Every day, tens of thousands of web sites are earning money through Adsense ads. Google’s Adsense allows you to display ads on your web site and earn money each time someone clicks on one of the ads being displayed. These ads can be text only, image only or both. Website owners can choose which types of ads they would like displayed. Using Adsense on my own sites, I’ve learned quite a bit about which techniques can be used to enhance Adsense earnings.

How much you earn with Google Adsense depends on a variety of things including the types and placements of the ads you show as well as the competitiveness of the ads. In a market or niche where there is little supply but high demand, ads generate more money for both Google and the publishers displaying Google Adsense. Before placing code on your web page, consider the fact that some ad placements generate higher click through rates than others. For example, ads placed above the fold tend to have a higher conversion rate than those towards the bottom of the page.

Upon doing a little research, I was able to find a map of placements that Google recommends. Their recommendation is based on reviewing all Adsense ads and placements throughout their network. What they found is that ads placed on the left, top, and bottom outperformed those located on the right-hand side of the page. Keep in mind however that you need to run your own tests as each website is unique and users perform differently based on the type of site they’re using.

Adsense ads that perform well on one page may not perform as well on a similar page that resides on a different domain. This is largely due to the fact that top performing ads are wrapped around valuable content. Some content, such as product reviews for example, generate higher click through rates than informational content with few products or services available. Ads perform best when needs are established and solutions can be presented.

Another area of Adsense that affects earnings is ad size. It has been proven that different ad sizes place in different locations will perform differently. Studies have shown that by simply changing ad format slightly produces a significantly better result. Many advertisers report that half banners and medium rectangles appear to work best, especially when displayed in niche content areas. Regardless of the size you think will work best, continually test to find which size produces the highest click through rate for you.

The way in which you display your ads also has an impact on earning potential. Whether you are using the standard colors or a blended palette does make a difference. Some sites do better blending their ads in look and feel, making it more difficult for browsers to differentiate between content and ads. Others feel that contrast is necessary for users to notice ads. This may discourage click throughs but if other factors are fine tunes can have the opposite affect generating significant online revenue.

Use more than one ad on your page. Using multiple ad units is a great way to optimize your exposure. The ideal combination is usually two or three different ad units of different sizes. You don’t want your ads to overwhelm your page but at the same time, they should be noticeable. Ads that aren’t seen can’t be acted upon. Experiment to find the right number of ad spots for maximizing Adsense revenue.

Integrate and consider all of the elements we discussed in this article. Ad sizes, colors, and placements all have an impact on dollars earned. Unfortunately, the perfect combination of these factors can only be determined by experimentation and testing. Start with a few placements on your web page of standard sizes. Let your ads run for a couple of weeks before you start tweaking. Measure your responses daily and continue to try new placements. Soon you’ll be generating a nice income stream with Adsense ads.