Google's Official Word on AdSense Ads and Image Placement
AdSense publishers should read Google's new post about images placed near AdSense ad and link units for more information about what Google considers to be acceptable ways to combine images and ads. Actually, in true Google fashion, it's not so much a set of firm guidelines but a set of examples of what not to do. (Remember my posting way back on how Google doesn't explicitly define what a “content” page is? Same general issue.)
With the examples shown, I'd say that 90% or more of the sites I come across that place images near ads are in violation of the rules. I particularly like this example:
Clever use of a half-banner ad in the top rectangle.
Remember the good old days of AdSense when the gurus were recommending you place big honking arrow images pointing straight at your ads? Things have certainly changed since then…
What's really funny is that at least one site that the Google guys have featured in one of their case studies is in violation of the rules according to this post.
Bottom line: when you put images near your ads, make sure the images don't have anything to do with the ad and don't line up with the ads, and use different colors and/or full borders to distinguish them from each other.
At least, those are the rules for now.
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Eric Giguere wrote Make Easy Money with Google and Uncommon AdSense. His goal is to get his AdSense blog into Matt Cutts' blogroll.
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