The AdSense publisher network offered up by Google is probably one of the simplest ways to get started in the process of making money online - all you need to do is drop a little bit of JavaScript code onto an existing site, and then you're off - right? Wrong.
Tip #1: Niche Exploration:
The first thing you need to do when starting out with AdSense is to think about your niche and when I say think about it I mean really think about it. Here are some of the main things you should consider:
It's common sense, really it is! When placing your Ads there are a few things you should consider, notably:
The biggest mistake people often make when it comes to AdSense is just stacking AdSense site on top of AdSense site, snapping up every exact match domain name in their niche and ending up with too much to manage and a whole collection of sites which say a lot but give very little back.
The best way to approach AdSense is to take the long-term approach, create quality content which people actually want to read and explore further and make them return for more. If you build quality content then the monetization aspect will typically take care of itself.
Tip #1: Niche Exploration:
The first thing you need to do when starting out with AdSense is to think about your niche and when I say think about it I mean really think about it. Here are some of the main things you should consider:
- Whether or not it's something you are actually interested in doing; if you don't want to write about air purifiers then don't create a site about air purifiers.
- Have a look at the competitive landscape. Analyse the top ten results for some of your main target terms and look at the backlinks pointing in, any traffic stats available in Google AdPlanner and any recent sales in this niche on Flippa.com or other online marketplaces. All of this information will help your build a picture on whether or not your time will be well spent.
- Use advanced search operators to try and find unexplored niches. For example, try searching for "site:flippa.com adsense" for a list of recent AdSense sales or auction in this particular marketplace.
It's common sense, really it is! When placing your Ads there are a few things you should consider, notably:
- Whether or not the Ads fall above the fold. If they don't then consider re-positioning them: people can't click what they can't see.
- Think about how you color your Ads - most people try to make their Ads stand out on the page but this is the last thing you should be doing (highlighting an Ad in orange isn't going to make someone click it). Rather, you should try and blend your Ads into your web copy.
- The common sense tactic is to try and get your Ads in a position where they are going to draw the eye of your visitors without interrupting the flow of your web copy. Some webmasters will even place link units in the navigation bar (with a little bit of customisation, link units can take on the appearance of a navigation menu).
The biggest mistake people often make when it comes to AdSense is just stacking AdSense site on top of AdSense site, snapping up every exact match domain name in their niche and ending up with too much to manage and a whole collection of sites which say a lot but give very little back.
The best way to approach AdSense is to take the long-term approach, create quality content which people actually want to read and explore further and make them return for more. If you build quality content then the monetization aspect will typically take care of itself.
