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Google has published some hints on getting better returns from Adsense ads on your site. Without the filler their advice boils down to:

1. Use larger ad units especially the 300×250 medium rectangle, the 728×90 leaderboard, and the 160×600 skyscraper.
2. Design the Google Adsense units to blend in with or compliment your website design. To integrate the ads with the rest of the site’s design, it helps to keep the border colour light or select no border.
3. Get noticed.  Place your ads where users focus their attention, such as by the main content, above the fold, and by navigation menus.

These tips, while very simple, will help Google Adsense beginners increase their revenues but why stop there? It’s important to know why these tips will increase your Google Adsense earnings so you can continue to improve your results by testing extensions of these simple ideas.

Google Adsense Unit Size: Bigger is Better

Larger ad units allow more white space between the ad and the content and between text ads in the ad unit. You can generalise this principle and experiment with increasing the white space around ad units. If your site’s design is too busy the eye does not have a focus point. That means users will have an easier time picking your ads out from a clean page design.

Integrate Google Adsense Units

Google allows you to choose the colours of Adsense ad units. You want your readers’ eyes to flow over you page and not automatically skip any ad units. To achieve this it helps to select a white or very light background and no border around the ad unit. Match the ad title color to your header color for congruence.

Be Seen

Think of a visitor to your site. Follow your eye as it tracks across the screen. Where do you focus? Chances are you skim headlines, look for navigation tools, such as menus, and look at the main content. A great place for ad units is below the page title but above the first content chunk. All the better if your navigation menu is here too. Generally avoid placing ads lower down on the page where people will only see them after scrolling down. The exception to this rule – there are always exceptions! – is for ads placed at the end of an article or blog post. Here the reader has been engaged and is interested in the topic since he has read your entire post. If he’s looking for more information he may follow a relvant text link.

Use these simple tips to get started but look out for what makes them work and expand on those ideas to continue increasing your Google Adsense earnings.