When testing different Adsense layouts, some people recommend using a particular ad layout for a week, and then changing to another layout after one week. Aside from having to wait seven days, you'll end up introducing another variable factor.

What if people were simply more responsive this week compared to last week? How will you attribute that to ad layout design and not to timing issues?

For example, are people influenced by your ad colors or by the fact that today is Mother's Day?

Here's how to rotate different ad layouts, so that you can test different combinations one after the other (instead of having to wait for one month just to test four different layouts):

Use Randex v1.21, a random rotating script from Tecca Scripts.

You can place your several groups of html code into a file, and have Randex rotate through or choose a different batch each time a visitor sees your page. For example, Visitor 1 will see ad layout 1 while Visitor 2 will see ad layout 2.

If you include the position of your ads in the different groups of html code, you'll be able to test ad position (i.e., are people more responsive to leftside or rightside ads?).

Please take note, however, that if Visitor 1 views more than one page, he or she will see your different ad layouts. It would be great if the script would somehow tag a visitor and show a particular ad layout for that visitor's particular session.

To run or execute the Randex PHP script from within your WordPress blog, you may need to take a look at the Exec-PHP plugin.

Why is it important to test different layouts? Even if some problogger guru says this or that ad size is the best, it may not be the case for your site. How will you know unless you test, right?

Sample Idea To Test

"Blue links with black text on white background and no border" versus "Black links, black text, pale yellow background and red border"

The first is what some Adsense probloggers recommend, while the second is the supermarket colors-inspired experience of Steven Yong.

The bottomline: Test, test, test!

In the meantime, here's wishing a Happy Mothers' Day! to all our wonderful moms, who have patiently and creatively tried and tested many ways to get us to eat our vegetables and clean our rooms.

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"Testing Different Adsense Layouts"
First Posted: May 14, 2006 | Filed in: Adsense

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