Using the below resources you will know everything that is required to properly monetize your vBulletin forums. You will know how your visitors behave, how to place your ads and how to color your ads.
1. Using vBulletin?s default AdSense integration
A post by Wayne_luke on the official vBulletin.com forums about using vBulletin?s integrated functionality for implementing AdSense units. The post features an FAQ, making it fail-safe for every Forum owner.
We recommend the default integration for everybody who:
?is new to AdSense and wants quick results
?does not want to get into AdSense
2. Banner blindness - our enemy
Banner blindness - The longer your vBulletin forum?s visitors have been on the internet the more experience they have. The longer they have been on our forums the better they get used to everything like for example the sub-forums, where they have to post etc. Unfortunately they also get used to our ads and thus they develop a certain banner blindness.
This is an excellent study by Jakob Nielsen about banner-blindness showing and explaining the phenomenon. We learn the following:
Get away from web 1.0 advertising (no horizontal banners, no skyscrapers)
Still remember the first resource about banner-blindness? Yes, those codes will give you horizontal web 1.0 banners. Modify the codes and use as many rectangles as possible. The more squares you are using the higher your Click through rate (CTR) is going to be.
1 horizontal link unit in the navigation of your forum
1 horizontal banner in your threadbit
2 square link units below the posts
If you have vBadvanced: 1 link unit inside the navigation
The above post?s suggestions of AdSense placements for your vBulletin forum are pretty aggressive. But consider, I am showing ads to guests only. I am not monetizing my members and as guests won?t contribute that?s fair. Of course, the more ads you show the less likely they are to register. It?s up to you.
6. Design matters - the following colors make your visitors click
Use the Google AdSense Ad planner publisher center
Reduce the amount of missclicks as that increases ROI for the advertiser
8. Start working on your vBulletin forum - use this checklist
This post by Mark is a step by step checklist for optimizing your AdSense units. The post takes you through both CTR and CPC optimization. Follow the steps and you can be sure that you have done something good for your AdSense earnings.
9. Marketing forums on vBulletinSetup.com
The marketing forums on vBulletinSetup are a great resource to ask questions in case you have any. Many vBulletin owners regularly check out the forums and reply to questions. If you want to get in contact with a vBulletin expert, than that?s what you should be doing.
10. Advertising forums on vBSEO.com
The vBSEO marketing forum is another great resource. The forums exceed AdSense as the forum owners regularly also review other advertising programs. In case you have any questions or need help with other advertising programs, that?s the forum you should be checking out.
06-10-2009, 10:00 PM
07-17-2012, 12:07 PM
