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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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
i use “mightyadsense” for this. You can try it from . i suppose that you can find it easily.
the plugin works very nice. if I had an adwords account, I’d definitely use it
Take a look at a plugin called adsense deluxe. That is what ive always used for that.
Yea, I really can’t imagine “with borders” performing better than “without borders”.
I’ll also stick to no borders for now.
i’m sure many will welcome the new introduction as it will blend well with sites with rounded corner features
I still think yo would get more clicks without using rounded edges, and just left it like normal as it always used to be.
I’m going to stick with no borders since that seems to be tried and true, but I’ve never seen stats on if what does better – image ads or the text ads. Does anyone have a resource or know what does better? I like the way the image ads look, but if text out performs it then I’ll use those.
Thanks!
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?
unlucky. i don’t think they will unban you unless you get sufficient evidence to prove your innocence which i doubt.
i suppose you could set up a completely new adsense account with different urls
That would not work, since Google will see you are the same person via mailing address and SSN.
The only way was if you owned a business and submitted your EIN number instead of using a SSN. You would also have to use a different mailing address.
It all depends on what you got banned for.. And how much time you have to sit around writing emails to them. Ive read 1 incident of a person actually getting their account back. Thats it though. And with all the people i see complaining about bans id think your odds are pretty slim.
Sorry to hear you got banned by Google. The good news is…you’ll get over it.
You can always find other means to monetize your site.
I say pay more money to us and stop worrying about round or pointed borders!
Maybe you should trying using Ad fliter to filter out MFA sites. That should get you more money
.
That’s Google’s problem. I don’t have time to do that
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.
and, matter-of-factly, a lot of sites do have round corners these days. but doesn’t google itself request that the ads be separated from the content?
as long as it does not violate the google terms
He is asking that question. I’m sure he’s read the Google terms before.
It’s good for all of us. Google should give more options to make their ads more attractive, and more clickable
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It’s all about you blending in your ads with your content, as long as it’s not against the TOS.
Agreed. I have the best luck with those ads as well. Definitely agree with Billy Mac as well.
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
Hmm… this may help improve the look of my 125×125 button ad on the right sidebar. What do you guys think?
Wow it actually does blend very well. Im guessing that might be what google had in mind when they decided to do it.
A little A/B testing to see. You get to use a TON of channels, so try making a “round” channel and a “noround” channels and see what works best.
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.
i suppose if you’re an amateur and your blog template has already got the feature of rounded corners, if you want to set the adsense up alone with round corners, then it’s easily done
It wouldn’t always blend in though. Some rounded corners give more space before displaying the content, while the new Adsense feature border is very close, with no space left in between.
Google is becoming useless with their updates? what about lower payout paypal option?
that would fall under useful!~
I agree. A lower payout would be nice. I dont think they would go with paypal though. They would probably do something with google checkout.
Heck, I’d sign up to checkout if I could get lower payouts.
I guess there’s just no issue small enough for Google to tackle.
Say NO to corners!
this new one is just below our exceptations.
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.
you have a point there
I agree. Hopefully no more useless updates are to come.
Good option to better design
I agree having boarders on your ads probably decrease the click through rate. thanx for the update though.
Not really useful as I never use borders on AdSense ads
[Insert generic or repeated comment here.]
I cannot find the insert button.
Not really useful as I never use borders on AdSense ads
Thanks I see you found the insert button!
LOL Seriously, options are good, regardless how silly some of them can be.
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
I agree with you that it is basically useless, but it is nice to know that if I want I can have rounded borders.
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
I noticed this today when I was tooling around with my adsense.
I tried using a border on an adsense block once. it lasted about 2-3 days.
Why’d you stop? I’m guessing it wasn’t getting a good CTR?
Thank you Guitar Hero 3, Adsense Deluxe works great!
http://www.40hourstogo.com
I tried using the border on the adsense block, it didnt last very long
Blending is an art — John Chow does it very well without stepping on Google’s toes.
I’m sticking with no borders. I don’t like the new look
same, to hard to blend it with borders.
Hmmm will this really help to generate income? or simply to merge ur site design
No, I don’t think the rounded edges would have a very good CTR. It’s best you don’t use them, in my opinion.
don’t use rc on your linear styles. it makes it crap.
Very Web 2.0. Not.