Customising Google Adsense?

[DaveH]

Is this allowed?

A nice example can be found here: London

The top 3 items are google ads and they fit in very nicely.

 

[Systreg]

As far as I'm aware, you're not supposed to alter the Adsense code, but as per your example above, I've seen loads of sites with ads like that, I often have a look at the soucre code and see what they have done to the actual code.

According to the Adsense rules, you're not allowed in any way to encourage people to click your ad links, and the way that site has done it, they are making it look like they are starred links in the hopes of getting people to click them, you can be banned by Google for doing that:

https://www.google.com/adsense/supp...&sourceid=aso&subid=ww-ww-et-asui&medium=link

Encouraging Clicks
Publishers may not ask others to click their ads or use deceptive implementation methods to obtain clicks. This includes, but is not limited to, offering compensation to users for viewing ads or performing searches, promising to raise money for third parties for such behavior or placing images next to individual ads.

In order to ensure a good experience for users and advertisers, publishers participating in the AdSense program may not:

Compensate users for viewing ads or performing searches, or promise compensation to a third party for such behavior.

Encourage users to click the Google ads using phrases such as "click the ads", "support us", "visit these links" or other similar language.

Direct user attention to the ads using arrows or other graphical gimmicks.

Place misleading images alongside individual ads.

Place ads in a floating box script.

Format ads so that they become indistinguishable from other content on that page.

Format site content so that it is difficult to distinguish it from ads.

Place misleading labels above Google ad units. For instance, ads may be labelled "Sponsored Links" or "Advertisements", but not "Favourite Sites" or "Today's Top Offers".

Ad Behavior
AdSense code may not be altered, nor may the standard behavior, targeting or delivery of ads be manipulated in any way that is not explicitly permitted by Google. For instance, clicking Google ads may not result in a new browser window being launched.

 

[DaveH]

Thanks. That was my understanding too... I personally think the example I provided would be a great to get more clicks but I see it as breaking the rules.

Shame. I wonder if they've got Google's approval?

 

[ratboy]

I thought you had to have a certain amount of impressions and G allowed you to charge the code. But that example is blatently breaking the rules and should be reported really. You see the big publishers changing colours and fonts but thats real abuse!

 

[woopwoop]

Ratboy, I think you're right about the page impressions - but you never know maybe the site is doing well. Although it's a PR4 it does have over half a million pages indexed in Google.

It must get some good traffic.