Google AdSense – A Quick Start Guide Introduction

Learn how to get started with Google AdSense quickly and easily. In this short WordPress tutorial, you’ll learn how to quickly, easily monetize your blog so you can start earning income immediately.

What is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is a sophisticated advertising program that incorporates topic-relevant ads on your WordPress blog. When an ad is clicked, AdSense pays you. So, each click results in money in your pocket. The best part is that it’s free to sign up for Google AdSense.

How to Identify a Google AdSense Ad

Experienced web surfers can likely identify Google AdSense content on your WordPress blog. However, less experienced internet users may not be able to recognise an AdSense ad. It’s easy to identify Google Ads within the context of a web page, even for the less-than-savvy web surfer. Here’s how.

Google Ads are:

Often underneath the heading of “Ads by Google”. Ads can be featured anywhere on the page.
Incorporated within the content of a website using link units. This type of AdSense ad may appear as if it belongs to the original content of your WordPress blog (i.e. link units are commonly found within the text of WordPress blog content).
Found within the “Custom Search” function of your WordPress blog. AdSense ads are often found on the top, bottom, and to the right of the page.

How Google AdSense Optimizes the Right Ads for your Blog

Google ads are referred to as contextual ads. Contextual ads are a way of describing ad codes that customise ad topics according to content on the web page. In other words, contextual Google AdSense Ads will determine what topic-related ads are featured on your WordPress blog. This is a strategic way of making sure the right kind of ad is presented on the right kind of web page.

The process of determining which ad is shown to your blog visitors is fairly sophisticated. Google AdSense technology has the ability to scan keywords and the corresponding ad codes on your WordPress blog. Through this keyword scanning process, AdSense will determine what topics are presented on your WordPress blog including the individual web pages within your WordPress blog, and it will display only relevant advertising related to that content.

Take for instance a web surfer visiting a health blog that features Google AdSense. That visitor will much more likely click on an ad featuring a nutrition bar, for example, rather than something irrelevant to health, such as a cell phone ad. That’s why Google AdSense works to your advantage as a web host it is good to know that only relevant ads speaking to your specific audience will appear on your WordPress blog.

Because Google AdSense ads are related to the content of your blog, the chances of your unique visitor clicking on the ad itself are very likely compared to an ad that has no relevance to your site. Visitors that go to specific websites are generally interested in that particular topic. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that ads presented on your blog should reflect the interest of the visitor. By doing so, AdSense optimises the right kinds of ads for your blog. In turn, the ads receive more clicks, and you receive more money. It’s a win-win situation.

How to Set Up Your Google AdSense Account Step by Step

By now, you should be excited about the prospects of what Google AdSense can do to monetize WordPress. Now, it’s time to get set up your Google AdSense account. It’s easy to do by following the outlined steps below. We will go into greater detail in the next section.

Go to the sign-up page by Googling “AdSense”. It will be the first result.
Click on the “Sign Up Now” link.
Access the AdSense application form.
Enter your blog’s URL.
Select the language preference.
Verify restrictions and agree to terms by checking the appropriate boxes.
Choose an account type.
Select your country.
Enter your full legal name.
Fill in your street, address, city, state and zip.
Enter your phone number.
Finalise any remaining steps such as email preferences.
Read and agree to the Program Policies.
Click on “Submit Information.”
Important Tips

You have just set up your account! However, there are some important tips to remember when signing up for and using AdSense. Please remember the following pointers:

In choosing your account type, you will most likely choose individual. Most WordPress blogs fall into this category. Make sure to use only your real, full legal name. Use the name that is on your birth certificate, driver’s license, social security number, et cetera. Google will issue a check to the name you list on the sign-up, so be sure to use the correct name. You would never want to get a check that is written out to the wrong name!

Secondly, you must agree to not click on your own Google ads. Google AdSense will only pay you for clicks that originate from unique WordPress blog visitors.

Also, read the AdSense program policies in full. Be sure you are aware of the terms and conditions. Only after reading and agreeing to the terms and conditions should you click “I certify that I have read the AdSense program policies”.

You cannot open a new AdSense account if you have had a previous AdSense account that is active, disabled, or banned. After your information is submitted, it gets approved by Google administrators.

After approval, you will receive an email notification with additional steps to follow in order to get your new ads up and running. Be sure to look for the next steps to follow. An email notification will include your login information and password. Be sure to check your spam folders for the notification, and add the email address to your email contacts if necessary. Once you receive this information, you can log into your new AdSense account to begin the first-time new ad set up.