You refer, we listen

Did you receive a revenue boost through referrals? The referrals team is looking for publishers to participate in a case study, and we want to hear from you. Have you increased your AdSense earnings this way? It doesn't matter which products you're promoting on your site, or how long you've been a publisher. Feel free to send us an email and tell us about your success.

Posted by Laura Chen - AdSense Publisher Support

Video post: AdSense at San Jose SES

Back in August, the AdSense team landed at the Google booth at the Search Engine Strategies Conference in San Jose, CA. We had a blast meeting all of you in person, providing optimization advice on the spot, and listening to what you had to say about AdSense. Whether or not you were able to attend, I'm excited to share with you a video recap of the conference.



Didn't get a chance to meet our optimization specialists at SES? Don't worry -- you can read through their helpful 'Optimization Month' posts, or visit our Optimization Tips page to learn more about how you can optimize AdSense for your site.

Posted by Dan Friedman - AdSense Product Marketing

Designers are hard at work, and so are we

In honor of Fashion Week, this Saturday, AdSense will be workin' it out. No, not on the runway -- we'll be doing regular system maintenance from 10am-2pm PST. Even AdSense needs its beauty rest! ;)

You won't be able to access your account during this time, but don't worry, dahling - we'll keep serving those fabulous ads and recording all those stunning impressions they make on your visitors.

Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

Got referral feedback? Speak up!

In March, we asked for your feedback on referrals. With the launch of our new button design and the option to display referrals in more products and languages, the referrals team would love to hear more from you. Feel free to give us any type of feedback – whether it's how we can further improve the referrals program, or if you've seen great success with the new button design. We always enjoy receiving mail from you!

Posted by Laura Chen - AdSense Publisher Support

Been laboring away?

Then take a rest this holiday! After working hard to optimize your site during the past month, it's time to take a break and enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Our U.S. offices will be taking a break this weekend as well, so you can expect that our responses to any messages you send us will take slightly longer to arrive. We'll be back, relaxed and rejuvenated, on Tuesday. If you're too excited about all the optimizations you've made to take it easy, then take some time to browse our Help Center or Help Discussion Forum over the long weekend.

Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

Maintenance on Saturday, August 26, at 10 am PDT

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Optimization Month posts to bring you this update: Our engineers will be performing routine system maintenance on Saturday (8/26) from 10 am to 2 pm PDT, so you won't be able to access your account during this time frame. Please be assured that ads will continue to be served to your pages, and your account statistics and earnings will be recorded as usual. In the meantime, feel free to go back and review all the great tips our optimization specialists have posted on the blog this month.

As always, we appreciate your patience!

Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Optimization Team

We want to meet YOU!

What better way to start Optimization Month off on the right foot than by having an in-person consultation? We'd like to remind you that the AdSense optimization team will be at SES San Jose on Tuesday, Aug. 8th and Wednesday, Aug. 9th, ready to offer you tips and suggestions on optimizing your site. Got a great success story based on how you've optimized your site? We'd love for you to share it with our video crew, who'll be on hand both days. Whether you're looking to learn more about optimization strategies or tell us your own, be sure to come by the Google booth at SES!

Posted by Susan Taing - AdSense Product Marketing

Maintenance on Saturday, July 29th at 10 am PDT

This Saturday (7/29), we’ll be performing routine system maintenance at 10 am PDT. Although you won’t be able to access your account for approximately 6 hours, ads will still be served to your pages, and your account stats and earnings will continue to be recorded.

Thanks for your patience – have a great weekend!

Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Publisher Support

Do you know the way to San Jose?

We hope so, because that's where we'll be from August 8th-9th. The Search Engine Strategies conference features a slew of informative speakers, sessions, and a trade expo. Among the people you might bump into at the Google booth are several of our optimization specialists -- they're excited to meet you in person and can help you optimize your site on the spot. Also, if you've been longing to give us your feedback in person about optimization or about AdSense in general, this is your chance.

On the fence about whether to attend? Thanks to our friends over in Google Analytics, we're happy to offer publishers a promotional "Priority" code for 20% off when you buy a Conference or Day pass to SES San Jose. The Priority code is 20GOO2 (two-zero-gee-oh-oh-two). To redeem the Priority code and purchase a pass, go here or follow the link below:


If you've been thinking about going, we hope this will encourage you to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Posted by Christine Lee - AdSense Product Marketing

Do you speak AdSense?

Do the acronyms EFT, PSA, and CPM make you break out in a cold sweat? Would you not recognize a destination URL if it bumped into you on the street? Then get thee to the AdSense Glossary, where you'll find a complete list of terms and abbreviations used in AdSense. We've recently made improvements to the glossary to help publishers become even more adept at jargon-izing. So give it a perusal when you see an unfamiliar feature or term in your account or in one of our emails. While we don't guarantee any of the terms will be allowed in your next Scrabble match, at least you can use the term "IP" with confidence.

Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

Go fourth and prosper

To all of our U.S. publishers, we wish you a happy 4th of July! This weekend, take a chance to celebrate your liberty in patriotic (and AdSense-friendly) fashion. Exercise your first amendment right to freedom of expression by creating more of the rich, wonderful content that makes the web such a special place. Or, work on achieving future financial freedom by implementing a few of our optimization tips.

You might also want to take a note from the Declaration of Independence and pursue your unalienable right to happiness! Our reporting options make it possible to unchain yourself from your computer, so get out there and enjoy the summer weather (the right to bare arms?), fireworks, long evenings, and BBQs...because suffering from G.A.S.S. would be cruel and unusual punishment indeed.

(Oh, and one last thing: the AdSense Support team will be out enjoying our freedom over the holiday as well, so it may take longer than usual for us to reply to your emails. We'll be back in the office on Wednesday, but in the meantime you might prefer to turn to our Help Center, or Help Discussion Groups for assistance instead).

Posted by the Inside AdSense Team

System maintenance on Saturday, June 24, at 10:00am PDT

We'll be performing routine system maintenance on Saturday, June 24, at 10:00am PDT. During this time, you may not be able to access your account. However, as always your Google ads will continue to display, and stats and earnings will continue to accrue in your account.

Thanks for your patience!

Posted by Suzie Dewey - AdSense Publisher Support

Inside AdSense in your inbox

If you don't have time to check our blog frequently but would like to receive the latest news and tips from our Google AdSense team, you might want to consider subscribing to our Inside AdSense email and reading at your own convenience. You can also change your settings to a digest form if you prefer by logging into the Group.

Posted by Susan Taing - AdSense Product Marketing

A letter from Eric Schmidt, CEO

Freedom of access to information on the Internet is a topic that we believe is of great interest and importance to Inside AdSense readers. Our CEO Eric Schmidt has written a letter to you, our publishers, on the subject of "net neutrality" -- read below for the full text:

Dear AdSense Publisher,

There's a debate heating up in Washington, DC on something called "net neutrality" – and the outcome of this debate may very well impact your business. Therefore, we are taking the unprecedented steps of calling your attention to this looming crisis and asking you to get involved.

Sometime in the next few days, the House of Representatives is going to vote on a bill that would fundamentally alter the Internet. That bill would give the big phone and cable companies the power to choose what you will be able to see and do on the Internet.

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access to everyone else. On the Internet, a business doesn't need the network's permission to communicate with a customer or deploy an innovative new service. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all broadband Internet access, want the power to choose who gets onto the high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build tollbooths to block the on-ramps for those whom they don't want to compete with and who can't pay this new Internet tax. Money and monopoly, not ideas and independence, will be the currency of their Internet.

Under the proposed "pay-to-play" system, small- and medium-sized businesses will be placed at an automatic disadvantage to their larger competitors. Those who cannot afford the new Internet tax – or who want to compete directly with the phone and cable companies – will be marginalized by slower Internet access that will inevitably make their sites less accessible, and therefore less appealing.

Creativity, innovation and a free and open marketplace are all at stake in this fight. Imagine an Internet in which your access to customers is constrained by your ability to cut a deal with the carriers. Please call your representative in Congress at 202-224-3121. For more information on the issue, and more ways to make your voice be heard, visit www.ItsOurNet.org.

Thank you for your time, your concern and your support.

Eric Schmidt
CEO of Google Inc.

P.S. -- If you are unsure of who represents you in Congress, you can look them up by zip code at http://www.house.gov. And if you would like to stay informed about this issue, and other policy issues affecting Google, you can opt-in to our policy mailing list at http://groups-beta.google.com/group/googlepolicy/subscribe (powered by Google Groups).

Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

Maintenance on Saturday, May 13, at 10:00am PDT

We'll be performing routine AdSense maintenance on Saturday, May 13, at 10:00am PDT. During this time, you may not be able to access your account. However, your Google ads will continue to display, and stats and earnings will continue to accrue in your account.

As always, thanks for your patience!

Posted by Suzie Dewey - AdSense Publisher Support

Rock on with Dan Marcus, AdSense payment specialist

What do you do when you're not working?

Not working? I'm not sure I understand the question... Just kidding--I don't work that much. I'm usually playing guitar with my rock band, the Swamees, or my heavy-metal side project, the Gibbous Moon. (I've been assured that shamelessly self-promoting my band website is okay, though I guess I could be more discrete and rely strictly on the power of suggestion.)

When I'm not rocking out, I like riding my motorcycle, chillin' with the homies, and BBQ'ing. Oh yeah, and camping is just about the greatest thing ever--especially if it involves BBQs, guitars, and motorcycles.

When is EFT going to become available for more countries?

We recently launched EFT in a number of countries and are working to expand even further in 2006. We're also exploring alternatives for locations where EFT isn't a viable option.

One common misconception is that EFT simply involves linking our bank account to yours. Unfortunately, it's not quite that easy. To provide EFT, we not only have to gain access to closed or heavily regulated bank networks, but we must also comply with local tax and commerce regulations. As a result, linking our bank account to yours is not as straightforward as it seems.

What are your top tips for publishers?

1. Sign up for EFT if it's available in your country. EFT can help non-US publishers avoid paying bank fees, and it's more reliable than snail mail.

2. Make updates to your account information by the 15th day of the month. We start processing payments around the 15th, and changes to your address, hold status, or form of payment made after that date won't take effect until the following month.

3. Reduce banking fees by placing a self-hold on your account. If you're outside the US and receive USD checks, you can let your earnings accrue and then receive larger checks less frequently.

4. Make sure your mailing address is correct. PINs and checks will not arrive if your address is wrong.

5. Don't wait for help. Find answers without emailing us by checking out our Payments Guide, video demo, and AdSense Help Group.

6. Patience is a virtue. PINs and checks are sent by snail mail, which can be unpredictable in some countries. While they can get lost and damaged in transit, more often the mail is just slow.

Remember, once we've stopped a check the process can't be reversed. I can't tell you how many times a publisher requests a reissue and then receives the original check the next day. If your check is reissued, you won't receive your earnings for an additional month--so it's in your best interests to be patient!

What are your favorite websites?

Wow, this is probably the toughest question. Here are five of my favorites:

realultimatepower.net – This site simply rules.
alienlovespredator.com – Pure genius.
craigslist.org – I compulsively search for stuff to buy, sell, and trade--especially guitar equipment, concert tickets, and motorcycle parts.
Pandora.com – Discover all the bands you never knew you liked.
GasBuddy.com – Increasing in importance on a daily basis.

Posted by Suzie Dewey - AdSense Publisher Support

Maintenance Saturday April 22nd at 10 a.m. PST

We'll be performing routine AdSense maintenance on Saturday, April 22nd at 10:00 a.m. PST. During this time, you may not have access to your account. However, please be assured that your Google ads will continue to display and stats and earnings will be recorded as usual.

Thanks for your patience!

Posted by Suzie Dewey - AdSense Publisher Support

Meet Ivan the optimiser -- but please, no paparazzi

We caught up with Ivan Heneghan, a Dublin-based AdSense optimisation specialist, to learn how 'optimisation' differs from 'optimization'.



Why did you agree to let us profile you?

A brilliant story! After you featured Mike Gutner, a UK-based publisher who I've worked with posted to his own blog asking why I hadn't been featured, whether I even existed, and if I did, guessed that I was "a tall Russian man" with a check shirt and a moustache. Unfortunately, I'm sorry to say I'm quite nerdy-looking, and although I do have a moustache, I abhor check shirts.

Tell us an optimisation story... have you ever seen a publisher make a small change and see big results?

Oh yes, lots of them! But one of my favourites was a science website that was earning about $10 per day. They were using a 468x60 Banner at the bottom of their pages, but started experimenting with two 300 x 250 Medium Rectangles -- one placed just at the top of their content, and another placed directly under the main content on each page. They also tried using more blended colours. Things went crazy from there and earnings shot up to $700 per day. Finally, they moved one of the 300x250 Rectangles from the top of their page to a location more embedded in their content. After that, earnings went to over $1,700 per day!

What are the top 3 tips you like to tell publishers?

1. Use wide ad formats. Many publishers find the 728x90 Leaderboard outperforms the 468x60 banner by about 70%. I particularly recommend using the 728x90 Leaderboard, 160x600 Wide Skyscraper, and 300x250 Medium Rectangle.

2. Embed Google ads in your content, and place Google ads at the end of your articles, news stories and reviews. Placing a 468x60 Banner in the typical slot at the top of page, or a 120x600 Skyscraper along the right-hand side of page, work well for cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) ads. However, for cost-per-click (CPC) contextual advertising, AdSense tends to work best when integrated with your content.

3. Blend your ad colours into your website. After running a test with a bright pink 728x90 Leaderboard on a black background, I learned that complementary colours often work better. Try blending the background and borders of your ads into your site, and use a text colour that stands out but already exists on your site. Blending decreases ad blindness and users are more likely to notice ads that interest them.

What websites are you reading these days?

I'm an avid soccer fan, so www.football365.com is my main haunt and I've recently discovered www.joga3.com. I revert to my nerd side on a regular basis by using www.gamespot.com to keep up with the latest computer game news. Google video also keeps me entertained.

Any other advice?

AdSense-related: Use link units. They are fantastic and give your users even more options.

Non-AdSense-related: When visiting European countries, always check which side of the road they drive on before crossing the main roads.

Posted by Suzie Dewey - AdSense Publisher Support

Maintenance tonight at 8PM PST

Tonight at 20:00 PST, we'll be performing some routine AdSense maintenance. This means you may not be able to access your account for a few hours, but your AdSense ads will still serve properly and all your stats and earnings will be recorded as usual.

We appreciate your patience during this period and in the meantime, we hope this will allow you to get a head start on the weekend. :)

Posted by Shirin Oskooi - AdSense Product Management

Now you can help each other

We're excited to announce that the new AdSense Help Group has launched. In this community, you can discuss all things AdSense with people who'll understand exactly where you're coming from -- i.e., other AdSense publishers.

Whether you want to share AdSense expertise, bounce your ideas for improving referrals off your peers, or just want sympathy about your latest bout of G.A.S.S., the AdSense Help Group is the place for you.

Join today and start sharing all your stories, advice, questions and feedback with fellow AdSense publishers.

Posted by Suzie Dewey - AdSense Publisher Support