Tips for Using Google Adsense

Like anything else, you’ll get out of Google Adsense what you put into it. The following optimization tips can help you grow your Google Adsense dollars:

Write interesting content. If your content is boring then your visitors will leave before they have the chance to click on yor ads.

Try to write something every day. If your blog is updated regularly then you have a better chance of getting seen by the search engines. That means more visitors which in turn means more clicks on your ads.

Have more than one site. The more sites you have, the more ads that have the potential to get clicked. But, don't just copy your content. Try to make each site different.

Set up channels and monitor your statistics across all sites. If one site is performing poorly, consider changing the content or the ad layout. Experiment!

Change the ad layout and notice which layout works the best for you. There are many different layout options and there’s no way you can know going in which one will perform the best.

Google different keywords and phrases and notice how much and what kinds of content and ads you see.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Where Should You Place Google Adsense Ads On Your Web Pages?

Deciding where to place Google Ads in your web pages so that they will be the most profitable is one of the best parts of the whole Google Adsense experience. No one else gets to make this decision except you. It’s your page. You get to decide how many ( up to 3 ads per page), what colors and shapes you will use and on what part of the page the ad will be placed. Should you place your ads at the top or bottom? In the middle of the text? To the left or right? However, your web site's design may not allow you to place ads just anywhere on the page.

The most important decision should be based on the needs of the visitors to your site? What are they looking for? Are they there to read or merely to browse. If they are there to read an entire article, you might want to try placing your ads at the bottom of the page so they will have something to do next. Some publishers swear by placing the ads at the top left of the page because they think customers look there first. Take a look at the Google AdSense Help Center. They have a map that details the best locations for ads on most websites. There is a lot of information there that is worth looking at, so make the best use of it you can.

The fun thing is experimenting with all the possibilities. Try different ad locations and different colors for a week and note the differences in your reports. When you hit on something successful, you’ll see the difference.

Can I use the Google Adsense Program if I Don't Have a Website?

You don't have to have your own website to use Google Adsense. Google doesn't usually approve personal pages but that is not written in stone. Consult Google Adsense support pages for more information on what kinds of pages are acceptable. If selling a product or service doesn't appeal to you, you might consider blogging.

Blogging initially meant web log but has gradually come into its own. There are as many different kinds of blogs as there are blogs themselves. A blog can be like a cyberjournal in that you make daily "journal" entries or it can be more like a newsletter set up to inform or communicate with other people. There are several blogging sites on the Internet that will allow you to create your own blog pages and have targeted Google Adsense ads running on them.

A few of the most popular :

• Blogger.com
  
• Blog-City.com
  
• LiveLogCity.com
  
• tBlog.com
  

You can also search blogsearch.google.com for an extensive list of blogs. Not all of these carry Google Adsense ads and if you're going to write a blog you may as well make some money at it. Look around and you'll find the perfect site for your Google Adsense ads to nest.

How to Promote Your Blog When You Are Using it to Earn Google Adsense Dollars

Promote your site or blog. You could write the great American novel and if there's little or no traffic to your site, you won't make any money. Not only that, but no one will know what a great writer you are.

There's several ways to promote your blog.

• Include the URL in your email signature. Now you've just invited everyone you email to read your blog.
  
• Link to other sites and ask the webmasters to link to yours. Network!
  
• Read other blogs and notice who is getting the most reads and comments. What are they writing about?
  
• Comment on other people's blogs but only if it is sincere. This will increase your overall traffic as you will pique others' curiosity and they will want to read your blogs.
  
• Write a newsletter and offer a free email subscription to your blog.
  
• Put a Referral button on your site.
  
• Put an Adsense for Search button on your site.
  

What is Google Adsense for Search?

Google Adsense for Search is different than Adsense for Content but it is just as important to your earning power with the Google Adsense program.

Just like Adsense for Content places targeted ads on your content pages, Adsense for Search places targeted ads on the results page of the search set in motion on your page.

You can use the standard Google search box on your site and the user can then search the web or even your site. When you feel more comfortable, you can change the look of the Google search box, essentially customizing it by changing the colors and using your logo.

The best thing about Google Adsense for Search is that you can track what your visitors are searching for. That is, if the search has two or more hits. Unique queries will not be tracked. But you can see the top 25 searches performed from your website by clicking on the Advance Report from the Reports tab and specifying a date range.

Understanding the Google Adsense Report

When you log into your Google Adsense account, you are automatically taken to the page where you can view all your Adsense activity. On the Reports tab, you’ll see “Today’s Earnings.” This is the approximate amount you have earned today in your Google Adsense account. Earnings are not final at this point and could be adjusted for invalid clicks or fees.

It’s interesting to look at the breakdown. As you can see, Adsense for Content, which refers to the targeted ads appearing on the pages in which you have written content, is listed first. Here you will see the number of page impressions listed in the first column. While a page impression is generally the same as a page view, that is not always the case. For a more detailed definition of a page impression, see Google Adsense support, click on Your Adsense Account and then click on Your Adsense Report.

Next, you’ll notice the number of clicks. This refers to the number of times “your ads” were clicked on.

Page click through rate or CTR is in the next column shown as a percentage. It represents the percentage of the time an ad was clicked on after viewing your page.

Page eCPM which stands for effective cost per thousand impressions. It is calculated by dividing total earnings by the number of page impressions in thousands.

Don’t be intimidated by these statistics. The bottom line, your earnings, is what really counts. As you become more familiar with Google Adsense, statistics will become like second nature.

Do I Need to be Computer Savvy to Use Google Adsense?

No. You don't have to be a techno-geek to use Google Adsense. In fact, you don't need to have any more technical knowledge than you do when you surf the web. Google Adsense is very user-friendly with a comprehensive support site to answer any question you might have.

You are first walked through the sign-up process where you are prompted for any and all information needed. You will then have a couple of days while you are waiting for your account to be approved. This would be a good time to familiarize yourself with the program policies, which of course you read before you signed up. But look again. Make sure the site you are registering doesn’t have any of the no-nos listed. For instance, some profanity is allowed, but nothing excessive. What is excessive? That could be a gray area, but if you're in doubt, don't register that site. There's plenty of sites with little or no profanity.

Look at the support site while you are waiting on Google Adsense. The AdSense Help Center has a ton of information to help you get started. Look and see what other's are saying and doing. Most of all, have fun. Your Google Adsense dollars are just waiting to be counted.