| Contextual advertising means that ads which appear | | | | 1. Cheap look: many people perceive ads which serve |
| on a web page are related to its content, as | | | | contextual ads as being low quality, or made |
| determined by a spider (or robot) which scans the | | | | especially for the purpose of serving ads (maybe |
| page and sends instructions to the advertising | | | | you’ve come across the term MFA, which |
| program about what ads to serve. This means that if | | | | means Made For AdSense) |
| your page is about fishing, you’ll get ads related | | | | 2. Low performance on sticky sites: readers have to |
| to fishing, such as fishing gear, baits or hooks. If the | | | | click away and leave your site, in order for you to |
| program has a good technology of content scanning | | | | get money. |
| and a broad range of advertisers, then the ads | | | | List of contextual advertising programs |
| appearing on a web page will be very targeted, and | | | | Google AdSense: the most known and widespread |
| readers will be interested in them. When a visitor | | | | contextual pay-per-click advertising program. I’ve |
| clicks an ad, you are paid a certain amount of | | | | been using AdSense since 2006, and I can say that |
| money, which depends on the advertiser’s bid, | | | | they are trustful, and they pay as promised in their |
| and which can be between $0.01 for less competitive | | | | terms of service. You have to make at least $100 |
| niches, and even tens of US dollars for the niches | | | | before they’d issue a payment. |
| with lots of major players. | | | | Yahoo Publisher Network: in order to be accepted, |
| Advantages of contextual advertising | | | | you need to have a valid US Social Security or Tax |
| 1. Low admission barrier: there is no traffic limit for | | | | ID number, and your website must be predominantly |
| your blog to get accepted, so even small, new blogs | | | | in English and targeted at a US user base. The |
| can use it | | | | payment threshold is also $100 |
| 2. Easy integration: you can blend the ads with your | | | | Miva Monetization Center AdSonar Adify AdBrite |
| page layout, in order to make it look like being a part | | | | ShoppingAds: not exactly a contextual ads service, |
| of it, without having to know any programming | | | | but you have the possibility to choose keywords for |
| language | | | | your ads block, so it will display only ads related to |
| 3. High CTR: if well optimized, on niche sites, | | | | whatever you choose. All Non-US traffic will always |
| contextual advertising can have 10%-20% CTR, | | | | see CPA (Cost-Per-Action) ads, regardless of your |
| which is a very good rate. | | | | campaign configuration. The US visitors will see |
| Drawbacks of contextual advertising | | | | Cost-Per-Click (CPC) ads. |