Update (Aug. 22): I’m removing the Google AdSense advertising block from many literature-title pages.  I had added them into the right margin of all literature-title pages on this site for the past two weeks, but the ads’ relevance has actually declined during that time, and I’ve earned no meaningful revenue from them.

Accordingly, I’m removing them from all pages which display more than 40 links, but leaving them active on pages with fewer links (my theory is that the ads might be more helpful on pages with fewer links, but I’ll re-evaluate that in a few weeks).

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(August 9, 2011) I’ve decided that it’s time (again) to experiment with “traditional” advertising on LessonIndex.com.

I’m adding a Google AdSense ad to the upper right edge of each directory page.

Don’t worry: I absolutely will not crowd in multiple advertising units on any page, as many educational web sites have done, nor will I ever permit “pop-up” ads or intrusive video ads.  The current ad (160 pixels wide by 600 pixels high) is probably the largest I’ll ever allow on the site, although I may experiment with the shape and location.

Of course, the directory itself already includes paid advertising: many of the merchant links are actually “performance-based” advertising, under which I’m paid a percentage of transactions that occur after someone clicks the link.  Paid advertisers’ links are shown in a slightly larger font size, and in some browsers may appear to be in bold type.

Unfortunately, California enacted a new law in July which forced Amazon to stop paying for advertising on web sites owned by California residents; when Amazon terminated their advertising, LessonIndex.com lost 26% of its advertising revenue overnight.

The Google AdSense ad unit won’t replace even half of that loss, but hopefully it will enable me to continue to devote substantial time to updating this site.

Tonight, when I view directory pages at LessonIndex.com, I see mostly ads for professional education; that seems like a reasonable “fit” for this web site.

If you see any inappropriate advertising, please email me at LessonIndex@MarkWelch.com (be specific).