In this post I’ll cover the basics on what AdSense is and how to get started using it.
What is AdSense?
AdSense is an advertising programme run by Google, that will allow you to make money from people clicking on ads placed on a website you own or share the revenue of.
For each time someone clicks an ad, Google will place a small amount of money in your account. We’re not talking about big sums. Usually, it will only be a few cents, though it can be more depending on the type of ad.
Once your AdSense account accumulates €70 (or $100), Google will transfer the money into your bank account.
Getting started
Before you can make money using AdSense, you’ll need to set up an account. For many, this is straightaway a stumbling block.
There was a time it was easy, apparently, but these days Google has become quite picky about their requirements for an account.
There is basically two things you’ll need:
- A Google account
- A website with quality content.
The second step can be trickier. Google wants to know they are placing their ads somewhere that has good content, and thus will attract traffic. After all, what’s the point in ads if no one is going to see them.
An obvious choice for the contents requirement would be a blog, but it will take time to build up enough posts of sufficient length and quality.
Another option could be to use a website like hubpages, which will allow you to write long articles without the need to maintain your own site. You can sign up through them, but you will still need a few high quality articles before Google will accept you. The usual advice you hear is ten good quality blog posts or hubs.
Taking either of these options, be prepared for your application email to come back and say you do not yet qualify. If that happens, don’t despair. Keep building your content and try again. You might be rejected a second and third time, but you’ll get accepted eventually.
Perhaps an easier option is to use webanswers. I’ve previously reviewed my experience with webanswers; it’s a revenue sharing website that pays through AdSense. Once you have answered an initial 50 questions, you can apply for an AdSense account through webanswers, with a very good probability of being accepted.
Whichever option you pick, quality is key. Make sure you use good grammar and spelling.
Note that once you have an AdSense account, you can very easily add other websites to it, without having to go through the quality control process each time. For example, I was able to get my AdSense account running through Webanswers, then added both my blog and my hubpages account, when neither of these would have been accepted yet on their own.
Getting verified
Getting your AdSense account approved is only the first step. Next, you’ll need to give them your bank details. You may be reluctant to do so; and you’re right, you should be very careful about giving out your bank details online. AdSense, however, is run by Google, and has existed for many years. It has been proven that it is a safe scheme and no scam. Your bank details will be safe.
To verify you’ve entered your account details correctly, Google will send you a small payment. Simply enter the correct amount when you see it appear in your statements to show that all is in order. This can take a few days.
A final security step is a pin that Google will send out to you by post - this is why it’s important you enter the right address! They will post it once your account goes over the treshold of around €10, although it can take up to three weeks to actually arrive in the post. Once your pin has arrived and you’ve entered it on the website, your account will be up and running.
Mind that threshold
Google AdSense is a safe scheme, and you can be assured that you will get the money owed paid. Eventually, anyway. In theory, Google pays out once a month. In practice, they will only pay once you’ve gone over the €70 or $100 threshold. I presume this is to keep transaction costs down, which is fair enough. It does mean that it can take a while to get a payout, especially at the start.
Terms and conditions
Another thing to keep in mind are the terms and conditions attached to using AdSense. When you sign up, please read the rules. Google can and will close accounts that are in violation, which means you will not be paid out any funds you have in your account. The guidelines are fair and clear though, so it should not be difficult to follow them.
In a nutshell, under the terms of the AdSense programme you cannot do the following:
- Click on your own ads or use means to artificially increase click count. This includes but is not limited to participating in ‘ad click chains’, and manipulating the ads themselves.
- Encourage visitors to click on the ads on your website.
- Put ads on websites with certain content. This includes, but is not limited to, anything related to pornography, gambling, racism, drugs and weapons sales, and pretty much anything that’s illegal.
- Put ads on websites that has content in breach of copyright laws.
- Put ads on websites that just use keywords to generate traffic, but do not actually offer quality content.
- Have a website that contains malware or anything else that deceives or misdirects the visitor.
- Put ads on a website aimed at children, at least not without notifying Google first.
AdSense Internationally
As always, let’s have a look at the possibilities to use AdSense worldwide.
This is actually one of the best things about it. As far as I can tell, there are no countries that are not eligible for AdSense. I’d love to hear if your experiences are different though!
It is true though that getting your AdSense account approved might be difficult for residents of certain nations. I know that people from India and China are required to have been running their website for at least six months before they can sign up. If you know of any other international restrictions, please leave a comment.
I also suspect getting your bank account verified might be more complicated in certain countries, due to differences in banking and postage systems.
Earnings
Now that you know how to sign up and get started with AdSense, you are no doubt wondering about the money you might be making with it.
There’s two ways AdSense can provide you with an income:
- By placing ads on your own website or blog.
- By participating in an affiliate programme, such as webanswers or hubpages.
For that reason, you might be tempted to think that your own blog or website is the way to go. But remember, you’re depending on people clicking on ads. Most visitors to a website won’t. It will take thousands of page views to generate any sort of money. It is very difficult to make that happen on your own blog. And even if you can manage it, it will take time.
By participating in an affiliate programme such as webanswers, you will have to share ad click revenue, but at the same time, you will profit from the high levels of traffic the site attracts. Your income from that source will therefore likely be higher than from your own fledgling blog or website.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Placing ads on your website doesn’t cost anything, so you can use AdSense on your own website as all as earn a share through webanswers or similar website. It’ll just help you reach that pay out threshold quicker. Every cent counts!
In any case though, don’t expect the money start pouring in, especially when you’re still starting off with either your own websites or in an affiliate program. While some people make a very good income indeed through AdSense, they are rare exceptions.
For most of us, AdSense is a way of generating a small bit of cash, over time, with relatively little effort. Personally, I look at it as a way of monetising things that I enjoy doing anyway, which for me, is kind of the point of being a WAHM.
I’ll be posting more ways of using AdSense in the future. In the meanwhile, you can check out my post on webanswers which is currently my only meaningful way of AdSense income.
I’d also love to hear your experiences with AdSense, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment!
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