How Google Adsense’s New Changes Will Impact Your Website in 2023

Google Adsense is one of the most popular and widely used platforms for monetizing websites with online advertising. Millions of publishers around the world rely on Adsense to generate revenue from their content and audience. However, Google is constantly evolving and improving its products and services, and Adsense is no exception. In this article, we will review some of the major changes and updates that Google Adsense has announced or implemented in 2023, and how they will affect your website performance and earnings.

Switching from clicks to impressions

One of the most significant changes that Google Adsense has made in 2023 is switching from paying publishers based on clicks to paying them per-impression. This means that instead of earning money when a user clicks on an ad on your website, you will earn money based on how many times the ad is shown to your users, regardless of whether they click on it or not¹².

This change has several benefits for publishers, such as:

• It makes it easier to compare earnings across Google’s products and other technology providers you use. For example, if you use Google Ad Manager or Google AdMob, you will see the same revenue metrics as Adsense, such as eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) and RPM (revenue per thousand impressions).
• It reduces the risk of invalid clicks and click fraud, which can negatively affect your account status and earnings. By paying per-impression, Google can better detect and prevent invalid activity and ensure that you are paid fairly for your traffic.
• It aligns with the industry standards and best practices for online advertising. Most advertisers and ad networks use impressions as the primary metric for measuring and optimizing their campaigns. By paying per-impression, Google can offer more relevant and high-quality ads to your users and increase your earning potential.

However, this change also has some implications for publishers, such as:

• It may affect your earnings depending on your website’s niche, content, layout, and audience behavior. For example, if your website has a high click-through rate (CTR) and low impression rate, you may see a decrease in your earnings after the switch. On the other hand, if your website has a low CTR and high impression rate, you may see an increase in your earnings after the switch.
• It may require you to adjust your website design and optimization strategies to maximize your impressions and revenue. For example, you may need to experiment with different ad formats, sizes, placements, and colors to find the optimal combination that attracts your users’ attention and generates more impressions. You may also need to improve your website speed, navigation, and user experience to increase your page views and session duration.

Updating the core ranking algorithm and the reviews system

Another major change that Google has made in 2023 is updating its core ranking algorithm and its reviews system. These are the systems that Google uses to rank and evaluate websites and web pages for its search results and ads. Google regularly updates these systems to improve the quality and relevance of its search and ads products and to provide a better experience for its users and publishers³.

The core ranking algorithm update is the fourth broad update of 2023, following the March, August, and October updates. This update involves an improvement to a different core system than the previous ones, and it may take up to two weeks to complete. Google has not revealed the specific details of this update, but it has given some general guidance on what to do if you are affected by it:

• There is nothing specific you can do to fix your website or web pages if they drop in rankings or traffic after the update. Google says that these updates are not about penalizing websites or web pages, but about rewarding those that offer the best information and user experience for a given query or topic.
• You should focus on creating high-quality content and following the best practices for web design and optimization. Google says that these are the factors that determine how well your website or web pages perform in its search and ads products. You can use Google’s resources and tools, such as Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and Web Vitals, to monitor and improve your website or web pages.
• You should review Google’s policies and guidelines for Adsense and webmaster quality. Google says that these are the standards that you must comply with to participate in its search and ads products. You can use Google’s tools, such as Policy Center, Ad Review Center, and Site Status, to check and resolve any policy issues or violations on your website or web pages.

The reviews system update is the last announced update of 2023, and it will be released next week. This update will mark a point when Google will no longer be giving periodic notifications of improvements to its reviews system, because they will be happening at a regular and ongoing pace. The reviews system is the system that Google uses to review and approve websites and web pages for its ads products, such as Adsense, Ad Manager, and AdMob. Google has not revealed the specific details of this update, but it has given some general guidance on what to do if you are affected by it:

• You should review the updated policies and guidelines for ad units that offer rewards. Google says that these are the policies that apply to ad units that offer rewards to users for engaging with ads, such as rewarded video ads or rewarded interstitial ads. The updated policies allow indirect or non-monetary items to be offered as rewards, provided that they meet certain criteria, such as being non-transferable and redeemable only within the publisher’s platform, website, or app. Direct monetary items remain disallowed as rewards under any circumstance.
• You should request a review or appeal if your ad units that offer rewards were previously disapproved but you believe they should no longer be disapproved following the update. Google says that you can use its tools, such as Policy Center, Ad Review Center, and Site Status, to request a review or appeal of your ad units that offer rewards on or after the update date. You should provide clear and accurate information and evidence to support your request or appeal.

Conclusion

Google Adsense is a dynamic and evolving platform that offers many opportunities and challenges for publishers. In 2023, Google Adsense has made some major changes and updates to its systems and policies that affect how publishers monetize their websites with online advertising. These changes and updates may have positive or negative impacts on your website performance and earnings, depending on your website’s niche, content, layout, and audience behavior. Therefore, it is important to stay informed and updated about Google Adsense’s changes and updates, and to adapt and optimize your website accordingly. By doing so, you can ensure that you provide the best experience for your users and maximize your revenue potential with Google Adsense.