Also, I noticed that some of the ads do not make use of a transparent background on the edges (they appear as solid grey instead of rounded) which is why the design does not look perfect on pages that do not use this color as background.

Google seem to be using PNGs, which are transparent around the edges, it's just not supported by Internet Explorer (shame, shame on Microsoft, it's 2006 already, that should have been there in 2000), but they do look transparent on Firefox.

Google seem to be using PNGs, which are transparent around the edges.

A .png image file contains whatever colors you create it with. Any transparency would have to be specified. It is not a default.

It's not supported by Internet Explorer.

I've had some .png images on my site for years that display just fine using an old version of Explorer.

[edited by: Car_Guy at 6:38 pm (utc) on Sep. 12, 2006]

I think you should handle the referrals more like an affiliate program and less like adsense:

Allow us to use a standard HTML link for the referrals, and allow us to edit the anchor text. Right now I need to refer someone to a lander page when I recommend adwords or adsense in email, this is bogus.

This would also allow to create our own banners and buttons as we see fit to work on our site or in our copy. I love adsense and when I tell someone about it, I want to be able to use my own words rather than in yours.

Also I second or third the making "ads by google" count as a referall.

Your
Website

plus

Google
(logo)
Adsense

equals

Picture
of a
bucket/stack
of Money

(ASA, didn't you guys get my resume?)

[edited by: Khensu at 11:43 pm (utc) on Sep. 12, 2006]

The "ads by Google" and "advertise on this site" should definitely gives REFERRAL fees if a new advertiser signs up from our sites, which is another reason "advertise on this site" isn't on my site.

As others have mentioned: The text on the buttons is not very readable. There are much better font aliasing algos available. The choice of a well hinted font also matters.

Give us much more variety. Let us choose the foreground and background colors. Depending on the number of parameters, either generate the images on the fly (with some sort of caching, obviously) or have a script pregenerate them.

I hope you guys got my resume because I would love to program this for you. I live near Kirkland and I will code for food ;-).

[edited by: Hanu at 1:46 am (utc) on Sep. 13, 2006]

The "ads by Google" and "advertise on this site" should definitely gives REFERRAL fees if a new advertiser signs up from our sites

I second this.

Hi ASA, if you want ADSENSE REFFERALS TO BE DOWNLOADED BY MILLIONS, it doesn't need a colorful buttons or images. give us these words.

CLICK THE BUTTON/IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD

.........period

- I'll be very happy to get these text links:
1. "Click here to download firefox with Google toolbar"
2. "Download Firefox with Google toolbar" ('download' instead of 'get')
In other languages you have the word download but not in English.

- I believe my performance will be higher if you allow me to put 2 referral button/link from the same product on one page.

- My Click rate on referral buttons is good but conversion rate is low.
I'm trying to understand what makes people not to install Firefox right after they clicked the right button on my site.
It will be great if can you provide us information/reports/tools/hints/guide or anything that help us understand how to increase the conversion rate once the referral button was clicked.

Thanks!

I have Picassa buttons on my photo gallery pages - not a single click, ever.

I regularly get PSAs on these pages because there isn't a lot of textual content, I would like the referrals as a fallback instead.

Explain if the English (UK) or English (US) makes any difference? If someone in the uk clicks a English (US) one and downloads it, do you still get all of the referral money?

Open to a new window, please.

Focus on the quality of the landing page that is offered when the referral buttons are clicked.

If there is a low CTR this is something that only Google can address.

A lot of the things already mentioned are viable...

A script that rotates the referral product based on an algorithm that could mean only one advertising space is used - it will help webmasters to more effectively control their layouts without looking like they are just a farm for google products.

This coupled with the ability for webmasters to review the products or make a sales pitch aimed specifically at their audience, since in effect, a referral is an CPA model rather than PPC model... with payment to webmasters only after pre determined actions are undertaken by the users.

"The "ads by Google" and "advertise on this site" should definitely gives REFERRAL fees if a new advertiser signs up from our sites, which is another reason "advertise on this site" isn't on my site. "

Agreed 100%....

as much as the ads by google can hurt a pub.... they should also be linked to the referral system to benefit them as well.

Doing this will
1) show the publishers that google knows they are somewhat important to google.
2) keeping us pubs loyal. Today adsense is a top money maker, but what about tomorrow? having more referrals creating income for us will keep us loyal as well.

and don't tell us you can't do that..... we simply won't believe it... why ... [google.com...] what can't you do

I'd like to see a firefox referrel button that says in huge bold letters,

"Download the Firefox Browser with Google Toolbar"

I think it would perform much better than "Get Firefox" ...

Also, some buttons with square corners rather than rounded ones. I know Google uses rounded corners for their look and feel, but most of the other ads on my site have square corners and the rounded corners look out of place. (This is a very minor nit for me, but I suspect it may be a bigger deal for some publishers because the ads look out of place.)

More standard ad sizes for the referrel buttons.

Just a tip for those of ya'll with a Firefox referrel button -- I've discovered that putting the text link for the google pack that says, "Safer browsing. Faster searching. Get the Google Pack." IMMEDIATELY above a Firefox Banner has two results:

1. You get some downloads of the google pack which has a higher payout
2. More people click on the Firefox banner itself

It's a significant effect.

I'd also like to see a googlepack button that says it includes Firefox in it. :)

Leva

Picasa referral buttons that actually say "Picasa".

References to Picas that actually say "Free", which would provide better CTR.

I must chime in and say that the above are highly desirable.

A label or number next to each graphic, needed to keep records when testing which ad performs best.

ASA: Konqueror crashes when clicking the radio buttons @ [google.com...]
Looks like a closed loop pulling data from the server.

Konqueror 3.5.4 (KDE 3.5.4)
Debian/sid

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone! The referrals team is reading, recording and discussing them already.

One note -- Hobbs, I think referral channels might take care of the performance tracking you mention (check out [adsense.blogspot.com...] ).

As you know, you can use the online form at [google.com...] to submit feature requests and suggestions at any time. We appreciate the feedback -- many of our best AdSense ideas come from experienced publishers like you.

-ASA

The main problem with the referrals, I do not want to use them at my main advertiging space.

I would like to use them on my contact formulars, but this would be against TOS

I would suggest less strict placement policies for referrals.

referral channels might take care of the performance tracking you mention

Thanks ASA,
Actually it was me who requested the addition of channels for referral, and am very grateful to have and use them since they appeared.

What I meant up there was a small label next to each graphic in the AdSense setup page itself, there are too many of them and keeping track of the tests I make is messy.

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'm glad you've had luck with referral channels.

We're always working on new ways to improve your reporting options.