Setting up your Google AdSense account – Part 2 (Essential customizations)

Once you are done with setting up your Google AdSense account and once Google has approved your application, you are ready to use Google AdSense for earning revenue from your website. Just login into your account using your email address and password, click ‘AdSense Setup’ in the top menu and select the product type (i.e. ‘AdSense for Content’ or ‘AdSense for Search’). You will be presented with various options for customization of your AdSense Ads. Here we will take a look at setting up ‘AdSense for Content’ only (however, the setup for ‘AdSense for Search’ is quite similar and equally easy).

The first thing that you need to choose is the Ad type (Ad unit or link unit). Based on the Ad type you choose, you will need to specify the type of ad (text, image, etc for Ad unit) or number of links per link unit too. Google AdSense program allows you to use a maximum of three ad units and 1 link unit per web page (and you must use both, in order to maximize your AdSense revenue).

The next thing is to choose the Ad layout. There are various layouts available but large rectangle (336x280) and wide skyscraper (160x600) are preferred over others (since they help get more impressions for you and hence help you make more money).

Customizing the colors of various parts of your AdSense ad is the next thing you need to do. Even though customizing colors is optional (as far as the Google AdSense program is concerned), it’s strongly recommended for making your Ads attractive and more effective. Your choice of colors must be governed by the look and feel of your website so that the Ad doesn’t look out of place.

These are the essential customizations that you surely need to do before you can start using Google AdSense Ads on your website.

Setting up your Google AdSense account – Part 1

So, you have decided to go ahead and use Google AdSense for generating revenue from your website. Google AdSense doesn’t need you to sell any products or services. With Google AdSense, you are just selling advertising space on your website. And the best part is that Google doesn’t discriminate between websites; so, any website owner can enroll with Google AdSense program (as long as it adheres to the Google AdSense program policies). Moreover, setting up a Google AdSense account is so easy that you can literally start generating revenue within 15 minutes.

For enrolling to the Google AdSense program, go to https://www.google.com/AdSense and click on the ‘Click here to Apply’ button. You will be presented with an enrolment form where you need to fill-in some details like your website information (URL and website language), the Google AdSense products that you wish to use (i.e. AdSense for Content or AdSense for Search), your contact information, your email address and your preferences. You will also need to select an account type (business/individual) for your AdSense Account and agree to the various policies, terms and conditions of Google AdSense program. The account type will not affect your revenues in any way; it is there just to determine if the payment is to be made in the name of a company or an individual. The email address and the password that you provide during the enrolment process will be required by you for logging into your account later on. Note that you will be referred to as publisher by the Google AdSense program; so when you return back to the Google AdSense website, you will be asked to enter your login details as an ‘Existing Publisher’.

That’s it. You can now submit your application form for Google to evaluate and get back to you.

Make A Money With Google AdSense

Summary: AdSense are Google contextual ads that you can place on your blog, search engine, or Web site. Google, in return, will give you a portion of the revenue generated from these ads. The rate you are paid varies, depending on the keywords on your Web site used to generate the ads.

Text ads come from Google AdWords, which is Google's advertising program. Advertisers bid in a silent auction to advertise for each keyword.

Referral ads are graphic ads supplied by Google that refer visitors to take an action, such as sign up for AdWords or download Firefox with Google Toolbar.

Restrictions: Google restricts AdSense to non-pornographic Web sites. In addition, you may not use contextual ads from other companies or ads that may be confused with Google ads.

If you use AdSense ads on search results, the search results must use the Google search engine.

You may not click on your own ads or encourage others to click on your ads with phrases like "Click on my ads." You must also avoid mechanical or other methods of artificially inflating your page views or clicks. This is considered to be click fraud.

Google also restricts you from disclosing AdSense details, such as how much you were paid for a keyword.

How to Apply: You must apply, and Google must approve your site, before you may earn money from AdSense.

You can fill out an AdSense application directly at www.google.com/adsense

You can also apply from within your Blogger blog.

Learn how to ad AdSense to your Blogger.

The application process may take several days before approval.

Cost: It is free to place AdSense ads.

AdSense Locations:

AdSense is divided into two basic locations.

• AdSense for Content
• AdSense for Search

AdSense for Content covers ads placed in blogs and Web sites. You can also place ads in the RSS or Atom feed from your blog.

AdSense for Search covers ads placed within search engine results. Companies, such as Blingo can create a custom search engine using Google search results.

Payment Method: Google offers three payment methods.

1. CPC, or cost per click ads pay every time someone clicks on an ad.
2. CPM, or cost per thousand impressions ads pay for every thousand times a page is viewed.
3. Cost per action, or referral ads are software ads that pay for every time someone follows a link and takes the advertised action, such as downloading software.

Google for Search results only use CPC ads.

Payments are generally monthly by either check or electronic funds transfer. US residents must supply tax information to Google, and the income you receive will be reported to the IRS.

Disadvantages: Google AdSense ads can potentially pay well. There are people who earn in excess of $100,000 per year in AdSense revenue alone. However, to earn money from AdSense, you really need to attract a large audience. This takes time, quality content, search engine optimization, and possibly advertising. It's possible for a new AdSense user to spend more money on advertising and server fees than they earn in revenue.

It's also possible to make content with keywords that nobody has purchased through AdWords. When this happens, you will only see Google public service ads, and those do not generate income.

Advantages: AdSense ads are very unobtrusive, so it provides a better user experience than flashy banner ads. Because the ads are contextual, many people will want to click on them anyway, since the results may be relevant.

You don't have to be big or famous to start using AdSense, and the application process is simple. You can even insert ads in your Blogger blog, so you don't need to host your own Web site.

AdSense acts like your own ad broker. You don't have to negotiate prices or find appropriate advertisers. Google does that for you, so you can concentrate on creating quality content and publicizing your Web site.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips:

How to Improve Your Website's Google RankingGoogle Don'ts - Dirty Tricks and Bad Tips that Will Get Your Site BannedPageRank Explained

More SEO Tricks:

Don't Make Click Here Links- Why Hyperlink Names Matter to Google Search ResultsWhy Titles Matter - How to Get More People to See Your Pages in GoogleGoogle Bombs Explained

More Google Tools:

Review of Google BloggerCreative Search Engines Tools Inspired by Google Google for the Digital Photographer

Source: http://google.about.com/od/moreaboutgoogleaps/p/adsenseprof.htm