The great news is that if you’re running HeatMap Theme then you’ve got tools at your fingertips to place ads in ways that Big G will like. HeatMap Pro v5 allows you to carefully place your ads (with laser like precision) directly into your content using the HMT ADS button. Combine this with HeatMaps range of widget positions both ‘above and below the fold’ and it means you are firmly in the driving seat here.

What does this Google Algorithm update mean?

With the dawning of this new algorithm if you place your ads in a ‘Google approved’ way then your site will do better in search results. If you choose to do things in a way that Mr Google disapproves of then your site will drop down the rankings.

It seems that carefully considered ad placement is the new SEO (lets call it AD SEO for short) and should now be an integral part of your overall SEO strategy.

What exactly is good AD SEO?

Of course Mr Google isn’t giving away the exact secret sauce for his algorithm update (he never does) so we have to read between the lines.

Lets start with these quotes from the Google Page Layout Algorithm post…

“an algorithmic change that looks at the layout of a webpage and the amount of content you see on the page once you click on a result”

So from this we could infer what Mr Google is looking for is to see how much real content can be viewed as soon as a visitor lands on a page.

“Rather than scrolling down the page past a slew of ads, users want to see content right away.”

This seems to be the crux of the matter. Google does not want you to fill the ‘above the fold’ part of your site with ads, or at least not to the extent that it affects user experience.

How Many Ads Are Too Much?

Google does not draw a line in the sand to tell us exactly ‘how much is too much’. We are left to guess. Of course Google is in the ad business, so if common sense is prevailing at Google HQ then they wont be intentionally targetting well put together original content sites that include ads at the top of the page. We can be reasonably assured that ads above the fold are still okay. Its just that we now have to be mindful when Mr Google says…

“This algorithmic change does not affect sites who place ads above-the-fold to a normal degree, but affects sites that go much further to load the top of the page with ads to an excessive degree or that make it hard to find the actual original content on the page”

and…

“This new algorithmic improvement tends to impact sites where there is only a small amount of visible content above-the-fold or relevant content is persistently pushed down by large blocks of ads.”

But what exactly does ‘above-the-fold’ mean in this case? Lets see what clues they give us…

The Browser Size Tool

Notice if we scan down the post towards the end they mention the Browser Size Tool. So we could infer that if our content looks good when viewed in this way and is not ureasonably impeded by ads then we are hopefully staying on the straight and narrow.

Lets look at an example of one of my sites using the Browser Size Tool. Its worth noting that when I check the rankings of this particular site for the keywords I’m targetting I notice no loss of ranking at all since the update.

As you can see this site has plenty of ads above the fold, but 98% of visitors can see the first line of real content and 95% can see the whole first paragraph. There are still a couple of ads here above the fold though, and in my view its not excessive, no more so than most blogs which monetize using ads.

So because I’ve seen no ranking change, I’ll assume this is okay AD SEO-wise and within Google’s normal parameters.

Future AD SEO placement design considerations

Ad placement designs that I’ll be avoiding from now on are the ones in which the entire above-the-fold content is taken up with ads, and I’ll be drawing an arbitrary line in the sand of 98% in the Google Browser Size Tool for the first line of real content. I’ll also be limiting the number of ads I have above the fold to the ones that count such as a single large rectangle ad or a large banner ad. Also I’ll be thinking even more carefully about in-content below the fold ad placement. These are just my initial preferences but it would seem to me that a commonsense approach will win the day in this case, striking a balance between Search Engine ranking and Ad visibility.

Of course HeatMap Theme was designed with this kind of experimentation in mind, so if you make any discoveries of your own about this new twist in the Google update saga then let us know!

This update adds extra functionality to the HMT Ads button in the visual editor. You can now insert ad widgets directly in your posts from the WordPress visual editor. The new [square bracket] shortcodes also make it easier for you to see exactly where you’ve inserted those ad widgets.

HeatMap Theme Pro v5.1 is available in the Members area for download and testing.

The v5 user guide is now completed so you can now hop over to the v5 members area, download version 5 and discover the cool new features.

We’re also working through the public site to update all entries and links to refer to v5 features, so bear with us and don’t trip up over any loose wires.

v5 Members Area

Its finally here. HeatMap Theme Pro v5 BETA is now available for all HeatMap Theme Members to try, and there is a link directly from the forum, so you can get access to the new HeatMap Theme v5 members area and all the extra v5 goodies.

This is the last stage before we make v5 the new official release. I’m now running this version on live sites (but of course, like any change you might make to WordPress, backup, backup, backup before installing). Your help in finding any last few gremlins will be most appreciated.

So Whats New in V5?

Here are just a few highlights…
(check the new HeatMap Insider v5 area for more specific usage details)

Laser Targetted Ad Placement

You can now place ads anywhere within individual pages or posts using the new HMT Ads button in the WordPress post HTML editor.

Ad Rotation within HeatMap Ads

By using the [ROTATE] tag within your HeatMap Ad Widget you can combine multiple ads which will change randomly everytime the page is reloaded. Using the [NOCACHE] tag you can even have rotating ads when you are running a cacheing plugin.

NEW Ultimate Authority Pro Skins

HeatMap Theme gets a whole new look with these new Pro Skins. Ultimate Authority skins look like they mean business! Your sites will command the respect they deserve

New Social Features

You can now add Facebook Like, Twitter Tweet and Google +1 buttons to your posts. Also Google Plus is now available as a social network button in your nav bar.

Affiliate Review Site Features

If you are creating review sites then you will love the new buttons that can be placed on the home page at the end of each post, and featured images that can be automatically linked to affiliate sites.

Import/Export Plugin

Made the perfect HeatMap Theme setup? Now you can export it and import it to a new blog, to make the set up an army of HeatMap sites super quick! When used in conjunction with WordPress’s own import/export function it makes reproducing sites almost like magic!

Options Page Makeover

HeatMap how has now had a usability makeover. Begone long options page! (unless you really want one). HeatMap Ad Widgets and other special HeatMap Widgets are also editable within the Widget manager. Some options switches have been automated to make things easier

SEO Features

The new SEO plugin option allows HeatMap just to get the heck out of the way if you want to use an external SEO plugin. If you choose to use HeatMaps internal SEO features then they are now even easier to use. Custom Fields begone!

Select which Categories will Show

You can now select the post categories to show on your home page, and also limit the Recent Posts Plus widget allows you to select specific featured categories.

Logo and Favicon Uploader

You can now upload your logo and favicon directly from the options page.

Page and Post Templates

All page templates are now available for posts too. There is also a new ‘Page/Post Ads Off’ template which allows you to switch off all ads and sidebars for information pages such as Privacy Statements.

Head CSS option

You can now add CSS tweaks directly to the theme without editing files.

So what are you waiting for? Try new HeatMap Theme Pro v5 Beta.

Adding Logos (Logo URL)

In this video tute I let you in on how I create very simple logos for niche sites, and how you add them to your HeatMap Theme header. I also show you my favourite site on the internet for grabbing free graphics that are ready for use as logos.

>> Visit the Logo Tute (Member Access)

Google Adsense Search Box (CSE Search Code)

If you haven’t added a monetizing Google Adsense Search Box to your site then you are leaving money on the table.  In this new video I guide you step-by-step to create your own Google Adsense Search box with HeatMap Theme.

>> Google Adsense Search Box Tute (Member Access)

Would you like to be rewarded for telling people how great you know HeatMap Theme is?

Then maybe its time you considered the HeatMap Theme Affiliate Program.

If so you need to click on this link right now…

“YES I love HeatMap Theme and I want to tell the world about it”

No ETA yet, but I’ll keep you posted when the MediaMojo Ninja Meisters have something new and cool for us all to play with.

*Update – please note that this post refers to a site created with HeatMap Theme v3.

Just recently I’ve been creating a new site, DrawPj.com, using my very own HeatMap Theme.

Its always refreshing to take the theme and then mod it and mold it until so it does new things that it didn’t before. In fact DrawPj.com doesn’t really have any ads at all, it’s an online art course site, but still HeatMap Theme was up for the job!

Some of the tweaks I’ve made to construct DrawPj.com may well make it into future versions of the theme as permanent features.

Anyway, hop on over to DrawPj.com and have a look, and, if you are a subscribed Heatmap Insider member and you want the inside skinny on anything that I’ve done there, then do drop me a line.

Oh BTW, the client is very happy with it. The client also happens to be my wife. Phew!

HeatMap Theme version 3.0.3 has just landed in the Insider Forum Downloads area

This release brings a couple of extra useful goodies which HeatMapsters have been asking for in the shape of two new page/post templates which allow you to…

• Switch off the ads and/or auto thumbnails images when using the WordPress Gallery feature in pages or posts

• Turn off the auto thumbnail images when you are manually inserting images into pages or posts

These nifty little templates help to keep your blog formatting stay just as lovely as it should whenever you are using images in your pages and posts.

HeatMap Theme has just celebrated its 250th member, so if you are using the free download version, loving your HeatMap Theme and would like to take advantage of the latest and greatest theme updates direct from HeatMapster HQ then we invite you to jump aboard and join our happy band!

Because HeatMap Theme makes use of some of the latest WordPress features…

HeatMap Theme requires WordPress version 2.9 upwards.

Make sure you are running the latest WordPress version before installing HeatMap Theme.

Happy Heatmapstering!