Google.com earns most of its revenue by allowing other website owners to advertise on their search result pages. All this is managed through a program they call
AdWords.
Now you can earn a share of the revenue that Google earns from AdWords by placing these same text ads on your site. In other words, you're helping Google advertise and they pay you a percentage of what they earn.
This program is called AdSense.
Every website owner should be involved in this. It's just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Even if your site is just for information purposes, you can still participate and make decent money with AdSense -- or at least enough to fund your website.
So if you are one of those people that don't like the idea of paying for a site, this is an excellent way to earn your money back and then some.
Even if you earned as little as $10 in a month, it would more than likely cover some or all of the costs for your web site. Perhaps you are simply looking for ways to add additional revenue to your website, then it's perfect for that situation too.
This program is getting so popular, people are creating websites just to display the ads and profit from Google's AdSense alone.
I don't usually like to use the term "easy money" because there really is no such thing. You still have to create your own website and learn how to bring in traffic in order to make good money with this program.
I certainly don't want to make it sound like you get something for doing absolutely nothing. There's no such thing.
However, I've got to say that AdSense is probably the closest you'll ever come to fast money on the Internet -- especially if you already have a website that gets a good amount of traffic.
What's even better...the program is completely free. You can also use it on multiple websites and there is no limit to the amount you can earn.
If you go to
Google.com and do a search for almost any keyword phrase, you'll notice some "Sponsored Links" that appear on the right side of the screen that are relevant to the keywords you just searched for.
Website owners pay Google to display these ads and are charged a predetermined amount every time their ad gets clicked by a web surfer. With the AdSense program, you will display these same text ads on your site just like Google and get paid for it as well.
All you do is copy and paste some provided HTML code into your pages and Voila! the ads will show up. Every time an ad is clicked on your site, you will receive a certain percentage of what Google receives from the advertiser.
Once your account reaches $100, you'll receive a check in the mail.
Is Google Crazy?
I know what you're probably thinking...
"What's the catch here? Why would Google just give away money advertisers are paying them?"
The answer...
Because Google is very smart.
Now that I understand how AdSense works, I can see that it's a win-win situation for everyone involved, and the bottom line benefits Google. Let me explain...
Since the advertiser's ads are now being displayed on more web sites all over the internet (instead of just Google's site), they are getting much more exposure. More exposure means more clicks and even more traffic for their site over a shorter period of time.
This is good news for Google because the more traffic the advertisers receive, the faster their advertising funds are used up.
Remember, they get charged every time their site gets a visit; and of course, it is Google's hope that they'll continue to keep funneling more money into their account for more ad exposure.
What an ingenious way for Google to increase the amount of money they earn from advertisers while building loyalty with website owners (like us) who are now getting paid to help them advertise.
Of course, I'd expect nothing less from the most popular search engine on the web. :)
How Much Can I Earn With AdSense?
Google does not disclose exactly how much you'll earn per ad that is clicked.
The commission you receive per click depends on how much advertisers are paying Google for the particular ad. You will earn a share of that amount. I've heard of earnings anywhere from 2 cents to $15 per click.
So it is logical to believe that keyword phrases like debt free, employment, make money, mp3, sex, etc. will earn you more per click since these are highly competitive keywords that are searched for quite a bit on the web.
Advertisers generally pay more for popular terms because they are searched for more.
Even though Google will not reveal how much you are earning for each ad that is clicked from your site, you can still login to your account at any time and see the total amount of revenue you've generated that day, week, month, year, etc.
For example, if you see that you've made $12.60 today from 9 clicks then you can calculate that your average click-thru commission was $1.40 per click. That's as detailed as their stats will get. Also remember, that's only an average. You won't know how much each specific ad brought in.
The amount you'll earn also depends largely on the amount of targeted traffic you receive to your own site, how well the ads match your audience's interests, the placement of the ads on your pages, and of course the amount you receive per click.
Ideally, you should create a site on a topic you know a lot about. That way you'll have a much easier time creating a generous amount of content on that subject.
How Google Matches the Ads to Your Site's Content
One of the main reasons this program is so successful is because the ads that are displayed closely match the content of your website. This increases the chances that someone will click on the ads.
Here's how Google accomplishes the content match...
"...We go beyond simple keyword matching to understand the context and content of web pages. Based on an algorithm that includes such factors as keyword analysis, word frequency, font size, and the overall link structure of the web, we know what a page is about, and can precisely match Google ads to each page."
So let's say you have an information website about yoga. Once you join AdSense and paste their ad code into your site, Google's technology will determine the topic of the pages by scanning for keyword repeats, page title, etc.
If successful, you will see ads that relate to yoga displayed on your web pages. Of course, the more related the ads are to your site's content, the better the click-through.
Keep in mind, the ads may not be an exact match because it depends on the ads inside Google's database. So instead of seeing yoga ads, you may see more generic ads like exercise, healthy eating, etc. This is not a bad thing because these are topics your visitors will likely be interested in as well.
Why I Believe AdSense Works So Well
For years, website owners have tried to make money from their sites by putting up banner ads in hopes of visitors clicking them. The problem with banner ads is that the Internet audience is so immune to them, people do not click on them anymore.
When's the last time you clicked a banner ad?
...Exactly!
Second, in order for the web site owner to earn money from that banner ad, usually the web surfer that clicks has to purchase something. With AdSense, your visitors just have to click the ads. They don't have to purchase a single thing.
Third, most people that use banner ads do not do a good job of matching the ads to the website's content so the click thru percentages are dismal.
With Google's AdSense, not only are you displaying text ads, (which tend to receive a much higher click-thru rate than banner ads), but you are displaying contextual ads that match your website's content....thanks to Google's advanced technology.
Lots of times people think the ads are part of your site's content so they click because the information is relevant to your site. Whereas with banner ads, they often have little relevance and people tend to ignore them no matter how much they flash and fly across the page.
Creating Your Website for AdSense
Before you even begin your site, make sure you've come up with a topic that you feel you know plenty about. That way it will be easiest to write a lot of content.
The more content you have, the better chance you have getting accepted into the program. Also, the more content, the greater the earning potential. AdSense is nothing but a numbers game. If you want to make a lot of money, prepare to write a lot of content.
The Do It Yourself Method
I've actually used both methods for building my site and there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
If you use the DIY method, you will have to go and register a domain name (yoursite.com) and then sign up for a
web host and build your pages. You can either learn HTML or buy some kind of web editor like Microsoft FrontPage to build your pages. That's the method I used to build this site.
Averaging between $7 and $15 per month, the DIY method is usually the most cost friendly of the two but you are mostly on your own in terms of learning how to create your web pages and adding the AdSense code to your site.
Web hosts are generally there to house your site. They don't specialize in helping you market and optimize your site for the search engines to help you get traffic. So don't expect a lot from them in terms of helping you market your site.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. I had to learn how to build this site on my own and it wasn't very difficult.
I bought
Microsoft FrontPage and in about a day or two my site was up and running. So if you don't mind learning, it's definitely doable. In fact, most people use the DIY method to build their websites. The 2nd method below is fairly new in comparison.
How to Join AdSense
In late 2008, Google tightened up their acceptance policies. According to an email I received from someone who was trying to join the program, you now must meet the following criteria before you are accepted...
- Your website must be your own top-level domain (www.domain.com and not domain.com/mysite). That means you can't just sign up with a free blogger or free web hosting account and get approved for AdSense.
- Your domain name must have been registered and active for at least 6 months before you apply
- The registration information that you provide during the AdSense registration must match your domain name registration information
- Your website must contain a substantial amount of original content
When you are accepted, simply copy and paste the provided HTML code into any page that you'd like to show the ads. If you've done a good job of defining the content on your web pages, the ads that show should be relevant to the content of your page...increasing the chances of click-thrus by your visitors.
You can either display the ads vertically along side the page like Google does or in a banner-like formation horizontally across your pages. The placement is up to you. You can even customize the colors to match your site's theme.
If Your Site Is Rejected by Google...
If you receive that email from Google stating that your site has not been accepted, the first thing you should remember is that as an AdSense member, you become a partner and are representing Google, Inc.
They have to make sure the websites that display these ads are up to par or they could run the risk of losing advertisers. Imagine if you were paying Google to display your ad and you found it showing up on a poorly developed, junky website.
Of course, if your site is rejected, it doesn't mean it is poorly developed. There may be other reasons:
1) Is your site an "About Me" page?
Google does not usually accept these kind of personal sites because most of them do not have a specific topic or theme. They are usually just random facts about the website owner or their hobbies, pictures, etc.
It would be difficult for Google's technology to display targeted ads on these kinds of pages because the topics vary from subject to subject.
They are looking for "themed" sites that contain a generous amount of information on a specific topic. It could be anything from sewing tips to sports. Just make sure there is an obvious theme with adequate information.
2) Is your site organized?
Be sure your site has a neat and clean navigation that's easy to follow. Also ensure all the links work and that there are no typos. Keep the colors to a minimum and make sure each page has a consistent layout.
3) How many pages are on your site?
Even though Google doesn't specify a page number requirement, many believe they are looking for web sites with a certain amount of content. Again, it's not likely a two-page site will get accepted. Try to strive for at least 15 pages.
4) Is your content solid?
Don't just submit a website with a bunch of links to other sites. Be sure you have a themed/niche site with enough original content of your own.
5) Is your site an exact carbon copy of someone else's?
Some believe Google can find out if your site is original or not. Don't risk it and steal from someone else. It will come back to haunt you.
If you're stuck, write a few articles of your own and then go to sites like
www.articlecity.com and sprinkle a few of their articles around your site to beef it up.
6) Be sure to read their program policy and procedures carefully and make sure your site hasn't violated any of the terms.
Tips on Succeeding With AdSense
Here are some tips for achieving success with AdSense.
1. Create a website with your (YourSite.com). Don't try to use a free web host because your site will likely have banners and pop-ups and get rejected because it looks unprofessional. Not to mention, a free web host will give you a website address like this:
http://thefreewebhost.com/yoursite/member1234/home.html
instead of...
http://www.yoursite.com
Thanks to the policies implemented in late 2008, AdSense no longer accepts sites created on free domains anyway. So may as well
register your own domain.
2. If you don't know web programming or have no desire to learn it, get a beginner's design editor like
Dreamweaver (what I use) or
CoffeeCup. You can publish your content directly to the web from the software.
Keep in mind you can't use the software alone. You must have a
web host that will allow you to publish your site to the Internet. (More on web hosting in a sec.)
3. If the main goal of your site is to make money with AdSense, be sure to choose a topic that you know a lot about so you can write lots and lots of content.
4. Get traffic. Once your site is up and running you'll need to learn how to get your site listed in the major search engines.
Getting into Google is
completely free and can bring in hundreds or even thousands of visitors per day. All you have to do is
submit your site to them and wait patiently while Google ads it to the index. It can take a few months. Patience is key with Google. Then do the same with Yahoo, MSN, etc.
And while you're waiting it's important you build up as much unique content around your theme as possible. Google loves large sites with useful content centered around a specific theme.
Don't create a hodgepodge site with topics on everything under the sun. Stay focused and make sure your site has an obvious theme.
5. Partner up with other related sites and participate in link swaps. This means that you place a link to another person's site on your own site and they do the same for you in return. This is a great way to get even more free traffic.
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