Some 10 days ago I wrote about the new Google rule of placing Adsense Ads too close to a menu, or other parts of your web site where users might be expected to click. In a more recent post on the official Adsense Blog, Google clarifies on this new rule. It seems that as long as there is a small amount of space between your menu and the Google (link) Ads, you’re OK. But beware, in some instances it only takes 1 or 2 slight differences, and you will get banned.

Above is the image used to explain the new rule. Both examples are OK to use, according to Google. The difference between menu and ads in the example on the left is clear enough. But the one on the right already comes quite close to a version which could get you banned.

On the right is such an example shown. As you can see there is not really much difference between this example and the right one from the previous example. It does wonder me that that one IS allowed by Google. But this one surely would get you banned with the new rule. As you can see I removed the space between the menu and the ads. And made the layout of menu and ads look more alike. Only 1 or 2 small changes, but they are ‘deadly’.
So on the one side you are adviced by Google (and allowed) to ‘blend in’ your ads with the design of your site. But from now on, take care with too much blending, or you will stop earning any cents at all from Adsense.

Are you using ‘blending techniques’ like these? And will this new rule make you change your design? I wonder.