If you do your job well, you shouldn't get paid anything at all for it.
That doesn't sound fair, does it? But as an online publisher, that's exactly what should happen.
Your job is to provide information to your readers. That could be information that educates them. It could be information that makes them think. And it could be information that just makes them happy to read it.
If the information that you're offering is good, your readers should have very little reason to read on -- unless it's to look at more of the same sort of content on your site.
You'll have satisfied your customers, so they shouldn't feel a need to look anywhere else -- and certainly not to an advertiser. You'll have given them what they came for so they can move on happy they found you.
And without paying you a penny in advertising revenues.
That's the dilemma for publishers: if you're too good at your job, readers won't feel a need to click the ads. And if you're no good at your job, you won't have any readers.
There are a couple of solutions to this dilemma.
The first is to make sure that your ads are always well blended into the site. That makes the ads look like your content rather than a link to a site the reader has never heard of and has no reason to trust. At the very least, the link will appear endorsed by you so when a reader is looking for more information, he'll expect to be as satisfied as he was when reading your article.
And the second thing you can do is make sure that the type of ad you're offering matches the type of content you're offering.
Advertising systems offer all sorts of different types of ads these days, from simple text links to animated graphic ads that come with mini-reviews and price comparisons.
If you've been talking in detail about a product, then placing an ad unit that offers the same sort of detailed information isn't likely to get many clicks. If you've done your job, the reader will already have that information.
On the other hand, if you just offer a basic introduction, then an ad on that page could promise more interesting details.
It's the difference between giving the audience everything they want and leaving them just enough to want a little more.
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
September 30, 2008 12:46 PM
Very subtle. I followed this from twitter. It works well with AdSense.. you really have to blend in well and the last point do give but not all makes the reader click. Keep them little dissatisfied..just a little. I think I will implement.
(But in this post you gave it all).. Where I should click?
October 21, 2008 06:12 AM
Hi Mr. Joel, Im Allen from Indonesia. Iam newbie as adsense publisher and I have read your book named 'adsense secret 4.0', I think is extremely useful. Please, permitted me for leave my link here.
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Thanks before.