Trying to Keep My Crochet Blog “Google Compliant”
If you are a regular reader or subscriber to my crochet blog, you may have noticed subtle shifts in the blog’s theme. over the past few months. In light of recent changes Google made to its page layout algorithm (yes, there is such a thing), I have been searching for ways to bring my blog into compliance with it.
Apparently, Google is now penalizing sites (i.e., lowering their position on the search engine results pages (SERPs) which reduces site traffic) because of the presence of too many ads “above the fold,” that is, from the top of the web page to the end of the screen (before you scroll down).
In addition to adjusting the ratio of content to ads to favor more content, one writer I know suggested minimizing the size of the blog’s header to allow more content to appear above the fold.
My attempt to achieve this is to go back to the Coraline WordPress theme that this blog began with (I’ve changed the theme twice in six months) because its “skinnier” heading allows more content to show above the fold. The theme also positions the blog menu of pages at the top of the header, so readers can immediately see that I offer free crochet patterns and resources.
The downside of this theme is that you can barely see the in-text links, so for now, I have opted to bold them to make them more visible (even though some SEO experts say you shouldn’t do this … oh well).
Ad Placement
I place ads in the sidebar, on the right, so they don’t interfere with your ability to read the content. Google recommends that you place ads above the fold for maximum exposure and click-through, so it sounds like Google wants to have its cake and eat it too. But the issue is not one of having ads above the fold but of having too many ads there.
Mine aren’t quite above the fold, and I haven’t yet decided if that’s where I want them. So you may see them move a little higher in the future. I also try to intersperse the other ads with more crochet- and fiber-arts-related content so as not to overwhelm you with ads.
Why There Are Ads on This Blog
I have ads on this blog in order to earn some income from my blogging efforts. Thankfully, the Google ads are context-sensitive, so you typically see fiber-arts-related ads.
My ultimate goal is to attract sponsors, but I don’t have enough traffic yet to entice a sponsor to advertise here. In the interim, it’s Google ads, affiliate programs like Amazon and Interweave Crochet, and the crochet patterns that I have for sale in the Amazon Kindle store.
I’ve thought about starting an Etsy store, but that’s a little too labor-intensive for me at the moment.
What Do You Think?
I’d really like to get your opinion on a number of issues:
- Do the ads on this blog interfere with your enjoyment of the content?
- Would you prefer not to see ads at all?
- If ads are okay, what kinds of ads are you attracted to enough to click them?
Please feel free to leave your feedback in the comments section below. I appreciate any suggestions you might have.
