AdSense Optimisation: Creating Channels 1: URL Channels


The AdSense URL channel setup window.

One of the brilliant things about AdSense is that you can paste your HTML and implement ads on any web page you have control over. Google only vet the primary URL you submit with your AdSense application - where you paste your code after that is up to you. A problem arises that if you have several sites, each with several pages and several AdSense elements you can't easily keep track on which ads are performing and which aren't. You will want to focus your attention on under performing AdSense elements, instead of messing about with those that have a good click-through-rate, but how do you know which ads need fine tuning? By the use of channels is the answer. AdSense allows publishers to monitor their ads using two types of channel - 'URL channels' to see how particular sites are performing and 'Custom channels' to see how a particular type of ad is performing.

URL channels can be used to track ad performance across an entire domain or sub domain. Suppose you had a website which incorporated a forum, guestbook and blog and you wanted to know which of these pages got the most clicks - you can easily achieve this by setting up channels for each of these URLs. URL channels can be used to monitor AdSense for content (traditional ad and link units), AdSense for search (Google search boxes) and Referral buttons.

URL channels are easily implemented as follows:
  • Log into your AdSense account.
  • Click on the AdSense Setup tab.
  • Click on the Channels link.
  • Select either the AdSense for content, AdSense for search or Referrals tab in the panel that appears.
  • Click Add new URL channel.
  • Type the web address for the channel in the box that appears (omit the 'www').
  • Click Create new channel.
You are able to create a maximum of 200 different URL and custom channels combined. Display your individual channel reports by logging into your account, clicking the Reports tab and then clicking the Advanced Reports link.

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