Ad placement is one of the biggest factors affecting AdSense earnings. Two websites with the same traffic and niche can earn vastly different amounts purely because of where and how ads are placed.

This article explains the best AdSense ad placements, why they work, how to optimize layouts for desktop and mobile, and how to increase CTR (click-through rate) and RPM without violating Google AdSense policies or damaging user experience.

1. Why Ad Placement Matters So Much

AdSense earnings depend on:

• ad visibility

• user attention

• relevance

• interaction likelihood

If users don’t see ads, they can’t click them.
If ads interrupt reading, users leave.

The goal is high visibility with low friction.

2. The Core Principle of Ad Placement

The golden rule of AdSense placement:

Place ads where users naturally look, not where they feel interrupted.

Good placement feels natural.
Bad placement feels aggressive.

3. Understanding User Attention Patterns

Users typically:

• scan from top to bottom

• focus on content first

• pause at natural breaks

Effective ad placement follows reading flow, not random positions.

4. Best Performing Ad Placement Areas

4.1 Above-the-Fold (Top of Page)

What it is:
Ads visible immediately when the page loads.

Why it works:

• highest visibility

• strong impression-based earnings (CPM)

• good CTR if not overwhelming

Best practices:

• use one ad, not multiple

• place below header, above content

• avoid pushing content too far down

This is one of the highest-earning placements.

4.2 In-Content Ads (Within Articles)

What it is:
Ads placed inside the main content, between paragraphs.

Why it works:

• users are already engaged

• natural pauses increase interaction

• often highest CTR

Best practices:

• place after the first or second paragraph

• add another mid-article for long content

• never place ads mid-sentence

In-content ads are usually the top performers for blogs and articles.

4.3 Below the Title (Under Headline)

Why it works:

• immediate visibility

• users pause after reading the title

Best practices:

• keep spacing clean

• don’t push content too far down

• avoid stacking ads

This placement balances visibility and UX well.

4.4 End of Content (After Article)

Why it works:

• readers pause after finishing

• strong CTR from engaged users

Best practices:

• place one ad after conclusion

• combine with “related posts” for longer sessions

End-of-content ads work best on long-form content.

5. Sidebar Ad Placement

Pros:

• consistent visibility

• good for desktop users

Cons:

• lower CTR than in-content

• less effective on mobile

Best practices:

• sticky sidebar ads can increase impressions

• avoid cluttering with multiple ads

Sidebar ads are better for branding and CPM, not clicks.

6. Footer Ads (Lowest Priority)

Why they underperform:

• low visibility

• many users never scroll that far

Footer ads can add incremental revenue but shouldn’t be relied on.

7. Mobile Ad Placement Optimization

Mobile traffic often makes up 60–80% of total traffic, so mobile placement is critical.

7.1 Mobile In-Content Ads

• extremely effective

• ads appear naturally while scrolling

• high CTR when spaced correctly

7.2 Anchor Ads (Bottom Sticky Ads)

Why they work:

• constant visibility

• strong CPM

Caution:

• can hurt UX if too large

• must comply with AdSense policies

7.3 Avoid Mobile Overload

Too many ads on mobile:

• increase bounce rate

• reduce session duration

• hurt long-term earnings

Mobile UX matters more than short-term clicks.

8. Responsive Ad Units (Essential)

Always use responsive ads so:

• ads adjust to screen size

• layout remains clean

• performance improves across devices

Responsive ads are now the default best practice.

9. Best Ad Sizes for Performance

Historically high-performing sizes:

• 336×280 (Large Rectangle)

• 300×250 (Medium Rectangle)

• 728×90 (Leaderboard)

• 320×100 (Large Mobile Banner)

Responsive units often outperform fixed sizes today.

10. Using Auto Ads (Pros and Cons)

Pros

• easy setup

• Google optimizes placements

• good for beginners

Cons

• less control

• sometimes too aggressive

• may place ads in poor UX locations

Best approach:
Use Auto Ads with manual exclusions.

11. Ad Density: How Many Ads Is Too Many?

More ads ≠ more money.

Too many ads:

• reduce CTR

• annoy users

• increase bounce rate

A good rule:

• 1 above-the-fold

• 1–2 in-content

• 1 end-of-content

Quality beats quantity.

12. Balancing UX and Revenue

Google rewards sites that:

• keep users engaged

• load quickly

• avoid deceptive layouts

Good UX leads to:

• longer sessions

• more impressions

• higher RPM

Bad UX kills long-term earnings.

13. Avoiding Policy Violations in Placement

Never:

• place ads too close to buttons or links

• disguise ads as content

• encourage clicks

• place ads on error pages

Policy-safe placement protects your account.

14. Heatmaps and Scroll Depth Analysis

Advanced optimization includes:

• heatmaps (Hotjar, Clarity)

• scroll depth tracking

These tools show:

• where users stop

• where attention peaks

Place ads where attention already exists.

15. A/B Testing Ad Placement

Test variations:

• ad position

• ad frequency

• ad formats

Measure:

• CTR

• RPM

• bounce rate

Small changes can lead to large revenue gains.

16. Content Type and Placement Strategy

Blog Posts

• in-content + end-of-article

Tutorials

• ads after sections

• avoid breaking steps

News Sites

• above-the-fold + in-feed

Niche Sites

• tightly integrated in-content ads

Match placement to content behavior.

17. Page Speed and Ad Placement

Heavy ads slow sites.

Optimize by:

• lazy loading ads

• limiting third-party scripts

• compressing images

Faster pages = better engagement = higher revenue.

18. Desktop vs Mobile Strategy

Do not treat them the same.

• desktop allows sidebars

• mobile needs vertical flow

Use device-based optimization.

19. Common Ad Placement Mistakes

❌ too many ads
❌ ads before any content
❌ ads breaking paragraphs
❌ ignoring mobile UX
❌ never testing

Avoiding mistakes often increases earnings more than adding ads.

20. Final Takeaway

The best AdSense ad placement:

• follows user attention

• integrates naturally with content

• balances revenue and experience

• is tested and refined over time

There is no universal “perfect” placement —
only what works best for your audience and content.

Smart placement doesn’t feel like advertising.
It feels like part of the page — and that’s why it earns more.