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A WebmasterWorld member asks what value Google AdWords has for the potential advertiser. Do you actually use AdSense and buy products, do you click on the ad and do nothing, or do you ignore the ad altogether?
It's a really difficult question to ask to the webmaster community because our behavior differs from that of the average computer user. It's also something you'd have to answer on a case-by-case basis; you can't possibly get an accurate sample of data from such a small community who are seasoned Google advertisers/publishers/users.
The person who asked this question is filled with a lot of doubt; he is afraid to accept answers provided by others even though they are probably genuine. Yes, many people have purchased products in the past from AdSense ads.
But some people have certain criteria before they even click on ads.
Yes, but it has to be a REALY well written ad. I don't click poop copywriting.
On the AdSense side of things, the same publisher asks if it is a risk to put ads on a website. Will it destroy its reputation? When considering news sites and other sites that have an abundance of ads, I think not. Surely, there will be some people who are displeased with ads, but not everyone will. If you have a good site, you can still monetize.
There's no harm in advertising, and there's no harm in publishing. Behavior is different in every way. The best advice is to run a test -- either as a publisher or an advertiser -- to see if Google AdWords or Google AdSense works for you.
Forum thread at WebmasterWorld.
