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Your Complete Guide to AdSense: How to Start Making Money

Written by Jimmy Rodriguez | Feb 17, 2020 4:00:00 PM

AdSense has become one of the most popular ways to monetize websites online. Not only is it relatively easy to set up, but it also has the potential to be relatively lucrative thanks to Google’s intelligent algorithms. Right now, more than two million people are using AdSense to make more money online according to Google. And, while that’s still a relatively low number considering how many websites there are in existence around the world, the point is that if you’re not one of those two million websites, there’s a good chance you’re missing out on some extra cash every month.

Because AdSense draws from a bank of millions of advertisers, there’s quite a bit of competition to get on your website. Not only does this translate to more money for you, but it also means less work because you don’t have to go track down interested advertisers yourself. Plus, because Google’s AdSense is automatically optimized for mobile devices, there’s no concern about ads not being viewed properly from one of your visitor’s phones.

And the fact that AdSense is smart enough to choose types of ads that work with your website’s layout just adds to the list of reasons why people all around the world are huge fans of the money-making platform.

 

A Closer Look at AdSense

Before you jump in with any type of online advertising, especially the kind that promises to quickly and easily make you money, it’s always a good idea to understand the platform and how it works exactly. Google AdSense works by allowing you to run ads on your online website. And, when those ads get clicked by one of your viewers, you get paid. AdSense knows who you are via a code that is generated specifically for your website, which is how you get paid accurately.

The bank of ads that is selected from by AdSense is generated by Google’s other popular business platform, AdWords. AdWords allows businesses to develop ads and place them in the running to get selected by blogs and websites using AdSense. In other words, the two different platforms work in tandem with the ultimate goal of making businesses and blogs on both sides money.

One of the reasons AdSense is so popular with websites and blogs is because it’s free to join. This means that, if you have a website already up and running, there’s really little risk to at least try to see if AdSense can make you money. Another great thing about AdSense is that it doesn’t discriminate between “aged”, or popular, blogs and those that are just getting started. Compared to other ad programs, the requirements to join and use AdSense are incredibly low and easy to meet for most websites. AdSense also lets you add advertisements to your YouTube account, although the requirements for that are slightly higher than those needed by a website. (YouTube accounts need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in order to qualify for AdSense.)

And, if you’re particular about how your website looks, AdSense also provides bloggers with a variety of layout options, which means the ads can be integrated into your website design without feeling disruptive or even spammy.

Of course, AdSense isn’t always the right option for everyone.

If you’re familiar with Google, you know that they are very strict when it comes to terms of use. That means that if you break the rules or even appear to have broken the rules, your AdSense account can be terminated within seconds. Before you start using AdSense, it’s important to read all of the terms thoroughly so that you don’t accidentally do something and then have to find out the hard way.

So, if you’re a blogger who is willing to play by the rules, then AdSense might be a great choice for monetizing your online space. If, however, you have your own products for sale on your website (ones that make you more money that what you’re paid for getting a click on an AdSense ad), then using AdSense could be risky because there’s a chance that you’ll lose sales when someone clicks away from your site.

 

How Does AdSense Work?

Once you decide that AdSense is the right platform for you, it’s time to start familiarizing yourself with how it works. For starters, you’ll want to double check that you can actually use AdSense by ensuring that you have the right platform. Most self-hosted websites, especially those that use WordPress, will have no problem getting in sync with AdSense. The same is true for Blogger and YouTube accounts, as long as they meet the minimum requirements. If, however, you’re using a free WordPress site, then AdSense won’t work. (There are other options you can look into, but know that AdSense is not one of them.)

There are a variety of types of ads used by AdSense, which is great news for bloggers because it really allows for a lot of customization. As an AdSense user, you can choose which types of ads you want to see featured on your website, including:

  • Text Ads
  • Image Ads
  • Rich Media Ads
  • Video Ads
  • Animated Ads

There’s also an option with AdSense to utilize what’s called “AdSense for Search,” which basically allows you to place a Google search box on your site that, when utilized by a visitor, will populate with custom AdSense ads just for them.

AdSense keeps its platform competitive by ensuring that only the highest paying ads go live. These ads are also reviewed to make sure that they meet quality standards and that they are relevant to your actual audience. And, if you don’t like a certain ad, you can block it from your AdSense account to make sure your audience never sees it.

Once you hit the $100 mark in earnings, you start receiving monthly direct deposits or checks from AdSense. And, from there, the sky’s the limit.

 

How to Make Money with AdSense

Speaking of making money with AdSense, here’s what you need to know in order to get started on the platform.

There are three basic requirements to set up your AdSense account so that you can potentially start making money.

  1. Your own Google account
  2. A phone number and a valid address associated with your bank account
  3. An online site or account you can connect to AdSense

Once your AdSense account is set up, there are two basic ways you can begin making money. The first is with impressions and the other is through clicks. (And, as tempting as it might be, don’t ever click on your own AdSense ads to try to make a quick buck as that will almost immediately get your Google account banned for good.)

As your AdSense account begins to make money, you can monitor your earnings through your account dashboard. This dashboard will also give you insights about which of your ads are performing the best and other helpful tips to help make your website or online account more profitable.

If you’re eager to start monetizing your website with AdSense, there are a few things you can do right away to increase the odds that you’ll see a check or deposit in the upcoming months.

  1. Make sure the content you are posting and publishing on your website or YouTube account is actually valuable. Your audience can tell right away if you’re creating content just for the sake of getting them to your website so that they’ll see an ad. The more genuine and authentic and valuable your content is, the more organically you’ll increase your traffic. (And, as a result, your AdSense profits will naturally start to increase too.)
  2. Don’t try to cheat your way into getting more people to your website. While honest methods to get more eyes on your site are great (like SEO and content marketing), other get-people-to-your-site-quickly methods will never get you to where you want to be in the long-run.
  3. Keep your website optimized by ensuring that it’s responsive, which means it works and functions for mobile devices. Using responsive ads is the best ways to keep your AdSense words looking, and working, their best.
  4. Test the layout, placement, and types of ads you use from AdSense to figure out which combination works best for your site and your audience. Chances are that the first thing you try isn’t going to be the most profitable way to make money. For most websites and blogs, having at least one ad above the fold (this means that your visitor doesn’t have to scroll to see it) is the most effective. It’s also effective to place ads close to your header or logo so that they’re more visible to your audience.
  5. Stay up-to-date with Google so that you know if and when their policies change. And, if you are potentially doing something wrong, Google might send you an email about it with a warning. This means that opening all emails from Google once you begin working with AdSense is a practice you need to employ regularly.

 

Wrapping Up

While there’s now several ways to make money online, like starting your own online store, monetizing your website with AdSense is a quick and easy way to start earning a profit from your content. If you’re running a blog with a large following, it won’t be long before AdSense starts paying off for you. But, be aware that not every internet user likes to see ads on the websites or videos they visit – especially if they’re large, obnoxious, and overall in the way of the user experience. You won’t earn money on ads, no matter how many you place, if your hard-earned readers or watchers turn away immediately. Monitor user reactions to your website’s ads and work to provide the best experience while still making a profit.