Does Google Penalize Websites with Banner Ads?
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| Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash |
Google punishes blogs and websites that display advertisements, some said.
What is behind this new Google announcement and what is “too much banner advertising”, you will find out in this article?
Google and Advertising
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| Does Google Penalize Websites with Banner Ads? |
In a blog post, Matt Cutts announced an algorithm update that has raised concerns on the faces of some website owners.
The fact that Matt Cutts is announcing this update to the public shows that it is a little more important than the usual little tweaks that take place every day.
It is about the attempt to punish excessive advertisements, which also ensure a poorer user experience, and to place them worse in Google search results.
Now some bloggers believed again that Google punishes everyone who has advertising on its pages. This is of course nonsense. If you read the article by Mr. Cutts more closely, then it is relatively clear there who these changes affect.
Quote Matt Cutts from the German Google blog: "Therefore, websites that do not have much content" above the fold ", i.e. content that is visible without scrolling, may be affected by this change."
This change is aimed at websites that display next to no real content after loading, only advertising. Websites that work with layers or the like and thus prevent the user from seeing anything meaningful at the beginning could also be affected.
Less than 1% of search results are said to be affected by this change. This also shows that this is once again only about the most extreme cases. Pages that only display correct content after scrolling, for example, or where you have to fight your way through several popups to see the content.
Normal websites and blogs that display advertising in addition to content are certainly not affected. So don't panic.
Why Do You Announce This Publicly at All?
The question that arises for me is, of course, why Google is announcing this publicly in the first place. So many changes to the search algorithm are made without public announcement.
I could imagine a reason. I don't think it's technically easy to see what the user sees when they visit a website and what of it is advertising. Graphics can also be something else and do not have to contain advertising. And what about using Flash, which can also contain normal content. And so on.
So I think that Google would like to use a threat rather than an educational measure here. It is hoped that at least some of the website operators will make their pages more user-friendly and that the content will be built a little higher again.
In any case, I believe that the vast majority of this update will not notice anything.
Negative Effects of Too Much Advertising
I see more negative effects from the advertising itself, at least if you overdo it.
It is of course a balancing act for self-employed people online. I currently earn between 70 and 500 euros per banner space on self-employment online. So it is of course quite tempting to create another banner space and another ...
However, you should resist this urge and realize the negative effects of too much advertising. I haven't added a new banner space for around 2 years and I don't plan to.
In addition to the risk of being punished by Google at some point, too much banner advertising naturally harms readers.
Surely my advertising banners will put off a few readers, but if you want to earn money, you have to find the right middle ground here.
The type of advertising is also important in my opinion. While static banners, for example, hardly bother me, things look completely different with Flash banners, which for example get bigger when you drive over them, or with layered advertising.
Finding the right balance between monetization and positive user experience is certainly one of the greatest challenges for website and blog operators.
But it should also be clear that many websites and blogs would not exist long without advertising. One of the others should bear this in mind before complaining about every banner.
Tips for Advertising
The following things should be considered when placing advertisements on your pages:
- The actual content should be immediately visible. If you want the user to stay on the website and even come back, then the content that the user came for in the first place should be easy to read immediately.
- Advertising shouldn't hinder users. Anyone who has to fight their way through advertising to see the content does not have a very good user experience.
- Advertising should be thematically appropriate. As a result, users usually perceive them as much less annoying.
- If you rely on serious advertising, you make for happier readers. Dubious advertising is much more likely to be perceived as very annoying, even if it fits thematically.
- And don't overdo it. The right balance is what makes success. It shouldn't just focus on short-term monetization. The long-term increase in visitors and the generation of regular readers is also an important success factor.
Is Google Honest?
Martin brought up an interesting aspect in his article.
He looked at the search results for credit, for example, and found that Google should punish itself. Due to the massive use of AdWords above and next to the organic search results, you can sometimes hardly see them “Above the Fold”.
This is a fine example of how even Google can succumb to the greed for more revenue. In the past, the AdWords ads were only available on the right. Later one was added above the search results.
In the meantime, there are sometimes 3 AdWords ads above and these are even higher than before.
So here Google seems to be measuring two standards again.
I also have doubts about AdSense. Will Google also punish sites that use Google AdSense “Above the Fold” on a massive scale?
We won't find out, but I already have doubts.
Conclusion
For me, this discussion is once again a good example of the fact that you should simply build pages that you would like to use yourself.
Advertising is part of the internet, but you have to find the right balance.
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