|
Heat
Map #1 above - Shows the standard heat map from Google.
This map is for a one-screen,
no-scrolling webpage - not too common.
Heat Map #2 above - I have extended the length of the
map, and inserted a "fold", for any webpage that is at least
2-screen
heights tall.
Heat Map #3 above - I have guessed at the "hotness"
of the previously undefined areas. What do you think?
(7-26-06)
Heat Map #4 above - I have added a "middle screen",
for any webpage that is at least
3-screen
heights tall, and I have numbered 27 ad placement
areas for reference. (8-02-06)
|
|
Discussion
I have a problem with the large, original grey areas -
they are not grey. They are some color between the
yellows and oranges and reds. For instance, on Heat
Map 1 above, the area at the top between the Best (red)(9),
and the Poor (yellow)(7) is certainly NOT grey - there is no
"blind spot" there. The color should be either dark
orange, or light red. Just look at all that grey.
It isn't grey. It is either bad or good.
It should not be undefined.
What if you have no "Top Level Navigation" (4)(side
navigation instead)? Does this area go to yellow (2)
from above, or orange (6) from below? We are talking
somewhere between poor (2) and good (6) - a noted
difference. For instance, if I put an
Ad Links Unit in this space, is
it poor or good?
I know, I know. It all depends on the site.
Cop-out. It always depends on the site.
BUT, on MOST SITES, is it yellow or orange? That's
what I want to know.
Grey is one thing, clues are better.
And what about that page footer (26)? It is halfway
between GOOD (25), and the WORST (27). How can this
be?
What if this area is an Ad Links
Unit? How many micro inches above the bottom
must it be, to suddenly transition from terrible to really
good?
I think about things like this when I get bored. There
is an exception to everything, but it is fun to think about,
and speculate. Also, note that Google's main search ads go
in area 7, which is defined by Google as "poor".
Did you ever notice the large disparity in results, whenever
Ad Link Units are discussed?
Some say they are great, others say they are
terrible. Perhaps Ad Link
placement is extremely critical, and if you are off the mark
just a little bit, the difference in performance is profound
and astounding. Hence, the trickiness in areas 4 and
26 above, where people frequently place
Ad Link Units. Just a
thought.
Some Questions That The Original AdSense Heat Map Does
Not Answer
1. Should the bottoms of areas 5 and 8
be yellow?
2. Should the bottom of area 7 be white?
3. Is area 11 really yellow?
4. Are areas 14 and 21 really orange (my guess)?
5. Should the tops of areas 16 and 23 be yellow?
Then, there is the ratio of "line-scrollers" to
"page-scrollers". This affects how the "middle page"
becomes, in fact, the "middle page". A middle-page can
therefore be anywhere. Should we assume 768 pixels for
average screen height, when considering the
"page-scrollers"? This page is about 5 1/3 screens for
me, at 1000x768 pixels. I usually start out
page-scrolling, and end up line-scrolling. You?
Maybe the next step is assigning "inch" values to the areas
(such as, "must be no more than 2 inches from the top", or
"never closer than 1 1/2 inches to the bottom". And,
"avoid the lower right corner on all screens at all costs".
Yeah, that's it. Who is up for it? Some
people will do anything to get out of work.
|
