Google’s Forum Heat Map

14.1 Google’s Forum Heat Map

Just as Google produced a heat map for standard websites, they’ve done the exact same thing for forums. You can find that map, together with their suggestions at

http://adsense.blogspot.com/2005/10/six-adsenseoptimization-tips-for.html

On the whole, Google’s tips are quite sensible. They recommend that a skyscraper on the left is a good idea and that horizontal ads should be placed beneath each forum entry. They also suggest putting a leaderboard at the bottom of the page, but before the footer, and opting in to take image ads

Fig. 14.1 Google’s Forum Heat Map.

I’m not sure about all of those suggestions though. Here’s why:

Forum Members are very focused on their topic of discussion. Ads that appear on the top, bottom or side margins of the page may not distract them from their main objective — which is to read and write the posts!

The best way to capture their attention is to put your ads at the end of the top posting on each page. Posts that appear on top are read more often, and usually set the tone for the rest of the discussion.

Many web publishers swear by Google's 728x90 leaderboard ad with two ads trailing top-of-the-page posts.

What gets the most clicks in any forum? The forum buttons of course! Put your ads close to these useful buttons, sought out by users to search threads, create a new thread or post a reply. Check out this example:

Fig. 14.2 Ad units on the DealofDay.com forum.

There are two kinds of ad units on this forum page at DealofDay.com.

First, I’ve placed a leaderboard immediately beneath the navigation bar. It’s impossible to miss there. Users have to look at the navigation bar and when they do, they’ll see the ads.

But just look at the second ad unit. Can you see it? It’s a horizontal link unit embedded in a space usually used to describe the thread.

I’ve even managed to make the “Ads by Google” line — which is usually a click-killer — match my thread titles. And because the ads are so relevant, there’s a great chance they’ll generate clicks. Even better, users on forums are used to clicking several time to get the content they need. They’ll click on the general title of the forum thread, then the entries and the user profiles and so on.

That means that when they click on a link unit, there’s a very good chance that they’ll also click on the ads that turn up.

So that’s two great ways to use ads on a forum: by placing them beneath the navigation bar; and by embedding them in the thread table.

There’s another method though and it’s so easy you’ll be amazed that everyone isn’t doing it...

Fig. 14.3 Spot The Deal of The Day.

Do you see that little title above the ad unit, the one that says “Deal Of Day”?

Without ever asking users to click, the heading "Deal of Day" turns the Google Ads into a recommended resource for finding the day's top deals.

Impressive forum stats, such as the number of members, threads and posts appear alongside the ads, making them look more legitimate. The sheer number of users creates a sense of urgency to check them out before other members get their hands on the coveted deals!

Make sure you apply the same text formatting as the usergenerated content. It's important to gain your users' attention first

— then pitch your message when they're all ears!

Try putting the ads at the bottom of each post. If users spot the pattern and your click-throughs start to drop, try putting the ads at the bottom of every alternate post. The key is to keep them guessing!

Don't break up a post by putting ads in the middle. Since forums have user-generated content, people are more sensitive to these intrusions and might be offended if you make it seem as if the ads are their personal recommendations.

Don't lump a bunch of ads together in the middle of the page. It works well with 'passive' visitors, but your forum members will read right around them!

Allow users to pull up targeted ads with a Google Search Box!

How often has a forum posting piqued your interest enough to launch a Google search? Once? Twice? All the time? If you're anything like me, the Google Search Box is an added convenience, welcomed by most users. It makes your visitors stay! And if they click an ad from the results page, you make money!

Which of these strategies will work for your Forums?

Only time can tell — but don't forget to track your results with Google's FREE AdSense Channels. There are publishers who have made a fortune with their community pages. It doesn't take rocket science. But a little persistence goes a long way!