When thinking about monetizing your blog, what usually comes to mind is Google Adsense. It’s an easier intro to monetizing with display ads.
Even if you are new to blogging, it’s easier to get approved within a few months of launching your blog.
Your journey with AdSense begins with understanding and complying with the program’s eligibility requirements.
Blog Outline:
What do I need to start Google AdSense?
You basically need two things:
- A Google account. If you have Gmail or any other Google service, you already have a Google account.
- Your own publicly available digital content platform (Your blog, website, Blogger, etc.)
Google Adsense eligibility requirements
To join AdSense, you need to meet certain criteria:
Official requirements:
- Age (18+): You must be at least 18 years old to apply for AdSense. If you’re under 18, a parent or guardian can apply using their own Google Account (payments will be made to them).
- Ownership: You must own and fully control the website you’re applying with.
- Unique and original content: Your website’s content must be high-quality, and original, and attract a significant audience.
- Google content policies: Your website must comply with Google AdSense Program Policies.
- Supported language: Ensure your site’s primary language is supported by AdSense. Check the list of supported languages.
- Technical pages: Your site should have easy-to-find pages like “About Us”, and “Contact Us”, and a clear Privacy Policy.
Unofficial but Important factors
- Website Age: While not an official requirement, many experts suggest having a website that’s at least 6 months old for better approval chances.
- Consistent content: Regular updates with valuable content demonstrate an active site.
- Sufficient traffic: You don’t need huge numbers, but a steady stream of organic traffic shows potential to advertisers.
- Clear navigation: Make it easy for users to find what they want on your site.
Key things to avoid
- Copyrighted content: Never use content you don’t own the rights to.
- Prohibited content: AdSense has strict rules about content. Avoid topics like adult content, gambling, illegal substances, etc.
- Fake traffic: Never purchase or artificially generate traffic. AdSense can detect this and it will lead to an account ban.
How to apply for Google AdSense
- Go to the official AdSense website
- Click on the “Sign Up Now” button.
- Enter your website’s URL and your email address.
- Choose whether you’d like AdSense to send you tailored optimization tips.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to submit your application.
How many views do you need for AdSense?
Unlike other Ad networks such as Monumetric, Raptive, or Mediavine, Google AdSense doesn’t require you to have a set minimum pageviews count or sessions.
However, to make real money with the platform, you need quite a good amount of traffic to your site.
Google AdSense-supported languages
Below is a table of supported AdSense languages, but some may not support all the AdSense products.
Key things to note:
- Languages without a prefix, e.g. English, support all AdSense products and features.
- [1]: Product interface and Help Center not supported (example Arabic [2])
- [2]: Ad Manager and Help Center not supported (example Arabic [2])
- [3]: AdMob product interface and Help Center not supported. (example Arabic [2])
| Arabic [2] | Hebrew [2] | Punjabi [2, 3] |
| Bengali [2, 3] | Hindi [2, 3] | Romanian [2] |
| Bulgarian [2] | Hungarian | Russian |
| Catalan [2, 3] | Indonesian | Serbian [2] |
| Chinese (simplified) | Italian | Slovak [2] |
| Chinese (traditional) | Japanese | Slovenian [1, 2, 3] |
| Croatian [2] | Kannada [2, 3] | Spanish (European) |
| Czech | Korean | Spanish (Latin American) |
| Danish [2] | Latvian [2] | Swedish [2] |
| Dutch | Lithuanian [2] | Tamil [2] |
| English | Malay [2, 3] | Telugu [2] |
| Estonian [1, 2, 3] | Malayalam [2, 3] | Thai |
| Filipino [2] | Marathi [2, 3] | Turkish |
| Finnish [2] | Norwegian [2] | Ukrainian [2] |
| French | Polish | Urdu [2, 3] |
| German | Portuguese | Vietnamese |
| Greek | Gujarati [2, 3] |
The application review process typically takes a few days, but it can sometimes take longer.
Google Adsense permitted content
Google has strict guidelines that prohibit certain types of content to ensure a positive experience for both users and advertisers.
This includes but is not limited to overly duplicate content, copyrighted material without permission, and abusive experiences.
Types of content prohibited by AdSense
- Adult Content: Pornography, sexually suggestive themes, or anything promoting escort services is strictly forbidden.
- Shocking or Dangerous Content: Adsense does not allow graphic violence, promotion of illegal activities, or the sale of weapons and drugs.
- Hate Speech: Content that incites discrimination, violence, or prejudice against any group based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or other factors is prohibited.
- Copyright Infringement: Using images, videos, text, or other creative works that you don’t own without permission is a serious violation.
- Malware or Deceptive Practices: Your site cannot contain harmful code or engage in practices that mislead or trick users.
Additional Considerations
- Misrepresentation: Don’t disguise or misrepresent yourself, your content, or the purpose of your site. Be transparent.
- Ad Placement: Ads should not be overly intrusive, placed in a way that leads to accidental clicks, or integrated into software applications.
Ad placement and Ad code integration
Ads should be placed tactically within your site’s layout to ensure they are visible but not intrusive to your content.
It’s vital to integrate ad code properly, ensuring ad units are spaced appropriately among your blog posts or articles.
This optimizes ad visibility without compromising content integrity. You can use a WordPress plugin such as the Advanced Ads plugin.
Performance optimization and revenue tracking
Once your AdSense account is active, your focus shifts to managing your ad inventory and optimizing it for better performance.
- Inventory Management: Navigate to the ‘Ad units’ section after you sign in to Google Ad Manager, to manage your ads and control which ones are shown to your audience.
- Optimization Strategies: To optimize, consider the placement and size of ads. Google also offers tools for automatic optimization.
- Revenue Analysis: Regularly track your ad revenue performance. Monitor which types of ads perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Bid Control: Understand how advertisers bid for space on your site. This insight helps in making informed decisions that can impact your ad revenue.
Adsense alternatives
Exploring alternatives to AdSense for monetizing your website can lead to discovering a range of platforms, each with unique features and benefits.
Publift offers a wide range of monetization solutions including display, video, and native ads, typically working with sites earning at least $2,000 per month in ad revenue or those with at least 500,000 pageviews per month.
Mediavine is renowned for its excellent customer support and requires a minimum of 50,000 monthly sessions to join its network. It focuses on optimizing ad placements, improving site speed, and increasing revenue for publishers.
Raptive, previously known as AdThrive, caters to high-traffic websites with a comprehensive suite of ad optimization services. It requires publishers to have at least 100,000 monthly pageviews for eligibility.
Ezoic leverages artificial intelligence to optimize ad placements and website layouts, aiming to improve user experience and increase revenue. It provides a suite of tools for ad testing, layout optimization, and content insights, with no minimum traffic requirements.
She Media targets female-focused content creators, offering a range of monetization options including display ads, sponsored content, and custom integrations. It requires a minimum of 20,000 monthly pageviews and a focus on female-centric content.
