If you are a blogger and know the importance of ads, you may have previously heard of AdSense. While excellent writing is crucial to maintaining your readership, ads can play a significant role in obtaining that readership.
When you place an appropriate ad in the correct location and target the ad for the right audience, you likely see your click rates rise. This is where AdSense comes in.
According to Google support, “AdSense works by matching ads to your site based on your content and visitors. The ads are created and paid for by advertisers who want to promote their products. Since these advertisers pay different prices for different ads, the amount you earn will vary.”
Creating a great ad matters because it helps funnel readers to your product, but the product must then stand on its own. However, in this article, we break down the above definition and explain different facets of AdSense.
Remember, like any new product you want to try, it’s helpful to first understand the various ways you can use it, what it’s for, and of course, what you get out of it and what you need to give in return. Let’s start with the basics.
The Newbie Angle
While there are many ad networks to choose from, AdSense is specifically powered by Google. Google explains the differences in several points:
- AdSense delivers ads served by Google Ads to your site.
- Google then pays you for the ads displayed on your site based on user clicks on ads or on ad impressions, depending on the type of ad.
- AdSense gives you instant and automatic access to a vast source of advertiser demand, which means competition for your ad spaces, more relevant ads, and ads for all your online content.
AdSense has also been around for about a decade, so it’s worth at least looking into.
What It Is
AdSense is a cross-platform application initially released in 2013 by Google. This web-based program allows you to partner with Google on ads and gain revenue. Code Fuel describes it this way:
“You get paid by Google when a visitor clicks on the ad or based on ad impressions, according to the type of ad.”
So why would you go with AdSense? It’s both free of charge and an easy way for various publishers to bring in revenue with targeted Google ads. Google gives you revenue for clicks/impressions on the Google ads you display on your site.
However, knowing what the program is doesn’t help much unless you know how to set it up.
How To Set Up
Before setting up your account, work through the following checklist they provide to make sure you qualify:
- You’re at least 18 years old
- You have an active Gmail account not linked to an AdSense account
- You have a live website that meets all of Google’s terms of service requirements
- Your website is at least three months old
- The content on your website is up to date and relevant
- At least 30 articles published that provide value
- You have a contact page
- You have a privacy page
- You have ample website traffic (no minimum requirement)
Once you pass this checklist, you can create an AdSense account by following these steps:
#1 – Visit https://www.google.com/adsense/start
#2 – Click Get started
#3 – Sign in to your Google Account
#4 – Enter the URL of your desired site
#4 – Decide if you want customized help
#5 – Select your payment country or territory
#6 – Review and accept the terms and conditions
#7 – Click Start using AdSense
As you can see, creating an AdSense account is just a few clicks away. There are benefits that come with setting up your account and using ads in this way.
Benefits
Now that you understand how to set up an account, let’s recap some of the benefits and add them to the list:
- AdSense is free
- AdSense is simple to set up
- You can earn money from your site
- Ads can be optimized for mobile
- You can save time by adding one code to your site
- This allows Google to show ads targeted for your site’s layout without further coding needed
If you understand the benefits of ads, how AdSense can save you time coding, as well as how you can gain potential revenue by using this program, it may be worth trying.
What To Watch Out For
Since revenue is an integral part of ads, it’s essential to know exactly how AdSense conducts its revenue share. According to AdSense:
- Publishers receive 68% of the revenue recognized by Google in connection with the service
- For AdSense for search, publishers receive 51% of the revenue recognized by Google
- These percentages are consistent, regardless of a publisher’s geographic location, and are not in any way averaged between publishers.
- Revenue share is not disclosed for other products with AdSense
- Since revenue shares by themselves can misinform users, users are encouraged to focus on the total revenue generated for your site.
For instance, Google says if their “ad inventory on your site generates $100, with our 68% revenue share you’d receive $68 through AdSense.”
That said, there are some more specific areas to look out for. One of these areas is payment thresholds. Google states that,
“Active accounts need to reach the payment threshold to qualify for a payment. Since we don’t ever issue payments for less than this threshold, we don’t allow publishers to select a form of payment until their current balance reaches the payment method threshold.”
Business Insider released an article about an AdSense user getting scammed. You may want to check out the article and ensure you take the proper precautions before diving into this program.
Writing, Ads, And Marketing
There is power in using ads to market your writing, but you want to be cautious about which service to use to do so. AdSense is free, but it is crucial to look into the positives as well as the negative experiences of its users.
Before jumping on board with any ad program, be sure you grasp a firm understanding of what it is and how to use it. With AdSense, users are not allowed to click on their own ads, but what happens if you accidentally do?
It’s important to know the answers to your questions before partnering financially with a program. AdSense is free, but do your homework before getting in too deep with a program you may not understand.
Last but certainly not least, remember that writing goes hand-in-hand with ads. If you create great ads and have fantastic click-through rates, but your product is less than quality, you’ll likely be wasting your money.
By the time you choose to sign up with an ad program, be sure you have a general understanding of the writing craft and how to apply (and at times break) writing rules. Consider asking beta readers for feedback on your writing, joining a writing community, or studying under an author through a guild or writing program.
The higher quality of your writing, the more your ads can transfer to actual book sales. Books sales bring in revenue and the potential to strengthen your career and reach more readers.
Both writing and ads start with the craft itself. Now that you have a guide to Adsense, we can’t wait to see what you do with it!
