Update: I no longer update Connections on this site, however I’ve created a new much better theme at Connections Reloaded with AdSense/SEO. Connections Reloaded with AdSense/SEO includes better SEO Optimization, better AdSense options and full widget and tag support. February 2009
Connections is my second AdSense converted WordPress theme. Like the first theme I converted, Blix, it uses 3 blended Google AdSense units per page in what I think are the best locations (without ruining the feel of a blog).
WordPress Connections theme with Google AdSense Ads
The first screenshot shows the home page of Internet PT which I used to edit this WordPress theme (may not be using it now). You can see two of the three AdSense ad units in the screenshot, the third unit is located at the bottom (336×280 rectangle ad unit).
You will find the same ad units and placement for all archive type pages.
The second Connections screenshot shows a single post page, this is where single posts are listed. You can see the three ad units. One at the top within the content, one on the menu and the third at the bottom to catch users who might leave your site after reading a post.
Connections Theme with AdSense Installation Instructions
Download the zip file below
Download Connections with AdSense WordPress Theme
Unzip and edit the file adsense.php within the /connections-adsense-01/ directory to include your Google AdSense code (read the readme.txt file for more details). Upload, select theme “Connections AdSense 01″ and you are done.
Drop a quick comment below if you installed this theme, I’d really like to know what you think.
57 responses to WordPress Theme Connections with Google AdSense
Hi Dave,
Thanks for modifying this theme. I am very new to hosting my own domain and stuff like php is very cryptic to me. I have thinking all night how to get this done and luckily I have surfed your site via google then viola.
Of course I still have to replace the banner pic with a different one.
Thanks!
thanks Dave, for your adsense-spiked themes. They are great. I tried all the themes.
wish-list:
* can Google Search be used instead?
About packing the theme zip files:
* all themes except Connections extract w/o a holding folder
* file permissions too restrictive. When unzipped under Linux, directories got 0700 and files got 0600 even if my own umask is 0022.
Potential bug:
* Blix treats a new page as top-level, even if it is specified as child page for About page. Same parent-child page relationship was handled properly by other themes such as Kubrick.
Easy install and nice layout. Very well done, David. I did change the Adsense number, sorry.
Really, though, this is a great template and easily configurable.
We intend to change the top logo and incorporate on the graphic our name and we’ll see how that works out.
I love your color scheme with adsense its barely noticeable, very stealthy if you know what i mean
excellent theme. I am using it for my website.
I will be using this excellent theme on my blogs. Thanks for making it. One question. The links at the top “about” “links” “archive” don’t go anywhere. Is there somewhere in wordpress I can add that information? Thanks!
Hi
I followed your instructions and extracted the connections theme into my wordpress installation on my local setup which runs apache web server and php.
However, my blogs dont display the google adsense.
View source of my page shows this:
“;
google_ad_width = 468;
I’ve changed the adsense id in the adsense.php
Can you please help ?
Thanks
Raj
thanks for the themes..
suggestion, can we add channel to the ads.
future mods.. =)
thanks again
Is what you see above what you pasted or has some of it been lost after sending?
If you send me an email at anything@seoNOSPAM-gold.com deleting the NOSPAM (so seo-gold) with what you see when you view source I’ll take a look.
Have you tried it on a live site? I bet the problem is with the local setup since many people have downloaded the theme with no one else reporting this problem.
With regards the links and about pages. Create a page (not a blog post) called about and you’ll get a page like http://www.morearnings.com/seo-dave/ then edit the header.php file and change the # bit of the about link with the URL you just created.
Not sure why the theme creator did it this way when there’s a perfectly good way to do this automatically using WordPress built in features.
If you don’t want these links remove them from the header.php file.
Hmm, looks like I never got around to converting this theme to version 02, too late now when I get the time will create a version 03 Connections theme (much better AdSense code and features and SEO optimization) and make it available from http://www.google-adsense-templates.co.uk/
David
@SEO Dave: when the theme was first developed back in 2005, we worked against the clock to submit it to the Alex King’s WP theme competition and it lacked many of the functionalities we would have liked to have included – including the one you mentioned.
I am currently working on the new version of the theme, which will come loaded of features, including the automatic creation of the links on the top bar. ;-)
Cheers,
Patricia.
Hmm, I’m planning to build one myself that’s borderline legal by adsense. No idea when its going to be done though. I’m currently using a pretty spiffy one by MangoOrange but its not really optimized for adsense/ads.
Hi Patricia
It’s a great theme and look forward to seeing the update. If you want some SEO tips take a look at my other site that has fully optimized WordPress themes http://www.google-adsense-templates.co.uk/
Pretty cool what you can do with WordPress themes these days.
David
I installed the Connections theme with Adsense, substituted my own pub code, but no ads appeared. Got a message from WP that this theme is not widget-aware, meaning there are no customizable sidebars. What gives? I put back a previous version of Connections Reloaded, until I can figure this out.
hi… n’m new to wordpress and I need help actually… i’ve looked on your adsense and it did match your site’s content or topic… my problem is why in my site, when I put the adsense code, it will not match the topic I have for my site which is about cars… so when I put the adsense code, the adsense that shows up is about WORD, PRESS, Micrsoft word, etc. which means I might be missing some code in my adsense code… can you give me a code or your code if possible on your adsense… thanks…
Hi kristine
Usually it takes time for the AdSense ads to show the right sort of keywords, if you’ve not waited at least a week that’s probably the problem.
Don’t expect perfection though, on this page the top ad is a loans ad, sidebar Google Checkout and the last one win an Xbox 360 when you buy a particular game.
So only Google Checkout has any real relevance to this page and really not that much, just the word Google. Would be like an ad for the UK government organisation Connections that deals with young people. Not really relevant to a WordPress theme with AdSense ads.
AdSense pays the mortgage so I won’t complain :-)
David
Can you please let me know how many google adsense units can be added to one site?
Usually it takes time for the AdSense ads to show the right sort of keywords, if you’ve not waited at least a week that’s probably the problem.
True that.
Excellent theme. Discreet design ;)
Hi there, is there any theme that I can use online meaning I don’t need to install it or something like that. I just blog over wordpress.com and I don’t have my own domain. Looks like every adsense theme I see is not for wordpress.com use.
thanks for the themes..Excellent theme. Discreet design
WOW. I installed it on my personal blog and made 220 the first day. Now I only made around 110 a day before the theme. I still dont know how you guys did it. But WOW I am amazed.
Michael
The second one is great. The adsense box should be in the middle of content or blended into the content to get more clicks…
Hi, how many ad units can be added?
Thanks
This world of blog marketing is amazing. I had spent so much time trying to find a theme I liked, but I was totally missing the monetization aspect of the theme itself. I will definitely try out the Connections with Adsense theme. Thanks!
Has this layout you created increased your Adsense revenue?
Hi,
Installed it. Looks good. But Adsense isn’t not picking up subject of the website. Do I need to do something?
Thanks.
Hal
Thank good theme
wow good theme
I like how the header was designed and the position of the adsense is perfectly placed.
-Jan
Oh thank you verymuch for adsense wordpress theme. Now i can try it with my blog. My blog is so simple now because i’m newbie with wordpress
Once again thanks
Hi Dave,
Nothing can be done to help people working on blogs and wordpress than improving the way they apply to maximize their Google AdSense revenue.
Thank you! you have done really a great job that might help to get more benefits from Google AdSense.
I used this theme for the longest time at macewan.org. Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t this theme currently incompatible with WordPress 2.5?
hi. thanks for theme.
perfect
Wow, that’s a great theme. I will be implementing this on a few sites for sure.
So what about replacing Adsense with other Afilliate Marketing ads? Will it work on this theme?
thank’s for this nice theme, i take this for my new blog
Thanks Dave. I am using this theme on my partner’s genealogy blog http://www.mayrand.org/genealogy-blog
I still need to figure out why the links on the very top don’t work. I’m also planning to upgrade to the newer Connections Reloaded theme, so it can use widgets. If you don’t object, I plan to make the modified codes available to bloggers on Road2Independence.com in the future.
The links at the top don’t work because they are static links, you have to either remove the links from the header.php file or create the pages through WordPress. Basically it’s a bad design, with WordPress this sort of stuff can be put into the theme so it works when those pages exist only.
Been meaning to update this theme to my latest SEO/AdSense code, (would update bad code as well) but will then go on my themes sales site at http://www.google-adsense-templates.co.uk/
Just downloaded the reloaded version, so will probably convert that to AdSense/SEO soon.
My new themes (the ones for sale) are much better than the free ones on this site.
David
Hi, I love your work .
I remember reading about the Connections theme a year or so ago when I first decided to use Wordpress. A lot of people were using it but I never got round to using it. I think it would be good for a review type of site with some modifications.
Nice thing to know about word press themes which integrate Ad Sense with them. Will give them a try for my blogs in word press.
anyone making money with this adsense wordpress theme? just for sharing..
Wow this post has staying power! hehe – Anyhow, thanks for the resource. Always looking out for more Wordpress themes and tools.
Ive been messing with adsense and wordpress. There are plugins, but i find its best to put the adsense into the template files of the wordpress theme. This gives you better control of where the ads will be. But this post is great and Im gonna give it a go :)
Good work, thanks for posting it!
Dave, I am in the process of getting my blog going. BTW, great job on the Ad Sense integration. I am using your Connections/Ad Sense template. I am having a heck of time getting the excerpt feature on the home page to work, I added the Homepage Excerpts plugin, but it is not compatible with the template.
On the other hand, the way you handle excerpts on your morearnings.com site is exactly what I am looking for any pointers on the plugins or how to get the index.php to work with excerpts (even the standard WP ones don’t work) I am using WP 2.7. Concerned about user friendly home page and the duplicate content issue (SEO). I appreciate any help you can provide.
CDiaz.
Thanks this theme was what i looking for… :-)
One sure way to make affiliate income is to combine article marketing or writing articles and clickbank. One way to make affilaite marketing work for you.
wonderful theme. been a adsense user for quite long now and hope i will earn a lot with it
Hi Dave,
I’ve been using the Wordpress Platinum SEO pack for a while now and recently updated my my blog with your Connections theme. I am noticing the title is now using the ‘rewrite’ format even though I have manually defined a Post title (in the text field labeled Title under Platinum SEO Pack options in your post/page Write panel).
Any thoughts on how to fix this?
Thanks
Excellent theme! Now I can try it with my blog.
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