Disclaimer: I am a Google Adsense user on my blog, but I do not pay for Google ad placements on search results.
Several years ago I received an offer from Google for $100 worth of free ad placements. It was the start of a grand adventure at work. We ended up using the $100 credit to purchases ads for the eCommerce site at work and then multiplied the value of the credit. As you would imagine that led to more ad purchases (paid this time) and quite a bit of fun exploring different ad placement,. bidding, and keyword techniques.
This last week, I received a very similar offer from Google. They are offering $100 if I spend $25. It’s for new customers only. I am classified as a new user because I’ve not used paid ad placements with my personal account or blog. It’s tempting to play with the credit for fun, but the purpose of my blog isn’t eCommerce sales.
I like the concept. I remember telling my manager that configuring the bidding and pricing of Google adwords felt like gambling. The great thing was it was easier to turn the odds in our favor and no one became suspicious if we left the day with more money than when we started.
So with all that said, I do experiment with adsense ad placements on my blog. Maybe I should give it a go.
Onward and upward!