Your website can generate money outside your core business. After all, your digital real estate is worth money. If you wonder how you make money from publishing ads on your site, this article is for you. At CodeFuel, we constantly innovate and bring solutions to increase revenue for publishers. This post will give you an overview and tactics to make money with Google AdSense. Let’s begin.
In this post
What is Google Adsense in short?
To put it simple, Google Adsense is an ad network that enables publishers to monetize their content by displaying ads. It works programmatically, which means the ads are automatically selected according to a bidding system.
How does Google Adsense Work?
Google AdSense is a Google product that enables publishers to earn money by displaying ads on their websites, blogs, or YouTube videos. You get paid by Google when a visitor clicks on the ad or based on ad impressions, according to the type of ad.
The advertisements can be text, images, video, or interactive media. These ads are selected by an automated ad auction system. The auction selects the highest bidder among bidding users of Google AdWords.
Google selects the ads for your site by using different types of targeting:
- Contextual targeting – they analyze the keywords used, the word frequency, and link structure to determine the webpage context and match the ads to it.
- Placement targeting – this allows advertisers to choose where they want their ad to appear. These ads are selected by advertisers who think your site can be a match for their target audience.
- Personalized targeting – advertisers can select sites that cater to a specific category, for example (musical theater lovers).
- Run of Network targeting – this selection includes all sites in the AdSense network, but the explicitly excluded sites.
Why does Google use an auction to select the ads?
Advertisers on the Google Display Network bid to show their ads on AdSense. The ad auction ranks advertisers according to the bid and their Quality Score. Therefore, you get the advertisers who are willing to pay the most and have good quality.
Learn more about how Google AdSense works in this video:
How to Build a Passive Income Stream with Google AdSense
If you have a website with regular traffic, you can create passive income by selling ad space through AdSense. You don’t need to create a product or contact buyers directly because AdSense matches ads to your site based on its content and audience.
AdSense in four simple steps:
- You sign up for Google AdSense and create an account.
- You make your spaces available by adding the code to your website or YouTube video. Advertisers bid to display their ads on your digital property via a real-time auction.
- The highest paying ad wins the bid and displays on the selected space on your website.
- You get paid for the ad clicks or impressions your website visitors generate.
Why is Google AdSense a good way to earn passive income?
- You leverage your existing website or YouTube channel
- You don’t need to create ads or promote anything yourself.
- The earnings will keep coming as long as you keep creating great content and driving traffic to your site.
The average CPC in Google Ads is between $1 and $2. So, let’s calculate:
Let’s say you have three ads displayed on your site:
Ad A got 500 clicks = 500 * $1.5 = 750
Ad B got 1000 clicks – 1000 * $1.5 = 1500
Ad C got 250 clicks – 250 * $1.5 = 375
This is the amount the advertisers pay Google over the clicks.
From that amount, the publisher keeps a 68% according to Google.
So let’s do the math:
- 750 *68% = 510 +
- 1500 *68% = 1020
- 375 *68% = 255/1785
Are There Any Requirements for an AdSense Account? How do I apply?
Google selects the sites that qualify for an AdSense account according to 12 eligibility criteria about you and your site:
You:
- You must be over 18 years of age
- You must be the owner of your site and control it.
- You can’t use means that generate fake traffic
Your site:
- The content on your site must be unique and interesting
- The content must comply with Google Content Policies
- If your site is inside a host partner, like Blogger or YouTube, you can apply for Google AdSense, but there are other eligibility criteria you need to meet.
- The site must have clear navigation
- You cannot publish plagiarized content
- Your site should be at least six months old
- You need enough traffic.
- A site with a history of abusive experiences (fake messages, misleading practices) cannot apply.
Does it take long to get approved?
The time it takes for an account to be approved varies. Some sites get approved in 24 hours while others may take up to two weeks for approval.
- The first thing you need to do is to verify your Google Account and your website ownership.
- Please take in mind to fix any issues your site may have about the content, navigation, SEO, or traffic before you send your application.
Types of Adsense ads
What types of ads are right for your site? Google AdSense provides a variety of ad types for you to choose from:
1. Text ads
These are the ads in the form of simple text that often appear when you are searching for something in Google. They have a title, a short description, and a link going to the site. These ads can appear on your website or in Google searches.
For example, a search for women’s boots showed me two text ads from online retailers:
2. Display ads
These are the ads that you see typically displayed on web pages. Here are the basic three formats:
Horizontal
Banner
Vertical
Skyscraper
Wide skyscraper
Square
- 250×250
Small square (200 x 200)
4. Rich Media Ads
These interactive advertisements can be in image format, video or Html. There are three types of ads:
Dynamic image ads
These consist of animated text that appears when the user scrolls down the page. You can choose the size and type: vertical, horizontal, and square.
Video ads
This type of ads are presented by Google in several ad types:
Standard: non-skippable ads up to 20 seconds. This can appear in pre-roll, midroll, and post-roll slots.
TrueView: these ads let the user skip the video after 5 seconds. They can appear in the preroll and mid-roll positions, but require compliance to additional policies.
Creating Your First Ad Unit
What’s an Ad unit? One or more Google ads are the result of one piece of the AdSense ad code. Users can create, manage, and customize the ad units on their AdSense account. There are different types of ad units:
- Display ads – responsive and customizable.
- In-feed – native ads that show inside a feed.
- In – article – native ads that present between sections of an article.
- Matched content – ads that promote the content to visitors.
- Link – presents relevant links that complement the content of the page.
So, how do you create your first ad unit? Let’s see
First, you need to sign in to your AdSense account and go to the Ads page. From your overview page, select the option by ad unit and Display ads. Give your unit a name so you can find it later.
You can select several options for your ad unit:
- You can select the size
- You can select if you want it to be responsive (we recommend you do!)
Once you save, you will get the code to copy and paste in the tags of your pages. If you are not sure how to do this, check Google’s code implementation guide. Click Done, and in a few minutes the ads will be on the page.
How to Earn Money From Google Ads?
Learning to make money advertising with Google Adsense may seem a challenge for beginners. You can display Google Ads on your website or your YouTube channel.
Here is a list of the top 10 tips to make money with AdSense:
- Your website’s focus shouldn’t be on the ads. Ensure your website enhances the user experience and doesn’t look like you made it for AdSense. Of course, you want to monetize your website. But if you focus on delivering great content, the ads will add value to the site instead of cluttering it.
- Improve your site’s loading time. Faster websites increase conversions. Several methods to optimize your site include reducing the number of images, optimizing the size and format, optimizing the cache, and reducing HTTP requests.
- Be consistent when publishing content. While the frequency of your publishing will depend on the type of your website, you must publish consistently. Publishing new content attracts more visits to your website, which can translate into more AdSense clicks.
- Choose the ad placement wisely. Where you place the ads can make all the difference in clicks and earnings. While it is better to have the ads above the fold, you should be careful not to clutter the space with too many ads. Google is punishing websites that show too many ads above the fold.
- Use responsive ads First, it is better if you have a responsive website. That way your visitors can find you on desktop and on mobile. Once you made your website responsive, you can add Responsive AdSense units. With Responsive AdSense units, AdSense will serve the ad that best fits the available ad space in size and type.
- Not all niches pay the same. Some industries will pay more for their ads than others. When you monetize with AdSense, there are two key factors to consider: the level of competition in your desired niche and how much you can earn from it. Big niches such as consumer goods, insurance, and finance compete hard. Some niches, such as Beauty, Health, Fashion, and Hobbies, offer innumerable smaller niches that can be profitable.
- Standardize your ad sizes. When you set up the ads, you should use the sizes AdSense recommends as the most popular. The 728×90, 336 x280, and 300 x250 sizes have more demand.
- A/B Test the ads. AdSense Experiment is a feature where you can test different versions of the same ad and check its performance. You may test different borders, colors, and formats. After a few days, you can see which one performed better.
- Improve your AdSense Referrers. When you enter your Google Analytics account, you can check which referrers are generating AdSense revenue and invest more marketing efforts in them. For instance, you can get visitors from social media platforms to your website.
- Follow the AdSense guidelines. Whatever you do to increase your AdSense earnings, don’t violate any AdSense guidelines. The full guidelines are here, but some highlights may include buying clicks or traffic, hiding ads, or inappropriate content surrounding the ads.
What kind of websites work better for displaying Google Ads?
According to Google: blogs, news sites, forums and niche social networks, are the best options. Your website should comply with Google AdSense guidelines about appropriate content and traffic. While there is no minimum traffic threshold you need to meet, if you want to make money, you need decent traffic.
Using different ad formats is also important if you want to keep the attention of your visitors. If you have a YouTube channel, you can also leverage ads and monetize your videos.
How Much Can You Earn by Using AdSense?
It depends on the competition and Cost per Click (CPC) of your niche. Google pays you per every click on your ads, but it takes a commission.
Generally speaking, publishers get 68%, or 51% when using AdSense for reach. Depending on the niche, the commission can go from $0.20 to $15, with an average of $3 per click for publishers.
Here are the most profitable niches in the US for 2021
Sources: SEMRUSH, Ahref.
How do you get paid?
Once you get your AdSense account and your ad units up and running, you should start getting payments from Google every month. Google pays you every month your earnings reach or are over $100. The company pays you directly, depositing to your bank account or via check (where available).
What happens if you don’t reach $100 in earnings one month? The earnings accumulate until you do.
How to check Adsense earnings?
Where can you see how much did you earn with AdSense? You can see the earnings in your homepage of your account. AdSense displays estimated earnings and finalized earnings.
Let’s explain the terms:
- Estimated earnings: a ballpark idea of how much you’ll be going to earn according to your account activity this month so far.
- Balance: Your earnings that have not yet been paid and it also shows the most recent payment.
- Transactions: Here you can find the finalized earnings, what you will actually receive.
Keep in mind YouTube earnings have a different homepage. Here is how to see the earnings of your YouTube channel:
- Go to YouTube analytics
- Check the revenue tab
The key metrics card shows the estimated revenue. You can also see which videos are performing well and earning more money.
How Much Does Adsense Pay Per 1000 Views or Visitors?
This will hugely depend on your niche, and your content. As a range, Google AdSense pays from $0.2 to $0.25 per pageviews.
Here are some examples of earnings on sites targeting North America (Tier 1):
How much do you earn will depend of your zone, (Tier1 websites earn more than others), and your site’s category. Check the AdSense calculator to know more.
The average Cost per Mille that you receive from your content can be $4 to $6 per 1000 views in developing countries.
Pros and Cons of Monetizing with Google AdSense
9 Tips for Making Money With Adsense (And What Not to Do!)
Having steady earnings with AdSense requires a strategy and following the rules. Whether you are new or already have an account and want to increase your AdSense Ad Revenue, here’s what you should and shouldn’t do when monetizing your site with AdSense:
- Follow Google policies: read and follow the Google Publisher policies, AdSense program policies, as well as webmaster policies.
- Don’t click on your own ads
- Don’t pay per click: giving incentives for clicks, buying Pay Per Click (PPC) space or any other way to give rewards for clicks is against Google policies.
- Provide valuable content: giving your target audience content they want to read ultimately leads to them clicking on the ads and making money.
- Build organic traffic: optimize for SEO, optimize the content to attract organic traffic.
- Make sure your site is responsive: let your target find you where they are.
- Optimize the layout and format of the ad: having ads above the fold test ad types and placement, have a leaderboard ad next to your logo.
- Use in-content ads: native ads that blend with the content has a higher chance to be seen and clicked on.
- Monitor, analyze, refine: check your results and tweak your strategy accordingly.
Alternatives to AdSense – Other Ad Network Programs
Although AdSense can be a great option to monetize your site, it is not the only way. In fact, there may be other monetization alternatives that are better for your site:
- CodeFuel – our complete platform increases your revenue by engaging searches, text ads, shopping ads, and news on your website, blog, or search page.
- Affiliate Marketing – these kinds of programs work when someone clicks on a link on your page. They are usually free to add to your website.
- Sponsors – to attract sponsors, you need to have a decent amount of traffic and influence with your audience. You can get your entire site or a single page sponsored.
- Sell your product or service – you can always sell your product, merchandise services.
Mind-blowing Google Advertising Stats
- 38.8 million websites use Adsense (Google)
- Google Ads is the biggest provider of search advertising on the market
- Online ads increase brand awareness by up to 80%
- 75% of marketers advertise both on Google Ads and Social media
Which ad sizes are the most popular in Google AdSense?
It’s a Wrap!
Well, that was a handle!. As you can see from this guide, there are many ways to earn income from a website, both with AdSense and with alternative sources. Keep in mind that most income sources require two key factors: great content and enough traffic to make money. This is where CodeFuel is a good option to monetize your site.
CodeFuel offers a complete solution to monetize your content, presenting relevant ads in searches, pages, and blogs. The ads increase user engagement and provide a great user experience to your audience.
Learn more about how to monetize your site with CodeFuel.
FAQs
How much does Google Adsense pay per pageview?
The rate you’ll get from Google AdSense, will depend on the zone your website is registered, where your traffic comes from and your content category. The range can go from $0.2 to $0.25 per pageview. Tier 1 zone websites — with traffic coming from North America, Europe and developed countries—, get a better payout than countries in development. How does Google Adsense pay in India?
With a decent amount of traffic, you can expect 800INR per 1000 pageviews on average. It will depend on your niche. Let’s have an example with 50,000 views per month in a food and beverage category.
Amount of pageviews/month= 50,000
Annual estimated earnings = $7044
How to earn money from Google Adsense without a website?
Websites are not the only thing you can monetize with AdSense. You can also monetize a YouTube channel and incorporate ads to your videos.
How long does it take to get your AdSense Account Approved?
It usually takes a few days but it can take up to 4 weeks. AdSense send you an email when the account is fully activated.
How Much You Can Earn With Google AdSense?
This will depend on your traffic and niche, but generally speaking, publishers get 68% of each click. If using AdSense for reach, you get 51% .