Sigh...Anyone else have a sick feeling in there (ad) sense?

1. 70

   thranaxposted 15 years ago

   I was refraining about talking about this but it really is bad. Last month with adsense was my most profitable month, but this month so far I got 3 clicks...
   
   What could have made this change?
   
   -New Hubpages Layout?
   -April 1st Conflicker Virus?
   
   I was thinking these two things can't be so harmful to my traffic viewers, but I found something TARGETED at us Hubbers. It's breaking our pockets by the minute..
   
   What is it I think is causing the decrease in clicks? Well...I have to say I have it myself, and I like it and thats the problem. I don't see a SINGLE ADVERTISEMENT ON HUBPAGES. I believe my traffic isn't ether. 
   
   Want to know what's killing us? Here it is:
   Adblock Plus
   ^
   This is a Firefox 2-3 add-on that you can download a blocklist for every advertisement on the internet. Not only that, if you find an ad you don't want to see or load anymore, you can block JavaScript, images, and video.
   
   Every Single Way of Ads can be blocked with this program.
   
   It has:
   623,601 weekly downloads
   46,175,986 total downloads
   THAT'S 46 MILLION PEOPLE WHO DON'T SEE OUR ADS.
   
   Not only this, but I think a program like:
   NoScript
   
   Does the same thing with:
   597,746 weekly downloads
   45,865,759 total downloads
   46 MILLION MORE WHO DON'T SEE ADS...
   
   That is a grand total of 92 MILLION VIEWERS THAT CAN'T SEE OR CLICK OUR ADS.
   
   Its an epidemic taking about 1.2million users a week, how long will it be until no one is left seeing, or clicking ads.
   
   ~thranax~

   replyreport
   1. 73

      AEvansposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't realize this as I am not completely tekky savvy and learn everything from people like you who understand , provide and calculate the information.  But that appears quite a lot of people, I hope there is a resolve to this issue as I haven't had a chance to check my adsense and see what is happening in there, thanks for sharing this.

      replyreport
2. 78

   Uninvited Writerposted 15 years ago

   My AdSense is just chugging along as usual

   replyreport
   1. 70

      thranaxposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      It might also be on the people your targeting. You might have hubs that target countries that English isn't major, or it was aimed at people who don't know much about Firefox or computers:
      -Stay at Home mothers have a lower rate of tech savvy.
      -Teens and Children don't often check add ons.
      -Countries outside of the US have less download rates of these add ons.
      
      There are many reasons why yours might be working the way it was and mine is aimed at a more technology based people. Like graphic designers and people who play online games a lot, they all know about this stuff I think. Or at least more then the common internet adult.
      
      ~thranax~

      replyreport
3. 80

   cindyvineposted 15 years ago

   I've never bothered to put on adsense so doesn't affect me

   replyreport
4. 58

   mandybeauposted 15 years ago

   You are a wise girl Cindy I did (put adsense on, and I almost had $70.00, when chop they threw away all my dreams to buy that pair of Jeans I had, had my eyes on................................In hinsight I myself would never have wasted my time....... But people get excited about $7.00 a week payouts, and they take nine months to get there incredible. They also want u to share out your Hubs with their crappy ads, on, but if your friends areinclined to click on an ad more than once, Bang that's it. I hate to thing of what they must make on disable accounts alone.
   Nice One.
   Mandybeau

   replyreport
5. 63

   WeddingConsultantposted 15 years ago

   thranax, thanks for posting the thoughts. Yeah, I was noticing a slight dip in ad clicks over the past...eh...month or so. I'm not a big adsense earner quite yet, so don't take my experience as the gospel truth, but it was enough for me to notice.
   
   We'll see how it continues. Personally, I think mine will rebound, but that's because of my audience (as you pointed to earlier). I'm sorry your audience is better educated that most! I hope for your sake that your theory isn't really true.

   replyreport
6. 82

   Whitney05posted 15 years ago

   I have seen about the same, if not more clicks and earnings on HP as before. Sorry you're having a bad month. I think it's just a matter of things vary. I don't think it has anything to do with anything in particular.
   
   In a way, it sounds like you know that your traffic and target audience could be the concern.
   
   My tech and gaming blogs have never earned as much as my other blogs, but they too are about the same as they've always been.

   replyreport
7. 65

   relacheposted 15 years ago

   Easter Sunday my earnings fell to the floor.  Yesterday they were double digits.  Go figure.

   replyreport
8. 60

   flread45posted 15 years ago

   I think the economy has slowed down ad clicking.I would imagine a lot of folks have sold that computer they owned for grocery items.

   replyreport
9. 65

   relacheposted 15 years ago

   When television was invented and they started tracking viewership, a pattern emerged.  From the day that daylight savings time went into effect in the spring until standard time went back into effect during the fall, people watched less hours of tv per day.  Turns out that during warmer and sunnier weather, people have really different activity patterns overall than they do during the fall and winter seasons.
   
   Internet usage has followed that exact same pattern.

   replyreport
10. 58

    lindagoffiganposted 15 years ago

    I have researched  Google Adsense about ad placement and added a few URL's to monitor. I then realize that I was only changing the reporting. There has been a noticeable decrease in earnings  that reminded me of my days on Triond.com. I left Triond.com because of the payoff in cents.  I felt as though Triond.com had taken over Hubpages.
    On Hubpages, I was satisfied with increased readership.  Also I learned that Google Adsense has mechanism called crawlers that searches for keywords for advertisements.  I resolved to learn about the Google Adsense crawlers and continue to satisfy my readers with good quality and relevant content.
    
    Google Adsense increases in cents and sometimes dollars if you  upgrade and distribute your articles.  Once I realized that I must keep writing content to effect change in Google, I have been steadily on the case and enjoying the increased traffic in readership.

    replyreport
11. 84

    Dorsiposted 15 years ago

    I've had my best month on Adsense ever, made more so far this month than in the last few months. Amazing. I think it has alot to do what with what I'm writing about though.

    replyreport
    1. 58

       lindagoffiganposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Everyone has there own niche, I will read your hubs and see what's cooking.  Congrats on getting more readership.

       replyreport
12. 77

    Lissieposted 15 years ago

    I've had a great month too - particularly the first few days. The traffic didn't change but the CLR did. Google is changing stuff at the moment with the new interest based algo - so I guess its going to fluctate a bit for the next few months - don't worry about what you can't control just build more hubs.
    
    And the only people who use ad blockers are geeks - write some non-techie topics!

    replyreport
    1. 85

       Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I've just started a new job and was wondering why I couldn't see any ads - it eventually dawned on me that they block them.
       
       Since a lot of people use the internet at work, that practice could hurt us if it becomes commonplace.  That said, I have noticed a dip, but only in comparison to my big January earnings which were, I now think, an aberration.

       replyreport
13. 63

    WeddingConsultantposted 15 years ago

    I think I found out why I'm having significantly less clicks.
    
    The ads that are being shown are often not relevant to the content. Here are some screen shots all from the same hub:
    
    
    Hollywood actress and bollywood, seriously?
    
    
    A Toyota ad?...
    
    
    Hot celebrity photos?
    
    Probably my biggest concern is that my content apparently triggers ads that try to target Indian traffic. This leads me to believe either:
    1. Google's algorithm is messed up (could be the case with their recent changes/updates).
    2. Hubpages is getting paid quite a bit from bollywood to show those obnoxious pictorial ads.
    3. Yieldbuild is having issues
    Here's a shot of my analytics on this particular hub showing that out of over 500 hub views, I've only had 9 from all of Asia (indicating most traffic isn't coming from India...)
    
    (readable version found here)
    
    Anyway, I'm open to thoughts if anyone has any. Contrary to the assumed "tone" of my post, I'm not angry, just concerned. Thought I'd throw it out there to see if people are having similar experiences or if I'm just not seeing something. I'm open to being corrected if I'm off base here.
    
    **update**
    Here's another screen shot of totally irrelevant ads I just saw when revisiting:
    

    replyreport
    1. 60

       belief713posted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I'm worried that this actually could be a problem. Is it possible for our Hubs to cause us/our AdSense accounts to get smart priced if they're not showing relevant ads?

       replyreport
14. 58

    Mark Knowlesposted 15 years ago

    Could also be that getting married is going out of fashion - or people are broke and not spending any money on weddings which means there are now less relevant advertisers for your topic and google are trying to supply the best of what they have available.
    
    At least you are not getting public service ads. Just see how many of those are plastered all over the New York Times website.

    replyreport
    1. 63

       WeddingConsultantposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I don't know...it seems quite unlikely that advertisers aren't spending any money on weddings. I'd post another screen shot but it's too much work Let's just say Google's keyword tool is showing quite a bit of advertisers competition for things such as "wedding etiquette", "wedding invitation etiquette" and other related topics. And the approx. search volume is quite high.
       
       I suppose the problem could be any number of things (yieldbuild, google's changing algorithm, etc.), but I would venture to say it's not that google is short of advertisers in the area of weddings. And that's especially true of Indian weddings!!

       replyreport
15. 77

    Benson Yeungposted 15 years ago

    I know close to nothing about add-ons and alike. Thanks for sharing.

    replyreport
16. 85

    Everyday Miraclesposted 15 years ago

    No Script does not affect the display of *most* ads. I use it due to the fact that we were having virus issues and it has worked for us.
    
    I am also a stay-at-home mom who has published at least one technical hub (or sort of techie anyway... About Wordpress, one of this week's Hubnugget nominees) and while I might not be "savvy" I'm not technically stupid, either. I do not, however, want to weight Firefox down with a bunch of plugins.
    
    I also wanted to add that I like seeing the ads. I never know when something I might not find on my own will show up and give me a chance to discover something new!

    replyreport
    1. 76

       sunforgedposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Most add ons dont weigh firefox down, but teh wrong combination can lead to sluggishness.
       
       before, i got involved in aff marketing myself, i always used adblock, its a great and essential add on - particular for thos flash ads that talk, yuck! ,,,i removed it for research purposes.
       
       I bet adblock does have some effect on techie articles - that doesnt mean you cant generate revenue from amazon and ebay or even better aff links
       
       the techie and geeks are more likely to be established and comfortable with online buying and many are ebook junkies!
       
       i never click on adsense..people gain ad blindness over time-thats why you just need to continue to get more and diff traffic

       replyreport
17. 85

    Everyday Miraclesposted 15 years ago

    It's easy to get adblind with adsense and similar advertisers.
    
    No Script *does* affect the flash ads!

    replyreport
18. 69

    Research Analystposted 15 years ago

    I wouldn't worry so much about google adsense, because if you try to figure out why this or that is happening or not happening you will drive yourself crazy... my suggestion would be to find something you like and focus on that, look for ways to improve and share, be creative and then everything will work itself out. hope that helps.

    replyreport
19. 58

    mandybeauposted 15 years ago

    I block the ads, no longer part of the Google adsense programme, because i see that it can't make the distance.....
    People as you say won't be seeing the  ads, so whats the use.
    Clearly companies are paying Googleadsense and others for ads, by way of the click structure. All the while it is apparent, by virtue of just how many accounts get shut down, that ether knowledgably or unknowingly these accounts have probably had many clicks that Googleadsense has not picked up... so someone has been paying, for something that they are quite clearly not getting.

    replyreport
20. 49

    badcompany99posted 15 years ago

    Mines just as crap this month as last month.

    replyreport
21. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years ago

    Wedding Consultant, You can't really tell anymore which ads a specific visitor will see. Google recently started watching the way individuals move around the internet and serving ads based on surfing history as well as the content of the webpage.

    replyreport
22. 57

    Dame Scribeposted 15 years ago

    That would make a really good Hub for marketers you know that sort of info, raises awareness go for it.

    replyreport
23. 70

    waynetposted 15 years ago

    Adsense clicks are increasing the more I publish new hubs, so I'll just try and stick to this tiny plan of writing what ever the hell I like!!!

    replyreport
24. 78

    Uninvited Writerposted 15 years ago

    I'm making about $1-$2 a day from AdSense on 3 different sites.

    replyreport
25. 84

    Rik Ravadoposted 15 years ago

    My AdSense improved almost from the day of the new HubPages layout.  In particular, the CTR increased dramatically (around x 3 or 4) although the extra clicks seemed to be low value.  Overall April looks like it may be my best month so far.  the higher CTR has also averaged out my earnings more, which is good.
    
    Interesting how varied our experiences are.  Obviously depends on many factors including keywords, regions of world targeted etc.

    replyreport
26. 63

    WeddingConsultantposted 15 years ago

    I'm with Rik on this one. April is shaping up to be my best month ever:
    

    replyreport
27. 82

    Whitney05posted 15 years ago

    Mine has dropped the past few days, but nothing to worry about because it happens and earnings fluctuates up and down all the time.  You just have to sit and wait.
    
    Funny W.C. I sure wish that was my earnings... I'd be happy with that being my yearly. HA

    replyreport
28. 84

    Rik Ravadoposted 15 years ago

    WC
    
    I'm going to start banging out WEDDING Hubs!

    replyreport
    1. 63

       WeddingConsultantposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah, I don't know what everyone was talking about before- sexy hubs don't get the traffic, WEDDING hubs do! That's where the "real" money is at. haha

       replyreport
       1. 79

          SweetiePieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Lots of people are still having weddings here in Southern California.  Our library is a popular place to shoot wedding photos, so I know the local photographers must be doing pretty well too.  Last weekend their was a wedding photo shoot outside for at least a half hour.

          replyreport
          1. 58

             mandybeauposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             I still think that those Indian ones get the most.

             replyreport
29. 63

    WeddingConsultantposted 15 years ago

    I'd be happy even if that were my lifetime adsense income.
    
    Actually, I'd even be happy if I never saw that income, which will probably be the case.

    replyreport
30. 74

    Eternal Evolutionposted 15 years ago

    I have not yet set up an AdSense account. I am still a little skeptical about it, i've been debating on weather i should or not.

    replyreport
    1. 0

       Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       What are you skeptical about?

       replyreport
    2. 77

       Lissieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Are you looking to make money ? If not I wouldn't bother

       replyreport
31. 0

    pgrundyposted 15 years ago

    My Adsense $$$ seemed to dip when the layout at HP first changed, but April so far has been great.
    
    It took me 10 months to get my first check. Five months to get the next one. And I may get the third one in a single month.
    
    That's very encouraging.
    
    I can't see the point of NOT signing up for Adsense. Even if it takes you two years to get a payout, a hundred bucks is a hundred bucks, you know?

    replyreport
    1. 60

       belief713posted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Most of my publishings have been here on HubPages - I just recently started publishing elsewhere. Anyway, if you publish on multiple sites, you can usually use channels to track which your most profitable content or niche is.
       
       I was averaging between $30-40/month in AdSense earnings. This month I'm on track to at least double that. Not sure if it's because of the new layout, new Hubs, publishing other places, trends, or what? Right now I'm not going to drive myself crazy either trying to figure it out. Just making plans on how I'm going to spend that check! Like pgrundy said - $100 is $100 more that I didn't have! Especially considering that the amount of time that I actually "worked" to get that check is minimal and continues to multiply itself as I multiply my efforts.

       replyreport
       1. 70

          thranaxposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Very true. It is all based on an accumulation.
          
          ~thranax~

          replyreport
32. 79

    SweetiePieposted 15 years ago

    I always wonder why Adsense is such a worry for some.  A few have pointed out in the past how Adsense is a good thing no matter what because it is one of the few hobbies that will pay you.  If you are just starting out it takes awhile to make more, and if you have been with Adsense for awhile there are times when payments dip and fall.  If people have a hobby such as going to casinos, buying hobby cars, or anything else it will cost.  At least with Adsense you make a little bit extra.  There seems to be a lot of obsession with those who just sign up wondering why they are not making paycheck amounts off this program, but that is not what it is designed for.  I like to think of it as a nice supplement, but I would never quit my day job over it.

    replyreport
    1. 77

       Lissieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       The reality is that some people do sign up needing/wanting to make a paycheck - now in many countries that can be as little as $1000/month - but its still quite a lot to make with Adsense particularly if you are only using hubpages.
       
       I do this full-time and need to start seeing some serious paychecks forthcoming -it will happen - I'm planning on about 6 months from now at the moment. It takes time and more than hubpages to make Adsense and other affiliate programs a full-time income but its certainly possible

       replyreport
       1. 79

          SweetiePieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I think it is for you Lissie and few other self disciplined people, but the average person asking on the forums will probably never be that as successful as you have been .

          replyreport
33. 70

    Isabella Snowposted 15 years ago

    The new layout is absolutely fantastic for adsense earnings and people really don't need to worry about that. Worry about your traffic sources, because that's where your earnings really come from.

    replyreport
    1. 0

       Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I agree completely Isabella

       replyreport
34. 79

    Janet21posted 15 years ago

    My adsense earnings are pretty much the same.  I haven't noticed any drastic drops.  I have 19 hubs and I earn less than $1 a day, so I don't analyze it too much at this point.  Once I have a lot more hubs, that may change though.
    
    However, I make a lot more money with eBay on my hubs than with adsense.  To me, the adsense money is just something extra.  With the types of hubs I write, there is more money to be made with affiliate sales than with adsense, so that is where I put more of my efforts.

    replyreport
35. 70

    waynetposted 15 years ago

    The main focus for me I'd say is to write and blog at other places to bring in the adsense income, as it takes more than a few articles at hubpages for the money to come rolling in, although I am more of an affiliate marketer and artist ( great combination?!!) I tend to get caught up in writing useful articles and original content 99% of the time.
    
    But the reality is that through all the writing that we do we'd have to write extensive amounts of money making articles to keep up with all the new ones that get published each an every day, an some of them maybe better written and more useful, so it's a struggle at times to battle against that search engine traffic and the community traffic you could potentially build up.
    
    At the moment I am happy with adsense as I am not making huge amounts, but I get a regular monthly cheque, which is nice as it all goes on me! (don't tell the mrs!!)

    replyreport