60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days

cabezon · 08-04-2011, 10:04 AM

I had a 60% drop in Adsense CTR in a two day period in mid July. I've been blocking non-targeted ads since then, tweaking the ad layout, etc since then, but it has yet to recover. I didn't touch the site or any Adsense settings prior to the drop.

This 60% is based on the average over the last five years or so. It seems strange that it would drop like that suddenly as a result of advertisers pulling out, especially since this is a very summer/seasonal niche.

I get about 1000 uniques/day and 2000 page views, lots of long tail traffic and it's a very specific niche with good content.

Any ideas what else I might try to track this down? It just seems very odd to be that this would happen suddenly for no apparent reason. As far as I can tell, the ads showing are the same ones, but I have to admit I didn't really keep track.

I should also mention that I've been working on ranking and bringing traffic to this site, and my traffic is about double that of last summer. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but it certainly makes it extra discouraging.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

JamesGw · 08-04-2011, 11:47 AM

I'd give it some more time. 2 days, even with 1000 uniques/day doesn't create a very large sample size. Make sure your code is good and your traffic is coming from the same keywords.

steve m · 08-04-2011, 12:15 PM

My CTR has dropped dramatically over the past few days. I notice that when I go to one of my sites the ads have no real relevance to the site, as before the ads were very relevant and my CTR was good also my ECPM has dropped also.

Hopefully it comes back if not I'll change it to an affiliate offer if I can find one as these ads that are showing are rubbish

Steve

easy7 · 08-04-2011, 12:27 PM

maybe you can do sumthing simple such a ads flipping , so every refresh/load the ads change position into your site

Cheers
EaSy7

cabezon · 08-04-2011, 01:10 PM

Thanks for the feedback, everybody. I'll keep working on it. I guess the discouraging thing was that it dropped so quickly, and has since been hanging out at the lower level for the last two weeks.

The CTR has always fluctuated. The drop actually came after a spike up that was about 70% higher than the average. That was followed by the two day drop in mid-July, and CTR is since stuck down there at that level.

That's what made me fear I was hammered by some algorithm change that has since discounted clicks for some reason. But, perhaps I'm just being paranoid.

SpiderHunter · 08-04-2011, 01:37 PM

"The CTR has always fluctuated. The drop actually came after a spike up that was about 70% higher than the average. That was followed by the two day drop in mid-July, and CTR is since stuck down there at that level."

There is your answer. Try focusing to find out what caused the spike and repeat that to keep the CTR high.

BarryWheeler · 08-04-2011, 02:48 PM

How are your traffic numbers across this period? Are you seeing spike in traffic as well?

jacked · 08-04-2011, 03:53 PM

Give it a few days.

CeeCee123 · 08-04-2011, 04:48 PM

1000 unique a day? That's what's up right there... Good 4 you.. Make sure to check your Gmail account to see if you have any notices from Google.

cabezon · 08-04-2011, 05:41 PM

@SpiderHunter - That's the weird thing, because I didn't do anything during that time. I was working on other sites and didn't touch this site or the Adsense account at all. (Nice profile pic by the way. Yoinks.)

@BarryWheeler - didn't see a spike in traffic at the same time as the spike in CTR, but the traffic went up about 20% during the two days that the CTR went down 60%.

@CeeCee123 - Are you saying the increase in traffic I've had recently might have something to do with it? I haven't gotten any notices from Google. As far as I know there's no way to contact them about issues like this, right? Only policy or payment problems.

Anyway, I guess I can wait and see what happens and keep working. It's mostly the two day dramatic drop, followed by being stuck at this low level since then that is annoying and discouraging since it's never happened like that before and there seems to be no reason for it.

Jeremy Banks · 08-04-2011, 05:52 PM

Whenever this happens to me I just figure there was a really good ad running when the CTR was high so lots of people clicked it, then the very good relevant ad campaign was over and CTR must have dropped.

Worry more about driving more traffic and building more sites, if you always sweat the small stuff it will hold you back! but not a bad idea to look into it quickly

cabezon · 08-04-2011, 07:06 PM

Thanks Jeremy. I guess I should accept that's probably the case, especially since there's not much else I can do, as far as I can see.

Thanks for everybody who weighed in.

08-04-2011, 10:04 AM	#1
cabezon Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days I had a 60% drop in Adsense CTR in a two day period in mid July. I've been blocking non-targeted ads since then, tweaking the ad layout, etc since then, but it has yet to recover. I didn't touch the site or any Adsense settings prior to the drop. This 60% is based on the average over the last five years or so. It seems strange that it would drop like that suddenly as a result of advertisers pulling out, especially since this is a very summer/seasonal niche. I get about 1000 uniques/day and 2000 page views, lots of long tail traffic and it's a very specific niche with good content. Any ideas what else I might try to track this down? It just seems very odd to be that this would happen suddenly for no apparent reason. As far as I can tell, the ads showing are the same ones, but I have to admit I didn't really keep track. I should also mention that I've been working on ranking and bringing traffic to this site, and my traffic is about double that of last summer. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but it certainly makes it extra discouraging. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

08-04-2011, 11:47 AM	#2
JamesGw Senior Warrior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 1,337 Thanks: 73 Thanked 132 Times in 121 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days I'd give it some more time. 2 days, even with 1000 uniques/day doesn't create a very large sample size. Make sure your code is good and your traffic is coming from the same keywords.
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08-04-2011, 12:15 PM	#3
steve m Promoter War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Uk Posts: 468 Thanks: 156 Thanked 44 Times in 43 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days My CTR has dropped dramatically over the past few days. I notice that when I go to one of my sites the ads have no real relevance to the site, as before the ads were very relevant and my CTR was good also my ECPM has dropped also. Hopefully it comes back if not I'll change it to an affiliate offer if I can find one as these ads that are showing are rubbish Steve
	ccleaner

08-04-2011, 12:27 PM	#4
easy7 Mrs. AutoApprove Backlink War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: In the same place Posts: 25 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days maybe you can do sumthing simple such a ads flipping , so every refresh/load the ads change position into your site Cheers EaSy7
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08-04-2011, 01:10 PM	#5
cabezon Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days Thanks for the feedback, everybody. I'll keep working on it. I guess the discouraging thing was that it dropped so quickly, and has since been hanging out at the lower level for the last two weeks. The CTR has always fluctuated. The drop actually came after a spike up that was about 70% higher than the average. That was followed by the two day drop in mid-July, and CTR is since stuck down there at that level. That's what made me fear I was hammered by some algorithm change that has since discounted clicks for some reason. But, perhaps I'm just being paranoid.

08-04-2011, 01:37 PM	#6
SpiderHunter Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 45 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days "The CTR has always fluctuated. The drop actually came after a spike up that was about 70% higher than the average. That was followed by the two day drop in mid-July, and CTR is since stuck down there at that level." There is your answer. Try focusing to find out what caused the spike and repeat that to keep the CTR high.

08-04-2011, 02:48 PM	#7
BarryWheeler HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Newfoundland Posts: 274 Thanks: 24 Thanked 26 Times in 21 Posts Social Networking	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days How are your traffic numbers across this period? Are you seeing spike in traffic as well?
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08-04-2011, 03:53 PM	#8
jacked Balk - Balk's Backlinks War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 878 Thanks: 6 Thanked 42 Times in 42 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days Give it a few days.
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08-04-2011, 04:48 PM	#9
CeeCee123 Hustler-Dude Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 23 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days 1000 unique a day? That's what's up right there... Good 4 you.. Make sure to check your Gmail account to see if you have any notices from Google.

08-04-2011, 05:41 PM	#10
cabezon Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days @SpiderHunter - That's the weird thing, because I didn't do anything during that time. I was working on other sites and didn't touch this site or the Adsense account at all. (Nice profile pic by the way. Yoinks.) @BarryWheeler - didn't see a spike in traffic at the same time as the spike in CTR, but the traffic went up about 20% during the two days that the CTR went down 60%. @CeeCee123 - Are you saying the increase in traffic I've had recently might have something to do with it? I haven't gotten any notices from Google. As far as I know there's no way to contact them about issues like this, right? Only policy or payment problems. Anyway, I guess I can wait and see what happens and keep working. It's mostly the two day dramatic drop, followed by being stuck at this low level since then that is annoying and discouraging since it's never happened like that before and there seems to be no reason for it.

08-04-2011, 05:52 PM	#11
Jeremy Banks Getn that in'ernet money War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 562 Thanks: 35 Thanked 133 Times in 71 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days Whenever this happens to me I just figure there was a really good ad running when the CTR was high so lots of people clicked it, then the very good relevant ad campaign was over and CTR must have dropped. Worry more about driving more traffic and building more sites, if you always sweat the small stuff it will hold you back! but not a bad idea to look into it quickly

08-04-2011, 07:06 PM	#12
cabezon Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 60% drop in Adsense CTR over two days Thanks Jeremy. I guess I should accept that's probably the case, especially since there's not much else I can do, as far as I can see. Thanks for everybody who weighed in.