I found out something yesterday that shocked me about just how sneaky brands can be with their social media campaigns. I’d asked a brand if they were interested in taking an ad on my site (yes, the worst part of trying to make a blog a pro-blog and I hate doing it). It’s a product that they are very keen for me to blog about and promote (it’s actually a great product otherwise I wouldn’t even be considering it as a promo) and recommend to BBB readers – you know, that very beauty specific audience that every single beauty brand wants a piece of (they should be so lucky). Anyway, they didn’t want to take an ad space which is absolutely fine and their perogative entirely, but the reason they didn’t want to take an ad is because they consider themselves to be already advertising on my site via GoogleAds. As everyone knows this is the cheapest form of advertising known to man and it is great for bringing a little bit extra.. with little bit being the operative words. To give you an idea, my total earnings for June is £4.33 and that is with Google Analytics recording a page view rate of over a quarter of a million.
So, if what I think is happening.. that marketing/ad departments are saying they have presence on my blog, I can tell you here and now that via my GoogleAd box there were 15 clicks. That’s all. For the whole of June. So, please do not mislead your brands or manipulate your internal stats by saying you have ad presence on my blog when actually, unless you take out a proper ad, nobody is looking.
Anyway, the brand in question.. as soon as I find out their ad server, I’m blocking them from GoogleAds entirely and financially that will lose me about 50p. They won’t then be able to claim that they have ad presence on my blog and dismiss out of hand any other form of advertising that would help to continue to make full-time blogs viable because they think they have a very cheap and underhand box ticked. You haven’t.
PS: I have now removed Adsense completely, so I’m back in control of what and who is on my page.
Transparency Disclosure
All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.
22 comments
Makes me wonder if Adwords are even worthwile when a blog like yours earns so little from it. You pay Google for it, don’t make much from it, then some charlatan is piggy-backing off it.
Ali
Bazinga!
Very informative post. I’ve added and removed Ad sense from my blog a few times as they don’t generate any money and I think they make my blog look ugly. The fact I have no control over what is advertised either bothers me. I had an advert for trade oil once because I’d wrote a post about a cleansing oil!
The fact you got less than a fiver for over 1/4 millions page views and I get *coughs* a little less than that…has made up my mind, they are coming off again and staying off for good!
Very well put. And I’m amazed that a blog like yours makes so little from GoogleAds. Really brings to light how few people pay any notice to GoogleAds xx
You know what is annoying, that bloody auto play video at the top that starts playing every single time I visit the site.
I really don’t see why every big blog has half of their blog taken up by huge google ads, I see them as intrusive and annoying really, is it worth the £4?
| just see them as tacky and won’t click on principle, and don’t even get me started about the ones that play music or if I accidentally roll over them and they take over half of my screen, agh!!
I removed google adsense, because I kept seeing pictures of ugly toenails in my sidebar.
I can’t believe they actually said that they are already advertising on your blog!
I sympathize that Adwords render so little in terms of revenue. But why are you taking it out on the brand by intending to block them? As you mention earlier, it is their prerogative. I think you should take it up with Google and not them.
speaking of ads: sorry to say but i really hate the video ad (Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir) on your site. every time i open your site as one of many tabs, i’m unpleasantly surprised by the loud volume. i do have an ad-blocker, but it doesn’t even work on this particular ad. is there a way to block it/turn down the sound permanently? i used to enjoy visiting your website so much more… 🙁
For those who have left feedback about the musical ad, thanks for letting me know – it is rather what I expected and so I’ll know not to take an auto-play in future. It only has a couple of weeks to run so hopefully you can bear with me and be reassured that there won’t be any more like that. x
I have Adsence as well and I suppose it’s more about the click, relevance (between what you blog and what people sell) than actual views and if the viewer actually make any purchase from that click.
Oooh they had a check that PR company. I buried my Adsense right at the bottom of my blog, never expected to make any money from it where no one can see it. Just one of those things I thought I should have 5 years ago when I started blogging. good for you to remove it and get control
Basic advice that’s been said many times but it always pays to have a look at your website site on a friend’s computer from time to time just to check how things look to to the public.
Have managed to ignore all adds and wondered where the music came from.
Hi Trimperley.. I hear it too so I know the experience readers are getting.. but just working with volume down til it’s finished. It isn’t ideal but I am not going back on an arrangement – but have learnt my lesson!
In general people who don’t make money from Adsense can’t because they don’t have traffic but you do, so here are some suggestions.
– add more ads! Use MPU and Leaderboard formats and make sure you use both text and graphic versions
– mix up your placements (try some A/B testing if necessary to see what works)
– use custom channels
– block all the crap ads to make sure only good ones come through
– understand that everyone sees different things. You can’t control every single brand’s remarketing or adwords campaign or every single readers experience
In terms of what that brand did? DEFINITELY block all the cheeky ones and try to get them to spend properly. Proper order!
The above does work. I have been into Google for an Adsense masterclass, so seriously, while I’m no expert, I know enough to know a few things to leverage some revenue. With your traffic you should see a significant revenue increase if you do the above. You might not want to, because yep, ads are not the prettiest, but neither is working for free!
Kirstie
I agree, it’s difficult to build advertising relationships with brands when they can use google ads or affiliate marketing.
If this brand is happy to undercut you through google, I think you have the right to cut them out of your site.
and doh. Have just seen that you’ve removed them! Oh well – someone else may find the above useful!
Kirstie
Advice appreciated Anon.. thank you so much. If I take it back again, then I will implement everything x
I’m really sorry but I feel a need to take this opportunity and say that Guerlain’s video on auto-play, positioned in the top left bar of your website, is probably the most annoying ad I’ve ever had a chance to see 🙁
It attacks my central nervous system each time I click on any of your links.
My honest opinion is that you should remove it asap. And I even love Nancy Sinatra! 🙂
Thanks for all great articles you’re sharing with us.
+1 on the Guerlain video. Dog got a fright when it came on really loudly! lol
I would not be surprised if you get nothing from beauty based adsense. Each time someone buys something you are getting 10p or similar.
Amazon affiliates are better as you can just hyperlink to the product- no intrusive videos or irrelevant ads.
Affiliates are also better – you can choose who you want and what kind of links, banners, buttons etc you have.
People make tons of money from adsense but it’s generally from higher value purchases like laptops/subscription based stuff like web hosting.
I generally pay little attention to adsense, as I know it to be flakey when it comes to relevance. I do however pay attention to nice pretty banners and links on exactly where to buy what you have been blogging about.
take care!
If it helps, the ad music is working for/on me; I’ve spent pretty much the entire week humming These Boots are Made for Walking.
I actually sang it last week with my guitar, then a few hours later I had my volume on (before I worked out where it was coming from) and it suddenly started up; I thought I was being haunted! xx
I love your honesty. There are to many bloggers only in it for the samples and the ads these days.