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When you paste the 3 max AdSense units within a page, AdSense figures out they're on the same page and provides different ads within each spot. Does AdSense automatically start with the topmost ad (per html output) and then deliver lower bidding keywords for the 2nd and 3rd units? Or does AdSense figure out which ad unit is best performing and work off of that?

The reason I am asking is because (in the old days, at least) when AdSense first allowed 3 units per page, if they couldn't deliver enough inventory, they would leave the 2nd and 3rd units blank. However, what about if the 3rd unit on the page is the best performing?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by peterson5052

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Short answer: the behavior changed since 2006. Back then AdSense explicitly recommended “up to three” content units and the system could drop lower-paying ads (so second/third spots sometimes appeared blank). (adsense.googleblog.com) Today Google’s placement rules focus on content-to-ad balance (“Valuable inventory”) instead of a fixed three‑ad limit, and the ad stack is driven by the ad-server/programmatic auction logic rather than a simple “give top slot the highest bid, then leftovers.” ()

How it actually works now (practical view): each ad slot generates an ad request and the ad server / exchange decides which creative wins that request, while also considering the page view as a whole (to avoid the same creative in multiple slots and to respect page-level rules). That means slots are auctioned and coordinated, not strictly assigned in visual order by a fixed fallback queue. ()

Practical fixes you can apply (answers and building on ): reorder the DOM so your highest‑value ad unit appears earlier in source order while keeping the visual layout you want with CSS; or keep the DOM order but use server-side rendering to place the ad code earlier. Test changes with AdSense’s experiments and track Active View / eCPM metrics so you decide with data, not assumptions. Example pattern (move ad slot earlier in DOM, then visually push it back with CSS):

<!-- place the high-value slot early in the HTML so it gets requested early -->
<div id="ad-high">…AdSense code…</div>
<div class="content">…</div>
<div id="ad-other">…</div>

<style>
/* visually move #ad-high below content while keeping it early in DOM */
#ad-high { order: 3; }         /* if using a flex container */
.content, #ad-other { order: 1; }
</style>

Use AdSense experiments and custom/URL channels to A/B test placements and let Google’s tooling measure winners. ()

Checklist / cautions: don’t violate placement policies (keep content primary), avoid accidental‑click patterns, and measure viewability and revenue changes after any DOM/CSS tweak. If a long-term solution is needed across many pages, modify the templates so the ad slot’s HTML order is consistent and controlled. ()

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Member Avatar for f1 fan

They do it in order of html appearance. There is a short help in adsense about multi unit ads and the best placement of them etc. And yes they still drop them if they cant fill the second and third

Member Avatar for Dani

Grr, that's what I suspected. But it's frustrating because my third ad unit is the best performing.

Member Avatar for f1 fan

cant you change the html and use css to put it where you want? or is it going to be a huge rewrite?
If it is so far ahead of the other two why not drop it to 1 and put your own ads or something in those other two spaces? I have dont that with some sites.. i replaced one google adsense on a page with a google adsense button which performed well. And some other space i sold to sponsors.

Member Avatar for Dani

That is what I have done already. However, I would much prefer a scalable solution. Something that continually keeps track of how ads perform in various locations and pages on Google's side, and adjusts where to display high bidding keywords accordingly and continuously. I want Google to always know what performs best, and to always display the highest paying keywords there. That is more incentive and motivation as a publisher to ensure my ad spaces perform better, as well.

Member Avatar for rajesh_23

i want to put multiple adsense units on same page of my website

Member Avatar for arthmedianetwor

want to put multiple adsense units on same page of my website

Member Avatar for arthmedianetwor

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Member Avatar for peterson5052

Google assigns their ads according to your content, if you site has good content and have good traffic as well then your unit will never be empty by google.

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