Though video content has become popular over recent years, blog posts and long-form content continue to be important pieces for any website to have. Written content is more cost-efficient to produce and provides additional context to other forms of non-written content. For instance, text summaries still need to accompany videos so that search engines can properly index them. Additionally, using SEO marketing is a common tactic used by digital marketing services Singapore businesses trust. Well-written articles with carefully chosen keywords are engineered for search engine optimization, so producing blog posts still drive a lot of traffic to websites.
Written content can also generate income for the website that hosts it. If you’ve ever noticed highlighted words in an article you are reading, that is an example of inline advertising. Placing your mouse cursor over these words will display a pop-up of links relating to the anchor text. This type of online advertising allows advertisers to promote purchase links or sponsored content.
How Does Inline Advertising Work?
Also known as “in-text advertising”, these ad links appear as part of the text content. The inline ad provider gives a Javascript code for the webmaster to add to their webpage. The script then determines the target keywords for the inline ad. A double underline format differentiates them from regular links.
Unlike regular ads that link to a single web destination, the pop-up display of inline advertising gives the reader options for how they want to engage. They can opt to read stories related to the anchor text or move to an e-commerce platform to purchase the product.
What Are the Benefits of Using Inline Advertising?
Ad placements are commonplace in websites. Like Pay Per Click (PPC) advertisements, joining an inline advertising program is an opportunity for the site to generate additional revenue. There are also particular merits to inline advertising compared to traditional banner ads.
- Sidebars, widgets, and other ad types can take up a lot of space on the webpage. They can also make the display look cluttered, and the graphic design can be disruptive of the site’s branding aesthetic. In contrast, inline advertising doesn’t cause much visual interruption, apart from the double underline format. You can easily add it to the site without disturbing existing PPC and affiliate ads.
- An inline ad’s placement within the text body also increases its viewability. Compared to PPC ads that border the page and don’t relate to the content, readers are more likely to click on links within the article itself.
- The pop-up display of inline ads allows for more advertising copy to appear in the ad. Having additional information may encourage the viewer to click on the link or links presented.
- Inline ads are very easy to use and set up. You only need to add a Javascript code to the site’s HTML, and the program takes care of the rest.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using Inline Advertising?
Ads are disruptive by nature because they need to catch the viewer’s attention. However, some people find inline advertising to have particular disadvantages.
- Because inline ads occur within the article body, readers may not expect to see advertising there. Accidentally hovering the mouse cursor over the text or clicking on an inline ad can feel intrusive and interrupt their reading. It may also feel duplicitous for a reader who clicks on the link because they are interested in getting more information. The unexpected ad pop-up can be annoying and negatively affect user experience.
- In-text ads blend in well with the rest of the content, but this can also be to the website’s detriment. Readers who want to avoid an ad pop-up may stop clicking on internal links as well. It becomes a missed opportunity for them to visit other pages on your website and decreases your domain rating.
- Inline advertising can add to the visual clutter. Including several links and a long copy can result in a large pop-up ad. The pop-up can take up a lot of space in the middle of the webpage, and when combined with all the other ads on the banner, sidebar, and page footer, the display can be overwhelming and unpleasant.
- Ads can also slow down a webpage’s loading speed. If it takes too long, the visitor may leave, and this will increase your site’s bounce rate.
- While the inline ad may present results with words similar to the anchor text, the results may be irrelevant to the context of the article. As such, there is no incentive for the reader to visit any of the links.
Inline advertising is a unique way to include advertising on your website, but it may not be appropriate for all. Niches like news publications are usually more likely to benefit from this kind of advertising. If you are not sure if inline advertising can benefit your site or not, try an A/B test first to see how it performs and if your readers will be receptive to this type of advertising.
