After 20 Years, I Turned Off Google AdSense for My Websites

Soon after launching this blog in February 2005, I signed up for Google AdSense. My goal was to earn a little money and learn about the industry from the inside. In particular, if I was going to cover the intricacies of the online advertising industry, being an AdSense publisher would help me understand the issues first-hand.

2005 was a difficult and experimental time for online advertising. I remember getting paid $20 per click for my first few clicks! However, I never became rich from AdSense. I think at my peak I made about $1k/year. Still, I learned a lot about the publishers’ approach, and I loved getting information about how AdSense monetized my blog. I was proud to be a part of the AdSense program.

20 years later, almost none of my reasons for participating in AdSense still hold true. These days I make a minimal amount of money (about $100/year); Due to Masnik’s impossibility theorem I keep inadvertently triggering his content rules (see an example at right); And I’m not getting much insight into the publisher or advertiser ecosystem from my involvement.

What’s worse is that I get complaints from readers about the intrusiveness and quality of AdSense advertising. A few years ago, AdSense expanded its ad formats and overtook my page. In response, about a year ago, I reconfigured AdSense so that it only showed one ad space – a modest square display ad in the upper right. Apparently AdSense screwed up again and now displays an extra banner on the page (bottom of the screen on web browsers, top of the screen on mobile) which I didn’t want. I never saw most of the offending ads because of my adblocker, so I didn’t notice the changes or experience any irritation personally. Still, I don’t want to constantly keep track of AdSense changes.

Also, turning off ads would allow my blog to be more clearly classified as “non-commercial” for various legal tests that impose greater liability on commercial actors. Certainly the $100/year I was making was not compensating me for any additional legal risk or compliance I faced because of those legal principles.

As a result, I have removed all ericgoldman.org domains from AdSense. If you see any AdSense ads on the blog going forward please let me know and I will investigate.

Even though it’s clearly time (or quite a while ago) for me to exit AdSense, ending a 20-year long vendor relationship is always a little bittersweet.