Google Adsense

Can I use the Google Adsense Program if I Do Not Have a Personal Website?

You don’t have to have your own website to use Google Adsense. Google doesn’t usually approve personal pages but that is not written in stone.  Consult Google Adsense support pages for more information on what kinds of pages are acceptable. If selling a product or service doesn’t appeal to you, you might consider blogging.

Blogging initially meant web log but has gradually come into its own. There are as many different kinds of blogs as there are blogs themselves.  A blog can be like a cyberjournal in that you make daily “journal” entries or it can be more like a newsletter set up to inform or communicate with other people.  There are several blogging sites in cyberspace that will allow you to create your own blog pages and have targeted Google Adsense ads running on them.

A few of the most popular :

• Writingup.com
• Blogger.com
• Bloggerparty.com

You can also search blogsearch.google.com for an extensive list of blogs.  Not all of these carry Google Adsense ads and if you’re going to write a blog you may as well make some money at it.  Look around and you’ll find the perfect site for your Google Adsense ads to nest.

How to Promote Your Blog When You Are Using it to Earn Google Adsense Dollars

Promote your site or blog.  You could write the great American novel and if there’s little or no traffic to your site, you won’t make any money.  Not only that, but no one will know what a great writer you are.

There’s several ways to promote your blog.

• Include the URL in your email signature.  Now you’ve just invited everyone you email to read your blog.
• Link to other sites and ask the webmasters to link to yours. Network!
• Read other blogs and notice who is getting the most reads and comments. What are they writing about?
• Comment on other people’s blogs but only if it is sincere.  This will increase your overall traffic as you will pique others’ curiosity and they will want to read your blogs.
• Write a newsletter and offer a free email subscription to your blog.
• Put a Referral button on your site.
• Put an Adsense for Search button on your site.

Understanding Image Ads and Making Google Adsense

What are image ads?

Image ads are graphical ads.  Unlike traditional banner ads, image ads are also targeted to the appropriate audience, just like text ads.  A publisher that has a combination of image ads and text ads has a greater revenue generating potential.

Image ads are only for Adsense for Content pages and not available for Adsense for Search results pages.

There are 5 major formats of image ads:

The Leaderboard, which is about twice the size of a banner ad, the banner image ad, the skyscraper, the wide skyscraper and the medium rectangle. Google’s technology determines on a page by page basis whether image ads, text ads, or a combination of both will make you more money and then delivers the appropriate format.

You can choose to run only image ads, but Google recommends selecting both, thereby giving them a better chance to target the right advertising for your page, generating more revenue for you.

Bottom line: taking these two methods together will give you the best chance at making the most revenue.

How to Make Google Adsense Dollars at Writingup.com

To get started blogging at writingup.com, first you’ll need to create a Google Adsense account. If you’ve already done that, you’ll just give them the same publisher id you got when you  originally signed up with Google Adsense.  Since you can only have one Google Adsense account, you will always use the same publisher id on every site you add.  Next, you’ll create an account at writingup.com and within minutes, start blogging!

You still have to follow the Google Adsense rules as to the type of content not acceptable but other than that you have carte blanche as to what to write about in your blog.  Paste your writingup.com URL into your email signature and every time you send someone an email, you will be referring them to your blog, thus increasing your traffic on writingup.com.

Comment on other publisher’s blogs. If you interact with the blogging community, you are more likely to have your blog read more often.  Again, traffic.

Writingup.com has a list of successful topics you can write about.  You don’t have to choose from that list of course, but it’s quite extensive and if you look it over, you’ll probably find something that interests you.  They are successful topics because they turn up in search engines a lot.  More traffic.

Google Adsense

Like anything else, you’ll get out of Google Adsense what you put into it.  The following optimization tips can help you grow your Google Adsense dollars:

• Write interesting content and write every day.

• Have more than one site.  The more sites you have, the more ads have the potential to get clicked.

• Set up channels and monitor your statistics across all sites.  If one site is performing poorly, consider changing the content or the ad layout.  Experiment!

• Change the ad layout and notice which layout works the best for you.  There are many different layout options and there’s no way you can know going in which one will perform the best.

• If you’re blogging, writingup.com has a list of profitable topics.  They state that you don’t have to write on those topics but  you might give it a try or at least plug some of them in to the search engines.

• Google different key words and phrases and notice how much and what kinds of content and ads you see.Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

google adsense

Understanding the Google Adsense Report

When you log into your Google Adsense account, you are automatically taken to the page where you can view all your Adsense activity.  On the Reports tab, you’ll see “Today’s Earnings.”  This is the approximate amount you have earned today in your Google Adsense account.  Earnings are not final at this point and could be adjusted for invalid clicks or fees.

It’s interesting to look at the breakdown.  As you can see, Adsense for Content, which refers to the targeted ads appearing on the pages in which you have written content, is listed first.  Here you will see the number of page impressions listed in the first column.  While a page impression is generally the same as a page view, that is not always the case.  For a more detailed definition of a page impression, see Google Adsense support, click on Your Adsense Account and then click on Your Adsense Report.

Next, you’ll notice the number of clicks.  This refers to the number of times “your ads” were clicked on.

Page click through rate or CTR is in the next column shown as a percentage. It represents the percentage of the time an ad was clicked on after viewing your page.

Page eCPM which stands for effective cost per thousand impressions.  It is calculated by dividing total earnings by the number of page impressions in thousands.

Don’t be intimidated by these statistics.  The bottom line, your earnings, is what really counts.  As you become more familiar with Google Adsense, statistics will become like second nature.  First, just start.

How is Google Adsense Different From Other Ad Networks?

Primarily because it is Google and that carries a lot of clout just with name recognition alone.  But here are some advantages to being a part of the Google Adsense network:

Getting started is fast and easy and requires no technical knowledge.  Google Adsense even provides html code for easy implementation with clear instructions.

Google Adsense has both the Adsense for Content feature and the Adsense for Search feature.

Google Adsense not only provides keyword targeted ads but site targeted ads as well, maximizing your potential for revenue.

Google Adsense provides a filter so that you can choose not to run your competitor’s ads on your pages as well as filter other unwanted ads.Google Adsense provides an extensive support site that is easily understood.

Google Adsense

What Is So Important About An Invalid Click and How Will It Affect Me?

More than anything, an invalid click is a big no-no and it will get your account terminated faster than anything else.  Having said that, an invalid click is when a publisher clicks on their own ads to add to their earning potential .  It’s also when a publisher asks others to click on their ads just to raise their revenue.  It also raises the advertiser’s costs and Google won’t tolerate this.  Google Adsense has state of the art technology and they know what’s going on.

Invalid clicks also happen when someone uses robots to click on ads or automated software.  It is any deceptive practice used to click on ads.

Invalid clicks are also unnecessary as there are plenty of money-making opportunities with valid clicks.  With an optimized website, useful content, and attractive ads, there’s no reason for anybody to even entertain the idea of using invalid clicks.

Having Control Over Your Adsense Account

You the publisher, have complete control over the advertisement that runs on your site.  You can choose to run only image ads, only text ads, or a combination of both.  Google recommends that you choose a combination of both to maximize your earning potential, but the decision is yours.

When making your ad decision, you also have the freedom to choose which type of ads run across your entire account (image or text) or you can narrow that decision to what type of ad might run on a particular page.

As of right now, you are not able to differentiate your image ad click rate from your text ad click rate.  You can of course, differentiate your click rate from one site as opposed to another site.  Say, for example, you run only image ads on one site and only text ads on another site.  By setting up channels to track both sites, you can see which site has the better click rate.  Of course, you have to take into consideration there would be more factors than whether you were running text or image ads.  The content, the placement of the ads in general, even the color could make a difference.

Refer to the Google Adsense Support Site for specific instructions on how to enable or disable image ads.  Remember, it’s all up to you!

Google Adsense

How Can I Make Sure That My Account Will Not Be Disabled?

Google Adsense Program Policies make no allowances for deceptive practices. The most important thing a publisher can do to ensure the integrity of their site is to be aware of what is happening on your site.

Google has made it abundantly clear not to click on your own ads or ask others to do so. But what about practices a publisher may not purposely carry out?

Make sure that ads associated with Google never appear in an unrequested pop-up. Don’t be talked into purchasing traffic for your site that may contain adware.

Respect the Google trademarks. Don’t use any Google trademarks or logos without their consent.

Don’t change the Adsense code. If you’re a pro at html, don’t assume you can add your own code. If you’re new to html, simply copy and paste the offered code. Don’t mess with it.

Provide a good environment for advertisers and a positive user experience. Don’t try to be deceptive in any way. Google’s rules may sound strict, but believe me, protecting the integrity of the Google Adsense Program is in your best interest as well as Google’s. After all, a positive, honest Google Adsense program means more money for all of us.

Useful Books About the Google Adsense Program For Users of All Stages

Do you need to buy a book to use Google Adsense? Not necessarily. Google’s support page has a wealth of information. But you might consider it if you want to read a personal account of an Adsense wizard such as Eric Giguere or say, if you want to learn more about HTML. ‘Who Let the Blogs Out: A Hyperconnected Peek at the World of Weblogs by Biz Stone has a lot of information on blogging as well as information about Google Adsense. The following is just a few books you can find at amazon.com on the subject:

Make Easy Money with Google: Using the Adsense Advertising Program By Eric Giguere

The Google Adsense Handbook By Angus McLeod

Google Advertising Tools: Cashing in with Adsense, Adwords, and the Google APIs by Harold Davis

Top-Paying Google Adsense and Adwords Keywords for Pharmaceuticals (In Digital Format) [Download: Adobe Reader] By W. Frederick Zimmerman

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Growing Your Business with Google By Dave Taylor

How to Write Great Blogs

The best thing about blogging is that there are no rules.  You can write about anything you want.  A self-publisher’s dream!   There are some things you can do though to maximize your Google Adsense profits.  Narrow your subject.  Don’t just write about shopping.  Write about shopping for antique dresser drawer pulls.  Write every day. Have a blog at more than one site. If you develop a readership, you’re more likely to increase your profits.

Write about something you know or want to know or at the very least care about. If you try to write a great blog based on a “hot keyword” yet it’s something you could care less about, you’ll likely not stay with it long. Experiment and see what works for you. You can write based on your own opinion or something factual. You can review a product or service or a movie.  Read other people’s blogs and notice how many reads they’re getting.  Above all, have fun.  After all, it’s free and if you’re persistent you’ll see your Google Adsense dollars adding up.

Google Adsense

How to Apply to the Google Adsense Program

Applying for a Google Adsense account is quick and easy for any interested webmaster. Just point your browser to www.google.com/adsense and click on apply.  Click on the drop down arrow under account type and select whether you’re an individual or business.  If you’re not sure which one to choose, click on the question mark to the left. Next, select your country or territory.

Under website information, it asks for your primary URL.  If you have your own website, list it here.  If you are using a blogging site such as writingup.com or bloggingparty.com that URL goes here.

Select your website’s primary language. Google adsense supports Chinese (simplified), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

Select the product you want on your pages.  Adsense for Content means you will have advertising targeted to the content on your pages.  For instance, if you write about flooring, you might have carpet ads on your page.  Adsense for Search is for you to add a Google search box to your pages.  To maximize your Google Adsense earnings, you will want to have both.

After that, it’s just the regular contact information and you’re all set.  You should receive an email in 2 or 3 days letting you know if your application is approved.

Do I Have to Pay Taxes on My Google Adsense Earnings?

Google Adsense is required to collect tax information from those who participate in the program. If you’re a business, you’ll need to put your EIN number on your application.  If you’re an individual, all you’ll need is your social security number.  If you don’t have that information when you initially sign up, you can still apply for the Google Adsense program.  But be advised that Google Adsense will withhold payments to you until they receive your tax information.

While Google does not withhold taxes or provide any tax advice, they will send you a 1099 once your earnings reach a certain amount.  Of course, if you are a Non-US business and have no activity in the United States, you will not need to provide this information.  For more tax information regarding the Google Adsense program, visit the Google Adsense Support site.  For other tax-related questions or concerns, you can log onto www.irs.gov.

Google Adsense

How Much Money Can I Make With Google Adsense?
How much do you want to make?  How hard do you want to work?  And how much time do you want to spend working the Google Adsense program?

These are the questions you must ask yourself in order to answer that question.
Look at it this way: how many business opportunities come your way where the only requirement is hard work and the time it takes to work hard?  Not many.  Almost any business venture requires some kind of start-up money.

If  your total earnings is showing 0.00 after a week, not to worry.  Keep reading and learning and working.  If however, you’re still showing 0.00 after a month, it may be time to implement some of those optimization tips you’ll find on the Google Adsense Support Site.  Play around with the placement of the ads on your site.  Consider changing the colors.  Look again at the content. Is it interesting?

As with any other business, with the Google Adsense program, the sky is the limit. Work hard. Work smart. Have fun.  After all, you’re the boss.

What Are URL Channels and How to Organize Them in Google Adsense

URL Channels allow you to view detailed information about the performance of your  Adsense for Content pages.

Suppose you have a blog at writingup.com and you also have a blog at bloggerparty.com. It might be interesting and profitable to track which one is getting more clicks.  Log in to your Adsense account and click on Adsense for Content.  Scroll down until you see Channels and click on manage channels.  You may need to scroll up when the next page loads.  Under Manage URL Channels you would type writingup.com and click on Create New Channel.  You will immediately see writingup.com in the Active URL Channels dialogue box  Now type in bloggerparty.com in the same channel text box and again click on Create New Channel.  You now have two channels and you will be able to track your progress on each channel.  You can view channel reports from the Advanced Report page under the Reports tab.  Choose Adsense for Content, choose the date range and then select the Channels Data radio button. Choose any number of active channels by holding down the CTRL key. Next click on Display Report.  It’s as easy as that.

Google Adsense

It is Possible to Have More Than One Site For My Google Adsense Account? In fact,  the more sites you have displaying Google Adsense ads, the more money you will make.  You don’t even have to notify Google of the new sites.  Make sure though, that any new site you add conforms to Google Adsense Program Policies, because if your account gets terminated for any reason, you would not be able to display the Google Adsense ads on any of them.

All you have to do is copy and past the same ad layout code you previously copied and pasted to your original site.

The same rules apply when adding an Adsense for Search box to your new site.  Simply choose all the parameters from the choices displayed, copy the code to the new site or new pages within the old site.  As in the beginning, Google’s webcrawler will detect the code and you’re all set.

Will It Help Me to Buy Google Adsense “Secrets” E-books and Reports?

As with any money-making venture, there are pitfalls, pros and cons and some outright cons.  As popular as Google Adsense has become, it’s no surprise there is a wealth of information for sale.  Try it. Google Adsense and you’ll see what I mean.  There are those promising they make thousands and thousands of dollars a month from Google Adsense and they are willing to share their “secrets” with you – for a price.

The fact is Google Adsense will tell you everything you need to know – for free. They have a support site that covers virtually everything you would need to know about the program and experience will teach you the rest, although I admit I have seen a couple of interesting books on amazon.com.

There are a lot of people out there in cyberspace who will gladly answer your questions for free and there are many forums where you can post questions.  You can even email the Google Adsense Support Staff if you have questions that their Support Site doesn’t answer.

Experience will probably be your best teacher anyway. And the good news is the Google Adsense program makes that experience painless in that you have nothing lose. So just take a chance on yourself for now.  Learn everything you can to maximize your earning potential.