help me improve my ad placement

I tried to improve my CTR and only ended up damaging it... i dont know why though!

heres what my site used to look like

======================================================
Banner

======================================================
Menu
======================================================
	________________________	|
	|			|	| SubMenu
	|Google Ads 468x60	|	|
	|_______________________|	|
					|
					|
	++++++++++++++++++++++++++++	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+	Content		   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	
	+			   +	
	+			   +	
	+			   +	
	+			   +	
	+			   +	
	++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

	________________________
	|			|	
	|Google Ads 468x60	|	
	|_______________________|



[Google Links				]
======================================================
Footer
======================================================

Code (markup):

And now its like this:

======================================================
Banner

======================================================
Menu
======================================================
	________________________	|
	|			|	| SubMenu
	|Google Ads 468x60	|	|
	|_______________________|	|
					| ___________
					| |	    |
	++++++++++++++++++++++++++++	| |Google   |
	+			   +	| |Links    |
	+			   +	| |	    |
	+			   +	| |_________|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+	Content		   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	|
	+			   +	
	+			   +	_____________
	+			   +	|           |
	+			   +	|           |
	+			   +	|           |
	+			   +	|           |
	++++++++++++++++++++++++++++	|Goggle Ads |
					| 160x600   |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|           |
					|___________|


======================================================
Footer
======================================================

Code (markup):

heres a link to a typical page on my site:
http://photoncubetutorials.blogspot.com/2006/03/what-is-computer-science.html

can you guys please help me out? what should i do?

 

If it's CTR you're after, replace the banner with a medium or large rectangle and keep it above the content.

Pete

 

Hey, hasAcomputer, take a look at this thread. It's laid out with some good suggestions for ad placements for blogs.

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=76185

 

yeah i looked at that...

Im wondering about wether to keep the google links in the side menu? they are really not being clicked on... but then again i dont have enough information to make any conclusions... it's only been about 5000 hits since i put it there and lets say that the amount of clicks is next to none

im thinking of putting in a big ad square inside my content and move the ad links somewhere else maybe?

does anyone know what font google uses for the links?

 

I wouldn't keep them in the right menu, at minimum it would go in a left sidebar, but the best with your design (the given example page) would be :
right under your blue links under the tutorial palce a 728x15 adlink
then instead of the 468x60 ad unit put a 336x288 and put the 468x60 (or another 336x288) at the end of the article, just before your text :
"
We recently added Google Adsense to our website to help us reach our goal of hosting photoncube on a dedicated server. We ask you to be aware of them but please do NOT click on the ads unless you are in fact interested in what is being advertised!
"
This text, I would totally remove and let only the comments.

If you want, for fun, you can use the last of the 3 available ad unit in the right sidebar at the location where is your current adlink, and make it a 160x600. Then you put the text :
"
If you're bored check out the Just Letters addicting flash game. We hope you Enjoy your stay!
"
and finally you add 2 more referral buttons, one for adwords and the other for adsense.

I hope this helps.

ps: the first 336x288 you can put it before the beginning of the content or embed in the content with a "div float: left" or "float: right" (I believe left is better)