Phil Cooke

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Posted On
01/10/2008

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Adsense – And Why I Have Ads on the Blog


I’ve gotten some good questions about the recent addition of ads on the blog, so I thought I would share my thinking. To be honest, it’s a complete experiment. The Google Adsense model is so interesting to me – the way it filters advertising content based on the content of the site. However, it does have problems, and we get the occasional dating service, or strange and inappropriate advertisements. But I’m not going to drop it yet. We’re tweaking the filters, to see how accurate we can make it. Also, we’re trying to tweak the layout, so the look doesn’t detract too much from the visual flow of the blog itself. But as always,
I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions, and if the offensive stuff gets out of control, we’ll dump it. The ads have made about $18 over the last 3 days so it’s not like we’re getting rich. But the model is worth it, because it has ramifications for anyone trying to communicate on the web (and pay for it). Besides, I’m not a church or ministry – so fortunately no one’s eternal soul hangs in the balance if a really offensive ad pops up… :-)

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 8:26 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • tm

    Please Phil, tell me that was a sarcastic comment at the end there… Christians are 'the church.' We represent God. You should know this more than anyone. The reality is that as every day people live life, they are looking at everyday Christians and how they live life just as much as looking at a church or ministry and how it conducts it's business.

     

    An offensive ad on this web site is just as offensive as something negative from a church or ministry.

     

    Use this opportunity and your name recognition to get Google to create a whole adsense for these purposes. 

  • John

    Lighten up TM.  Let's enjoy a little joke every once in awhile.  I respect Phil's experiment with Google, even if the filtering isn't perfect.  How are we going to impact this culture unless we're willing to get in there and work with it?  I'm sure Jesus got the same criticism when He went to tax collector's houses, or turned water into wine.  "Hey Jesus.  You represent God.  You shouldn't be doing that stuff."  Cut the guy a little slack…

  • Elizabeth Conley

    Advertisements rarely register with me on a conscious level.  Since it's a topic, I've started to pay attention.  Nothing offensive has showed up. 

    If it helps offset the cost of maintaining the site, well and good.  Some people are very hard to reach through advertising.  Apparently my husband and I fit that profile.  It may be that many of the people who frequent this site are similarly difficult.  Given that the advertising is tailored to the topic, it seems like it should be a win-win most of the time.  Good for the advertisers and good for the target audience. 

    I wouldn't have known about Ben Stein's new movie if it weren't for the advertising.  As it is, we'll probably see it when it comes out.  Otherwise we would have waited 'til it hit the 5$ rack at Walmart several years from now!  (Yep, you guessed it – we haven't seen The Passion yet.  We're both afraid it won't be half as good as the Book!)

    Anyhow, the advertising is fine with me.  Please keep the experiment going.  It will be interesting to see how good the match between advertisers and audience will become over time.

  • Good_Commentary

    Suddenly I can't read this site from work, because now it is picked up by the firewall…  Guess that is ok, I will have to do something else with my break.

    Just thought you might want to know that I think that this was a side-effect.  And irreversible, I presume

  • Cory Kent

    As long as you don't start selling pieces of the ark…I'm game with the ads.  ; )

  • Daniel Huisman

    I would agree with one of the other posters in that the ads detract from your site. Perhaps if you can get the filtering a little more effective they would fit in bettter, but it is somewhat irritating to navigate your site especially from a Christian workplace when their are large pink banners advertising the “Love Button” and “Is your love cheating on you?”

    As your book says, perception is vitally important… what image is the site now projecting on first visit?

  • mdalton

    I hate the ads that was one reason I started reading this blog because I didn't have to deal with ads, do what you want but just so you know i don't like them and I would love if you took them down…

  • tm

    Guys… please understand… I would be among the first to test out something like this and be okay with the fact that it sometimes picks up and shows other random stuff as we're testing it and finding out how to use it. But when we think that it does not hinder our witness, we're stumbling. Especially when we decided to move forward even though we know it will continue to show content we're really not okay with.

    Hey John, last time I checked, Christ was perfect. He didn't even flirt with doing anything on the line. Personally, I drink. Unless you're Baptist, there's nothing Biblically wrong. I guess even if you're Baptist there's still nothing Biblically wrong, just somehow your theology got mixed up.

    Remember, the one thing we've still got, is that those who are real Christ followers 'look different.' We don't look so different when we go so far and try so hard to be in the culture, that we become a part of it. Remember that Christ called us to be in the world, not of the world.

  • Bob

    I'm sure TM means well, but I agree he's over-reacting a bit.  I also agree that the Google Adsense model is interesting, and worth experimenting with.  Vere Media has something similar that's more of a Christian model, and worth looking into.  In the meantime, I say good move Phil, and keep us posted on how it works out.

  • breaklight

    Another laugh for me – what a punchline at the end of your comment Phil:-)It’s true a joyful heart is good medicine.

  • Bart Breen

    That's a relief.

    On the alcohol thread I felt like I was viewing the ads through Beer Googles ……..

  • Craig Thomas

    Do we not need to be tested at times surely it is not Phil's fault for having adverts to un godlike websites but the fault of those clicking these links.

    I say we all need to be tested at time. Saying this though i do think these google ad projects they have going on at the moment cheapen websites and for the financial reward arent worth the hassle.

     

     

  • Aweaver3

    I too was wondering what was going on. I thought perhaps it was some kind of fluke. I’m glad you addressed it Phil. My opinion? It takes something away from the site. I was happy that I could come to your site and not find a bunch of google ads. So many people do it now – but what makes your site different from all others? Personally, if a site has ads about their products or related products, that’s one thing… But this is all a test, so hopefully you can find a happy medium. If not… then you know what to do. :-)

    Allen Paul Weaver III
    author, Transition: Breaking Through the Barriers
    http://www.allenpaulweaveriii.com

  • nanny

    Most websites don't generate enough traffic for the adsense ads to amount to much of anything…so it you want to make $4 a month it might be okay…joking on the $4 a month, but I guess it depends on your traffic

     

     

  • Mary Hutchinson

    The ads are great for people like me with ADD.  Can I get that Hebrew teaching on CDs or is it only available on stone tablets?


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