a forum; or a portal may have both local news and sports news. If you take your website monetization seriously, you would probably want to monitor the results of each section separately, like with Google AdSense channels. In text ads are no different and you should ask your in text ads provider to provide you with multiple level reporting.

The larger in text advertising networks work with website networks as well and should be able to provide both aggregated reports and separate reports for each site. Such reporting systems can easily be used for monitoring different sections of a big website.

Niche Content and Advertisers

When matching advertisers with online content, the more focused the content, the higher the revenues can be. You can imagine that it’s easier to sell ads for a website focused on new family car models than for general web portal. However, bigger websites often have many categories of content and varied demographics. This means that the in text ads provider should also be able to match wide category advertisers or multiple niche advertisers. Some in text ads providers focus on specific areas and as such will have difficulties matching ads for big websites with a wide variety of content. If you have such a site, make sure you get the service that you need for it.

Big Websites and Monetizing International Traffic

The Internet is open for all, and don’t we just love it this way? Sure. But it brings a challenge to monetization, especially for bigger websites. Most websites today have at least twenty percent of visitors which come from outside of their main market. Some have much larger parts of their audience come from other countries. For big websites, these foreign visitors can accumulate to vast numbers and there’s no reason they won’t be treated as customers as well.

Clearly, since the online advertising arena can be different in each country, serving in text ads in many markets can be difficult, but it is possible. In fact, visitors from surprising countries often prove to have higher click through rate. This calls for further research, but the explanation probably comes from different surfing culture and perhaps less offline advertising attacks. When you integrate in text ads into a big website, you should ask about international traffic – your provider should be able to monetize it as well.

Contract Changes and Higher Revenue Share

When joining online services, in text advertising included, you are required to accept the standard terms and conditions. For big publishers, entering into legal contracts usually involves going through the legal department, who always want to contribute its wisdom to the contract. While this will surely slow down the process, it makes sense, so don’t forget this step in the integration process. You can sign up online and then negotiate an addendum to the agreement with such changes.

One major change you should consider does not require legal involvement. A big website can leverage the large online ads inventory to request a higher revenue share. From my experience, this can go up to very high numbers… but don’t push your provider too much. You want the provider to be happy to, or the incentive to get you higher revenues will be diminished.

Your Very own Customized Bubble

In text ads are placed with a bubble that opens upon a mouse hover. Each in text ads provider utilizes its own design for the bubble, but this appearance can be customized. Since this does take some work, integrating a customized bubble is mostly relevant to big websites. If you’re lucky to be included in this group, you should consider asking for your very own bubble, matching it better to your site’s overall look and feel and perhaps promoting your brand as you go.

Testing and a Trial Period with In Text Ads

So, you are now seriously considering adding thousands of dollars when monetizing your mega website, and you’ve checked all the relevant issues to make sure you found the right solution for you… but wait, just before you execute a 12-months exclusivity contract and commit yourself to the adventure – why won’t you test it first? Yes, a trial period is the right thing to do. Integrating in text ads into a website takes very little technical effort – you simply paste a line of code in the right place – so performing some testing shouldn’t be too difficult. Starting with a one-month trial period sounds like a step in the right direction, especially for a big website. My guess is that after some optimization and successful testing, you will stay for the ride.

I was browsing through a magazine – a real one with paper pages – and noticed a lifestyle article about a new mattress that uses three-dimensions. Well, I wondered, don’t most mattresses have three dimensions? But then, on the next page, a full-page advertisement announced a new 3D mattress. Hmmm… was that a coincidence? Of course not. The magazine sold the mattress ad and probably added an editorial article about the new technology. Most magazines try to separate editorial content from advertising, to keep appearance of professional writing. Separation of paid-for ads and actual content is considered ethical. In this instance, they were not that subtle. But wait, what’s so wrong about relevant ads? There seem to be a big difference in our expectations between the offline world and the online arena. While in traditional paper publications we prefer content which is clear of advertising interests, when it comes to the Internet, we actually expect the ads surrounding the content to be highly relevant to the content.

As website publishers we in fact insist of showing the most relevant ads, hoping they will yield higher click-through rates and revenues. The visitors somehow accept this as being supplemental to the content. Google AdSense ads are responsible for this revolution. Since the ads are placed through automated algorithms, we don’t see them as affecting the editorial considerations of the publisher. Moreover, if the ads are not relevant, we usually complain about it.

In text advertising is a form of contextual advertising. As such, in text ads are attached to hooks – highlighted terms within the content – and they are relevant to the terms and the content of the page. So, if your question is simply – are in text ads relevant? The answer is positive. Yes, in text ads are relevant to your content. But since there are examples where they are less relevant, this question calls for some further discussion.

No Perfect Guarantees

One of the publishers I’ve been working with has integrated in text ads for the first time. During the first month, we served ads to no less than 20 million unique visitors. When summarizing the first month’s results, the publisher was generally very happy with the revenues and feedback, but he highlighted one email from a frequent visitor, who complained about an ad that was not relevant. My first response to the complaint was – Great, this is good news! How come? Simple. It’s true that an irrelevant ad is not a good user experience. But, if we had one complaint out of 20 million visitors, we have a very good success ratio. There are no guarantees that any contextual advertising technology would be perfect. There’s nothing like a bullet-proof method with perfect relevance, not even Google AdSense, and as long as the vast majority of ads are relevant, this should suffice.

Is it really not relevant?

In text ads can be less relevant when the content is not focused. Any contextual algorithm, as smart as it can be, would have problems with pages that are a mix of issues. In such cases, the ad should at least be relevant to the hook – the highlighted term.

Another factor that can reduce relevancy is geography. When the visitor comes from a country with less online advertising, it could be difficult to match the ads with high relevancy. To improve this, make sure with your provider that he has enough advertising coverage in the countries where your most important visitors come from, and be tolerant to less relevant ads in other regions.

Last but not least, relevancy is in the eye of the advertiser. While you may think that an ad is not relevant, take into consideration that the advertiser has specifically chosen to match the ad to the term and context. A professional in text ads provider only places ads with direct response to advertising campaigns which target context and terms. For example, if the chosen term was “London Hotel”, you would probably expect a travel ad. But then, if you see an ad for a t-shirt website, don’t be alarmed. It could be that this t-shirt website is now selling new Madonna merchandise, and Madonna is on her way to a big concert in London; hence, the advertiser is trying to target tourists who head to London for the show.

Are your Hooks Relevant?

In addition to measuring the relevancy of the ads to the content, another important factor would be the relevancy of the highlighted terms to the content. Before any visitor hovers over an ad, visitors show interest in links which are relevant to the content. When the highlighted terms are relevant, you should see higher rates of hovers. Matching the ads themselves comes next. So first, ask yourself – are the terms relevant? This should be a good start.

You can improve In Text Ads Relevancy

In these cases when you still feel that the in text ads on your website are not relevant enough, consider the following options. First, calculate how serious this issue is. If you’re thinking about just a few ads out of thousands, then it’s probably not a serious problem. Second, consider the context and the geography – the more focused the content, and the bigger the market for online advertising in this country, the higher the relevance should be. If the market is not that big and the content is not very focused, achieving high relevancy would be difficult. Third, look from the advertiser’s point of view – he thought the ad is relevant, so try to understand it.

If, after considering these options, you still feel that the ads are not relevant, then it’s time to contact your in text ads provider. There’s much you can do together. Your provider can work with you to improve the algorithm and customize it to your website, direct specific advertisers to your website, and assist you with monitoring and analyzing results. After all, it is contextual advertising.

Yes, you can monetize your website with in text ads together with Google AdSense ads. I could have finished this post here, with a simple Yes, but I get this question so often that I thought a few more words can make it clearer. Plus, there’s an bonus extra insight.

Why even ask about AdSense?

Websites integrate Google AdSense ads with almost any other kind of advertising. In fact, AdSense has became such a standard monetization tool that you can see it alongside any other method of online advertising. So why do website publishers still ask about the ability to run in-text together with AdSense? One explanation could be simply because it’s rather new. Another explanation could be that publishers simply ask about all types of ads, in-text included. Both explanations are valid.

To add on these explanations, a few years back, around the year 2006, there was an actual concern about clashes between AdSense and in-text. In Internet time, that was a long time ago and both methods have evolved since then, but the Web keeps a record of everything and if you dig deep enough, you might find warnings about this. If you do, you can relax. Anything about clashes between AdSense and in-text is old news. With a trusted in text ads provider you can be sure that there will be no technical clashes with AdSense ads, and also, as far as I know, Google does not have anything against in-text ads. In fact, it won’t be unreasonable to assume that Google will get into in-text ads as well in the near future.

Will In Text Ads affect AdSense Revenues?

No, in text ads do not affect AdSense revenues. Again, this could be a very short paragraph. A simple No would suffice. To be on the safe side of clearance, I would add that I worked with many thousands of websites, almost all of them integrated both Google AdSense and in text ads, and none of them reported any decrease in earnings from AdSense. This should be reassuring, I hope. The explanation is probably in the nature of the click through rate (CTR). It seems that the type of visitor that clicks on a banner-like ad from AdSense (these ads surround the text) is different than the type of visitor that clicks on the in text ads within the content. They don’t replace one click by the other and therefore there is no influence on the earnings. One exception to this general statement is that when in text ads are just added to an existing website, they sometime get more attention than usual for a short while, but as the double underline links become more familiar, it all goes back to normal.

How much Revenue can In Text Ads add on top of AdSense?

This is a tricky question since earnings from online ads differ widely depending on many different factors. I’ve seen websites where the in text ads revenues where double the AdSense revenues. I’ve seen websites where the revenue level was approximately the same. In most cases, with a good in text ads provider, your website revenues should not be less than half of the AdSense revenues. So, bottom line – how much? You can expect your website’s in text ads to generate up to 50% of your AdSense revenues (on top of the AdSense earnings) and plan accordingly. Then, you can hope to be surprised by higher levels of revenue. If you get less than that, you should optimize your in text ads integration (and I do give tips for that).

In Text Ads make Sense together with Google AdSense

Here’s the promised extra insight. The best combination for website monetization through placing ads on a website is by adding both Google AdSense and in text ads. Accordingly, in text ads are not an AdSense alternative, but an AdSense supplement.

If you’ve already decided to put AdSense ads on your website, it means that you’ve acknowledged the fact that ads are going to interrupt your visitors’ attention while they browse through your content. In fact, with the growing portion of flash banners within AdSense ads, they become more and more intrusive, grabbing your visitors’ attention away from the original content. If that is the case with your website – and let’s face it, most websites do use AdSense – then adding in text ads on top of AdSense is both logical and beneficial. In text ads are not as jumpy as flash banners, they are opened only upon your visitors’ active choice (when they hover over with the mouse), and they add substantially to your revenues. In text ads make sense together with Google AdSense.