No AdSense even for PAID blogs !?!

creagility · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 11:26 am
Copy link

Add topic to favorites
So I decided to host my blog with WordPress.com.
I want it to be “pro” grade soon, so I went for the CSS and domain options (25 $).

Actually, I came to WP.com because I had noticed that some great blogs (like the GigaOm network) were hosted here.

And now I notice that inserting Google AdSense or other ads is not allowed !? Even for *paying* customers ?!?

Ok, I see, *afterwards*, in many many FAQ & forums, that it is indeed forbidden…
I can understand that for *free* blogs ; but here, we’re talking about a (very disappointed) *paying* customer…

Oh, ok, GigaOM gets the special VIP treatment… available for blogs with tens of thousand viewers daily… (not quite my case… yet ;-)

Why not offer the ability to insert such ads against a fee ? This would get rid of the unwanted side effects seemingly feared by WP.com. (scams, link farms, etc.)
nimravid · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 11:35 am
Copy link
GigaOM uses WordPress’s software but it’s self-hosted. Blogs hosted at WordPress.com cannot use ads.
fromtheleft · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 11:47 am
Copy link
It’s a peculiar policy at WP to say the least.

I really don’t have any interest in AdSense or advertising of any kind but I certainly think members should be able to have ads if they want them. But heck, I think Aksimet should be an optional feature too, so what do I know?
janschejbal · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Copy link
May I (again) suggest allowing Google Ads via an interface to avoid insertion of arbitrary javascript. Paying customers could be allowed to enter any adsense id, free customers would be forced to use the id of wordpress.com and would get 50% of the ad revenue, which could be used for upgrades or withdrawn via paypal (after checking that the blog was not spamming)

– no spam problem
– paying customers happy
– free customers happy
– more money for wordpress.com (50% of ad revenue of free customers, minus the cost of checking to block withdrawals from spam blogs)
raincoaster · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Copy link
You do not understand. There is a paid upgrade called the VIP program. GigaOM is on the VIP program. VIP bloggers are not bound by the advertising restrictions. If you wish to purchase the VIP upgrade, contact staff.
tasteofmylife · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Copy link
Wanted to put adsense on my blog but I’ll go elsewhere now !
antivalentine · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Copy link
I’m confused. How would 50% of the ad revenue from free blogs and 0% of the revenue from paid blogs make Automattic MORE money than the current setup where they get 100% of all ad revenue from both free and upgraded blogs?
orbvab · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Copy link
Let me summarize it all up, get the $600 a month VIP hosting, or use wordpress.org software.
raincoaster · Member · Mar 18, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Copy link
Oh, orvab, you’re making it out to be worse than it is! VIP is only $200 or $300 a month!

No items found.