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Google Rounds The Corners

written by John Chow on June 27th, 2007

While over at Problogger, I noticed a post about Google AdSense giving an option to display rounded corners for the border that surround the Google ads.

The new option is available in your AdSense control panel and allows you to run square, slightly rounded and very rounded corners. You can see examples of the new ad layout here.

Access the different options through the ‘Setup Tab’ of AdSense but keep in mind that if you have a blended approach to creating ads (your borders being the same color as the background of the ad and your blog) that having square or rounded corners doesn’t matter in the slightest as you don’t see them.

While it’s nice that Google is giving more options to publishers, this one falls into the almost useless category. The best performing Google ads for me has always been the ones without any corners. I do not run a border around my Google ads. This helps the ad blend better with the content and that increases the click rate. However, I can understand that there are some publishers who feel that ads and content should be completely separated and the rounded corner gives them another display option.

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By N2H
  1. I am still trying to figure out how to embed the adsense into my posts, any suggestions? I’m running wordpress.

    http://www.40hourstogo.com

  2. Yea, I really can’t imagine “with borders” performing better than “without borders”.

  3. I agree that the ads should blend with the content. Although I am not permitted to use Google I do use other sources and no boarders is the way to go. Does anyone know how to get un-banned by Google?

  4. I say pay more money to us and stop worrying about round or pointed borders!

  5. If you have rounded navigation boxes in your design, this would help the ads blend into the design more effectivly, thus increasing click-thrus. So, I don’t think it’s useless, it is a feature.

  6. It’s good for all of us. Google should give more options to make their ads more attractive, and more clickable ;) .

  7. Agreed. I have the best luck with those ads as well. Definitely agree with Billy Mac as well. :razz:

  8. i always welcome any addition to what you can publish for adsense but this is hardly a major addition.

    i wouldnt say its useless though – im sure there are some publishers who will find this useful – perhaps if they have a site with rounded menus. However, most web developers who use rounded menus for their site can just pick no borders and put in the rounded border themselves using css

  9. Hmm… this may help improve the look of my 125×125 button ad on the right sidebar. What do you guys think?

  10. I can’t imagine how rounded corners will help ad click through… the ones I place inline into my posts are all blended in to the background anyways.

  11. Google is becoming useless with their updates? what about lower payout paypal option?

    that would fall under useful!~

  12. MK

    Bleh, I don’t think this will be a big help to a lot of people.

    To me, it sounds like they’re just updating it just to update it.

  13. I agree having boarders on your ads probably decrease the click through rate. thanx for the update though.

  14. Not really useful as I never use borders on AdSense ads :razz:

  15. [Insert generic or repeated comment here.]

  16. I have post about this in my blog too. I alos make a graph to show the difference between those corners.

    http://adsense-tw.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/cornerstyleslist.gif

  17. I agree with you that it is basically useless, but it is nice to know that if I want I can have rounded borders.

  18. I think it’s better to use no border BUT maybe when your design is with rounded corners you can use this option in stead op making a table with rounded corners and putting your adsense into it

  19. I noticed this today when I was tooling around with my adsense.

  20. I tried using a border on an adsense block once. it lasted about 2-3 days.

  21. Thank you Guitar Hero 3, Adsense Deluxe works great!

    http://www.40hourstogo.com

  22. I tried using the border on the adsense block, it didnt last very long

  23. Blending is an art — John Chow does it very well without stepping on Google’s toes.

  24. I’m sticking with no borders. I don’t like the new look

  25. Hmmm will this really help to generate income? or simply to merge ur site design :)

  26. don’t use rc on your linear styles. it makes it crap.

Trackbacks

  1. Egonitron - June 27, 2007 at 11:17 am