Google AdSense: What It Is and How to Make Money

Google AdSense: What It Is and How to Make Money

You didn’t start blogging to earn extra cash, but now you’ve got a great following. Why not make money on your passion project?

Google AdSense is not the only advertising service that lets you monetize your blog, you've probably heard of it, no matter how much you earn and how easy it is.

What is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is an advertising program that you can use to monetize content such as blogs, websites or YouTube videos. Clients pay to advertise through it and you get a share of that revenue by hosting ads on your site or channel. Free sign up for AdSense.

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How AdSense works

First, Google needs to approve your website. Google does not disclose its metrics for approval. However, if your site has unique content and adheres to the AdSense policy, you better apply. You must be at least 18 years of age.

Once you are approved, you can arrange for ads to be published on your site. You can choose what type of ad is run and where it will appear on the page. But the companies that will appear on your site bid for the right to stay there.

AdSense allows its advertisers to rank your website based on your content, as well as the likelihood of visitors getting clicks on their ads. Google determines the latter through advertisers' "Quality Score". Two reasons are playing here. One is the click-through rate or CTR. This is the percentage of visitors to your site that Google thinks will click on ads

The other is a group of what Google says are "elements that affect the quality of the user experience from showing ads." Google does not disclose what these are, but the relevance of the ad to its support site and the experience of the landing page are key.

How much does AdSense pay?

Advertisers look at the elements described above and estimate what the cost per click or CPC is. Whenever someone clicks on an ad from your site they will pay this amount.

Think of your website as a landscape image you put up for auction. The auction house agreed to bid for the landscape painting collectors. The higher the image, the more competition there will be and the more money you will earn.

Since Google doesn't publish all the metrics it uses, it's hard to project how much you'll actually create. But let's assume for example that you get 2,000 views on your site in a month and 1.5% of these people click on an ad - that's 30 clicks. If an advertiser submits a 75-cent bid for a click, you'll see up to 22 22.50 for that month.

Create a money-making strategy

When income is so dependent on these factors, it helps to create a strategy. Google has its own tips for making more money with AdSense, but here are a few tips:

Focus on your content

If you submit original recipes, but also use your blog in a personal magazine, split the site into two parts and make money with a site with more specific content. This makes it easier for advertisers to match ads to your site. Focusing on content also helps you appear when people search on Google. If someone searches for “best chocolate chip cookies,” they’re more likely to click on the title “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - DanCooks” than “Dan’s chocolate chip cookie explosion recipe.” Then, if your recipe is straightforward and the sound stands out, people will read it.

Promote yourself

Your website will become more attractive to advertisers if visiting people plan to browse for a while. The presence of social media is great for free traffic. Updating your Facebook pages, Twitter, and Pinterest every time you post is a good place to start. If the following points are big enough, look into sending out a newsletter.

Place your ads where they appear

Advertisers want people to see their ads, and you want people to see your content. It’s hard to solve for both, but usually one or two clearly placed ads will do the trick without taking your page. This is one of the hardest things, so don’t be afraid to play with ad placement over time.

Don't break the rules

Google has a few guidelines that allow it to disable AdSense on your site. Most of the guidelines are aimed at people who make content with the goal of making the most money from AdSense, not people who have a good product or are passionate. This includes posting hate speech, promoting fakes, and posting copyrighted material. Please review Google's policies to ensure that you do not violate them.

These tips won’t work if you don’t want to work on your site. It’s easier for you to focus on your blog and advertise if you create something you believe in. If you focus more on revenue than you want, you can play ads for a little while and breathe.