Large Google header ads?

[Bonsai Nut]

FYI - I do not control what ads you see from Google - I simply create a "parking spot" for ads on the site, which Google serves you based on a combination of factors including content on this site, as well as your prior search history.

HOWEVER... today I am seeing HUGE ads from Google in the header of this site. They are twice as large as what I expect them to be, and are specifically larger than the limits that I thought I had put for ads on the site.

Is anyone else seeing these massive ads? Or is it just me? Note that the ad in question is a generic "Coffee Bean" ad for a coffee location in my neighborhood... which either means I drink too much coffee... or I need to start drinking more

 

[coh]

yeah, i thought something was different. seeing the same thing.

 

[Silentrunning]

Don’t complain to Google because if you do you will find they will put BN on page 6 when someone searches for bonsai forums.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yep, Yuge! Guess my wife has been shopping online too...

 

[TyroTinker]

I’m normally here on my phone so here is what it looks like for me today

Seems bigger to me...

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

They take up just about half the screen on mobile devices, but they've always done that as far as I know.

 

[sorce]

Mobile is bottom.



Oddest thing is we argued about laundry detergent (top) and someone couldn't find my Facebook the other day.

Prying ass bitch ass motherfucking....

Sorce

 

[Ryceman3]

Is anyone else seeing these massive ads? Or is it just me? Note that the ad in question is a generic "Coffee Bean" ad for a coffee location in my neighborhood... which either means I drink too much coffee... or I need to start drinking more

Yep, the ads have grown in stature somewhat... but more importantly you can never drink too much coffee, unless of course it is interfering with your time spent drinking beer, but I digress...
️

 

[Shibui]

Definitely larger ads today. Much more difficult to ignore now.
Tiger Air ads for me after SWMBO booked tickets today.

 

[Tentakelaertje]

Same here!

 

[JudyB]

I got a GIANT Forever 21 store ad, LOL.. wrong target audience here!

 

[amcoffeegirl]

My phone thinks I live in Omaha and wants to make sure I have sunblock.
The add size doesn’t really bother me though TBH

 

[Pitoon]

I have a giant one on top and bottom on mobile.

Pitoon

 

[punsai]

No problem. We need support to keep active the website.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

You must have pulled their code since I don’t see any adds now.

Spoke too soon, now they’re back!

 

[Zach Smith]

Haven't noticed them being bigger lately but I will offer this FWIW: I recently stopped going to multiple sites because their ads have gotten so plentiful and intrusive you have to work hard to read content you're interested in. The worst are the sliders that come from all angles and are hard to x out of and even when you do they come right back. Again, not going on here but just a caution FWIW.

 

[BrianBay9]

Doesn't bother me either way. They're easy enough to scroll past.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

My phone thinks I live in Omaha and wants to make sure I have sunblock.
The add size doesn’t really bother me though TBH

I would be fine with it... if we were getting twice the revenue. But we are getting the same revenue - for twice the ad size.

I'm going to have to poke around a bit to see what has changed.

 

[Dan92119]

If you can swing 2x the revenue I am good with it!
Maybe it might be privacy settings but I don’t get any ads that relate to me. I have an iPhone and use safari. I get ads like antique olive trees and lending tree. Both of which I don’t need. I don’t ever get anything local.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Haven't noticed them being bigger lately but I will offer this FWIW: I recently stopped going to multiple sites because their ads have gotten so plentiful and intrusive you have to work hard to read content you're interested in. The worst are the sliders that come from all angles and are hard to x out of and even when you do they come right back. Again, not going on here but just a caution FWIW.

I have been careful to maintain the same level of ads and not spam people with pop-ups, etc. I have tried to make the ads somewhat inobtrusive. So I am upset that Google just arbitrarily changed their responsive ad formatting - doubling the size. I just checked and yes, they did so without so much as a request... The MASSIVE ads are being driven by a new feature that allows text ads to be formatted as if they were banner ads - so if you don't have a design team to make fancy banner ads for you, you can enter a few images and text, and Google will do the work for you. However what this creates are MASSIVE ads that, while they look slightly better than text only - are clearly cobbled together using a bunch of random images and graphics. It looks like something a kid in elementary school would do.