RESOLVED (9/24): Technical Issue Causing Improper Ad Display

1. 82

   Cliff Mendrezposted 11 years ago

   I noticed that the square block of ad usually seen at the top of the hub (when you don't use a photo or any capsule aligned to the right) is now gone. I haven't touched my hubs for quite a long time and I'm wondering if this is a recent change. I actually like the change because the less ads, the better reading experience for visitors. What bothers me a little is how this could affect our earnings (maybe advertisers would pay less?).
   
   I just want to confirm if you have also seen this and what are your thoughts about it.

   report
   1. 92

      Susana Sposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There has been quite a lot more experimentation regarding ad positions/types/sizes on HP over the last year or so as HP try to get the balance of ads to content right, in terms of revenue, pleasing visitors and appeasing google. It's an ongoing thing so expect to see more ad layout changes!

      report
   2. 72

      Matthew Meyerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This has now been resolved.
      Thanks for your patience.
      You can find the update here.
      http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/117402#post2474262

      report
      1. 43

         Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         'Related Searches' is back, but it is now on two places on my Hubs: One in the right sidebar and a different one just above where people vote for Useful, Funny, Awesome, etc. Was this intentional?

         report
2. 86

   Millionaire Tipsposted 11 years ago

   Yes, the square ad is gone. 
   
   But there is an ad on the right, and it isn't scrolling.  I sure do hope this change is permanent!  The related search links are gone! Yippie!

   report
   1. 43

      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm all for showing less ads, but this actually looks like something has happened to the HP AdSense account!

      report
      1. 92

         Susana Sposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         The skyscraper ads on the right are adsense.

         report
         1. 43

            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            As I mentioned above, the ads are part of the Google Display Network.  This is part of Google's ad program, just like AdSense is, but it's a different program. The Google Display Network and AdSense are two different programs and the only ads which are showing now are not AdSense ads.

            report
            1. 92

               Susana Sposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Don't think you can show google display network ads without an adsense account!

               report
               1. 43

                  Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  You have to have a Google Ad account.  But Google ads also include other programs, such as DoubleClick.

                  report
                  1. 92

                     Susana Sposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     It's a distinction that doesn't seem at all relevant to this discussion.
                     
                     HP have not had "something happen" to their adsense account or they would not be showing google ads of any type.

                     report
                     1. 43

                        Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Like I said, something has happened to the AdSense account.  Do you not understand that there are no AdSense ads being shown right now and that is a big change on the HP platform? It's never happened before. This site was founded as a MFA site.

                        report
                        1. 78

                           psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           I don't know what you are looking at. My hubs clearly have Google ads on them, as did a few other hubs I looked at just to check.
                           
                           Ergo Hubpages google account is a-okay

                           report
                           1. 43

                              Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Do you see AdSense ads or just Display Network ads?

                              report
   2. 84

      Rock_njposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Weren't those related search links Google AdSense ads?  I haven't had a click on a Google AdSense ad in  while, and it's probably because there are a lot less of them appearing on Hubs these days.  I read that HubPages now has their own ads on Hubs (the skyscraper ads along the right) that bypass Google AdSense.  While it may be more visually appealing and appealing for other reasons (not so spammy looking), it also means that HubPages is running ads that they aren't sharing any revenues with Hubbers, and the chances of Google AdSense ad clicks is diminished.

      report
      1. 86

         Millionaire Tipsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         No, we do get our share of the ads that are on the page.  It is only the related search links that didn't get shared, since they weren't technically ads.
         
         (I don't know if they are HP ads or Adsense ads, but since I participate in both, I'm not concerned with that.  I wouldn't think they would put HP ads  on hubs that participated in Adsense only, at least while it is the Hubber's share but I don't know.)

         report
3. 43

   Writer Foxposted 11 years ago

   The "Related Searches" ads were from AdSense.  In checking a few of my Hubs now, they only show one banner ad at the top and one display ad on the right.  Both of these ads are from Google’s Display Network, which is a Google ad program. If this is a permanent change, it looks to me like we won't have a 60% share of AdSense ads since there aren't any. Maybe someone from the staff will explain what is happening.  Or, maybe they won't.

   report
4. 89

   LCDWriterposted 11 years ago

   Are AdChoices Google ads?

   report
   1. 78

      psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wait, I may have spoken too soon.  I must have been looking at cached versions and now it looks different.
      
      Now I see criterio ads.

      report
      1. 43

         Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Do you mean Criteo?  Where are you seeing this?

         report
         1. 78

            psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            The ads I am seeing now are skyscraper Adchoices ads served by Criterio.
            
            http://criteo.com/
            
            This is confusing.

            report
            1. 43

               Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               If you click on 'AdChoices' (NOT the ad itself), you go to this page:
               https://support.google.com/adsense/trou … er/1631343
               
               Where do you see that Criteo is serving the ad?

               report
               1. 78

                  psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  When I click ad choice it took me to criteo with an explanation as to what view of a website (and resulting cookie) was causing me to be served that ad.  Where it goes probably depends on what cookies you have.

                  report
                  1. 43

                     Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     That's odd.  Maybe ads are served part of the time by Critero?

                     report
   2. 43

      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      They are from the Google Display Network, not AdSense.

      report
      1. 89

         LCDWriterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         That's all I see on the hubs I'm checking both logged in and logged out.  Hopefully we will soon know if this is a permanent change or not.

         report
5. 78

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   I can't see how this change would be good.

   report
6. 72

   Reality Bytesposted 11 years ago

   "As an AdSense publisher you’re already part of the Google Display Network. We’re not making any changes to how AdSense works, so no action is required on your part. If you use AdSense for search, your AdSense for search ad space won't be part of the Google Display Network. Advertisers will continue to be able to purchase ads on your search results pages in the same way they always have."
   
   
   http://adsense.blogspot.com/2010/06/int … twork.html

   report
7. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 11 years ago

   It looks like we are experiencing some issues with rendering ads.  We are looking into it.

   report
   1. 43

      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      AdSense changed its display format on the 19th - announced on their blog.  Maybe that has something to do with it.

      report
8. 78

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   So this http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/117402 (comments disabled) is very unhelpful.
   
   We aren't worried about hubpages not getting their "related search" text ad money -- we want to know where the revenue-shared pictorial adsense ads are!  Are they gone by accident or on purpose?  Why?

   report
   1. 43

      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think those are the display ads we are seeing from Google Display Network.  I have presumed that the revenue from those is shared with us, or rather, we share 40% with HP.  Is that not the case?

      report
      1. 78

         psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         But where have the other ads gone?  Are we permanently down to just one skyscraper per hub no matter how long it is?

         report
         1. 43

            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            There's also a banner ad across the top of each Hub, but from Paul E's post it looks like they are working on restoring AdSense.

            report
9. 78

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   His comment seems to relate only to the text ads.

   report
   1. 43

      Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That means AdSense.

      report
      1. 78

         psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Adsense come as text and non-text.  I have never seen anyone refer to a graphic-based adsense ad as "text".  It means "served as letters, without pictures" even within the adsense settings pages.
         
         Of course it is something we could ask for clarification on, if comment on that thread were not turned off.

         report
         1. 43

            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Here is Google's explanation of text ads:
            https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/185665?hl=en
            
            And here is the explanation of display ads:
            https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/185666?hl=en
            
            The display ads are working on HubPages; the text ads are not.
            
            When I went to my AdSense report, it does show low speed as a problem on my Hubs with lots of images.

            report
10. 78

    psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

    Then what happened to the display ads that used to be on our hubs, the rectangle for example?
    
    They just happened to chose to get rid of those on purpose at the same time?

    report
    1. 43

       Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The display ads are showing on my Hubs: banner at the top, one on the right side bar, and two underneath the comments. Some of my Hubs will only show one ad at the bottom and some do not have the top banner ad, but they all have the one on the sidebar.
       
       Try looking at your Hubs with a different browser when you are not logged in.

       report
11. 78

    psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

    The rectangles that normally show in long hubs with n picture near the top are *not* there.
    
    This rectangle above the fold is colloquially referred to as the "money" ad or the "hero" ad--for a good reason.
    
    Maybe you formatted your hubs in a way that did not allow it to display.  I made sure I always cause it to appear.
    
    Look at the first and second post of this very thread.  I am not the only one noticing that it is gone.
    
    This is where we came in.

    report
    1. 43

       Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       If you look at this graphic, it is the blue boxes which are missing and those are the blocks for text ads:
       
       http://blog.hubpages.com/wp-content/upl … fter_3.png
       
       Are you Hubs showing the ads in the orange box positions?

       report
       1. 78

          psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Well then my block of text ads have been pictures for the last two years.  I guess I have been very persistently hallucinating.

          report
       2. 80

          Marina Lazarevicposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          We've been in communication with Google and have confirmed that the issue is on their end. This was not a general AdSense issue, nor was it a text ad vs. display ad issue. The three ads that are missing (on both web and mobile) are a special AdSense format (Custom Javascript) that we have access to as a large publisher.
          
          WF, FYI the graphic that you shared is outdated. The existing ad layouts are displayed here:
          http://hubpages.com/faq/#hpads-appearance
          
          And these are the web ads that are missing:
          
          
          The rectangle on top renders as text only. The square ad renders as either text or display. The bottom rectangle also always renders as text.
          
          We'll keep you guys posted as we work with Google to restore the ads!

          report
          1. 43

             Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             Thank you so much for the clarification and the update.

             report