Should I sell out? (Adwords on my website) - kind of a poll

[Mangetout]

Someone approached me about paying me to advertise on a specific page of my website - I already have google ads on most pages and I was thinking I could probably manage a system for selling little ad spaces here and there, to carefully-selected partners, so I responded tentatively and vaguely in the positive, asking for more detail.

Turns out they want an ad-words type setup, where certain key words in my articles will become links to their site.

My initial reaction was to recoil from the idea - for a number of reasons, but mostly, because any links that currently exist within the body text on my site are either internal ones (linking to a related page), or external references highly pertinent to the subject under discussion - links I voluntarily endorse.

I'm concerned that if I start selling adword links, it might appear to cheapen the site, or dilute my perceived integrity on the page.

I'm perfectly happy to sell discrete boxes in which advertisers can place their content - because the separation from my own content is abundantly apparent. Am I being silly or over-reacting?

Your opinions?

[Eureka]

I don't think you are being silly. I think it is entirely reasonable to segregate your content from advertiser content, and allowing advertiser links on certain key words is bad for the reasons you suggest.

Also, any time you make a shift towards more intrusive advertising, expect people to object mightily. It's human nature.

If allowing Adwords becomes the only way you could afford to continue doing what you do, then you may have a hard choice to make between Adwords and no site. But as I read your post, this is not a choice you have to make at present, and I think you should not allow Adwords.

[Antinor01]

As long as they aren't the kind that give a popup when you roll over the word I wouldn't have an issue with it. If they are, I would be much less inclined to visit your page.

As a second point, I find the whole concept of 'selling out' to be ridiculous. Making some money off of your own work is not something to be ashamed of.

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by Antinor01

As long as they aren't the kind that give a popup when you roll over the word I wouldn't have an issue with it. If they are, I would be much less inclined to visit your page.

No, they're just links - I suppose I could modify the CSS so that they are styled distinctly, setting them apart from my own links.

As a second point, I find the whole concept of 'selling out' to be ridiculous. Making some money off of your own work is not something to be ashamed of.

I understand what you're saying - but it feels like selling out because it would be a case of me compromising a little on standards (admittedly, standards I hadn't any clear definition of until the question arose) to make some money.

Actually, the whole thing just got a bit easier - I checked the targets they want the links to point at - They're not really very relevant to the words they would be attached to on my page - so on top of being commercial, it would be irrelevant or misleading. I'm not going to do that.

[Harmonious Discord]

I hate the ad word links on web pages and usually leave the site. You currently have a nice site.

Did your film make it to that exhibit? Just a yes or no is fine. I don't want to total divert this thread.

[Mangetout]

Thanks - yes, it's showing at the Modesto Theatre on 27th Sept - I re-worked the credits on the video to refer to the current site and I'm hoping it will bring a fresh influx of visitors.

I've politely turned down the request for adwords now - I did explain my reasons as best I could. They came back to me saying I could link from different, more appropriate words if I wanted, but I just don't think it will work for me.
The money was tempting ($95 to keep six links up there for 12 months), but I don't see any way to do it without diminishing (what I perceive to be) the value of the site.

I am going to see if I can sell some little boxes direct to selected advertisers though.

[ZipperJJ]

Most of those "i want to advertise on your website" emails you get out of the blue are scams. If not scams, just spammers who scrape email contact info from sites or from WHOIS and send out millions of form letters asking about doing what they are proposing to you and hope that someone bites. Not that your site isn't captivating, but it's really doubtful that someone went to your site and thought to themselves "wow this is a really fantastic site that I think will drive a lot of traffic to my equally fantastic site, we should partner up!"

There's no reason that you can't put your own un-obtrusive AdSense box on your site and make your own money from it. You do NOT need someone to do this for you. Just go to the AdSense Web site and sign up. It works just like the ads here on the SDMB work - no content is underlined/linked, and the ads can be styled just how you want.

AdSense is perfectly normal to see on a site and doesn't constitute selling out. It will end up looking nicer and be much easier to manage than going out and selling real ads, IMHO.

[Joey P]

Another vote for no adwords. I hate those, it's hard to tell what's a real link and what's not (well, actually, I guess the adword links look a little different). Either way it always reminds me of a virus that was going around quite a few years ago, some sort of browser hijacker that put adword type links on every page. When I see adwords I just back off the page, worried about what might get on my computer.

[Mangetout]

Originally Posted by ZipperJJ

Most of those "i want to advertise on your website" emails you get out of the blue are scams. If not scams, just spammers who scrape email contact info from sites or from WHOIS and send out millions of form letters asking about doing what they are proposing to you and hope that someone bites. Not that your site isn't captivating, but it's really doubtful that someone went to your site and thought to themselves "wow this is a really fantastic site that I think will drive a lot of traffic to my equally fantastic site, we should partner up!"

I was suspicious of that at first, but this one appears genuine - I think it's a fledgling ad company that's trying some non-conventional channels.

Still, genuine or no, I can't bring myself to do it. They came back with a higher offer ($125 for the six links for a year) - I'm flattered that they might value my site in that way, but I just keep reminding myself how betrayed I feel when I click on what I think is a reference link and it turns out to be an adword. I'd not so much be selling myself out, but selling the trust of my visitors. Not gonna do it.

There's no reason that you can't put your own un-obtrusive AdSense box on your site and make your own money from it. You do NOT need someone to do this for you. Just go to the AdSense Web site and sign up. It works just like the ads here on the SDMB work - no content is underlined/linked, and the ads can be styled just how you want.

AdSense is perfectly normal to see on a site and doesn't constitute selling out. It will end up looking nicer and be much easier to manage than going out and selling real ads, IMHO.

I use AdSense already - sometimes it makes a few dollars, other times, zip, but I think to make big money out of it, you have to write about stuff that will attract people to click on the ads (music, video games, for example - where a contextual ad could easily generate a clickthrough). I make just about enough out of Adsense to cover the hosting and domain registration (which I'm not complaining about).