TOPIC: Stick 'em up! and TOPIC: PIN without the pain

Date: Thurs, Mar 20 2008 11:34 am
From: Inside AdSense Team

TOPIC: Stick 'em up!

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/9af7412ff02d140d?hl=en

If you're well versed in webspeak, you're probably familiar with the
concept of stickiness -- the quality that entices web users to stick
around a given site. Here at AdSense, we're down with the web version
of stickiness, but we've got a different kind of adhesive in mind: the
kind that lets you take the AdSense logo a-go-go.That's right, we're
talking stickers.We've printed up a batch of AdSense stickers, and we'd
be delighted to send one or two your way, wherever you are in the
world. The stickers are designed for laptops, but they'll work just as
well for placement on mugs, skateboards, or temporarily on a shirt.
(Note: turning a pal into a walking Google ad without their knowledge
is not recommended.)So how do you get one of these glue-backed
masterpieces? Easy: send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope with
enough postage to return 1 oz of sticker goodness to you from our
office in California via standard U.S. mail. (Sorry, we can't help you
calculate the postage to your location). Send your envelope, along with
a note if you'd like, to:Google AdSensec/o Arlene Lee1600 Amphitheatre
ParkwayMountain View, CA 94043USASupplies are limited, so send your
envelope soon! Then you can stick with AdSense wherever you go. (And
one last thing to keep in mind: while we're flattered that you might
want a whole box, note that we're only able to provide one or two per
publisher.)Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 3/20/2008 11:34:00 AM


Date: Tues, Mar 25 2008 10:51 am
From: Inside AdSense

TOPIC: PIN without the pain
http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/41269c8aeb1c9f5c?hl=en

As you may know, we'll send you a Personal Identification Number (PIN)
by standard mail when your account first reaches $10 in earnings. This
PIN is used to help verify publisher accounts and addresses for
security purposes. We often receive messages from publishers concerned
about what to look for in the mail, and when they can expect to
receive it. In response, we've created the short video below which we
hope will help address these issues. It might not be a Hollywood
production but hey...even the greats started small ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJVcQw0c-E

If you don't receive your first PIN, you can still request up to two
more by following the directions at

https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=14838

Please note that aside from verifying your PIN, other holds may
apply to your account -- you'll need to remove all holds and generate
$100 in earnings before a payment can take place.

Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Publisher Support
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 10:40:00 AM

TOPIC: Diagnosing and Treating Revenue Fluctuations (Part I)

Date: Wed, Mar 5 2008 3:25 pm
From: Inside AdSense Team


You love your website and you want it to thrive. You create content,
manage your community, and keep an eye on your AdSense performance. If
AdSense revenue is down, you're understandably concerned. If AdSense
revenue is up, you're happy, but you want to know why. Revenue
fluctuations are obvious enough when they occur, but the root cause
isn't equally clear. It can be challenging for both new and experienced
publishers alike to analyze their AdSense data and respond effectively
to changes.The goal of this post, and our follow-up later this week, is
to help you understand the AdSense revenue model so you can diagnose
and treat revenue fluctuations like an experienced MD.Study upThe first
step is knowing how the figures reported in your account (such as eCPM,
CTR, and page impressions) interact to describe your total revenue.
Think of each number as a variable in the revenue formula for your
site. At the highest level, you can calculate revenue by multiplying
your page impressions by the effective cost-per-thousand impressions
(eCPM) and dividing by 1000.Revenue = Page Impressions * eCPM /
1000eCPM = Revenue / Page Impressions * 1000The eCPM metric provides an
estimate of how much revenue you can expect to earn for every 1000 page
impressions. For example, if you serve 10,000 page impressions and earn
$40, your eCPM is $4. If page impressions increase to 30,000, you can
predict that you'll earn $120 given the $4 eCPM.Most AdSense ads pay on
a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, so eCPM is really a measure of your
average ad performance. Breaking eCPM into the click-through-rate (CTR)
and the average cost that advertisers pay per click (CPC) gives you a
more accurate measure of performance.Revenue = Page Impressions * CTR *
average CPCOnce you know your average CTR and your average CPC, you can
predict how much revenue you'll earn for a given amount of page views.
You can also analyze your revenue by looking at placement-targeted ads
versus contextually-targeted ads.Total Revenue = Revenue (contextual) +
Revenue (placement-targeted)While contextually targeted ads always pay
per click, advertisers can pay for placement-targeted ads by impression
(CPM) or by click (CPC). To account for both of these bid types, you
should look at the average eCPM for placement-targeted ads. More
simply, you can just add placement-targeted revenue to your
contextually targeted revenue.Revenue = (Page Impressions
(contextual) * CTR * average CPC) + (Page Impressions
(placement-targeted) * eCPM (placement targeted) / 1000)Revenue = (Page
Impressions (contextual) * CTR * average CPC ) + Revenue
(placement-targeted)Even though we're looking at contextual and
placement-targeted revenue separately, don't forget that these two
types of ads compete against each other in the auction. We'll always
show the best performing ad, regardless of targeting type, so more
competition creates higher winning bids.Identify the symptomsNow you're
ready to diagnose any revenue fluctuation. Just like the revenue
formulas above, let's start simple and gradually get more complex.The
first question to ask is: Did either your page impressions or your eCPM
change? You can compare trends in both page impressions and eCPM using
the Advanced Reports in your account.If your AdSense page impressions
have declined, you should determine if traffic to your entire site is
declining as well. A web analytics tool such as Google Analytics can
provide you with this information. In addition, you should check your
pages for unpaid public service ads (PSAs).If your eCPM is down, you'll
need to dig one level deeper and find out if your contextual or
placement targeted ad performance has dropped. You can also find this
data in the Advanced Reports tab using the options shown below.Let's
consider your contextual ads first. The two key metrics to investigate
are CTR and average CPC. CTR is given in your reports, but you'll need
to calculate your average CPC using your favorite spreadsheet. (My
favorite goes without saying). Please keep in mind that this is still
an average CPC for your account and doesn't necessarily correspond with
the price paid by any specific advertiser. Once you've narrowed the
change to CTR or average CPC you're ready to start treatment.For
placement-targeted ads, you should analyze how much total
placement-targeted revenue you are receiving and the average eCPM.
Changes in either of these metrics usually indicate that advertisers
are beginning or ending campaigns targeted to your site. Again,
placement-targeted campaigns are more likely to be short-term than
contextual campaigns.That's all we have time for today -- now that you
have a better understanding of what factors can affect revenue, don't
forget to check back later this week for the second part of this
series. We'll be treating ways to treat revenue fluctuations based on
the symptoms you've discovered.Posted by Christian Ashlock - AdSense
Optimization Team

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 3/05/2008 03:25:00 PM

TOPIC: Site maintenance on Saturday, February 16

Date: Fri, Feb 15 2008 9:16 am
From: Inside AdSense Team

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/d52e4d9a0ebfffb9?hl=en

Our engineers will be performing routine site maintenance from 10 am to
2 pm PST tomorrow, February 16th. While you'll be unable to access your
account during this time frame, your ad serving won't be affected and
your reports will continue to track data as usual. Here's the start
time of the maintenance for a few cities around the world:London - 6 pm
SaturdayBucharest - 8 pm SaturdayMumbai - 11:30 pm SaturdayManila - 2
am SundayBrisbane - 4 am SundayEnjoy the weekend!Posted by Arlene Lee -
AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 2/15/2008 09:16:00 AM

TOPIC: Lucky number ten

Date: Mon, Feb 11 2008 9:42 am
From: Inside AdSense Team

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/a447001ad70575a0?hl=en

Two weeks ago, we let you know that the PIN and phone verification
processes would be automatically triggered at $10, rather than $50.
Along those same lines, we've also updated how it works to choose a
form of payment and enter tax information in your account. Because we
don't pay out earnings of less than $10, you'll only be able to choose
a form of payment and enter your tax info once your earnings reach $10.
When you first sign up for AdSense and log in to your account, these
options won't be available yet.So when it comes to payments, consider
10 your new lucky number. Once you receive your PIN or a notice to
verify your phone number, you'll know it's also time to head to your
account and enter your tax information and select your form of payment.
Then you'll be on your way to receiving your first payment -- lucky
you! Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 2/11/2008 09:41:00 AM

TOPIC: 8 AdSense resolutions for 2008

Date: Fri, Jan 4 2008 11:25am
From: Inside AdSense Team

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/6b29695f6dbd8b49?hl=en

We're a few days into the new year, so hopefully you've been making
good progress on your resolutions so far. If you've only gotten as far
as "don't procrastinate" on your list, here are 8 AdSense-related
resolutions you might want to try:
- Turn my custom channels into ad placements, complete with descriptive
details to attract placement-targeting advertisers.
- Regularly check my sites for compliance with the AdSense program
policies.
- Keep my address and tax info up to date so that my payments are
accurate and timely. (And sign up for EFT if it's available to me!)
- Place more of my ad units above the fold and on my homepage for
increased visibility -- and advertiser appeal.
- Share my AdSense expertise with other publishers in the AdSense Help
Forum.
- Opt in to text and image ads to make the most of the available ad
inventory for my content.
- Use the Manage Ads feature to experiment with removing the borders
from my ad units.
- View the Payments Demo and payments schedule with rapt attention so
I'll always know when to expect my next payment.And just as some
resolutions always manage to make an appearance every year, why not
also take a look at our oldie-but-goodie AdSense resolutions from 2006
for further inspiration? (We still like #10 a lot.) As for us here at
Inside AdSense, we resolve to keep listening to your feedback and
bringing you the latest AdSense updates -- complete with the occasional
cheesy title, of course.Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 1/04/2008 11:24:00 AM

TOPIC: Manage Ads gives you more ad functionality

Date: Thurs, Dec 20 2007 11:00am
From: Inside AdSense Team

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/292210fb5759f022?hl=en

As we mentioned last week, we're constantly working to improve the new
ad management feature. There's another wave of minor tweaks to this
feature, inspired by your feedback as always.Hide and seekWe've heard
from more than a few of you that you'd like to see a 'delete' function
on the Manage Ads page. To avoid deleting any ad unit that's currently
serving impressions on your pages, we've now added a 'hide' function so
you can avoid displaying ad units you prefer not to see on your Manage
Ads page. Just click the 'Hide' link associated with a specific ad unit
in the Actions column, and the ad will no longer appear when you view
your Manage Ads page. Don't worry, hiding any active ad unit won't
prevent it from generating revenue for you, and you can view your
hidden ad units at any time by checking the box that says 'Show hidden
AdSense units'.Channel IDs for allIn addition to AdSense for content,
you can now view the custom channel ID numbers associated with other
AdSense products (e.g. AdSense for search and referrals). Visit the
Channels page under the AdSense Setup tab, and select the tab
corresponding to the product you'd like to view.Posted by Arlene Lee -
AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 12/20/2007 11:00:00
AM

TOPIC: Add taxes to your task list

Date: Mon, Dec 17 2007 12:48pm
From: Inside AdSense Team

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/9258467a32837323?hl=en


To all our US publishers: before you spend the holidays gorging on
sugar-coated culinary delicacies and spending quality time pelting your
loved ones with snowballs, please take a moment to update your AdSense
account tax information so we can issue your tax form for 2007.
Verifying that your tax info is up to date now helps ensure that
earnings won't be withheld from you later. You'll receive a tax form
1099-MISC if you meet the following requirements:
- You submitted a Form W-9, are not a corporation, and were paid at
least US $600 in 2007 OR
- You indicated that you are subject to backup withholding and had
taxes withheldFor those publishers whose earnings are reported, please
note that payments dated in 2007 will be reported in 2007. This means
that unpaid earnings from 2007 that are rolled over to 2008 (for
example, December 2007 earnings paid in January 2008) will not be
included.To resubmit or update your tax information, please follow
these steps:
- Log in to your AdSense account
- Click the 'My Account' tab
- Click the 'Tax information' link
- Follow the instructions on the 'Tax information' page to update your
current form, or to submit a new form.Don't forget to add "update
AdSense tax information" to your to-do list! Posted by Korey Lee -
AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 12/17/2007 12:47:00
PM

TOPIC: And the winner is...

Date: Wed, Dec 5 2007 2:06 pm
From: Inside AdSense Team

http://groups.google.com/group/Inside-AdSense/browse_thread/thread/66f812895e5afe2a?hl=en

Recently, we launched the AdSense Story Contest and asked publishers
like you to send in video of your experiences with AdSense. We were
thrilled by the enthusiasm and creativity you put into these videos.
Although we can only award one winner, we'll be sharing some of our
favorite submissions with you over the next few weeks.And now, the
moment you've been waiting for...Congratulations to Don Vandervort from
Hometips.com for his winning video submission! Before we show you his
video, here's a little bit of background about Don and
HomeTips.Interestingly enough, HomeTips.com started out in a backyard
clubhouse. Don converted the bottom floor of his sons' two-story
treehouse into a small office, and launched HomeTips from that office
in 1997 as an online portfolio to promote his books. In 2003, Don heard
about the Google AdSense program and thought it might be helpful in
generating revenue for HomeTips.During the first week, Don remembers
that AdSense revenue paid for coffee; in the second week, it paid for
lunches. Now, AdSense revenue pays for all salaries, overhead, and
business development. "Solid content is the secret to developing a
following," says Don. "If you write expert content with your visitor's
needs in mind, the rest will follow." We'll let Don tell you more about
his site and his story:You can also read more about Don's story on our
Case Studies page.Thanks again to everyone who participated, and stay
tuned for other great AdSense stories in the coming weeks.Posted by
Sunil Subhedar - AdSense Publisher Support

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Posted By Inside AdSense Team to Inside AdSense at 12/05/2007 02:05:00
PM