[Tiddles-the2nd]

When it comes to ad links I've always wondered if it's ignorance or done deliberately to make you click on the ad.

[keltex]

It also has to do with the ad networks. For example with Google adsense, they really encourage you to use responsive ads:

"You can use responsive ads to provide a great user experience on your pages. They look good on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. "

But when you use a responsive ad, google can dynamically decide the height of the ad. They don't want you use use a fixed height container:

"The parent container has fixed or limited height. Responsive ads should not be placed inside containers with a fixed or limited height, as they may be taller on some devices or browsers. If you need to limit the height of your responsive ads, you’ll need to modify your code and use CSS media queries to set the height of the parent container."

https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/9183362?hl=en&ref_...

https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/9183362?visit_id=6...

[pc86]

Which is strange since Google will also penalize your site for shifting all the content after the initial paint. So they won't let you define a maximum width or height, but will also penalize you for having dynamic width and height elements.

[frereubu]

It could well be naive A/B testing. "Oh, this configuration has really increased our click-through rates", not realising that it's because people are trying to click on something, and an ad jumps into the space that they're just about to click.

[pmg102]

I love the optimism about human nature implied by the use of the phrase "not realising".

[frereubu]

I honestly think that's the truth for the majority of cases like this, or at worst a kind of willful blindness. Of course there are the scammers, but I think they generally produce such terrible work that very few people use it on an ongoing basis. I'm sure there are examples between those two, but I reckon they're few and far between.