Ezoic
What is Ezoic Layout Tester optimization?
Ad Tester or Layout Tester Optimization - which option is right for you?
What if I want to use Layout Tester AND Ad Tester?
1. Ad Tester App allows you to improve your ad income by using automated testing to find better ad combinations over a user session.
2. Layout Tester allows publishers to benefit from automatic website testing of both page layouts AND automated ad placements.
The key reasons for testing a website are to:
a) increase ad revenue
b) improve usability
Ezoic’s automated technology makes it easy for publishers to test their site without the technical headache or time burden of constructing and running experiments manually.
Here are the main differences between the two apps:
Ad Tester can be found by going to EzoicAds.
Then go to Ad Positions and then to Ad Setup.
Layout Tester can be found by going to Settings, then Content, then Layout Tester:
Those are the basics - let’s go into more detail about each…
Ezoic ad tester enables publishers to automatically test new ad combinations within their current theme. The page layout doesn’t change – the only thing that changes are the ad sizes and positions on the page.
To use Ezoic ad tester, publishers sign up, integrate their site, and then create ad units and place them on their site using Ad tester Chrome extension to create placeholders.
Placeholders are potential ad locations that allow the system to test different ad combinations, placement and size to improve user experience for your visitors and increase revenue for you. You can use the Chrome extension to easily create at least 1 placeholder of every position type; top of page, under page title, under first and second paragraphs, mid content, long, longer, longest content, bottom of page, and sidebars, as well as other ad types, and this will ensure valuable inventory as the system will only show 1 of each position type. We recommend 15+ placeholders per page.
Don't worry - that doesn't mean this many ads will show in all these locations. In reality, it just means that the system has the ability to test various ad combinations out of the placeholders provided. Placeholders take the guesswork out of running an experiment. Ezoic's artificial intelligence automatically figures out the best ad combination for each individual user using scientific data from your site. The more options you give the system to test, the more customized the outcome, which means better user experience for visitors and more revenue for publishers. You can read more about Placeholders here.
Success with Ezoic ad tester is somewhat reliant on the publisher. If the publisher follows the best practices set forth by Ezoic, they can expect anywhere from a 20-75% increase in ad income (some publishers have seen over 200%)! This means adding anywhere from 15-30 ad units per page, including as many ad sizes as possible in each unit, and giving the system time it needs to test.
While it’s clear that different ad combinations can really impact the revenue it earns, it’s important to remember that all ads dilute each other. So even if one ad is performing well, it may have an effect on the performance of the other ads on the page. Therefore it’s important to find the best combination of ads on a page to increase the overall income of the site!
And don’t forget that different users interact differently with the site. For example, users from social media may behave differently than users from search. For this reason, Ezoic’s system will also test by traffic source to find the best combination for each type of user! This sort of granular testing will maximize your returns for all users and best of all, it’s all automated!
When Publishers view a site using ad tester they may see ads they find intrusive or not aesthetic, other users may have a different opinion. This is because a publisher will not browse the site as a regular user. The beauty of Ezoic is that instead of picking a location that suits the majority, Ezoic can cater to both people who want an ad in that location and those who don't by leaving the placeholder in place.
Ezoic Layout Tester optimization takes testing to the next level by automatically testing new layouts of the exact same content. Users will see new versions of the site – think different color themes, background colors, number of columns, menu placements, etc. – along with Ad placements. Ezoic’s system will measure each for user experience and ad revenue.Using the data, the system will find the layouts that not only boosts revenue but also improves the time on site, page views per visit, and bounce rate.
The layouts are automatically generated by Ezoic’s system, so there is no additional work required by the publisher. There is a setup period, but this doesn’t interfere with the site and there is no downtime during setup. Publishers continue to work on their site as they’ve always done, the original site is never affected, and should the publisher wish to leave the platform, their site instantly reverts to the original layout. The site’s original layout is never affected.
Testing new layouts and ad sizes/positions within those layouts gives Ezoic’s system even more variables to test. The more variables there are to test, the greater the potential improvement!
One of the main benefits of testing a site’s layout and ads is the effect it has on user experience. Simple changes like a left menu rather than a top navigation bar can improve the page views per visit substantially – but this isn’t the case for every site.
Every site has a unique profile: traffic sources, keywords, user intent, etc. That’s why there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ layout that works for everyone. By testing hundreds of layouts, publishers can let their users decide which layout they prefer while simultaneously increasing their ad income – it’s a win / win.
We’ve found that improving the user experience - meaning bounce rate is going down, time on site is going up, and page views per visit are going up – can improve rankings and win sites more traffic. Google has stated the importance of user experience for years, and we believe that the UX metrics mentioned earlier, are a good representation of how users view your site. Improving those metrics will only improve your site’s health.
Along with the user experience benefits, ad revenue is typically increased anywhere from 50-250% (If not already using Ezoic Ad tester). Within each layout that is tested, Ezoic’s system will also test different combinations of ad sizes and placements to find the best configuration. Balancing user experience and ad revenue is the key to long-term sustainable growth.
Even if you’ve never tried testing or have run experiments on your own, Ad tester is a great way to get your foot in the door for testing. It’s easy to setup and is fully automated; once you’ve created and placed the ad units (30 minutes), all you have to do is turn it on! Then you can go back to focusing on your content while Ezoic’s technology finds the best ad combos for your site to increase your ad revenue.
Ad Tester is best for:
If you decide you want to take testing to the next level to even further improve revenue and user experience metrics, Ezoic’s Layout Tester Optimization is the tool for you!
Maybe you tried the Ad Tester and saw the benefit of testing and want to see more results, or maybe you are ready to jump in with full site optimization from the get-go – either way, you’re sure to get some great results.
The Layout Tester optimization is nice because everything is fully automated – meaning it can be completely hands off if you want it to be. After a brief setup period, so please reach out to your direct account manager to inquire about this feature. The site is activated for full layout optimization and Ezoic’s system goes to work finding the top performing layouts on mobile, tablet and desktop for your site. You don’t have to build any ad units – it will do that for you on every page on every layout. You continue to work on your site as you’ve always done and let Ezoic handle the layout and ad optimization, like a trusty sidekick!
Layout Tester is best for:
You can split traffic between Ad Tester and Layout Tester. Do this in your Layout Tester app by selecting the percentage of traffic to send to Layout Tester for each device type. On the portion of traffic just going to Ad Tester, visitors will see the original layout and design, but with Ezoic ad combinations.
You can also link your Adsense account with Ezoic’s to enable ads on your original setup to also compete with Ezoic’s partners via the Mediation App on Ezoic Ad Tester versions. We've found from testing with thousands of publishers that this typically maximises revenue for your site.
Whatever you decide, Ezoic's suite features is a great way to benefit from testing. As a publisher, you are in complete control of your site at all times.
If you have any questions regarding your site's performance or on any of the features listed above, please do not hesitate to reach out to your account manager.