What is the best method of deploying your 3 per page AdSense ads if you run a blog? According to google in-content ads get the most clicks as can be seen by their heatmap on the right.

However, the highest rated area is directly above your content and many spam sites and SEO professionals seem to think the best is a square block, floated to the right of your primary content. I think its safe to say right hand side adverts and header adverts are poor; but the question has never really been definitively answered as to where you should place the adverts.

Now what is illegal is to mask the fact that the ads are actually adverts; practices like placing images next to them will get you banned. However, you are allowed to theme them to look similar to your content (as we do here) which helps to get users to read them as actual content and not just skip by as its an advert.

But that also raises another question – is it better to have bright eye catching (or even image) adverts – or in-content blending adverts which have a better chance of clicks?

In our experience, in content adverts that blend in nicely are the top. However, local blogger Chris of IMod‘s theme would disagree? Judging from what we can see he doesn’t include AdSense ads in-content but actually on the left sidebar and still makes a killing..

Does anyone have suggestions or experience on this? What are your findings/opinions?

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