Jumping right into the next square offering from Google Adsense, we have the 200×200 – Small Square. If you’re sidebar or content area is to small to accommodate the 250×250 – Square or the 300×250 – Medium Rectangle, your next option is the 200 x 200 – Small Square. The 200 x 200 – Square is multifaceted and can be placed in many areas of your page. Additionally, with some testing as to placement and design, this ad unit can produce a respectable amount of clicks. However, just like the 250×250 Ad Unit, the 200 x 200 has been relegated to the disapproved list by Microsoft Advertising, as well as the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), in favor of the 300×250 rectangle.
Exploring Standard Ad Unit Sizes: Google AdSense 120×240 Vertical Banner
The Google AdSense 120×240 – Vertical Banner is a shorter version of the 120 x 600 – Skyscraper. The AdSense version of this ad unit is only available for text ads, due to the small area. Once again, the 120 x 240 – Vertical Banner ad unit size is also used by Microsoft Advertising, while it has been delisted by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau).
This small, vertical banner is ideal when you have a small area under a thin column or you have a small area available in a large header or footer. While the 120 x 240 – Vertical Banner shouldn’t be relied upon as your main income generator for a page, as it doesn’t attract a lot of attention, it can be very effective if placed correctly. If you’re trying to place a skyscraper under a menu or in a sidebar and it is just too long, the 120×240 vertical banner is a good alternative.
Exploring Standard Ad Unit Sizes: Google AdSense 120×600 Skyscraper
Next up in the series of posts on Google AdSense ad sizes are the ads in the Google Adsense “Other – Vertical” banner category, starting with the 120×600 skyscraper. The reason the ad unit is called a skyscraper is because it is tall and thin and can dominate the space, like an actual, physical skyscraper. This ad unit is not in the AdSense top 4 recommended sizes and is listed in the Delisted Standard Ad Units category of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Ad Unit Guidelines. Microsoft Advertising, however, continues to list the 120 x 600 – Skyscraper as part of its standard ad unit sizes, both for marketers and agencies, as well for small and medium businesses.
The original skyscraper was thinner than the current commonly used version of the skyscraper, to accommodate the small side rails in the layouts of many web sites. As site design has changed and elements, including sidebars, of site layouts have gotten larger, the Google AdSense 160×600 Wide Skyscraper has become the more prominently used ad unit.
Exploring Standard Ad Unit Sizes: Google AdSense 234×60 Half Banner
As we delve further in this series of posts on Google AdSense ad sizes, we’ll explore the less used and alternate versions of Google AdSense banners. The AdSense 234 x 60 – Half Banner is found in the “Other – Horizontal” category, after the four main recommended sizes. While this ad unit is in the Delisted Standard Ad Unit sizes on the IAB Ad Unit Guidelines, it can be found as a recommended size in the Microsoft Advertising Standard Ad specs. I think the reason for the difference is that the IAB creates standards for agencies and other large advertisers, while AdSense and Microsoft Advertising also provide marketing channels for smaller businesses and publishers.
The 234×60 – Half Banner is very useful in side columns, especially near a navigation menu or under a larger square or rectangle ad unit. I have also seen it used in the footer of a website or blog.