Discussions
do you click on bloggers' ads?
Posted by generalCHA0S • 8/23/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: ads, adsense, Advertising, click on ads, google, supporting bloggers
So most people who blog have some sort of advertising on their blog, usually a PPC system.
So do any of you click on the ads to support the bloggers you like?
I suggest that we all, if we're reading a blog we like, to quickly peruse the ads when we are done reading. I you see an ad that is even remotely interesting, go ahead and click on it. I'm not saying to go crazy and fraudulently click on every ad you see, but don't be shy!
If we all did that, it would really help the blogging community.
what do you think?
- Double E
my blog www.ericenglish.blogspot.com
User Comments
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I agree - I do sometimes click on an ad if it's something that I'm interested in, knowing that it helps the blogger.
However, if a site is full of advertising (especially ones with ads for advertising/making money) I won't click on anything - and I likely won't go back.-
yeah, if it's obvious that the person only has a blog to try and lure people to see ads its different.
but most bloggers have a few small ads because there are few reasons NOT to do it.
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I have an attention span equivalent to the memory capacity of that proverbial goldfish. So, no. I generally don't notice them, don't bother to click, and don't have them on my site. Though, I have no problem with people using ads. If I actually had a decent amount of traffic on my blog, I probably would consider that as a money making option.-
The name of your blog cracks me up.
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Thanks! I think it's the tag line that sells it.
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I never click the ads. -
I only don't click Christian Science Ads -
I always click the ads to show my support. I think that if someone went to the trouble to write something to entertain or inform me, that is the least I can do for them-
I never click the ads. I avoid returning to blogs that contain much advertising and I never link to blogs in my blogroll that are covered with advertising.
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You show your support by sending a bill to the advertiser? Nice.
I think advertisers ought to read such discussions. They might save themselves a lot of wasted advertising dollars. -
I agree. As one who used to advertise on adsense, it frustrates the heck out of me that people use this as a way to "pay" the blogger.
If you want to pay the blogger, send him or her a check in the mail--FROM YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT. DON'T USE MY MONEY TO DO IT!!
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*looks around*
There are ads?
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The best thing to do is to avoid the ads. They do pay for the sites, but the best strategy for an individual is to ruthlessly block out all use of bandwidth that is not productive for himself. We owe nothing to the advertisers, whose interests are quite often inimical to those of the person whose blog we want to read (advertisements for creationist organizations are quite common on science blogs, for instance).-
With adsense you can block certain keywords with the competitive ad filter to prevent that sort of thing.
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If it's a blog with good content, and the author seems to be a decent person, and it is an item I'm interested in, then, yes. Talk about qualifying an answer.
Last week, as a matter of fact, not only did I click, I even bought the product advertised. -
Your the next winner, google adsense will contact you to announce your gift. ACCOUNT REMOVED, I don't dare to mess or try them. GL
best way to work with adsense is to work on your SEO and get more traffic not get people and get invalid click that make no sense with the number of your page impression. Like 100 impression for 50 clicks, BANNED.-
So, you're saying if I see something I'm interested in, not to click? Isn't that kind of pointless?
BTW, the %age on my blogs is less than 2% -
I specifically said NOT to click fraudulently, so i am not violating the google TOS.
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You are still saying "Please click my ads". That's fraud, simple as that. -
I definitely did NOT say to click my ads. I think you need to carefully re-read my post, because you missed the entire point.
Many people are very reluctant to click on ads, for some reason, even if it is something that interests them. I simply said that if you are on a blog you like, and you see an ad that interests you, go ahead and click on it. IT helps every party involved. If the ad is for something that actually interests you, then you are helping the advertiser as well because you may end up using their product or service. -
I did not miss the point. You asked us to click ads to support the blogging community, and that includes you.
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I said to click on ads if they interest you. While that does support the blogging community, it also supports the advertisers. There are some people who seem to have a strong aversion to clicking on any ad, even if it is something that they are interested in. These are the people this discussion was directed at.
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I click on if something feels important to me that I should know about than being ignorant, to find if I need that thing, it is not that I am off to Amazon or Google straight through that Bolg, huh. -
You know what, I used to work Part time during my study years and I know the customer mentality pretty well, I say most of them try things than buying when they thought of buying it later on, and this happens mostly when it is off season. I mean to say people look at things and try it so that they can later buy it, but here on Blogger or BlogoSphere to be precise, I didn't see anybody with that curiosity to stop and check out a product if they liked it, there's a lot of difference in the customer behaviour in the virtual world or when it comes to blogging experience I think and might be it is more related with the same kind of product showing up in every other window....huh
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Very rarely. If it's merely an attractive ad, forget it. I'll never click on it. On the other hand, if it's a persuasive one, obviously I will click on it.
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Just don't click the ads if you don't like,
click on the ads you're interested and never click your own adsense...
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That's my 2 cent... -
I click on the ads that are connected with blogs that interested me, to support the author of course-
So to support the author, you're having advertisers pay Google for the irrelevant click. Sounds like stealing to me.
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well if I find a post so irresistable and decides the author needs a hug, yes i do.-
a click means a hug, a link mean a kiss...
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But that's click fraud. You're supposed to click ads if the topic interests you, not as a tip. Why would you make an advertiser whose product doesn't interest you pay the blogger?
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So what does a digg mean?
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A Digg is a lot different than AdSense, and you know it.
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I think he was referring back to the post: "a click means a hug, a link mean a kiss..."
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yeah I digg every night before I goto sleep
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@sayzlim
"a click means a hug, a link mean a kiss."
I'm really disappointed to here you speak nonsense. It's click fraud - plain and simple and you know that.
@mantiz
Whya are you also speaking nonsense. You know that a Digg is a vote cast by a member of a social network.
You know that clicking on adsense ads is not casting a vote in a social network so please stop this posturing. -
lol okay i an talkin nonsense, but hey i don't do click fraud! i click an ad only if it interests me, cause i know click fraud is dangerous both to me and to the blogger.
and i love talking nonsense. -
@mantiz
I'm so glad you said that. Google owns adsense and all these forum threads are being indexed and cached by Google. Therefore, those who are choosing to confess that they participate in click fraud are either not very bright or they are risk takers who believe that no one will report their click fraud confessions to Google. -
Whoa, I don't realize that timethief reply,
I am just referring to what mantiz said
"If suppose a click means a hug, then a backlink will mean a kiss". That's all...
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Very, very rarely. I usually blend them out as background noise. Only sometimes do I pay attention, and then usually because I'm interested in what Google has decided is relevant. Even then do I rarely click.
I also mute the TV during commercial breaks, or choose non-commercial stations altogether. And I will not listen to commercial radio. Way too much non-essential noise seeking my attention. No thank you.-
"I also mute the TV during commercial breaks, or choose non-commercial stations altogether. And I will not listen to commercial radio. Way too much non-essential noise seeking my attention. No thank you."
Wow! We are exactly the same. -
Same here. Don't even watch TV. Very, very rarely listen to radio and only when a client asks me to turn it on for them. As soon as they're out of the cab, it's off. It's all garbage,IMHO. I bring my MP3 and listen to what I want. That way what goes into my brain is my choice.
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I *rarely* click on an ad--mostly, I don't care for ads on blogs but I do understand that some people have to try to make money on their blogs. The only times I click on ads is when it is something I am truly interested in. -
I seldom click on PPC ads, and when I do, it's because I'm truly interested in the products or services of the company advertising. Most of the blogs that I read do not have PPC ads, but they sell monthly advertising directly. I click on those quite frequently, because they're always relevant, and many times I end up blogging about the product or service.
The whole idea of people clicking on ads as a "tip" or "thank you" to the blogger really infuriates me. If you do that, do you not realize that you're stealing from the advertiser?
Advertisers on adsense pay anywhere from $0.25 to $1.50 per click. Even for advertisers with budgets of $1000/month, that money gets spent VERY quickly. Do you really think it's fair to ask that advertiser to pay your "tip" for you?
When you go to a restaurant and your server gives your family great service and you want to reward him or her with a nice tip, do you reach into the pocket book of the person sitting at the next table? If you're clicking on ads just to leave "tips" for the blogger, that's essentially what you're doing.
If you want to leave a tip, ask the blogger if you can send one through PayPal, or send him/her a check OUT OF YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT. DO NOT use another person's bank account to pay your bill!!!!-
Again, I wasn't suggesting that anyone click on any ads for the sole purpose of 'tipping' the blogger, with no intention of using the product or service. But many people completely ignore the ads, and that doesn't help the blogger OR the advertisers. I suggested that readers at least look at the ads on sites they like, and IF they see something that interests them, go ahead and check it out. if it is actually something that interests them, the advertisers would want them to check it out.
I have used adsense as an advertiser before too, so I don't like the idea of having to pay for bogus clicks, but I don't like the idea of people completely ignoring ads either. -
My comment wasn't directed towards you specifically. If you'll read all of the comments, there are a couple of people who specifically said they click on ads as some sort of "tip" or "thank you" or "hug". That makes me angry that people can't see that that's stealing.
lot2learn said, "I always click the ads to show my support. I think that if someone went to the trouble to write something to entertain or inform me, that is the least I can do for them."
ultras said, "I click on the ads that are connected with blogs that interested me, to support the author of course."
mantiz said, "well if I find a post so irresistable and decides the author needs a hug, yes i do."
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never -
I use AdBlock, so....
The hilarity truly is that I have one banner ad on my site, and a Spottt.
If I want to support someone, I look for a PayPal address. -
Maybe I should rephrase what I said. I am not shy in clicking ads if I see something I like. I do not go from site to site clicking ads for no reason, and I think that no one here does that. I offer " hugs and kisses " in the form of comments to the post or shoutbox.
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Lord knows I could use more ad clicks as my blog is the only income I bring in as a stay at home dad. If the blog has good content and is designed in such a way that it appears that the author put time and effort into it, then yeah, I click on some ads. -
I never do but think it's about time I do.. Of course only ones that interest me. Perhaps more bloggers should put up a Pay Pal link as someone had mentioned, or use a widget like Chipin for wordpress. PPC is BS and I never click on those ads. But if there if a trusted affiliate ad than maybe..-
I decided to make a group to help people find decent affiliates. Check it out and post an affiliate you've have success with.
www.blogcatalog.com/group/find-me-an-affiliate
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I'm not sure that I've ever clicked on an ad. -
I'm not sure that I've ever clicked on an ad.
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Yeah I do. Mostly for this guy blogger-tricks.blogspot.com/
He is super nice and is willing to help anyone with any problem they have for blogging. -
Interesting. We assume bloggers put adverts on their blog in order to make money (not to help out the advertisers), fair enough.
But if a reader clicks on ads to help the blogger make money (as a way of saying 'thanks for a good read')it is fraud, and not benefitting the poor advertiser.
So what is the solution? Donation boxes?-
I always put donation boxes (via PayPal) on my blogs, because I hate blogs with ads on them, and so I try to avoid having ads on mine. (Using a Blogger blog means it already has Google ads on it).
I'm an affiliate with Amazon because I joined Amazon in 1997, and when they started doing the affiliate program they asked me to be part of the beta test run, so I joined the Amazon Affiliate Program and whenever I want to review a book or DVD, I just add an Amazon link right into the blog post itself. That way you don't see ads all over my blogs.
Of course you do see links all over my blogs, cause I link out to every site I read, but I don't get paid for doing that.
Anyways, I just never could understand the whole Pay-Per-Click mentality, it just seems like such a waste of time to me. The way I figure, if you are going to put an ad up, you should at least put up an ad to something you already bought yourself (like a book or DVD), that way you can actually support your reason for putting the ad there, by saying: "Hey, I just read this book, and you should read it to, because it was...."
Of course, I realize there are folks who like to support a blog, but I hate PPC, so if someone wants to support my blog, than rather than go against my personal beliefs against PPC, I just ad a PayPal donation button to the blog... that way, if they really truly and honestly want o show their support they can, rather than given me a half hearted click-tip, which pays what... a penny per hundred clicks? Yea, big support there. -
Here's the link for the code you can use to install a paypal donation button. www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_pdn_donate_techview_outside
If you have a free hosted wordpress.com blog then you will need to use these instructions onecoolsite.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/how-to-add-a-custom-paypal-donation-li...
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you know what? I don't ever click ads, unless the ad is for something I really like and am looking to buy AND from a company I trust (say an Amazon or eBay ad). I think Amazon and eBay affiliate ads are the only onces I've ever clicked on (and usually if I click, I buy)
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I see the same ads over and over and over again and a good number of them are an insult to the intelligence ("Lose 10lbs of ugly belly fat every 9 days!").
I know I've clicked on an ad or two in the past 10 years but probably no more than that. -
oh, and I have a site with my thoughts on this (more or less) here, if any one wants to check it out www.squidoo.com/PayPerClick-vs-ProductLinks
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I click on atleast one add no matter what. Yes for the most part we're all out to have fun and discuss whatever we want and make a little loose change. Now for the over the top Blogs, I still click. Why? Why not? What is it really hurting. Maybe they're hard up for cash or just don't know what they're doing. Either way, to each their own and I say let good Karma come my way. -
I dont. I started my blog and put the adsense on there, but decided to take it off. I just dont think that a personal blog should have ads. I will put news ads, but not services. thats like taking a home video and placing commercials on it. bleh
luculent
web-justice.blogspot.com -
Alright how is clicking on someones ad stealing? If I have to watch tv with commercials thats invasive. If I want to click an ad from a site I really like I'm going to do it. That ad is already on their site. I have to see it anyway. Why not take a minute click on just one. That's like what, 10 cents if that?
For some this is a source of income for various reasons. I will not be the one who has some sad little issue about whether or not it's stealing. It has nothing to do with integrity and everything to do with supporting each other which I'm noticing more and more is not really happening.
I'm off to read my favorite blogs and click atleast one ad... who wants to join me?!-
@210betty
"Alright how is clicking on someones ad stealing?"
It's fraud and ignorance of the law is no excuse. Anyone who clicks on ads on blogs to "help the blogger out" is committing click fraud.
You have adsense, adbrite and other advertising on your blog. Surely you did not enter the advertising contracts without reading the terms in them. If so, what can I say?
I suggest that you actually read the Google adsense terms of service. When you do you will find that Click fraud is prohibited in those terms of the legal and binding contract that you agreed to.
Getting into it simply means that if you get caught you will be banned from using Google adsense and will be blacklisted. -
219betty, I will also point out that some advertisers pay up to $1.50 per click--sometimes more. It's not always 10 cents, as you suggest. And yes, it's click fraud, and it's theft.
To see the other side, maybe you should advertise your own blog on adsense for a week and see how quickly your money goes. You may have a different outlook at the end of the week...and hopefully you'll be more respectful of the money people are paying to advertise their companies to people who are genuinely interested in their products or services.
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If I see an ad about something I find interesting, yeah, I'll click it. I've recently popped a couple Adsense ads up, myself, just as an experiment (I've been kind of hesitant, though, but I'm still curious).
I don't see anything wrong with ads, unless the blog itself is an adfarm. -
Wait a minute, 210betty has a point. How many ads have you seen on the television, or heard on the radio today that cost the advertiser some major cash ? They pay money so that you will listen to, or view details about their product or service. I am not a random clicker, but if you visit a favorite site, or come across one that has some great content on it, why wouldn't you want to take the time to view what their advertisers are promoting ? It seems that is is just good business. Just my opinion, but I don't think Taco Bell, or Pepsi will feel ripped off if they purchase an ad on the radio for you to hear while you drink a Coke and chew a Big Mac. I am going to duck and cover now, because I know some bombs are coming my way for saying that
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Yes, if you're interested in the product or service, by all means, click away.
But to compare the small single-person businesses that utilize adsense because it's a relatively affordable form of advertising with Coke or some other huge corporation is ridiculous! Sure, those corporations with multi-million dollar advertising budgets won't mind at all. But, of course, I would highly doubt that Coke advertises on adsense!
Again, consider the small single-person business with an advertising budget of $300 (or less) PER MONTH. If their keywords are costly (and like I've mentioned, some of them cost around $1.50 PER CLICK), that $300 won't go very far!! That will purchase only 200 to 300 clicks per months, which is only up to 10 clicks PER DAY! Can you not see how random clicking could really hurt a small business owner???
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ya i do this ... not only for bloggers but for all sites.when they provide me good content , i click on an ad .i also recommend my friends to do it
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The main issue is whether you click on ads because
1) You are genuinely interested in the ad, or
2) You want to say Thank You or want to be nice to the blogger.
The first is of course ok, the second not.
However, being a blogger yourself, you should be aware that your fellow blogger has put the ads there in order to make money, so clicking the ads for no reason (I read #2 above as "no reason") IS click fraud. But I still feel a moral dilemma here: Is clicking on an ad on a blog the same as fraud, whereas clicking on the same ad on a "regular" website is not fraud? -
I don't click "just because", sorry... -
For me there is no moral dilemma at all. I do not click ads on blogs ever. I can "copy link location" on any ad I may be interested in and open it in a completely new window.
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Timethief - that's silly. If you're interested in an ad - click it. If not, don't. Why bother doing a 'copy link' and open in a new window.
That's almost vindictive and prejudiced against an ad that clearly got your attention. Why not just click it?
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Let's make this clear. I don't go to peoples sites to click on advertisements. I go to read. Then guess what I do. I click on an ad. I read the ad. OH MY! I watch T.V. I endure the ads. I've read the terms. I don't ask people to come to my site and click on anything. If they want to I'm not going to judge why they did it. How can I?
I don't even know why I got into this conversation. Everyone have fun criticizing each others morals. -
Speaking from someone whom spent a hefty sum of money on adsense for another website I would have to say that clicking on ads just to click them is bad for advertisers, and eventually they will either lower their PPC or they will cease advertising all together.
I spent a good amount on advertising for a site that I created a few months back. Avg CPC was about $0.11 - on average less than 1 out of then stayed on the site for more than 15 seconds. 15 seconds is barely enough to even review a page, let alone if you were going to it because of an ad you saw that peaked your interest.
I think it happens more often than not.
I did choose my keywords and ads wisely to fit in with my content, so I doubt that had as much to do with it as the other. It was more likely just happy clickers that click everything because I also received a lot of clicks on the one ad that I have on the landing page - at the very bottom.
Just a thought - if the ad really peaks your interest go for it, but don't just click to click or advertisers will find other places to advertise or cut the pay given out.
I am not speaking from a moral standpoint, but from a "Let's not bite the hand that feeds us" standpoint.
My 2 cents. -
If fewer companies used the internet for advertising, I think it would be a very, very good outcome. The internet survived for nearly twenty years without any commercial advertising at all. If the public side of the web went back to being largely an academic, scientific and social network for geeks, nobody would be happier than me.
On the other side of the coin, it's not too difficult to have your browser block all or most of the advertising, so I view the current state of affairs to be quite acceptable.
The most distracting forms of advertising are a severe detriment to the internet experience--they stop you doing what you came to do--so there should be no false dismay about controlling such pollution. You should feel no more compunction about block an ad from your browser than from deleting an advertising icon placed on your desktop by a software manufacturer. Your computer, your rules.
The internet still has roots in research and science, despite the commercial fluff that has attracted so many people. Much of the work on the popular free browsers is done by volunteers who don't ask for money. Thanks to the infrastructure provided by internet even in its pre-commercial days, we have great free software such as BSD UNIX, GNU Linux, the Perl programming language, and several free browsers that have their origins in the pre-commercial internet of Tim Berners-Lee. It is a mistake to identify the advertisers who are parasitic on the internet with the the builders, who did the job with public funds or, sometimes, for no money at all. -
Yes of course just to take part for donate ( if usefully article) -
I never click on adds, I learned to not even really see them anymore. 90% of the net is covered in advertising so I just ignore it across the board. -
just click some ads to appreciate the blog owner -
If I enjoy a blog, I will peruse the ads to see if any interest me. If I'm not into the blog, I don't even bother looking at the ads
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