Making Google AdSense work for you
Ever since the Google AdSense initial release in 2003, more and more internet entrepreneurs have been using it to gain revenue on their blogs and web pages; so often, as to make "AdSense" a household term. That's why, when so many members on FunAdvice posted the questions "What is Google AdSense?" and "How do I sign up for Google AdSense?" I was actually surprised. For the sake of all our digibeet friends who can't seem to figure out the complexities of Google AdSense, here is a basic guide written in layman's terms.
Step 1: Understanding Google AdSense
How exactly does Google AdSense work? It places advertisements on your blog (usually related to your content). When visitors click on these ads, you get paid. There's a lot more intricate information and options with AdSense, but for the sake of keeping things simple, I'll leave the explanation as such.
Step 2: Build your site
Google AdSense requires that you have your own website or blog, but it's not as simple as creating a blog listing all your favourite rock bands - you need to have actionable content. What does this word - actionable - mean? When you add content to your blog, it needs to be something that peaks the interest of others. While your alphabetical listing of bands, or your poetry blog might seem interesting to you or your friends, it's not something that the majority of people will want to look up.
Simply put - think of all the kinds of things that people may do a Google search for. Google has actually made this easy for you by coming out with the "Google Insights for Search" tool (see resources). Once you determine a popular niche, stick with it. For example, if you are creating a recipe blog it makes no sense to post photos of your car, or have videos of your favourite YouTube star. Add relevant content to your site, and a lot of it. Having just two recipes posted won't bring in followers. Keep up with your site regularly … if you never update your content, you'll lose followers very quickly.
Step 3: Create your AdSense account
Before you sign up, make sure you meet criteria - you need to be 18 years of age, or have a parent or guardian create an account for you to use. You can only have one AdSense account, so when you're creating your account, be sure to use concrete information. Three years from now, you may want to get rid of your email address "squishybuns4u@hotmail.com" (and, by rights - you should), but if it's linked to your AdSense account it can cause you problems. A fail safe method is to create a Gmail account. Gmail is a Google email, so it's less likely to create linking problems with your account. Be sure to use an email address that you plan to keep.
The sign-up page can be found here. You can choose to receive your payments by cheque, electronic transfer (that is - to your bank account; you'll need to submit your banking information), or by online money transfer. The best option is to have your payments sent to your bank account. It's quicker than waiting for a cheque, and you don't have to worry about paying fees like money transfer establishments charge.
Once you've completed and submitted your application, you will need to verify it. An email will be sent to the address provided with a verification link. Your account will not be processed until you click on that link. You should expect to wait anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks for your application to be approved.
Step 4: Putting AdSense to work
Once your application is approved, you should start seeing ads on your site within about 48 hours … you don't need to do anything more to create revenue, but learning how to promote your site can mean the difference between making 10 - 25 cents a day, or making hundreds of dollars a day.
Post the link to your site (or specific parts of it) on link builders like Stumbleupon, Twitter, Delicious, Digg, and so on. Use the link to your site as a signature in forums that allow it, as well as in your signature for outgoing email. Do some searching around the internet for people who have questions that apply to your site. For example, if you're a member of a forum where someone asks for a recipe for fried chicken, you can link that person to your own fried chicken recipe.
You can also build income by submitting content to other sites that allow you to accept AdSense revenue. All you need to do is add your publisher ID to the site (look at the top right-hand corner of your personal Google AdSense page for your Publisher ID - it's a 15-digit number that looks like this: "pub-1**************5").
Example:
FunAdvice.com - Perhaps I'm a little biased, seeing as I work for this site, but FunAdvice allows you to keep 100% of Google AdSense revenue for writing How To's. The submission guidelines are pretty specific, so make sure you read them before you submit your work.
Triond - If you're any good at writing, you can earn on Triond. They allow submission of poetry and short stories, but if you're serious about making money, then you'll want to write quality articles in one of the top categories, such as Entertainment, Science, and Health.
Squidoo - This site pays well, but only if you create winning content and take the time to become one of the elite members. You can gain notoriety by viewing the content of other members, rating it, and commenting on it.
Of course, there is a lot more to learn about Google AdSense such as optimization, analytics, and RSS feeds, but all the little extras are things you can work up to once you have a basic understanding of AdSense fundamentals. Now all you have to do is sit back and make money. Oh, and while you're doing that, why not stop in and write a How To on FunAdvice?
Step 1: Understanding Google AdSense
How exactly does Google AdSense work? It places advertisements on your blog (usually related to your content). When visitors click on these ads, you get paid. There's a lot more intricate information and options with AdSense, but for the sake of keeping things simple, I'll leave the explanation as such.
Step 2: Build your site
Google AdSense requires that you have your own website or blog, but it's not as simple as creating a blog listing all your favourite rock bands - you need to have actionable content. What does this word - actionable - mean? When you add content to your blog, it needs to be something that peaks the interest of others. While your alphabetical listing of bands, or your poetry blog might seem interesting to you or your friends, it's not something that the majority of people will want to look up.
Simply put - think of all the kinds of things that people may do a Google search for. Google has actually made this easy for you by coming out with the "Google Insights for Search" tool (see resources). Once you determine a popular niche, stick with it. For example, if you are creating a recipe blog it makes no sense to post photos of your car, or have videos of your favourite YouTube star. Add relevant content to your site, and a lot of it. Having just two recipes posted won't bring in followers. Keep up with your site regularly … if you never update your content, you'll lose followers very quickly.
Step 3: Create your AdSense account
Before you sign up, make sure you meet criteria - you need to be 18 years of age, or have a parent or guardian create an account for you to use. You can only have one AdSense account, so when you're creating your account, be sure to use concrete information. Three years from now, you may want to get rid of your email address "squishybuns4u@hotmail.com" (and, by rights - you should), but if it's linked to your AdSense account it can cause you problems. A fail safe method is to create a Gmail account. Gmail is a Google email, so it's less likely to create linking problems with your account. Be sure to use an email address that you plan to keep.
The sign-up page can be found here. You can choose to receive your payments by cheque, electronic transfer (that is - to your bank account; you'll need to submit your banking information), or by online money transfer. The best option is to have your payments sent to your bank account. It's quicker than waiting for a cheque, and you don't have to worry about paying fees like money transfer establishments charge.
Once you've completed and submitted your application, you will need to verify it. An email will be sent to the address provided with a verification link. Your account will not be processed until you click on that link. You should expect to wait anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks for your application to be approved.
Step 4: Putting AdSense to work
Once your application is approved, you should start seeing ads on your site within about 48 hours … you don't need to do anything more to create revenue, but learning how to promote your site can mean the difference between making 10 - 25 cents a day, or making hundreds of dollars a day.
Post the link to your site (or specific parts of it) on link builders like Stumbleupon, Twitter, Delicious, Digg, and so on. Use the link to your site as a signature in forums that allow it, as well as in your signature for outgoing email. Do some searching around the internet for people who have questions that apply to your site. For example, if you're a member of a forum where someone asks for a recipe for fried chicken, you can link that person to your own fried chicken recipe.
You can also build income by submitting content to other sites that allow you to accept AdSense revenue. All you need to do is add your publisher ID to the site (look at the top right-hand corner of your personal Google AdSense page for your Publisher ID - it's a 15-digit number that looks like this: "pub-1**************5").
Example:
FunAdvice.com - Perhaps I'm a little biased, seeing as I work for this site, but FunAdvice allows you to keep 100% of Google AdSense revenue for writing How To's. The submission guidelines are pretty specific, so make sure you read them before you submit your work.
Triond - If you're any good at writing, you can earn on Triond. They allow submission of poetry and short stories, but if you're serious about making money, then you'll want to write quality articles in one of the top categories, such as Entertainment, Science, and Health.
Squidoo - This site pays well, but only if you create winning content and take the time to become one of the elite members. You can gain notoriety by viewing the content of other members, rating it, and commenting on it.
Of course, there is a lot more to learn about Google AdSense such as optimization, analytics, and RSS feeds, but all the little extras are things you can work up to once you have a basic understanding of AdSense fundamentals. Now all you have to do is sit back and make money. Oh, and while you're doing that, why not stop in and write a How To on FunAdvice?
Source...