As many of you know I have been on several Google AdSense panels at various conferences in the last couple years. During my presentation I have a little section I call “Innovative or About To Be Banned ?”. Its where I show a bunch of real live interesting implementations of what people are doing with Google AdSense. I have always found the Google AdSense team to be very receptive to ideas I have had in the past in implementation and I encourage people to talk to them before trying any interesting implementations. I have always had the impression that with Google AdSense you build a virtual “file” if you will that has all of your communication. If something sketchy ever comes up with your account the difference between being banned or warned could be your past history of communication.
Anyway… So being I am not going to be doing this particular panel anymore (I am doing a contextual clinic at SMX West but otherwise need to move on from the contextual stuff a bit 
) I thought I would just show some interesting implementations here as I find them.
This one is pretty interesting. The user has taken their logo and made it rain over the Google AdSense in the left hand sidebar. Google used to be pretty stern about things like this but its possible now with the recent change in the click able areas that things like this might be allowed. Again check with Google AdSense before trying anything like this.
Here is a quick youTube video showing the action:
For broadband users the hi-res fullsize video is here
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Jeremy Schoemaker – who has written 2415 posts on ShoeMoney.com.
Hi I am Jeremy Schoemaker and ShoeMoney.com is my blog. 99% of the post here are done by me but you will see others occasionally make guest posts. This blog is fun to write but for my day job I run several online companies.
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{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
Dude, that’s awesome. But isn’t it against Google’s TOS?
It’s a great way of drawing attention to the ads but I can see a “please stop” notice coming soon.
This is agains Google Adsense TOS.
Do not use directive methods to lure clicks. While placing images with borders to separate ads is not a problem, having images like arrows or other graphical gimmicks that directs others to click is also not allowed. This trick is getting all the attention at the ads, and I’m sure that if Google sees this …the Adsense user will have problems.
I think it’s too annoying and you probably won’t even notice the ads with all those things flying over. Looks too much like a novelty area and not something that I would click on.
But can’t say the same for other people.
interesting – but no mention of CTR or how this compared to not using the effect?
This is NOT a good idea!
–blog for dream–
I wouldn’t do that. you’re just asking for it
I really feel one needs to be extra careful with experimenting with Adsense ads. This could be really bad :p
I’m not convinced this was even worth a post.. it’s an obvious breech of the AdSense TOS.
I disagree, I think this was a very interesting post and it will definitely be cool to see what ends up happening.
Either way… even though I knew what it was…they made me move my mouse over and attempt to click them…. which im sure most would end up clicking the ad..
Austin I am with you! I disagree too but I thing this is a great post!
that’s another craps
hi Jeremy,
did you try to email the owner, to see if he have asked google if kind of ads placement was acceptable?
Can’t see the youtube video..I think its removed
I got banned from Adsense without pulling a stunt like this one. More power to them if it works out though. Who am I to say no?
Who cares about the adsense. That site is hilarious!
I dont know… I think its hard to sacrifice your google adsense account for it… until its proven and tested, then i’ll do it
Thanks for pointing this out
I removed the script.
Doesn’t get that much clicks, 4 or 5 a day so…I’m not rich by “misleading” people.
Just wanted to add some nice script to it, on the main page it was not cool.
If it tooks some people attention to the ads that was an extra, but not the meaning in the first place, believe it or not.
Anyway since there are so many fun sites (and bether looking) I shut it down probably in the next few weeks. So don’t bother
Funcollector.
Had to check out the site to confirm what I thought I saw in the video. Sure enough, it was a dude with a hairy chest breastfeeding a baby. Some funny ones in there.
That’s pretty funny. It actually makes me NOT want to click those ads…but then again I really don’t like anything animated happening that I didn’t choose.
It sounds like a good idea, but I would probably makes those orbs more transparent though so you can actually see the ad.
That guy is very creative. I think he absolutely increased his CTR dramatically. Nice trick he uses, but it likes onpreffesional.
Shoe, now they are going to get a nasty message from Google
Good job.
BTW, I love the changes to the footer.
Well what I feell shoe is that this is kind of a childish thing. or perhaps just to find money. We obviously cant put these things in our good sites. So even its Google acceptable or not I feel it not sign of a good developer. Never good for the reputation isn’t it?
I would like to try that on my one site. How do you go about getting something like that?
That’s pretty slick. Here’s one that I thought was pretty attention grabbing yet plays within the rules:
http://www.ajaxload.info/
Nice use of a gradient background with an adsense border.
if Google allowed this, next someone would do little stacks of cash floating over it…Or “hit the ducks” with the ad behind it!
Rather have this guy then then the 100,000 free account guys
At least it is a site without popups and free fun.
Don’t forget that before judging how ‘bad’ that site is…
I am sure that was the first and last time that was able to happen before Google got a hold of them. Ii would like to know how they actually were able to do that.
Simple Javascript, Google on snow script…
It is obviously against TOS, but at least I discovered some very useful tips that preventing some serious damage to my future children…
yeah but so is so much other stuff that they don’t care about. haven’t you seen the comments on the ringtones. get yours…
it is creative, i would like to have more freedom than those but o well like be able to display more than 3 of each ad units if the page is really long. Ah well google does what it wants.
That is a nice way to demonstrate creativity
I thought they just banned? the notice would be nice though…
Looks like they changed it after this post. I agree with Carl, that site is pretty funny.
is that baby breastfeeding on a man’s nipple? i see hair on the chest..
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I think i will implement that on my site
Depends how much money you make them
Crazy site, and yes it is a baby. It is showing the does and do nots for parents. make it viral by sending the link to all your friends…
is there room on your site for adsense ads?
Grab the cash floating over it would be great… just make the mouse a hand…
Looks like he took the floating images down, they are not showing up on my monitor. Google got to him fast.
Umm… I doubt that’s allowed. Google’s really strict with ad implementation and placement.
woah… i would think that would be borderline.
It was clearly against the terms, so that changing it definitely seems like a wise decision on their part.
He has most likely chosen to play it safe and given G’s recent attitude, he did the right thing
I bet they just love the “Shoemoney Effect” at that site now that you brought attention to them and basically ratted them out to Google.
That is neat, I had something similar on one of my sites until someone said something, I quickly removed!
Here is another nice example: ua.translit.us
Notice the header’s gradient effect. Makes it different that 99% other Adsense ads
It seems that the effect is gone from the adsense. But the site is still worth a visit though, I laughed so hard I cried
Wow, this page made me laugh, especially drying the baby.Keep up the good posts, Shoe.
Isn’t that so corporate America.
I agree. It draws your eye to an area that would otherwise just be ignored, since so many sites have that left or right sidebar containing these types of paid links.
Yeah, i totally kinda gave up on Adsense.. its abit of a waste of time. Unless you running a site that is driving crazy traffic.
yea unless the guy gets a lot of suspicious clicks then I doubt google will even notice.
They must have removed the rain over the Adsense block in the sidebar because I can’t see it any more.
hmmm may as well put a big bullseye moving around the ads
“They must have removed the rain over the Adsense block in the sidebar because I can’t see it any more.”
Likewise, but the idea, if not caught, could be very profitable.
I wonder what the profitability is and how long until they get caught out.
In my opinion, this in not interesting. Ads are transformed in a toy? Not professional at all.
Professional or not, it works.
Hmmm… my gut reaction to that was that they were trying to hide the ads by raining the logo over them, even though that doesn’t make any sense. Maybe that’s just what I wish they were doing
OHH…Adsense is to hard to master..bu, the easiet way to make some cool cash..
It’s a nice implementation, however it must be slowing the page scrolling, as the AdSense comes in an IFrame, and overlaying Flash is a no-go, as the links below are untouchable, and using JavaScript or DHTML would surely break the XHTML compliancy. That’s from a web designer’s POV.