Google Adsense changes format

It made news when Google changed the ads format for AdWords from a blue background to yellow (how long before Yahoo! copy this? :) ).

However, I’ve not seen any mention the fact that Adsense has also been changed - instead of the default little box with text stating Ads by Gooooogle, we now get an image with a rounded edge, which also mentions Google as a graphic.

You won’t see it so well if you blend ads, but if you do use a border, you can see it clearly in use:

I know Google have been playing with different Ad formats already - question is, will it change clickthrough rates?

Certainly as an Adsense publisher I hope it does - but really the issue isn’t one of the clickthrough rates as much as the actual payment split between Google and the publisher.

It’s getting frustrating to see some of my key authority/content sites getting low payment rates of $0.03-$0.30 per click, but if you follow some basic Adsense optimising tips, you can help leverage your content better.

One of the biggest untold secrets is that where the 300×250 box is used, earnings can rocket - literally.