It’s taken Google longer than I expected to clear up whether it is ok to place images next to Adsense ads to increase clickthrough rates. Yesterday, Google very clearly said that they don’t approve of this tactic. Even adding spaces or vertical lines to separate images and Google Ads, will be regarded as a Adsense TOS violation.
The example in the image from Digital Inspiration is a bit extreme, but it gives you an idea of the type of tactics some sites were adopting. All I can say is that although some sites were clearly taking it too far, it DID improve CTR rates. This could be why Google is currently experimenting with different designs and logos in its ads.
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