{"id":25727,"date":"2012-04-10T20:18:11","date_gmt":"2012-04-10T14:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=25727"},"modified":"2026-10-13T10:16:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T04:46:26","slug":"load-first-adsense-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the First AdSense Unit Earn the Most? Best Ad Placement (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Does your <strong>first AdSense unit<\/strong> earn the most? In 2012 we advised moving your highest-CTR ad so it loaded first in the HTML, because back then AdSense filled the first unit on a page with the highest-paying ads. That trick no longer applies. Each ad slot now runs its own real-time auction, so what matters in 2026 is where your ads sit and how often they are seen, not their order in the code. Here&#8217;s what changed and how to find your best ad position today.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/ad-placement.png\" alt=\"first AdSense unit placement on a page with sidebar and content ads\" width=\"400\" height=\"215\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> With the current asynchronous AdSense code, every ad unit is auctioned separately, so the first unit in the HTML doesn&#8217;t automatically get the best ads. To earn more, use custom channels or the ad-unit report to compare positions, keep your best-performing unit in the most visible spot (usually near the start of the content), use responsive units, and remove units that are rarely seen.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad80f734f253\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad80f734f253\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#Why_the_%E2%80%9Cfirst_ad_unit%E2%80%9D_trick_worked_in_2012\" >Why the &#8220;first ad unit&#8221; trick worked in 2012<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#What_changed\" >What changed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#How_to_find_your_highest-earning_ad_position\" >How to find your highest-earning ad position<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#1_Track_each_position\" >1. Track each position<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#2_Put_your_best_unit_where_readers_look\" >2. Put your best unit where readers look<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#3_Use_responsive_units\" >3. Use responsive units<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#4_Load_the_script_once\" >4. Load the script once<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#5_Remove_weak_units\" >5. Remove weak units<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#6_Block_ads_you_dont_want\" >6. Block ads you don&#8217;t want<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#What_not_to_do\" >What not to do<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#Does_the_first_AdSense_unit_get_the_highest-paying_ads\" >Does the first AdSense unit get the highest-paying ads?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#Which_AdSense_position_earns_the_most\" >Which AdSense position earns the most?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/load-first-adsense-unit\/#How_many_ad_units_should_I_use\" >How many ad units should I use?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_%E2%80%9Cfirst_ad_unit%E2%80%9D_trick_worked_in_2012\"><\/span>Why the &#8220;first ad unit&#8221; trick worked in 2012<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Old AdSense code ran synchronously and filled ad units in page order. Google&#8217;s own advice at the time was that the first unit in the code got first pick of the highest-paying ads, so publishers rearranged their HTML with CSS floats to make their best-clicking unit load first. We used exactly that trick: placing the left sidebar code first in the HTML and floating it into position.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_changed\"><\/span>What changed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Asynchronous code:<\/strong> the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/06\/google-adsense-asynchronous-code\/\">async AdSense code<\/a> loads units independently, and each slot is filled through its own auction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Real-time bidding:<\/strong> advertisers bid per impression based on the user, the topic and how likely the ad is to be viewed, not on the unit&#8217;s position in your HTML.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Viewability:<\/strong> an ad that&#8217;s actually seen attracts higher bids. A visible unit near the content beats one placed early in the code but out of sight.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Auto ads:<\/strong> many sites now let <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/using-adsense-auto-ads\/\">AdSense Auto ads<\/a> choose positions and only hand-place one or two key units.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_find_your_highest-earning_ad_position\"><\/span>How to find your highest-earning ad position<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Track_each_position\"><\/span>1. Track each position<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Create a custom channel for each manual ad unit, or use the &#8220;By ad unit&#8221; report. Compare page RPM, CTR and Active View viewable rate over a few weeks rather than a few days.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Put_your_best_unit_where_readers_look\"><\/span>2. Put your best unit where readers look<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Units just below the title or after the first or second paragraph usually perform well because they&#8217;re seen early. Keep the start of your content visible on mobile, too.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Use_responsive_units\"><\/span>3. Use responsive units<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/12\/new-google-adsense-smart-sizing-responsive-ads\/\">Responsive AdSense ads<\/a> fit every screen and let more ad sizes compete, which raises the winning bid.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Load_the_script_once\"><\/span>4. Load the script once<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/07\/load-google-adsense-script-once\/\">Loading the AdSense script once<\/a> for all units keeps pages faster, and faster pages mean more ads get viewed.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Remove_weak_units\"><\/span>5. Remove weak units<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Units at the very bottom or deep in the sidebar often have low viewability. Removing them can raise the value of the remaining slots and makes the page cleaner.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Block_ads_you_dont_want\"><\/span>6. Block ads you don&#8217;t want<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If ads compete with your own offers, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2023\/01\/block-adsense-ads-of-affiliate-products\/\">block AdSense ads<\/a> for specific advertisers or categories.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_not_to_do\"><\/span>What not to do<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t use CSS tricks that hide ads or make them look like content. That breaks AdSense ad placement policies.<\/li>\n<li>Don&#8217;t ask or encourage visitors to click ads. See how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/12\/google-adsense-invalid-click-activity\/\">protect your account from invalid clicks<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Google&#8217;s own <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/adsense\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AdSense Help Center<\/a> has the current ad placement policies.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_the_first_AdSense_unit_get_the_highest-paying_ads\"><\/span>Does the first AdSense unit get the highest-paying ads?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not any more. With asynchronous code each ad unit is auctioned on its own, so placement and viewability matter more than code order.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_AdSense_position_earns_the_most\"><\/span>Which AdSense position earns the most?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It varies by site, but units near the start of the content are usually seen most and earn well. Check your ad-unit reports to confirm.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_ad_units_should_I_use\"><\/span>How many ad units should I use?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Use as many as your content can carry without crowding it. A few well-placed, highly viewable units often earn more than many weak ones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does your first AdSense unit earn the most? In 2012 we advised moving your highest-CTR ad so it loaded first&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":25745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43,6],"tags":[13,49],"class_list":["post-25727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advertising","category-blogging","tag-adsense","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25727"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64871,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25727\/revisions\/64871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}