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May 17, 2021June 7, 2024

How to Increase Ad Impressions in WordPress with Ad Refresh (2 Ways)

Are you wondering how to increase ad impressions in WordPress?

Many WPBeginner readers have asked us how to maximize ad income while keeping their sites user-friendly. With ad refresh, you can rotate different advertisements in the same spot, boosting ad impressions and ad revenue.

In this article, we will show you how to increase your ad impressions in WordPress by using ad refresh.

How to Increase Ad Impressions in WordPress with Ad Refresh

How Can Ad Refresh Increase Ad Impressions in WordPress?

Ad refresh in WordPress means displaying multiple ads in one spot. Unlike traditional ads, which show only in one place, ad refresh constantly updates the advertisement shown to visitors without reloading the page.

Ad refresh can improve the user experience as it’s much less intrusive than having multiple ads on one page. Plus, it helps you earn more money on your blog without needing extra pageviews to boost the number of impressions.

Plus, over time, ad refresh helps you figure out which types of ads work best on your WordPress website. Then, you can just show the best-performing ones and leave out the ones that don’t perform to maximize your revenue.

That said, there are some considerations to using ad refresh:

Ad networks may limit the total number of visible ads.
Counting impressions for rotating ads could slow down your WordPress speed and performance.
Ad refresh may conflict with Google AdSense guidelines, so be cautious or explore alternative advertising networks.

With that in mind, we will show you 2 ways to use ad refresh to increase ad impressions in WordPress. You can use the quick links below to skip to your preferred method:

Method 1: Enable Ad Refresh With Advanced Ads (Paid Plugin)
Method 2: Enable Ad Refresh With Ad Refresh Control (Free Plugin)
Bonus Tip: Set Up Tracking to See How Your Ads Are Performing

Method 1: Enable Ad Refresh With Advanced Ads (Paid Plugin)

The first method is to use Advanced Ads, which is an easy-to-use plugin for setting up ad refresh across your website. We are going to use the premium version because that’s where the ad refresh feature is available.

Step 1: Set Up Advanced Ads Pro

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Advanced Ads plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once activated, you need to enter the license key for the pro version of the plugin. To do this, navigate to Advanced Ads » Licenses. Then, enter your license key in ‘Pro’ and click ‘Activate License.’

Now, switch to Advanced Ads » Settings and go to the ‘Pro’ tab. On this screen, you need to enable the ‘Cache Busting’ option.

Then, tick the ‘Force passive cache-busting’ checkbox.

Cache busting prevents a web browser from serving cached versions of JavaScript, CSS, or image files, including ads. This setting is essential to make sure ads appear correctly and relevant to users.

Now, just scroll down and click ‘Save settings on this page.’

Step 2: Set Up Your Ads

Let’s now go ahead and add the ads you want to display on WordPress. What you want to do is go to Advanced Ads » Ads. Then, you will see an interface where you can set up your first ad.

First, make sure to give your new ad a name. After that, choose one of the available ad types: plain text and code, dummy (for testing), rich content, image ad, ad group, Google Ad Manager, AdSense, or AMP.

Note: Advanced Ads Pro does not recommend using Google AdSense for ad refresh, so we suggest using other ad types with this plugin.

Creating your first ad in Advanced Ads Pro

Scrolling down to the Ad Parameters section, you will see some settings to set up your ad, which will vary depending on the ad type you choose.

If you use the image ad option, then you can upload the ad image, customize the size, enable tracking, add a custom link, make the link open in a new window, add a nofollow attribute, and add a ‘sponsored’ attribute to your ad.

The Ad Parameters settings in Advanced Ads

If you move further down, you will find the ‘Layout / Output’ section.

This is where you can adjust how the ad layout looks on your website by customizing its margins, text wrapping, alignment, and so on.

This section also includes settings to customize the ad with custom HTML and CSS.

Additionally, you can make the ad display only once, which is a good idea so that the ad doesn’t reload multiple times in the same ad refresh spot later. This way, your users don’t get annoyed as much or become blind to the ad.

More ad layout and output settings in Advanced Ads

The next section is Targeting. Here, you can add display conditions for when the ad should appear.

For example, you could have the ad appear if the page being viewed is a blog post. Feel free to click the dropdown menu to see the available display conditions.

Advanced Ads' Display Conditions settings

You could also customize the visitor conditions, which will determine what type of user the ad should appear for.

Examples include if the user is logged in, uses a certain device, comes from a specific location, or has not seen the ad a certain number of times.

Advanced Ads' Visitor Conditions settings

Once you are happy with the ad settings, just scroll up and click ‘Save Draft.’

Then, hit the ‘Publish’ button if you want to launch the ad right away.

Saving and publishing the ad you created with Advanced Ads

Now, just repeat the same steps until you have enough ads for your ad refresh spot.

Step 3: Create an Ad Group

After setting up all of your ads, you can now create an ad group. This feature lets you display multiple ads from one spot.

First, navigate to Advanced Ads » Groups & Rotation and click the ‘+ New Ad Group’ button.

Then, you need to choose an Ad Group type. There are four to choose from: random ads (the ads will show in random order), ordered ads (customize which ads show up first), grid (show the ads in a grid format), and slider (the ads will appear in a slider).

For the sake of example, we will use ‘Random ads.’

Don’t forget to write the name of your ad group as well and click ‘Save New Group.’

Choosing the random ads type in Advanced Ads

Now, a popup will appear with settings for you to configure the ad group. In ‘Visible ads,’ you can specify the number of ads that are visible at the same time. We recommend leaving it at 1.

Then, you want to enable the ‘Refresh Interval’ setting. With this option, you can set ads to refresh at regular intervals. This means you can show visitors different ads over an amount of time, making it more likely they will click on them.

You can also adjust how long each ad appears before refreshing in milliseconds. The default number is 2000.

The ad group settings to create a random ad group with Advanced Ads

Go down the window and start adding your ads one by one.

All you need to do is select an ad in the dropdown menu, choose a number for the ad weight, and click ‘add.’

With the random ads setting, ad weights determine how often an ad is displayed within a group. They don’t define the sequence of ads but affect the likelihood of each one appearing.

Adding ads to an ad group in Advanced Ads

Once done, just click the ‘Save [your ad group name]’ button.

Step 4: Place the Ad Group on Your WordPress Website

With your ad group set up, let’s embed it into your WordPress blog or site. To do this, go to Advanced Ads » Placements and click ‘+ New Placement.’

Creating a new ad placement in Advanced Ads

Next, go ahead and choose an ad placement type. There are many options to choose from, and you can hover over each one to see more details about the placement.

You could display the ad in your website’s header, footer, in between a list of posts, after several paragraphs in a blog post content, and so on.

Choosing an ad placement type in Advanced Ads

Once done, just give your ad placement a name and select the ad group you created earlier.

Then, click ‘Save New Placement.’

Alternatively, you can also display the ad on your individual pages, posts, sidebar, widget areas, or theme template parts.

If you want to do that, then you can navigate to Advanced Ads » Groups & Rotations. Then, click the ‘Show usage’ button.

Clicking Show Usage in the Advanced Ads plugin page

A popup will appear showing you the shortcode or PHP code you can use to display the ad group.

For more information, you can read our beginner’s guide on how to add shortcodes in WordPress or how to add custom code without breaking your website.

That’s it! You can now preview your website to see what the ad group looks like.

Here is what the demo Advanced Ads random ads look like:

Random ad group example made with Advanced Ads demo ads

Method 2: Enable Ad Refresh With Ad Refresh Control (Free Plugin)

If you prefer not to set up your ads in a new plugin but simply add the refresh feature to your existing ad slots, then you can use the free Ad Refresh Control plugin.

Keep in mind that this plugin is not an ad management plugin. If you haven’t set up your ads yet, then you will need a plugin for that first. You can see our list of the best ad management plugins and solutions for WordPress for recommendations.

Once you add your ad units to WordPress, you can add the ad refresh feature to them.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Ad Refresh Control plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is active, navigate to Settings » Ad Refresh Control. On this screen, you will set your ad refresh settings. These settings are global and will apply to all of the ad units on your website.

The most important plugin settings are ‘Viewability Threshold’, ‘Refresh Interval’, and ‘Maximum Refreshes’.

The ‘Visibility Threshold’ setting refers to how much of the ad needs to be viewable to be considered an impression.

The ‘Refresh Interval’ is how long an ad will be displayed before refreshing.

Finally, ‘Maximum Refreshes’ will set the number of times an ad slot can be refreshed.

Feel free to change these numbers. However, we will leave the default settings since they comply with most existing ad network guidelines.

The final plugin settings can be left empty. However, if you want to exclude specific ad units or ad sizes, then you can add the ad unit sizes or ad unit IDs.

Once you have finished making changes, just click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Your ad units will now automatically refresh for your visitors based on the settings above.

Bonus Tip: Set Up Tracking to See How Your Ads Are Performing

After you set up ad refresh in WordPress, you will want to monitor how your ads are performing. This will tell you which advertisements are converting the best and if your ad refresh units are getting more impressions.

The best way to do this is by using Google Analytics. That said, the manual setup can seem intimidating for beginners.

That’s why recommend using MonsterInsights to connect your site with Google Analytics. Used by over 3 million websites, it’s the best and easiest analytics solution for WordPress.

With MonsterInsights, you can set up conversion tracking to measure the success of your ads. This way, you can focus on the campaigns that actually convert.

For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to set up conversion tracking in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to increase ad impressions in WordPress with ad refresh. You may also want to learn how to detect AdBlock users in WordPress or see our list of the best WordPress banner plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Increase Ad Impressions in WordPress with Ad Refresh (2 Ways) first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 31, 2021

How to Add Amazon Ads to Your WordPress Site (3 Methods)

Do you want to add Amazon ads to your WordPress site?

Amazon ads can be a great way to make money online. Plus, they have a faster and simpler approval process compared to other ad networks.

In this article, we’ll show you how to add Amazon ads to your WordPress site, step by step.

What are Amazon Ads?

Amazon ads are display ads from the Amazon network. These ads operate similar to Google AdSense and other ad networks. However, these ads will display related products from Amazon.

You can add Amazon display ads throughout your content or at the end of your posts to encourage readers to click.

Native display ads will show relevant products to your visitors based on the content and their search history.

The setup process is very easy. All you need to do is add the code to your site once, and it’ll automatically display ads across your site. This means you earn more revenue without having to do any additional work.

There are 3 different types of native shopping ads you can add to your site:

Recommendation ads show products based on the content and user’s search history
Search ads let users search Amazon products directly from your website
Custom ads let you display your favorite products to your readers

Why Add Amazon Ads to WordPress?

Amazon ads have a much faster approval process, which means you can quickly start earning money with display ads and affiliate marketing.

Display advertising is one of the most popular ways WordPress blogs earn money.

However, a lot of advertising networks have strict approval processes, and it can take a while to get your site approved specially if you’re new.

Amazon ads can shortcut this waiting period. If you get approved by other networks in the future, then you can add these alongside your existing Amazon ads.

Depending on the type of site you have, these ads can convert pretty well too.

How to Add Amazon Ads to your WordPress Site

There are a handful of ways you can add Amazon ads to to your WordPress website.

Before you can ad Amazon ads to your site, you’ll need to join the Amazon.

Head over to the Amazon Associates program website and click the ‘Sign Up’ button.

Next, you’ll be asked to log in to your existing Amazon account using the email and password associated with that account.

If you don’t have an Amazon account, then go ahead and create one now.

After you’ve logged in to your account, you’ll need to add additional account information and answer questions about your website. Follow the instructions to complete your profile.

Once you’ve finished, your application will be reviewed by Amazon. The approval process is pretty fast and much more accessible than other networks like Google AdSense.

Create Your Amazon Ads Code

Before you can add Amazon ads to WordPress, you’ll need to create your Amazon ad code.

To do this, open up the Amazon Associates ad editor. Then, navigate to Product Linking » Native Shopping Ads.

After that, click on ‘Recommendation Ads’.

You can also create ‘Custom Ads’ or ‘Search Ads’, but for this tutorial we’ll focus on recommended product ads.

Here you’ll name your ad, choose your ad format, and select the product categories that products will display from.

You can also set a keyword fallback.

If there are no relevant products to display, then Amazon will pull a product related to that keyword.

You can also preview your ad on both desktop and mobile.

After you make your changes make sure to click ‘Save and View Ad Code’.

Then, you’ll need to copy the ad code and paste it into a text editor. You’ll need this code later to embed your ads into WordPress.

Now, you’re ready to add Amazon ads to your WordPress site.

Method 1. Add Amazon Native Display Ads in WordPress

Adding Amazon display ads to WordPress is pretty simple.

You’ll have a variety of different display options and ad types to choose from.

For example, let’s say you’re writing an article about how to improve your posture. You could include Amazon Native display ads at the end of your post that feature posture correctors and other mobility tools.

The easiest way to add Amazon Ads is by using a WordPress plugin.

We recommend using the WP Advanced Ads plugin. It’s easy to use and lets you quickly embed multiple ad types into your website, including Amazon ads.

First, you need to install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is installed and activated, you’ll have a new menu item called ‘Advanced Ads’. Navigate to Advanced Ads » Ads and click ‘New Ad’.

Next, add your title and select ‘Plain Text and Code’, then click ‘Next’.

After that, paste your Amazon ad code that you created earlier.

Then, click ‘Next’.

On the next screen, you can choose to hide the ad from some users and pages. However, we’ll leave the default settings. After that, click ‘Next’.

Now, we’re going to choose where our Amazon ads will display. You have multiple options to choose from including, before, after, and within your content. You also have the option to display Amazon ads in your sidebar.

We’re going to select ‘After Content’. However, you can choose the option that works best for your site.

Once you select your display option, your ad will now be visible on the front end of your site.

Method 2. Add Amazon Affiliate Links in WordPress

Do you want to create an Amazon affiliate site? Affiliate websites operate a little differently than sites monetized by display ads alone.

With affiliate marketing, you’ll earn a commission whenever a visitor clicks on your link and purchases a product.

Adding Amazon affiliate links to your site is easy with the help of the right plugin. We recommend using Pretty Links or Thirsty Affiliates. These are two of the best affiliate marketing plugins for WordPress.

First thing you’ll need to do is install and activate the plugin. We’re going to use Pretty Links. However, you can choose Thirsty Affiliates as well. For more details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you’ll have a new menu item in your WordPress dashboard labeled Pretty Links.

Before you create an affiliate link in Pretty Links, you’ll need to go to your Amazon Associates dashboard and create a link. Once you’re in your dashboard, navigate to Product Linking » Product links.

Here you can search for the product that you want to create a link for.

Once you’ve found the product, click ‘Get Link’.

Next, you’ll need to copy the link code.

To do this, click the ‘Text Only’ navigation item, then click the ‘Short Link’ radio button.

This will bring up the affiliate link you need to copy.

Now, go back to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Pretty Links » Add New.

Next, you’ll need to name your link, add your target URL, and create your link.

Your target URL is the link you copied from your Amazon Associates account. The ‘Pretty Link’ is the shortened URL you want to use instead.

Also, make sure you choose a 301 redirect. After you’ve made your changes click ‘Update’ to save the link.

Now, you can add your affiliate link to your content.

Open up a WordPress page or post. In the post editor, highlight the text you want to link and copy your affiliate link from above.

Now, when your readers click the link they’ll be taken to the product in the Amazon store. If they purchase the product, then you’ll receive a commission.

To learn more about affiliate marketing, see our ultimate affiliate marketing guide for beginners.

Method 3. Add Amazon Popup Ads in WordPress

Another unique way to add Amazon ads to your site is with a popup. You’ll have complete control over when and how the popup displays on your website.

You can even personalize the popups based on user behavior, their location, the page they’re viewing, and more.

The easiest way to add Amazon popup ads is by using OptinMonster. It’s one of the best WordPress lead generation plugins in the market used by over 1.2 million websites.

It allows you to add all kinds of popups to your WordPress site easily.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the OptinMonster plugin on your WordPress site.

The plugin acts as a connecter between your WordPress website and the OptinMonster software.

Once you’ve activated and installed the plugin, click on the ‘OptinMonster’ menu item in your WordPress admin bar.

After that, you’ll need to connect your site to OptinMonster by clicking ‘Launch the Setup Wizard’.

Here, you can connect to an existing account or claim your free account.

After you’ve finished going through the setup wizard, your WordPress site will be connected to OptinMosnter.

To start creating a popup ad, navigate to OptinMonster » Campaigns.

Then click ‘Add New’ to create a new campaign.

After that, select the ‘Popup’ campaign type.

Next, choose the campaign template. We will select the ‘Canvas’ template since this gives us a blank template to add our Amazon ad code.

Then, enter the name of your campaign name and click ’Start Building’.

The name of your campaign won’t appear in your design but instead is to help you remember.

This will open up the OptinMonster app, where you can customize the appearance of your popup.

You won’t be making that many visual changes. Instead, you will copy and paste the Amazon ad code you generated earlier.

First, click on ‘Blocks’, then select the ‘HTML’ block and drag it over.

In the ‘Editing HTML Element’ box, paste your Amazon ad code. It’ll automatically appear in the editor.

You can further customize your popup by adding new blocks, headings, text, and more.

Once you’re satisfied with the look of your popup, make sure to click ‘Save’, then click on the ‘Display Rules’ tab.

This is where we’ll set your popup display options.

The default setting is for the popup to display when a visitor has been on the page for at least 5 seconds. However, you can adjust this if you want the period to be shorter or longer. After that, click ‘Next Step’.

You can leave the default options on the next screen. Feel free to add animation or sound effects if you’d like. Once you’re done, click ‘Next Step’.

On the ‘Summary’ page, you can double check that your display settings are correct.

After that, go to the ‘Publish’ tab and switch the ‘Publish Status’ from Draft to Publish.

Then, click ‘Save’ and exit the screen.

Your Amazon ad popup will now be live on your site and display for visitors after the time period you set earlier.

The best part about OptinMonster is that it’s one of the few WordPress popup plugins that can give you complete control over personalization. Their display rules are extremely powerful, and you can use it to display multiple Amazon ads targeted towards different sections of your website.

We hoped this article helped you add Amazon ads to WordPress. You may also want to see our expert picks of the 24 must have plugins for WordPress and our list of the best email marketing services to grow your website revenue.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Amazon Ads to Your WordPress Site (3 Methods) appeared first on WPBeginner.