Adsense for Your Website

Last week, we blogged about creating ads for your business, to be placed on websites through Google Adwords and similar programs. This week, we’re focusing on how to put these ads on your site.

There are many reasons to consider putting ads on your site. If you get a lot of traffic, it can be an easy way to earn some money on your site. Although you may not be bringing in a lot of money at first, the money will collect over time and, if your site is getting enough traffic, the amount of money you’re making from your site will improve.

The secret to using Adsense and other advertisement programs on your site is to do it tastefully. A couple of well-placed ads, placed so that they don’t interrupt the flow or usability of the website, won’t detract from your site. If you place too many ads, or if you place the ads in an intrusive way, you’ll not only make your site less user-friendly, you may create a spammy site (on accident) that will lower the level of confidence visitors have in you and your content.

There are several ways to customize ads to make them better fit on your site. You can specify the color and, in some cases, the font of the ads. There are several sizes available, meant to fit into regular ad sizes. Some content management programs (WordPress, for example) even have themes that have built-in ad spaces to make integration even easier. You can also customize what type of ads you display. Your options are text ads, image/rich ads, or a combination of the two.  Through Adsense, you can block certain advertisers, ad categories or ad networks, giving you more of a say in what companies are showcased in your site’s ad spaces.

To sign up for Adsense, you will need to go through a quick website review process. Google wants to make sure that your website isn’t spam and that it doesn’t have questionable content. They also check to see how much traffic your site gets on a regular basis. After you’ve been approved (and most sites are), you’ll be able to set up your account and begin creating ads to go on your website.

Not every website is appropriate for Adsense or similar program. If you are running a professional or business website, don’t use ads. It takes away from the credibility of your business. The sites that see the most benefit from adsense are personal and informational websites.

What are the options to Adsense?

There are several different ad companies that provide services similar to Adsense. Some of the better options are ValueClick, BuySellAds, and Infolinks. There is also the option of selling ad space on your website on your own. Although selling ad space requires a lot more effort than placing ads through Adsense and similar programs, it does usually have a higher pay-off.

Your Turn: Have you used Adsense in your websites? Do you have any tips on how to implement it?