I have been adding more content here and less answering questions so back to the questions.

Today’s question:

Mike, Two quick questions: What is the name of the drop down menu RSS subscribe plugin that you are using on this blog? I like it. The BIG one: I saw your wonderful interview with Liz Tomey. You said that you test different Adsense placements with different WP themes. In your testing, have you found that a certain theme and/or placement combination works well. So well, that you use it as a benchmark to start your other sites? Example: I got the Revolution Magazine theme (not cheap) and it is beautiful. Great content, good traffic – but the Adsense click thru is so very bad. Pretty ain’t always the best. Many thanks, and keep up the good work. Robert

The first part is easy. I use Subscribe Me plugin for the drop down feed buttons. I like it because it makes a one click to add to the reader’s preferred feed reader. For example I use Google Reader and if I click the Google button it adds it to my reader in a click (as long as I am logged in which for me is almost always).

The second part is much harder.

My best results for ctr on Adsense usually come from having the ads embedded in the post itself. There are plugins that will do that but I prefer to hard code the Adsense into the theme itself.

Sidebar Adsense has never done well for me for click throughs compared to having it in the article.

Now I don’t intentionally create Adsense blogs as a primary monetization. They come about by testing.

I start with Adsense and if that is converting I will start to test affiliate offers. As I am converting over though I will move the Adsense to the bottom of the post until I have proved out the affiliate promotions.

I use Adsense primarily for testing new niches as it does give me a good idea of how profitable it is. Adsense is never the primary monetization unless the niche does not prove out for affiliate marketing or my own products.

If it proves out then I switch to affiliate offers or create my own product as that is more profitable in the long run and the Adsense goes away. I will keep it up with Adsense only if it makes more that way than with affiliate offers.

If it is a dud I kill it and let the domain expire.

Hope that helps explain it better for you.

As always your questions and comments are welcomed.

Mike Paetzold

Technorati Tags: adsense, affiliate marketing, blogs, google, rss, wordpress

Todays question:

I’ve been following your work for a while now and like it. This new WP2.7 hasn’t done what I hoped it would do, which is simplify adding things like StatCounter.

I have several blogs running right now, all on WP as supplied by Dreamhost. I am setting up some more on WordPress itself. I am considering using Blogger for some more.

The problems I am having all concern placing Google and other adverts and installing StatCounter code. It seems that I can get one or the other, or a sort of one or the other, but it seems to be almost impossible to get both as easy to use deals in the same platform.

Do you have any thoughts on how to solve this?

First I am not familiar with Stat Counter. Have a feeling it is a problem with the type of scripting they are using. Would recommend looking at Google Analytics plugin and use that service or the WordPress Stats plugin.

Both of those plugins are made to work with WordPress and will keep you from having conflicts with other programs. Adsense uses a java script to display your ads.

Most stats counters do also and that is probably where the conflict comes in. I have successfully used Adsense and Analytics with no problem.

As always your questions and comments are welcomed.

Mike Paetzold

Technorati Tags: adsense, conflicts, stat counter, using plugins

How best to add adsense [ 3:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here is today’s question.

What is the best way to place Adsense ads on the pages of your posts or pages. Also is there a way to have it automatically show up on every post or page created? Thank you for all your great tips

NOTE : Before I get into the question a note on using Adsense on your blog. If you are preselling affiliate products you probably don’t want to use Adsense as it creates a leak. If you are using Adsense as your main monetization then that is okay. Too often I see people preselling with a great article and having a link to the very same product in their adsense block which can be clicked instead of their affiliate link.

There are several plugins that you can use for adding Adsense and my favorite is Adsense Deluxe. It allows you to input the code where you want it and allows you to use different adblocks easily. You basically set up the various formats in the backoffice and can just add a snippet in your post as you create it.

If you are going to do a specific adblock that will always be the same like a 300×250 floating to the left in every post then I usually hard code the ad into the template. It save me time when I am posting as it automatically appears every time I post.

Which way is best really depends on what you are doing. If you want to change ad blocks and placement frequently use the plugin. If you are going with a fixed format just hard code it in to your theme.

Mike Paetzold

Technorati Tags: adsense, adsense-deluxe

These posts are my part of the mini-blogathon to support the Dr Mani Children Foundation and Dr Mani’s 24 hour Blogathon. Check it out and donate if you can.

There are a few that are supposed to be designed for Adsense but I think you can do as good if not a better job than most of the ones that I have seen.

Depending on the ad sizes you want to display check out a variety of different themes and pay attention to the sidebar. For that type of blog you are probably best to have a 3 column theme with a doulble side bar on one side to allow you the maximum flexibility.

Technorati Tags: adsense, banners, monetize-blog