User First program

Forum Moderators: martinibuster

Message Too Old, No Replies

User First program

csdude55

1:23 am on Aug 30, 2017 (gmt 0)

This option just popped up on my account today. I don't honestly know what it is... it seems you have to qualify for it before they'll tell you why you should try to qualify for it?

But I get an ! on "Ad layout", with no real explanation. Clicking on "Fix This" takes me to a very generic:

[support.google.com...]

To my knowledge, ads aren't too close to the navigation, and they're not in a location that would encourage accidental clicks... I've had the same layout for years and years! My first banner is 300px below the navigation, and a bottom banner is 110px below the "Previous" and "Next" buttons. And I have the interstitial banners turned on, but of course Adsense manages their location.

So how am I supposed to narrow down what the issue is? Or is qualifying for the "User First" program even worth the effort?

LuckyD

12:05 pm on Aug 30, 2017 (gmt 0)

Got the same thing. I guess that checking all items on the list will affect the quality score of your account and that a perfect score (or participating in the user first program) might push your CPC higher. But again, just guessing here.

No5needinput

2:31 pm on Aug 30, 2017 (gmt 0)

Also got the email and notification in my account. Same thing, ad layout problem marked - no idea what the problem is. Bottom of email states - "Please note that all information related to this program is confidential as described in the Google AdSense Online Terms of Service."

netmeg

5:59 pm on Aug 30, 2017 (gmt 0)

I got a notice too, mostly they say that site speed is my issue. But I have a boatload of sites, and they don't say which site they're talking about. Only a handful make serious dough. So that makes it all kind of useless to me.

Sillysoft

7:46 pm on Aug 30, 2017 (gmt 0)

I got the same too but it shows no issues. Says it looked at page speed and ad experience and says Im doing a great job. Dont know if that is the common text everyone sees that is in this program. When I click get started it doesnt show anything wrong currently. Also since this popped up my CPC has gone up. I dont know if this is just coincidence or if this is really improving my ads. I havent gone any farther into this except for clicking on Get Started.

tangor

8:52 pm on Aug 30, 2017 (gmt 0)

Could be be a simple as a "are you there?" test and getting that click means there's a human being on the other end?

MayankParmar

11:54 am on Aug 31, 2017 (gmt 0)

Not seeing this yet.

Broadway

12:14 pm on Aug 31, 2017 (gmt 0)

I got the "user first" email too. Mine only talks about site speed.

When I use the ThinkWithGoogle tool I've never found a page that ranks outside the 3 second range. And at least half seem to be in the 2 second category, so I'm not really sure what to make of this.

When I followed the link from the email to my Adsense console and then clicked the "tell me more" link there, the box that popped up froze up my browser (Chrome).

I tried using this link several times, each time with the same frozen browser effect. So I'm thinking I'm not one of the "users" whose experience they really care about.

Sally Stitts

5:50 pm on Aug 31, 2017 (gmt 0)

So, if we DON'T receive this email or notification, should we assume that we are not even worthy of consideration, because we are so far off the mark?

I don't think it means we are so good, that we needn't bother. ( site is VERY fast, VERY conservative with ads)
Or, maybe only big (high traffic, high earnings, ?) sites get the notice.

I find this EXTREMELY discouraging. One more thing to worry about (not even being ASKED to jump through the hoops).
It's not as if I was weighed on the balance and found wanting.
I'm not even weighed on the balance.
Discouraging.
.

[edited by: Sally_Stitts at 6:00 pm (utc) on Aug 31, 2017]

MayankParmar

6:00 pm on Aug 31, 2017 (gmt 0)

I second you, Sally Stitts. Despite my site speed is 4s and high earnings, I have got no emails from them. All I have is that AMP Auto ads which is useless as I'm not using AMP anymore!

Sally Stitts

6:03 pm on Aug 31, 2017 (gmt 0)

Why am I unworthy of consideration/ participation?
I have been at this for 14 years, and made high 6 figures.
.

csdude55

3:09 am on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

I don't know it has to do with having a high-traffic site, unless they consider all of the sites in the account cumulatively. I moved my "big" site to MonetizeMore, who uses AdX. Under Adsense, I have about 60 accounts, and all combined have about 1 million monthly pageviews.

Still no idea what to do about "Ad layout", though.

taljanich

8:19 am on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

Don't think Google is choosing sites to invite manually.
Our main website has more than 50M PV/month and we didn't receive this message.
A few friends of mine who manages sites with the similar traffic volume - no invites too.

Don't think we have to worry.

engine

8:38 am on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

It's a beta program, so don't be concerned if you don't have an invite.
Clearly, they are testing with varying accounts, and high volume is not necessarily one of the qualifications.

Peter_S

10:53 am on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

"User First" might also be a plan to seduce advertisers , by guarantying them, that their ads will be shown (AND visible) on quality sites.

MayankParmar: Despite my site speed is 4s and high earnings, I have got no emails from them. All I have is that AMP Auto ads which is useless as I'm not using AMP anymore!

If this is the site at your Twitter account, the "content" of an article begins 1360 pixels from the top of the page, on desktop, you have two 720x90 banners, one 300x600 and one 360 x 280 before the content begins. And on mobile, you have two 300x250 slots before the content, it requires two screen scrolls to read your article. Be careful, that's lot of ads. I don't know if this can be considered "User First".

Broadway

12:30 pm on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

There are two statements in this thread that would make good threads on their own.

"All I have is that AMP Auto ads which is useless as I'm not using AMP anymore!"

"I moved my 'big' site to MonetizeMore, who uses AdX"

I'd love to hear more about these experiences.

LuckyD

2:48 pm on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

> I moved my 'big' site to MonetizeMore, who uses AdX

Have you checked with your rep if you quality for an AdX account of your own?

koan

7:43 pm on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

I don't think the time is appropriate yet to start being personally offended from not being invited.

csdude55

9:19 pm on Sep 1, 2017 (gmt 0)

Broadway and LuckyD, I replied to you guys in a new thread:

[webmasterworld.com...]

EditorialGuy

1:11 am on Sep 2, 2017 (gmt 0)

No message here, either. (But we don't use AdSense on mobile impressions, so maybe that's a factor.)

MayankParmar

7:02 am on Sep 2, 2017 (gmt 0)

It looks like they just invited some and choose them randomly among the ones who are eligible for user first program. The first beta batch selection is probably done, others will get it soon.

LuckyD

12:45 pm on Sep 6, 2017 (gmt 0)

I have a question related to the User First programme: has ANYONE seen ANY page with ads, analytics and GTM that has a green Google pagespeed score on both mobile and desktop? We've been working with our devs on a few solutions, but we simply can't get into the green. ANY example would do.

virtualreality

11:12 pm on Sep 14, 2017 (gmt 0)

I also got this notice about User First program a few weeks ago. I was good on two points but not on speed so I improved a few things and my speed is better. Where do I click to have my site re-tested? I don't see a button to do this.

Rasputin

7:11 pm on Sep 15, 2017 (gmt 0)

Virtualreality, I am in exactly same situation but I don't think there is anything we can or should do or click, I am sure they will notice in due course.
Although as far as I know, I don't think anyone here has got passed all three 'tests' and found out what is really being proposed - the goal might simply be to persuade us to keep putting 'users first' with the natural consequence of higher earnings, rather than actually proposing something 'special'?

virtualreality

11:15 pm on Sep 15, 2017 (gmt 0)

Yes, I agree with all you said, Rasputin!

tangor

11:38 pm on Sep 15, 2017 (gmt 0)

As a marketing push, this has all the bells and whistles:

People talking, speculating, and all with no effort other than an email to a few and a link that does not work. :)

The band of followers will jump and shout and run about. This I will take back with an apology if there actually is a User First program out there. Meanwhile, seems like a bit of vaporware at the moment.

TrailDEX

12:43 pm on Sep 20, 2017 (gmt 0)

Site Speed and Ad Satisfaction have been green check marks for me since it started weeks ago.

Ad Layout was a red x or such but changed today to a yellow warning.
I did make a change weeks ago but doubt it made the change unless others that previously had a red symbol still have a red symbol.

csdude55

8:09 pm on Sep 20, 2017 (gmt 0)

A week or so ago, my "Site Speed" went from green to red. I didn't know there WAS a yellow? lol But nothing has changed on my end, and Analytics doesn't show any change in load time, so I'm lost on that one.

LuckyD

6:37 pm on Sep 25, 2017 (gmt 0)

So do you or anyone you know actually get three green lights? I have yet to hear about even a single instance.

TrailDEX

8:27 pm on Sep 25, 2017 (gmt 0)

@LuckyD
I have 3 green now
Ad Layout was a red x when User First started
I made some changes to move a couple ads further away from page control buttons
Ad Layout changed to a yellow warning two weeks later and now it changed to a green passing

This 44 message thread spans 2 pages: 44

Status: 403 Forbidden