Android May Power New Barnes & Noble E-Reader

Reports indicate that another new e-reader is on the way, this time from Barnes & Noble.  The interesting thing - or at least the interesting thing that makes this development connect to the search industry - is that Barnes & Noble's e-reader will supposedly use Android as its operating system.

First, let's document some of the more basic details.  Geoffrey A. Fowler talked to "people briefed on the matter" and reported afterward that the e-reader may debut next month.

He also wrote, "The device is expected to feature a six-inch screen from digital-paper maker E-Ink Corp. with touch input and a virtual keyboard," and it should "use a wireless connection to download books from the online e-book store that the books retailer unveiled in July."

Not bad, right?  Depending on the price (which remains unknown), this could well compete with what's already on the market.

Then there's the Google-related detail that might give the new device an edge.  John Herrman heard that the Barnes & Noble e-reader will run Android, which might open the door to all sorts of customization options.  Think easy user interface swaps and third-party apps, for starters.

So consider waiting a bit before you buy anyone a different e-reader for Christmas.  Or even if e-readers aren't on your shopping list, stay tuned to see if Google gets a foothold in yet another market.

Making the AdSense Ads suit your website – Part 3 (Positioning of Ads)

The four important properties that help in making the AdSense Ads look good on your website are – shape, size, color of the Ads and their positioning. While the first three can be customized using the customization options provided by Google, ‘positioning of Ads’ is something that Google can only give you advice on. You are the best judge of what position would be best suitable for your AdSense Ads.

The positioning of your Ads relative to the rest of the content is important in order to adequately emphasize the Ads. However, positioning of the Ads is also dependent on the size and shape of the AdSense Ads. Though shape and size are customizable too, large size Ads are generally preferred because they help increase the number of Ad impressions you can get. However, sometimes the structure of your webpage might not allow a big size Ad. In such a case you would need to strike a balance between the size of your ad and the best positioning for it. A number of website owners use other properties in order to make the big size Ads appear smaller e.g. they might use the background color of the webpage for the background and border of the AdSense ad thereby making it look smaller than it actually is (besides achieving the blending effect, of course).

Position your AdSense Ads in such a way that they look in-place with the general flow of content on your website. You can even position a block in the middle of the content in such a way that it adds value to the content (while it also serves your purpose of increasing the AdSense revenue through clicks) e.g. you could add an AdSense Ad block just after a statement that points to resources for a particular task – and your AdSense Ads could possibly form some such resources. Placing the Ads just above the heading of an article or just after the end of the article is another good way of positioning your AdSense Ads.

So, position your AdSense Ads intelligently and you would be in for a party much earlier than you would have expected.

Making the AdSense Ads suit your website – Part 1 (shape and size)

Google AdSense program can reap even richer dividends for you if you are able to attract more visitors to your website and if you are able to prompt them to take action (i.e. click on the AdSense Ads). Google disallows statements that ask the visitors to click on the AdSense Ads. In fact, Google AdSense Ads are to be marked in some way as advertisements. However, there are other authentic ways of getting the clicks on your AdSense Ads.

Besides the copy and quality content, you can also improve the performance of your AdSense Ads by either making them blend with your website or making them standout. The aim is to make the AdSense Ads more attractive/ appealing to your website visitors and to make them look in-place (not out of place). Google too recognizes this need and hence it provides you with customization options for making the Ads look the way you want them to.

You can make the AdSense Ads suit your website by controlling the shape, size, color and positioning of the Ads. Let’s have a brief look at the first two properties i.e. shape and size:

1.    Shape of your AdSense Ads: This is one of the most important customizations options that you have at your disposable. You can make your selection from a number of Ad formats that Google makes available to you. These include skyscrapers, single ad blocks and banners. Just check the suitability of the shape with respect to the webpage where you wish to include the AdSense Ad.

2.    Size of your AdSense Ads: Again, you can use AdSense Ads of various sizes. The size is important not only for making the Ads look suited to your website but also for determining the number of Ads that can be displayed on the webpage by the Google AdSense program. A large size generally means that more Ads can be displayed on the page (and hence presents the opportunity for earning more revenue with increased impressions).