Programmer: Lifelong Learning: SEO

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Awesome Tips about Google Blogger

How to Make Money with the Amazon Associates Program

Amazon Affiliate Program provides different kinds of ads.

Native Shopping Ads

amzn_assoc_placement should be unique.
amzn_assoc_search_bar: false/true to whetehr show the search bar.

Custom Ads

Custom Ads allows us to curate specific products from Amazon that you would like to recommend and place the ad unit into your webpage. All we need is find a list ASINs of products and add them into amzn_assoc_asins.

<script type="text/javascript">
amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0";
amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false";
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "the_tracking_id";
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";
amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
amzn_assoc_region = "US";
amzn_assoc_title = "Best books for algorithms interview";
amzn_assoc_linkid = "the_amzn_assoc_linkid";
amzn_assoc_asins = "0984782850,1517671272,1617292230,032157351X,1537713949,0262033844,111941847X,819324527X";
</script>
<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script>

<div id="amzn-assoc-ad-19c89cc6-6f8f-485d-a31a-7bc49e98e831"></div><script async src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=19c89cc6-6f8f-485d-a31a-7bc49e98e831"></script>

Recommendation Ads

Displays products related to your page content and visitors
We can choose “Emphasize Categories”.

Search Ads

Display search results from Amazon.com by specifying a search phrase and selecting a relevant category to your page content in a responsive ad unit that works across screen sizes.
We can specify a list of search phrases and sort them by priority, random pick one search phrase and stick to it in the X(10) days.

<script type="text/javascript">
  function createCookie(name, value, days) {
    if (days) {
      var date = new Date();
      date.setTime(date.getTime() + (days * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000));
      var expires = "; expires=" + date.toGMTString();
    } else var expires = "";
    document.cookie = name + "=" + value + expires + "; path=/";
  }

  function readCookie(name) {
    var nameEQ = name + "=";
    var ca = document.cookie.split(";");
    for (var i = 0; i < ca.length; i++) {
      var c = ca[i];
      while (c.charAt(0) == " ") c = c.substring(1, c.length);
      if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length, c.length);
    }
    return null;
  }

  function deleteCookie(name, path, domain) {
    if (readCookie(name)) createCookie(name, "", -1, path, domain);
  }

  function pickOne(weightedPosts) {
    var totalWeight = 0;
    for (let post of weightedPosts) {
      totalWeight += post.weight;
    }
    var randomWeight = Math.random() * totalWeight;
    var currWeight = 0;
    for (let post of weightedPosts) {
      currWeight += post.weight;
      if (currWeight > randomWeight) {
        return post;
      }
    }
  }
</script>

<script type="text/javascript">
var pos = readCookie("amazonItemPos")
var products = Array("iphone",  "iPad Pro", "iPad Mini", "apple watch series 4", "MacBook Pro", "MacBook Air", "google pixel 3", "chromebook", "Amazon Echo");

var items = new Set();
var totalCount = products.length;
for (var i = 0; i < products.length; i++) {
  items.add(
    {
      product: products[i],
      weight: totalCount - i,
      pos: i
    }
  );
}
// var item = items[Math.floor(Math.random() * items.length)];
if (pos == null || pos <0 || pos > products.length) {
  // pos = Math.floor(Math.random() * items.length);
  pos = pickOne(items).pos
  createCookie("amazonItemPos", pos, 10);  
}

var item = products[pos];
amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit3";
amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true";
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "the_tracking_id";
amzn_assoc_search_bar_position = "bottom";
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "search";
amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
amzn_assoc_region = "US";
amzn_assoc_title = "";
amzn_assoc_default_search_phrase = item;
amzn_assoc_default_category = "All";
amzn_assoc_linkid = "the_amzn_assoc_linkid";
</script>
<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script>

Tips

The 90 Day Amazon Affiliate Cookie – Frequently Asked Questions

Display AdSense Ads Efficiently to Maximize Revenue and Conditionally Show Alternative Ads

As a blogger, we try to provide unique and quality content. At same time, we also try to make some money from it. The first choice is AdSense, as it does pay well in all ads network.
As AdSense only allows 3 standard ad units and 3 link units in one page, one way to try to make more money is to always show maximal allowed ads.

We are writing programming related posts at lifelongprogrammer.blogspot.com.
We show 3 standard ad units: one at one at header,one inside the post body, and one at left-sidebar,
It's easy: just add 2 Adsense widget or HTML/JavaScript widget in Layout setting, and add the ad in appropriate place in the post.

But what about the homepage, archive page, label page?
What We Got
Adsense shows at most 3 standard ad units in order of the ads in the page. In blogspot, the order is like below: center blog post, left side bar(if any), right side bar(if any).

<div class="columns-inner">
 <div class="column-center-outer"/>
 <div class="column-left-outer"/>
 <div class="column-right-outer"/>
</div>

Adsense will always fill the first ad at header, for the remaining 2 ads, Adsense fill 2 ads in the first 2 posts, and leave blank area in left side bar.

This is not we want:
1. We want to show ads "above the fold" - where user can read without scrolling.
Ads "above the fold" will have a better click-through rate than ads below the fold.
Place ads near where visitors eyeballs naturally go to in order to get the best CTR (top left, near titles, near site navigation, etc).
Read more at 5 Simple Adsense Layout Examples for Increasing Click Through Rates
2. Blank space in left side bar makes blog look ugly and unprofessional.
What We Want
For homepage, archive page, label page, we want Adsense always shows the 3 standard ad units above the folder: the ad at header, the ad in the first post, the ad in left side bar.
Also for other posts, in the ad slot, I want to display alternative da, for example chitika: anyway, Less is better than Nothing.

Also in the first post, we want to display one link ad unit below title, one link ad at the end of post.

With the following change, we see immediate change in Adsense revenue.
Solution
Edit Template
We edit the template: define one variable firstAds, it's true by default, at the end of post <data:post.body/>, change its value to false.

<script src='//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js'/>
<!-- define firstAds = true -->
<script>var firstAds = true;</script>
</head>

<div class='post-header'>
 <div class='post-header-line-1'/>
 <script>
 <!-- display one link ad below title if it's first post -->
 // <![CDATA[
 if(firstAds){
 document.write("<br><ins class='adsbygoogle' ></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>");
 }
 // ]]>
 </script>
</div>
<div class='post-body entry-content' expr:id='"post-body-" + data:post.id' itemprop='articleBody'>
 <data:post.body/>
 <!-- display one link ad after the first post, and set firstAds to false -->
 <script>
 // <![CDATA[
 if(firstAds){
 document.write("<br><ins class='adsbygoogle' ></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>");
 firstAds=false; // change its value to false
 }
 // ]]>
 </script>

Use firstAds to Conditionally Display Ad in Post
When add ad in post, we will use the firstAds variable: if it's true(means this is the first post in homepage, archive page or label page), display Adsense ad, otherwise display alternative ads.

<script>
//<![CDATA[ 
if(firstAds){
document.write("<ins class='adsbygoogle' ...></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>")
}  else {
 // javasctipt to show alternative ads.
}
//]]>  
</script>

Resources
How To Insert Adsense Ads In Blogger Post
7 Blogger Page Types: Analysis, Code Snippets, Data Matrix
5 Simple Adsense Layout Examples for Increasing Click Through Rates

Conditional Display of AdSense/Alternative Ads to Maximize Revenue

[Updated]Please read Display AdSense Ads Efficiently and Conditionally Show Alternative Ads, which introduce a simpler way to implement same function.

AdSense allows 3 standard ad units and 3 link units in one page.
This is enough for us in most cases. But sometimes we want more flexibility: to be able to conditional display of AdSense Ads.

For example, in lifelongprogrammer.blogspot.com, we display 3 standard ad units in post: one at header, one at left-sidebar, and one inside the post body.

But when view the homepage or archive page, label page, it's kind of messed up: it does display 3 standard ads, but one is at header as expected, the other two is inside the first two posts. The ads slot at left side bar is left blank. This makes the site looks ugly.

This is because AdSense fills up to 3 ads in the order of ads in html page. In blogspot template, the html order is: the header, then center post, left sidebar, then right sidebar.

I want to make sure the ad in left side bar always display and always display 3 AdSense Ads. So I make the following changes:
At home, archive and label page, display alternative ads(I choose chitika) in post body, display 2 AdSense ads in left sidebar.
At post/item page, display AdSense ads in post, display one AdSense ads, one chitika ads in left sidebar..

Next, how to do it?
Conditional Display Ads in Post Body
Put the following code to the location where we want to display ads when write a post.
This checks whether the pathname of url matches /[0-9]{4}/[0-9]{2}/.* If so, means this is a post/item page, display AdSense ads, otherwise display chitika ads.

<script>
//<![CDATA[ 
var isItemPage = (document.location.pathname.match(new RegExp("/[0-9]{4}/[0-9]{2}/.*")) !=null);
if(isItemPage){
  document.write("<ins class='adsbygoogle' ... data-ad-client='' data-ad-slot=''></ins>
  <script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>")
} else {
    chitika-ads-code
}
//]]>  
</script>

Conditional Display Ads for the Second Ads in Left Sidebar
Add a HTML/JavaScript gadget at Left Sidebar in Layout page, put the following code in content text box.
It is not a post/item page, display AdSense ads, otherwise display chitika ad.

<script>
var isItemPage = (document.location.pathname.match(new RegExp("/[0-9]{4}/[0-9]{2}/.*")) !=null);
if(!isItemPage){
  document.write("Google-AdSense-Ads-Code");
}  else {
  chitika-ads-code
}
</script>

Now it looks much better, no blank ad, and always display 3 AdSense ads. Display alternative(chitika) ads for ads slot in post when at home, archive and label page.

For better performance, I will put the code which detect page type before the start body tag, so it will be just executed one time.

<script>var isItemPage = (document.location.pathname.match(new RegExp("/[0-9]{4}/[0-9]{2}/.*")) !=null)</script>

Utilize Horizontal Link Units
dSense also allow us to put 3 links units, so I choose one above the header ad - this is easy, just add one HTML/JavaScript gadget, one below the title, one below post body, and I want these two only display in item/post page.

How to do it? Basically, it is to edit Blogspot template, put the following code below

and .

<script>
if(isItemPage){
  document.write("<ins class='adsbygoogle' ... data-ad-client='' data-ad-slot=''></ins>
  <script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script>")
}</script>

Use Google App Engine to Hold AdSense Backup Ads

Google AdSense is great, but at some time, it may not show ads in the ads slot. Instead it will leave blank space. This will make the site looks ugly and unprofessional.
This is rare but it may happen. Anyway we don't want to miss out on any potential income.

This is why we want to set backup ads. There are some AdSense Alternatives: please read Top 10 Highest Paying Google Adsense Alternatives in 2013

But when we set up ad, most of ads network just gave us some javascript code which we can paste to our website.
But as described at Backup ads, AdSense backup ads should be one url.

To fix this, we can create a html to hold the JavaScript: just put an empty page with the JavaScript:
AdSense Backup Ads: No Ad Space Left Behind

Next, how/where to serve these ads pages?
Luckily Google App Engine comes to rescue. Google App Engine allow us to create free application, and gave us generous free quotas: 1 GB daily request limit. This is engough for my small blog.
This saves me the cost of renting a web server.

I created a GAE application: http://placeholdads.appspot.com/, and add some ads pages:
Chitika 160X600 Ads
Chitika 728X90 Ads

Now, I can put these urls as Adsense backup ads in Adsense website.

Promote Your Content by Creating a Custom "page Not Found" in Blogger