14 DAY TRIAL // Website usability represent one of the many key points taken into account by search engine spiders in the indexing process and, respectively, the calculation of SERPs for individual web pages.
But, besides search engines spiders, websites visitors must be able to use a website in a natural manner in order to understand and discover its content.
Even if a website has all necessary usability rules implemented in its design and published content, there are factors that could influence in a negative manner the initial navigational elements equilibrium in relation with the changes induced in the form of content presentation.
The inclusion of ads, like banners, Flash movie or text links, into a certain website could reduce the degree of usability for a given webpage or the entire website. Let's consider for example the opinion of a webmasterworld.com forum user regarding an "efficient ads management method": the respective user suggests the creation of an easy navigation path to certain website articles title or abstract and the replacement of navigation system on the article individual page with ads. What is wrong in this practice?
In the first place, doing so, you will cancel the principle of consistency of navigation system, which states that it must be in the same place on all website pages and must have the same links structure. In the second place, it is not recommended to name the ads units in other ways than Sponsors or Advertising, because of suggesting that the ads links are included in your navigation menu is a bad practice, determining penalties from search engines and the loss of website visitors.
Another practice of placing text ads inside of articles content is also not recommended because the user reading pattern will interfere with the respective text ads and again the website usability will be reduced. As a consequence, in order to be sure that you will maintain the website usability, you must place the ads so that they will not interfere with the content or the website navigation system.
The best choice (when possible) is represented by peeling ads or ads presented through unobtrusive DHTML scripts. Also, the implementation of an ads management system will allow you to control the placement and the ads presentation inside your website pages in a better way.