Google Says: Avoid Ads Near Things Users Click
Google just posted an entry on the Inside AdSense blog about avoiding accidental clicks. They warn against placing ads close to interactive elements on your website.
Some implementations that could lead to accidental clicks include placing your ads:
- In close proximity to Macromedia Flash games
- Under pop-ups or download prompts
- Near site navigation controls on your pages, such as drop-downs or menu links
This looks like another issue that is going to cause a lot of confusion and concern amongst publishers. It also goes directly against the advice Google gives about optimization: “Ads placed near rich content and navigational aids usually do well because users are focused on those areas of a page.” So which is it? Do we place ads near navigation or not?
I can understand where Google is coming from with this. If you make it difficult to click on something on your site because it is so close to an ad, that could bring accidental clicks. But, this latest warning just seems way to vague.
This will be similar to the “Don’t place images besides ads” policy that has created so much confusion in the past. I’m sure there will be a lot of complaining in he forums about this one. My advice is to do what is reasonable – as long as you aren’t trying to trick your visitors, things should be OK.
