Alternate Ads for Google AdSense:
Alternate ads allow you to utilize your ad space in the event that Google is unable to serve targeted ads to your page.
By default, Google shows public service ads (PSAs) if no targeted ads are available. By specifying a color, image, HTML page, or ad server of your choice, you can make sure that your advertising space is always being used effectively, either by targeted Google ads, or by your own choice of content.
You can specify any of the following as an alternate ad:
Color: you can enter any hexadecimal color code (or just use Google's simple color picker!) to replace PSAs. You can essentially make your ad block 'disappear' by matching the alternate ad color to the background color of your page!
Image: you can use any image as your alternate ad!
HTML page: this is useful if you'd like to implement a clickable image as your alternate ad. The HTML page will contain the information required to load your image and link it to any destination.
Collapsing ad units: More advanced version of the alternate ad color described above, the collapsing ad units code will shrink your ad units instead of showing PSAs. The means that your page won't have blank areas that may occur with alternate ad colors, as the content around the ad unit will shift up to fill the empty space.Alternate Ads, if specified, will be shown when there are no targeted ads available for your page. The ad space will not be branded as 'Ads by Google.'
What problem does alternate ads solve? Many webmasters don't want to display public service ads (PSAs) when Google is unable (for any reason) to provide AdWords. Since webmasters are not paid when PSAs are displayed, they want to use the space on their site to display ads for things that earn them money.
COLOR:
The easiest option is to substitute PSAs with a solid color that matches the background of your site. To set an alternate ad color, go to the AdSense for content tab within your account. The Ad Layout Code page loads below this tab. Click the Choose a color link below the alternate ad text box to pop up a color palette.
Select your desired color from the palette and click Save and get code – your alternate ads text box will be updated with the hexadecimal color code. Now click Update code to add your color selection to the layout code.
In the Joomlaspan Google AdSense module, just enter the above hexadecimal code into the textbox at the admin backend. You're done.
This option does not earn you any revenue!
IMAGE:
Another simple way is to use static images. If you'd like to use an image as your alternate ad, you can simply enter the full URL of the image in the Alternate ad text box.
COLLAPSIBLE ADS
How do we collapsible ads with Joomlaspan Google AdSense module?
Collapsing ad units are an optional advanced feature of alternate ads. A the collapsing ad unit code will 'collapse' your ad unit so that it takes up no page space if there are no relevant ads available. This allows you to minimize any blank space that would otherwise occur through the use of alternate colors.
To implement the collapsing ad units feature, you'll need to host a small HTML file on your domain. Your alternate ad URL will reference this file, which will be called if there are no ads available for that particular ad unit. Please follow the instructions below:
Create a html file by using the code - Right click and save as
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/google_adsense_script.html
Save the file in any location on your server. For example -
http://www.yourwebsite.com/collapsible_ad.html
Then use this as the Alternate Ads URL in the Google Code! You are done!!
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If you have successfully implemented the collapsing ad unit code, your ad units will disappear when targeted ads are not available. Please note that this feature will not work with Internet Explorer version 5.0 or lower – any unused ad units will appear as empty, transparent boxes.