Here is an indisputable fact: You will not earn money through the AdSense program unless your visitors click on the ads.



Analysis of a Problem Website

Pearl administers a website that provides tips about optimizing web pages for the AdSense program. Unfortunately, the Google ads on her site relate to literature and famous authors. Strange! What is Pearl's problem?

Here is an overview of her site:

1. Pearl's domain is novel-adsense-copy.com.

2. Her home page displays its title, prominently surrounded by H1 heading tags: 'Pearl Buck's Novel AdSense Copy Techniques'.

3. She has a description meta-tag on each page that says 'You do not have to be a great novelist or writer like Pearl S. Buck to write great content that can turn you into an overnight success. However, the copy you create should draw the user's interest and keep them reading. Although my name is Pearl Buck (see the picture), I am not related to the famous writer. However, I have a flair for the written word, and can show you how to write great copy.'

4. She repeats the meta description in the first paragraph on her home page.

5. On the left hand side of the page is a picture of Pearl S. Buck, with an image alt tag: 'Pearl S. Buck - Great Writer and My Personal Inspiration'.

Can you see the mistakes that Pearl has made with her website? Even though the theme of her site is Google AdSense, the first words that Googlebot sees refer to literature and writing. If you analyze the name of her domain, the title of her home page, meta description, image alt tag, and opening paragraph, you will see the following keywords:

novel copy pearl buck techniques great novelist writer write great content create interest reading famous written word inspiration

If you had to take those keywords and write an article, it would most likely have a theme centered on literature and writing. Google sees the same keywords and draws the same conclusions that you would.

What must Pearl do to encourage AdSense ads that will be interesting to her visitors?

Tips for Improvement

1. Pearl has already registered the domain name, and there are links pointing to it in several places on the Net. However, she can register a new domain and forward the old one. A domain name like free-adsense-optimization.com is more descriptive of what she wishes to provide. The keywords 'free' and 'optimization' are interesting and explicit.

2. A better title for her home page would be something like 'Free Google AdSense Optimization Tips and Advice'.

3. The meta description could be changed and shortened to 'Free articles, tips, and advice for Google AdSense website optimization. Webmasters: register for our complimentary weekly newsletter and get excellent AdSense information delivered to your inbox.' The keywords are much more targeted, and the description has been shortened somewhat so display better in search engine results.

4. Pearl can repeat the above information in her opening paragraph, perhaps expanding somewhat and adding more keyword text, navigational menus, etc.

5. She could use the same graphic, but change the alt tag and title to 'The Internet and Google AdSense did not exist in the 1930s, when Pearl S. Buck was in her prime'.

Now Googlebot sees a different list of keywords, including:

free adsense optimization google tips advice articles website webmasters register complimentary weekly newsletter information inbox Internet

An article based on the new keywords would probably be a piece with tips and information about Google AdSense optimization.

Real people design the software that Google uses. If you look at the source code of your website, and make a list of keywords - starting at the top of the page and working your way down - you will get an idea of what Googlebot sees and why it makes decisions to serve specific ads.

Artfully seed your important keywords in the elements near the top of the page, and you will see an improvement in the number of AdSense clicks.

(c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included.