I wanted a Wordpress theme with distinct ad blocks so I can easily blend contextual or other types of affiliate ads alongside my main content.
As you probably know, effective ad placement is critical if you plan to make any significant amounts of money through Google Adsense or other contextual ad systems.
Using a blog template with distinct ad blocks and optimized ad placements will very likely help you increase your Click through rates and affiliate conversions. These customized blog designs are also known as Adsense Ready themes.
How are Adsense Ready Themes different from other blog templates?
A key element that is central to all Adsense Ready themes is their focus on integrating contextual ads around content. As you will notice, the ads and link units are carefully placed above, beside and below each individual post to maximize exposure and their click through potential.
Several themes will also allow you to easily place blocks of square ads within each post, which is one of the proven ways to receive the highest amount of ad clicks from the average blog visitor.
Here are some general characteristics of most Adsense Optimized themes:
* Built in Adsense blocks for easy ad insertion.
* Ads are active once the Adsense Publisher ID is inserted or changed
* Optimized Ad placement, colors and types according to Google’s guidelines
* Adsense linkunits and search are already included.
* Search Engine Friendly. Post and category titles are used for page titles etc.
Why should I use Adsense Ready Templates?
The main reason why you should use an Adsense ready theme is convenience. You don’t have to sift through too much code and there’s no need to make major adjustments to the template’s form.
In many instances, all you need is to insert your Adsense publisher ID and you’re done. This will probably only take a few minutes, which can be a huge time and effort saver.
You can probably hack any other Wordpress template to include ads but they can be a hassle if you are unfamiliar with how to optimize your ad placement. Most of these templates are not terribly attractive but I think they are functional and their ad placement is pretty decent.
I think Adsense Ready templates are very useful when you own dozens or hundreds of niche websites which use credited feeds or free content. Niche websites with high paying keywords will be naturally more profitable when you use templates with optimized ad placements.
Dosh Dosh’s List of 18 Adsense Optimized Wordpress Themes
As far as I know, this collection of Adsense Ready themes is the largest online. I’ve included a link to each theme’s home page and as well as a direct download link for your convenience.
Some of the screen shots were taken from the websites referenced and others were screen grabs of blogs running the specific theme. If you know of any other Adsense themes I’ve missed, leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list.
All of the themes should be compatible with Wordpress 2.0+. Feel free to check the theme’s homepage for more information on compatibility and installation.
Recommendations:
All of the themes are pretty similar in function, but I’ve had particularly high click-through rates and ad earnings with several of them and so I’ll like to highly recommend ProSense (#1) and BlueSense (#2).
This post will be updated often and I suggest that you subscribe to my blog feed in order to receive free notifications when new themes are added.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Adsense on twitter
Adding your AdSense code to HootSuite doesn't place ads on your Twitter profile page.
Ads are displayed on any links you tweet out that have been shortened via the ow.ly URL shortener.
Try this:
1) On Google AdSense, create a new ad that is a 234x60 half-banner.
2) In HootSuite, click on Settings and paste the AdSense code. Then choose which Twitter profiles you'd like to display ads for.
3) In HootSuite, create a new tweet. Add a link to this tweet by entering in a URL and clicking "Shrink it!" -- the URL will be shortened via the ow.ly URL shortener.
4) When you send the tweet, any users who click on the ow.ly link will be shown an AdSense ad in the top banner. With each click, there's a 50% chance it will show your AdSense code, and a 50% chance it will show HootSuite's AdSense ads.
5) Send out more tweets and start monetizing your links!
When you send a tweet with an ow.ly URL, you can also track clickthrough stats in HootSuite -- check out the "Stats" page.
If you choose not to show any AdSense ads for a Twitter profile, no ads will be displayed on ow.ly links sent out from that profile.
Ads are displayed on any links you tweet out that have been shortened via the ow.ly URL shortener.
Try this:
1) On Google AdSense, create a new ad that is a 234x60 half-banner.
2) In HootSuite, click on Settings and paste the AdSense code. Then choose which Twitter profiles you'd like to display ads for.
3) In HootSuite, create a new tweet. Add a link to this tweet by entering in a URL and clicking "Shrink it!" -- the URL will be shortened via the ow.ly URL shortener.
4) When you send the tweet, any users who click on the ow.ly link will be shown an AdSense ad in the top banner. With each click, there's a 50% chance it will show your AdSense code, and a 50% chance it will show HootSuite's AdSense ads.
5) Send out more tweets and start monetizing your links!
When you send a tweet with an ow.ly URL, you can also track clickthrough stats in HootSuite -- check out the "Stats" page.
If you choose not to show any AdSense ads for a Twitter profile, no ads will be displayed on ow.ly links sent out from that profile.
Adsense on facebook
Is Google-the-Goliath sneaking into the Facebook building — via the basement?
Google is actively recruiting third-party developers with applications on Facebook to run Adsense ads within applications pages, VentureBeat has learned.
These aren’t just any old Adsense ads, according to our sources — developers have been inserting plain-vanilla Adsense into Facebook applications since the developer platform launched in May. Now, Google is specifically building this network for advertisers who want to be on Facebook, and will let advertisers run their ads across all Facebook apps that sign up for it.
Facebook has been clear about letting third-party developers sell ads on their own “canvas” pages on the site and keep all the revenue — a loophole that the Google seems to fit through just fine. See sample screenshots of what the Google ads will look like, taken here from Fantasy Stock Exchange and South Park Character Creator (and no, I don’t regularly use either app):
fantasy-stock-exchange-1.png
south-park-characters-1.png
Microsoft has already inked an exclusive deal with Facebook to sell ads on Facebook pages within the US. By selling ads on third-party applications, Google is doing an end-run around this deal.
When it comes to Facebook and social networking, Google is apparently firing on all fronts.
Building relationships with Facebook advertisers also allows Google to test how to successfully monetize third party applications before it introduces its own developer platform. Google is apparently set to make an announcement on November 5 that it will give third party developers access to user data in Orkut, its own social network which is popular in Brazil and India but not in most other countries. To this end, it is also actively recruiting third-party developers on Facebook to develop on Orkut, we are told.
Google is also rumored to be in a three-way competition with Microsoft and Yahoo to sell ads on Facebook’s own pages outside of the US. Like its two competitors, it is also rumored to be trying to buy a chunk of Facebook.
So far, only third-party startups that have launched ad networks for applications on Facebook, including those run by RockYou, VideoEgg, Social Media, Lookery and others. Some of these networks sell contextual text and video ads within an application’s pages. Some even sell ads on popular Facebook applications for less popular applications, so the latter group can try to convince Facebook users to add their application as well. Also of note: We’ve also been hearing rumors that Facebook is working on its own ad network for applications within Facebook.
Whether anyone can make big bucks from third-party applications is another question. We’re hearing from developers that all of these ad networks work about the same. We’re hearing some — those with 50,000 active users or more - are even getting enough to pay for their servers, room and board. That’s enough to avoid taking on funding while you work out your long-term business strategy.
Google has responded with the usual “no comment.”
Google is actively recruiting third-party developers with applications on Facebook to run Adsense ads within applications pages, VentureBeat has learned.
These aren’t just any old Adsense ads, according to our sources — developers have been inserting plain-vanilla Adsense into Facebook applications since the developer platform launched in May. Now, Google is specifically building this network for advertisers who want to be on Facebook, and will let advertisers run their ads across all Facebook apps that sign up for it.
Facebook has been clear about letting third-party developers sell ads on their own “canvas” pages on the site and keep all the revenue — a loophole that the Google seems to fit through just fine. See sample screenshots of what the Google ads will look like, taken here from Fantasy Stock Exchange and South Park Character Creator (and no, I don’t regularly use either app):
fantasy-stock-exchange-1.png
south-park-characters-1.png
Microsoft has already inked an exclusive deal with Facebook to sell ads on Facebook pages within the US. By selling ads on third-party applications, Google is doing an end-run around this deal.
When it comes to Facebook and social networking, Google is apparently firing on all fronts.
Building relationships with Facebook advertisers also allows Google to test how to successfully monetize third party applications before it introduces its own developer platform. Google is apparently set to make an announcement on November 5 that it will give third party developers access to user data in Orkut, its own social network which is popular in Brazil and India but not in most other countries. To this end, it is also actively recruiting third-party developers on Facebook to develop on Orkut, we are told.
Google is also rumored to be in a three-way competition with Microsoft and Yahoo to sell ads on Facebook’s own pages outside of the US. Like its two competitors, it is also rumored to be trying to buy a chunk of Facebook.
So far, only third-party startups that have launched ad networks for applications on Facebook, including those run by RockYou, VideoEgg, Social Media, Lookery and others. Some of these networks sell contextual text and video ads within an application’s pages. Some even sell ads on popular Facebook applications for less popular applications, so the latter group can try to convince Facebook users to add their application as well. Also of note: We’ve also been hearing rumors that Facebook is working on its own ad network for applications within Facebook.
Whether anyone can make big bucks from third-party applications is another question. We’re hearing from developers that all of these ad networks work about the same. We’re hearing some — those with 50,000 active users or more - are even getting enough to pay for their servers, room and board. That’s enough to avoid taking on funding while you work out your long-term business strategy.
Google has responded with the usual “no comment.”
6 Ways to Make Money Online with Facebook
If you’re wondering how you can monetise Facebook, then here are some ideas for you -
1. Find new business clients. Whether you’re a consultant, a writer, a photographer, an illustrator, or any other kind of freelance or online business worker, you can find new clients using this popular social networking site. Read more about finding clients on different sites.
2. Use various apps that enable you to make money. Some examples include: MarketLodge or TwitCash. You might also want to include apps by other money making ventures like Tradebit. Check some services or affiliate programmes and see if they have a Facebook app that you can use.
3. Use Facebook’s Marketplace. The Marketplace offers you ways to sell your stuff - either old or new. You can even look for jobs.
4. Advertise your business or service using Facebook’s Classified Ads. Although you’re not allowed to advertise your business or service in the Marketplace, you can still advertise them using their Facebook’s ad service.
5. Promote links to your blogs or website. This way, you can attract people to whatever you’re selling or promoting on your blog or site.
6. Be a Facebook App Developer. If you have skills in developing online applications (like those popular apps like Warbook, SuperPoke, Graffiti, etc), you might want to consider promoting your services to individuals or companies who might want their own Facebook app.
So, how do you use Facebook? Do you try to make money online through this social networking site?
1. Find new business clients. Whether you’re a consultant, a writer, a photographer, an illustrator, or any other kind of freelance or online business worker, you can find new clients using this popular social networking site. Read more about finding clients on different sites.
2. Use various apps that enable you to make money. Some examples include: MarketLodge or TwitCash. You might also want to include apps by other money making ventures like Tradebit. Check some services or affiliate programmes and see if they have a Facebook app that you can use.
3. Use Facebook’s Marketplace. The Marketplace offers you ways to sell your stuff - either old or new. You can even look for jobs.
4. Advertise your business or service using Facebook’s Classified Ads. Although you’re not allowed to advertise your business or service in the Marketplace, you can still advertise them using their Facebook’s ad service.
5. Promote links to your blogs or website. This way, you can attract people to whatever you’re selling or promoting on your blog or site.
6. Be a Facebook App Developer. If you have skills in developing online applications (like those popular apps like Warbook, SuperPoke, Graffiti, etc), you might want to consider promoting your services to individuals or companies who might want their own Facebook app.
So, how do you use Facebook? Do you try to make money online through this social networking site?
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