Google AdSense: text vs. image ads
by Gabe Young on August 25, 2009
in Monetizing your site
Those of you who have tried Google AdSense (let’s face it, who hasn’t?) had to make an important decision at one point — “Should I go with an all text ad or an image ad?” Ironically, many people start by letting Google choose by simply selecting the ‘Text and image ads’, which is the default setting. Is that bad?
Well, yes and no. I get asked that question from time to time and it really all depends. If you do a little research on what has been successful for others, you’ll find a mixed bag. For instance, some say that text ads are more effective because they blend into the rest of the site. Conversely, others claim that image ads bring in more revenue since they are more visually appealing.
Let’s look at some of their pros and cons:
Text ads
Pros
- Can be configured to blend in with the site content
- Almost all advertisers have text ads available
- Take up minimal space per advertiser, leading to more per ad block
Cons
- Looks very bland and generic
Image ads
Pros
- Can be visually attractive
- Are larger and easier to see
- Can tell a story through basic animation
Cons
- Fewer advertisers can be displayed since one image could replace up to five text ads
- Some visitors are “blind” to image ads (they have been conditioned to ignore banners)
- Can limit the number of advertisers since not everyone has an image ad
One way to determine whether text or image ads would be better is simply looking at your market. Niches in glamorous industries would benefit from sexier ads, where image ads excel. Conversely, blogs that focus on topics that visitors just want to read through quickly, text ads are probably more appropriate. Below are some examples of categories where one type of ad may have an advantage over the other type are:
Text Ads: Business, Science, Careers, Politics, Self-Help, Making Money, Health, Educational
Image Ads: Gaming, Sports and Fitness, Music, Movies, TV, Fashion, Arts, Celebrity News
Text and/or Image Ads: Technology, Auto, Pets, Food and Drink
By no means are the aforementioned gospel but it gives you a starting point. You may have a micro-niche that bucks the trend.
In short, the question of text vs. image doesn’t have a clear cut answer. It really depends on what type of site you have, what you’re trying to accomplish with the ads, and who your audience is. Personally, for Google AdSense, I prefer text ads because I already have sponsors with image links throughout the page. I choose to display text ads with a look and feel that’s similar to the rest of the site. Although that has worked well for me, I may still use an image ad from time to time, just to test its effectiveness. Like all other moneymaking tactics, a lot of trial and error is involved. Experiment to see which works better for you.
