Blogs and Ads
I mentioned Seth Godin’s blog during the class for our course on Business Blogging tonight. (Seth is always a great example.)
Then I noticed his post about how sometimes people like to see ads. Of course, this is what I’ve always said about search marketing. If people are actually searching for what you sell, you must learn to be there when they’re searching.
But how about when people come to your blog?
Are they bothered by ads? Do they think less of you as a result?
I think not. As Seth points out, the #1 blog in the world has 25 ads. #2 only has 1. #1 makes more money from ads, wich is good for them and doesn’t hurt their readers a bit.
Blogs are cool because anyone can publish, with few constraints.
Not because they’re ad free.
Email spam, which everyone hates, is bad because it’s horrible. It’s irrelevant, completely bogus, stupid, and often offensive.
People I barely know often send me email jokes — sometimes they’re actually hilarious and I forward them to a few people. Really, it’s the same as spam.
Both interrupt me, I asked for neither. But one is somehow ok and the other is the bane of the internet.
It’s not that email is a “tool,” it’s that spam has no editorial filter.
Like the quality of the ads in Vogue, and the booths at a trade show, bloggers maintain standards for the blogs on their sites. (Of course just the cost to advertise necessitates a certain standard.)
Evil email spam has none of that.
Perhaps it’s not the idea of ads on his blog that seem to bother Seth, but more the “self promotion.” For such a great marketer, he hates to say, “Buy my book; it’s great.” [Note: they are.]
I think the academic author and high-minded thinker, Seth, thinks self promotion is a little too crass. And if he can’t push his own stuff on his blog, then no one else should either.
My hunch is that none of his blog readers would be bummed if he had some sponsors on the site. In fact many people might want to support the sponsors that think Seth’s cool, too. No doubt many interesting people would love to advertise there. I know I’d check them out.
What are your thoughts about ads on blogs? [Note the irony of the question asked by the guy with the first (as far as I know) totally gaudy blog pixel ad at the very top.]
Personally, I think the pixel ads are more fun and interesting than the boring AdSense ads that used to be at the top. But I’m biased; pixel ads brought in more the first day than AdSense did all year, especially since Patrick Gavin has hijacked all SEO sites everywhere with his AdSense ads 
And while we’re proting things, don’t miss our Seminar in China.
Posted by Brad Fallon on Tuesday, December 20th, 2005 at 11:06 pm 
Hi Brad,
Great little article. I don’t mind going to a website and there’s advertising on the site – as long as there’s good solid content on the website, and the ads aren’t in your face the whole time.
At the end of the day, Ads is what pay the people to keep the content fresh and good. Without money, I think the internet would be a poorer place.
As for your Adsense on this blog… It’s pretty much hidden, I don’t see it. If you place your ads correctly with GoogleAds you’ll make money, without the admin nightmare that pixel ads will bring you. But, as with anything on the internet, you have to test test test.
With your PixelAds, I can’t seen anyone actually clicking on thos 1 x 1 pixels. So, where’s the value to the client -except for getting a diluted PR 6 link into their site.
O well, this is just my opinion, and you have to do what works for you…
Regards,
Gerard
Hosting Provider Reviews
Pixel ads are an interesting experiment. I think the original advertisers on milliondollarhomepage.com got a bunch of traffic by being there, but not so much anymore, but I’m not sure. The link is decent and though for the money.
GREAT post. I agree completely that people DO want to see exactly what they are searching for. If you deal correcty with PPC and general SEO and come up for the things that people want to see, then you should not have any problem.
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I have been pondering on this issue for some time as well. At maximum, Iusually only place 10 ads on each of my sites, however if those sponcers offer something helpful to the user as well, go for more!
-Madison
Search Engine Research
You know I never really thought of this till you brought it up, but I think it is okay if the ads are tasteful and not overpowering and at least somewhat relevant to the content of the blog.
I’ll tell you what. I was running absolutely no ads at all on a free site offering free wedding information. When I was collecting partners for links for that site, I actually had people say to me “its like a text dump, theres nothing people can buy there”
You would be surprised how many people goto com sites nowadasy expecting to see something to buy, or advertisement. When done the correct way, it provides the user with relevant targeted sites to go to.
I am not a big fan of pixel ads tho as they are a headache to run/
I have found the right amount of ads on the site can actually ad to the experience for the user if not done in a spammy way.
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Ads are good, when relevant. However if you confuse a prospect during the decision stage with ads flashing or competing for their attention could be deadly. now if you had a page after they bought that shows other ads or related products, they may buy from the others ads or click on another link to see what’s out there.
In my thinking I rather get them to focus on what they came there for. Then what I want them to do once there, then to confuse them with to many decisions.
Because you may lose the sell, optin etc.
I have founded that people (once confused with tomany choices) won’t do anything and end up leaving your site for another site that’s not confusing.
Ads tend to do that.
Andre’
Carpet Repair Naperville
Ads have a place,
There are those that will say that ads are nothing more than a temptation to sell out to the corporate machine… I think that ads will help provide the income needed to fuel those creative juices!
href=”http://www.teethingteeth.com/”>no longer available
IF you have what people are looking for and the theme relates to your blog then that’s a good thing. It’s not intrusive to your visitor… at least i don’t think that it should be because you are making their visit more worthwhile for them.
The Concept that Brad was talking about is valid though… it’s those people who can move quickly and capitalize on the moment that will be able to keep income streams constantly coming in.
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The whole idea really is to have good quality content, being able to have an ad in a space that is at least generally related to your sites theme only serves to create a higher quality site.
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Mixing channels of promotional, editorial, and reporting has always been a tricky business. Big media hasn’t figured it out, exactly, yet. Perphaps the blogosphere can teach them how it’s done.
My comments and thoughts on Seth’s post are here:
http://meme-pool.blogspot.com/2005/12/eternally-findable-self-promotion.html
The gist is that if we make it clear where our self-promotional stuff is, so that the people who want it can find it easily, then we don’t have to bother those readers who could care less.
Yea David,
I agree…. that’s my point exactly. If we post our ads on theme related pages of our blogs and web pages we practically ensure that we are creating a value that will be in the interest of our visitors… because they will be looking for what we have to offer. It may be a distraction to a few (you can’t please everyone) but by and large it will be an enhancement to our visitors experience.
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John
When I go to a site looking for either a product or just information-I always like to see links or (ads If you will) that are related. Some of my most valued sources of information were found that way rather than thru direct searches.
Ray
Ray, I do also… anytime I visit a site and their has good information posted and related to what I am looking for I will take a moment to look at it. I may be too self conscious because I sometimes won’t click an ad but I will just surf to the direct url displayed at the bottom of the ad. I do this because I know that those clicks are costing somebody some money.
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I believe that ads when tastefully done are an essential part of business for two main reasons.
Without income, we wouldn’t have TV, radio, magazines, newspapers etc, and the same applies for the internet.
We can not have a business continuing if we are not bringing in the income.
As well, it is a service for poeple who are looking for different products and services.
If they didn’t have any interest in them, then they wouldn’t click on the ad in the first place.
It is a win-win for all parties.
Also,
Ads are a part of selling and selling and commerce are what makes the world work.
Commerce creates jobs and provides for the masses.
If we couldn’t advertise and get clients, the whole system would break down.
I think the million dollar homepage did very well for its self and I see alot of copycat sites the just look peiced together. the only other site I saw that I like is adsbythedollar.com. they make it look real professional. I dont know people like to see advertisements but they dont want to see them on a crumpled peice of paper or a sloppy website.
Ads are good, when they are relevant. Don’t go away from your my content theme. Stay within your konwledge domain.
Baz
http://www.vital4health.co.uk
The problem is not with the ads. I believe that visitors are bothered when there are ads, but no content.
When you provide quality, relevant content that is then supplemented by relevant ads, the visitor has the choices they want: good information and options for more relevant information or products.
David
Discount golf clubs, used golf clubs,
and golf gifts
Sales makes the world go around. Whithout a sale nothing happens. Ad’s generate leads. Leads become sales. Without ad’s a big part of the sales process breaks down.
I love the concept of the million dollar webpage. Every time I think of it I have to smile. Isn’t that just a posterchild for Capitalism?
Who of us wouldn’t have done it ourselves if we’d have gotten the idea first?
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I think as long as the ads are relevant to the subjuect it can actually enhance the visitors experience,
Ads are great, and often lead you easily to a point of real interest.
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If I was the kind of person who bought pixel ads, and let me stress I’m not, I might go for something like companybattleships.com which seems to have some quite good programming behind it and it’s doing well on Google for “pixels for sale”.
I wander if Brad answering questions in Blogs !?
That’s a good point Baz,
When you are putting an ad on a page it should be within your content theme… this will make it more likely that your visitor’s interest will be peeked if you took the time create theme oriented ads.
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If you can advertise and relate it with your sites theme, then I think it will be a win for both the visitor and site owner
Astral Scents
Cool info and nice banner
Regards,
Nazgob
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Seth Godin has a new website that is a great source for links and content check it out at squidoo.com
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Hi Brad, I was on your blog the other day and saw your thingy about getting a link by buying you a coffee. Great idea. Well I bought you a coffee and paid via paypal but there was nowhere I could enter my link. Except of course in the paypay comment box but there were no instructions as to how you get my link. Ive emailed you asking how to go about it but have still not had a reply. Now Brad, maybe ive done something stupid without knowing it but I would like my link please. I don’t mind buying you a coffee and wish you the best of luck but I could really do with the link to Lovedvds to create some extra traffic so that I can buy myself a coffee too.
PS: Especially as we have a special offer on at the moment.
25% Off all our couples friendly films!
I think ads are good as long as they don’t give the sence that teh website is just trying to get clicks, without selling something that is targeted.
I don’t think websites should have ads that are confusing and try to trick people into clicking them. I leave immediately! Maybe it’s my age, but the internet is confusing enough
http://www.singlesactivitesofbrandon.com
Though might I add, glad this is a free capitalist country!
http://www.singlesactivitiesofbrandon.com/
I really don’t think it matters. People arrive at blogs for another point of view regarding a particular subject. If the ad interests them they will click on it, if not then they will ignore it. If you are using ads they should be informative not confusing.
Thanks David at http://www.candlegiftideas.co.uk
Hey Brad,
Ive been reading your blog now for some time and i think both blogs and pixel ads are both great. I recently entered a SEO contest in which i am using a blog and using mainly pixel ads to build links. I am also using mainly free pixel ads that anyone can get along with a free blog. I invite you to check out my blog and tell me what you think. Your feedback will be most appreciated.
Take care,