Mistake #2 – Using the Wrong Size Ads

There are many different ad block sizes. They range from small buttons, to squares and rectangles, all the way up to very large leaderboard and skyscraper sizes.

AdSense published a list of their three best performing ad sizes.

These are as follows:

• 336x280 – the large rectangle
• 300x250 – the medium or inline rectangle
• 160x600 – the wide skyscraper

These sizes may vary on different sites, so it’s best to experiment to see which size works best for each site you create. These are just the three sizes that perform best network-wide.

The least performing size is said to be the 468x60 banner. This size has universally screamed, “BANNER!” for quite a while now, and users still recognize it even when in AdSense form.

You should always experiment in order to increase your CTR. Size is definitely one of the most important factors with regards to CTR. In fact, it is one of the first three things you should test. (Size, placement, and colors are the three most important variables to test.)

One very popular way to get a lot of attention to your ads is to put the ads inline with your content. It’s very popular to take the 300x250 medium rectangle and wrap content around it, for example. This is a very good use for this particular size.

So it’s not just a matter of choosing the right size, but also choosing the right size for the right location on your site. You probably wouldn’t want to put the square banner in your sidebar, nor would you want to put a skyscraper banner inline.

Most of this is common sense, but it is important to experiment with, for example, the medium rectangle versus the large rectangle inline, or the 120x600 versus the 160x600 in the sidebar.