Rant: Google Adsense Font Size

Can you change it? Has Google ever said they researched this issue, and
the results showed people are more likely to click on small text ads? (I'm
not.) I have seen no such research results, by Google or anyone else, and I
don't see smaller type for regular magazine ads or newspaper ads on regular
pages.

What's the logic? (I get bigger, but not smaller.) Where are they coming
from on this? (Did their designer come from MTV.com, bad habit?) Trying to
be as unobtrusive as possible, or to stand out by being a different size
from the rest of a webpage?

Magazine ads often have advertorials that look a lot like the rest of
the pages in font size, etc., and this makes a seamless segue for the
readers' eye; the similarity evidently helps the advertising.

You remember a few years ago when the FTC was upset with some search
engines (other than Google), b/c their 'natural' results were the same
size/look as their paid ads?

I skip over any text, including GoogleAds, which is difficult to read.
Google's Arial 8pt, 9pt, 10pt, or whatever it is, obsession discriminates
against people with poor eyesight. Popup ads are annoying; so are ads that
are difficult to read. Arial 8 is SH*T!

I have long since rejected webmasters' selected fonts and font sizes,
overriding them by choosing Explorer's Accessibility options (ignore font
styles, ignore font sizes, etc.), and using my own css for every website I
visit, so it doesn't really affect me. (Have a diff. .css for printouts;
changes in 10 secs.)

My main interest was design--I prefer one font size for all text (other
than titles)--and revenue. I want to test font sizes and see which have the
most traction. (If they can read it, will they click it?)

They let you match the GoogleAd colors to your site; why can't you match
the font size, too? If they let you change the size of the ad block, they
should let you change the ad text size.

The Google Search results ads (Sponsored Links) have a font size larger
than website GoogleAds and the text actually matches the text size of the
Google search result summaries (summary text match only, not titles).

So what's their reason or excuse? Is small cool? Is it a
uniformity/format issue? In other words, to make sure all ads in a
fixed-size ad block can be seen, so the advertiser doesn't get jipped?

Come on, Google, no more micro mini crap!

(+/- who is not complaining too much; thanks to Adsense, made $27 so far
today.)

"+/-" <un (AT) nu (DOT) com> wrote:

I skip over any text, including GoogleAds, which is difficult to
read.
Google's Arial 8pt, 9pt, 10pt, or whatever it is, obsession
discriminates against people with poor eyesight. Popup ads are
annoying; so are ads that are difficult to read. Arial 8 is SH*T!

Rant against font size: argument poor eyesight, and the usual yada yada.

I have long since rejected webmasters' selected fonts and font
sizes,
overriding them by choosing Explorer's Accessibility options (ignore
font styles, ignore font sizes, etc.), and using my own css for every
website I visit, so it doesn't really affect me. (Have a diff. .css
for printouts; changes in 10 secs.)

Yup, like other people who have the above problems.

My main interest was design--

Same holds for many webdesigners: they pick a certain font, and a
certain size for its looks, hardly for usability. That's not going to
change, and technically there is no need for such a change.

I prefer one font size for all text

And what do your visitors prefer?

So what's their reason or excuse? Is small cool? Is it a
uniformity/format issue? In other words, to make sure all ads in a
fixed-size ad block can be seen, so the advertiser doesn't get jipped?

Maybe others prefer how it is now?

--
John Perl SEO tools: http://johnbokma.com/perl/
or have them custom made
Experienced (web) developer: http://castleamber.com/

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 15:45:46 -0400, "+/-" <un (AT) nu (DOT) com> wrote:

So what's their reason or excuse? Is small cool? Is it a
uniformity/format issue? In other words, to make sure all ads in a
fixed-size ad block can be seen, so the advertiser doesn't get jipped?

You just answered your own question, if you could change the text size
the ad text wouldn't always fit in the ad box, imagine how bad that
would look!

Come on, Google, no more micro mini crap!

(+/- who is not complaining too much; thanks to Adsense, made $27 so far
today.)

Not bad, $106 for me so far today. I hate the weekends when it comes
to Adsense revenue, I loose a quarter of my visitors!!!!

Though can't complain as I'm as sick as a dog right now with a bad
cold/possible flu, so earning anything right now (can't do real work)
feels good :-))

David
--
Free Search Engine Optimization Tutorial
http://www.seo-gold.com/tutorial/

Really? The weekends are strong for me. Maybe your visitors are
coming over to my sites.

Kind regards,
Dave Jackson
http://monetizethis.blogspot.com/