Thinking about adding Text Link Ads to your site/blog? The new Text Link Ads Link Worth Calculator will give you an idea (rough as it may be) of the kind of scratch you can make.

Since I just boosted this blog’s advertising space a couple of days ago, I’m quite attuned to alternate ad opportunities. And I’ve been eyeing Text Link Ads for a while. It’s appealing because its non-contextual nature means it can co-exist with Google AdSense, so I wouldn’t have to trade my existing assured revenue for a shot in the dark.

Still, there’s something about TLA that’s off-putting. It could be as superficial as the amateurish-looking website; I realize looks shouldn’t matter, but it doesn’t instill much confidence in me. That’s counterbalanced by the increasing proliferation of the ads across the Internet.

Plus, there’s the issue of where to place any new ad banner(s). This template wasn’t really designed with ads in mind; the only place left is in the left sidebar, and well below the fold, to boot. Combine that with the fairly low link worth the Calculator computed for this blog, and it seems like I’d be handicapping the ad performance from the get-go. Not sure it’d be worth it.

But this gives me something to chew on — which, no doubt, is the main purpose of this Calculator widget. It’s a soft-sell tool for snagging new TLA publishers, and I might eventually be one of them.

(Via Weblog Tools Collection)