Amazon ad placement

1. 96

   wildernessposted 13 years ago

   I always use Amazon ads as I figure the more advertising the better to a point.  Placement is questionable, though.  I'm not real happy with a string of ads flushed to the right, although that's what I nearly always do.  They are smaller and the text capsule is narrow, which I don't like.
   
   At the same time, when I read another's hub and find an Amazon ad in the center I have a great tendency to click away, thinking it's all over, unless I'm really, really interested and irritated that there isn't more, whereupon I'll try to scroll down past the ads.  I've also seen opinions that the ads need to be near the beginning, which pretty much means flushed right or put under a short 1st text box with a google immediately following; more "junk" for the reader to scroll past if they will.
   
   What do others think or prefer?

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I have the same reaction, which is why I always tell people not to put photos or ads right across the center of a Hub.
      
      I haven't had huge success with Amazon, but I do know the experienced Amazon Hubbers say you'll only get sales if you can find products directly related to the text. 
      
      So, if you're writing a Hub about blue widgets, you would have a long string of Amazon ads for various blue widgets. However, if you have a Hub about home renovating, there's no point having a long string of ads about miscellaneous home renovating products - that's just clutter.  What you want is one or two spirit levels near the paragraph on levelling, a hammer or two near the paragraph about hammering, etc. 
      
      I often use just one product and write a short review of it. It gives people more confidence if you recommend it. One of my best sellers is a belly dancing DVD where I've done exactly that.

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   2. 66

      Blogging Erikaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I'll be honest with you - I've gotten a lot of pageviews on my Amazon ads, and barely any sales.  I finally stopped adding the Amazon towers. 
      
      Instead I started using links in the text of the hubs.  Like if I wrote "This topic is covered in Book X" the text "Book X" would be an Amazon link to that product.
      
      I've heard that works better. Still haven't seen any results, but there's always hope!

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      1. 86

         Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Did you get the point lrohner was making, that you shouldn't be using Amazon "towers", but instead featuring single products?

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      2. 86

         lovebuglenaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I thought that the only way to make money with amazon on hubpages is to include the amazon capsule. If you make a phrase into an amazon link is it just a regular URL of a product or does there have to be a special URL?
         
         I am wondering if someone clicks on a phrase that links to an amazon product and then buys that product if that will actually count and the hubber will get paid for it.
         
         Lena

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         1. 69

            lrohnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Read this thread:  http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/47555
            
            I think that's specifically linking to an Amazon page. You can also go into the Affiliates section of Amazon, select a product and grab a text link only ad, or just grab the URL from that code and use that.

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2. 71

   thisisoliposted 13 years ago

   I find the best conversions come from placing two single advertisement Amazon units side by side between blocks of text.  This allows you to display products prominently, yet ensures the reader can see more text below.
   
   I have also been experimenting with placing ebay adverts and amazon adverts side by side with 2-3 ads showing per block. This makes the text look more complicated, but gives the reader choice, which is key to making a sale.

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   1. 60

      lender3212000posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I've had a decent amount of success using the side-by-side method as well. It creates a nice break which allows users to click vs attempting to compete to get them to break away from your text.

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   2. 86

      lovebuglenaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      "two single advertisement Amazon units side by side between blocks of text" - that's a good tip. Thanks for sharing.
      
      Lena

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   3. 0

      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I frequently do this, it is the most economical use of space.

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3. 89

   Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

   I am changing my placements..for example; when I am reviewing products,I place the ads next to the product review.
   
   When I am writing about a subject and there's a product related to it, I will place them on the bottom.I don't want the ads to distract from the article.

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4. 59

   KarinaKateposted 13 years ago

   What about anchor text links?
   
   I thought I had read that these also convert, (although don't look to me for evidence of that!)
   
   I don't like the Amazon ads at all, and since a photo can't be made clickable, I've also tried just text links alongside a photo.
   
   Any thoughts on this?

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   1. 87

      WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Just a comment on the right floating adverts. If you have a block of text which you'd like on the right, simply float it to the right and place it next to an amazon capsule of the same length.
      
      This means your advertising is on the left which I do occasionally just to break up the boring "Everything for monetizing is on the right".
      
      Don't ask me where or how amazon sells the best though - I've only had one sale (of seven items) in six months.

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5. 71

   sunforgedposted 13 years ago

   the common layout one sees here on hubpages of text smushed into one illegible block on the left and one big list of items on the right is hideous.
   
   If its effective, its only because it drives the visitor away as quick as possible.
   
   Areas that you want action in, should appear at natural breaks in your text and the page should be visually appealing enough for your reader to get that far.
   
   its real easy to click 'back'

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6. 71

   sunforgedposted 13 years ago

   As for targetting of the product ..hmm..not sure I fully subscribe ..its about targetting of the traffic, you want a buyer to show up, looking to buy and just do a quick swing through your page ..just long enough for their browser to eat your cookie on their way out.
   
   Those unrelated items are probably also on general hubs that arent attracting buyers in the first place.
   
   what do you type when your trying to buy online?
   
   for example - when your title includes "free" ...sales will be few and far between.

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7. 69

   lrohnerposted 13 years ago

   I am totally into the right float for the Amazon products, but not in one long list. When I target Amazon products, I target Amazon products.
   
   Instead of writing a long chunk of text about all the different types of widgets and why someone needs to buy a widget, with a long column of red, white, blue, yellow and green widgets down the right side, I actually target individual widgets. So I have a left-aligned capsule of text on blue widgets with the blue widget Amazon thingee to the right of it. Then a text capsule about red widgets with the Amazon capsule to the right of it, and so on. This has totally worked for me each and every month since I published these hubs. I'm not saying the other way is wrong--it just doesn't work for my style of writing.
   
   And I'm not sure I agree totally with you, Sunforged. My WORST Amazon-focused hub has an average time on page of well over one minute--the shortest time of any of them. For the more successful hubs, the average TOP is well over 3 minutes. That's significantly more than a "swing through."
   
   And just for the record, SF, I will NEVER disagree with you again. Swear.

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's exactly what I was suggesting.  I don't use Amazon a lot but when I do, that's how I do it.

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   2. 71

      sunforgedposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      We are not disagreeing. Im just putting prevalence on targetting the traffic in addition to targetting the product.
      
      I may have been flippant with using the word "swing" .. i just meant I dont care as much about how and why the visitor spends time on the page for my product hubs, I just want to attract the "right" type of visitor and make sure they leave through the appropriate place.

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      1. 69

         lrohnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I totally agree.
         
         Sigh.... Now that feels better!

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