Google Ads

Once you have a web page up and running, consider placing Google Ads. This is not you advertising on Google. This is Google advertising on your site. Or rather, Google placing ads from busineses that ‘fit’ your site. Then, when anyone clicks on one of the ads, you get a fractional amount for the click, say 1/10 of a cent.

For example, a lot of my sites have to do with lung disease and sleep medicine. Accordingly, the Google-placed ads for my home page Lakesidepress.com are apt to sell equipment for lung disease or sleep apnea. Notice that this home page has a banner ad at the top and bottom of the page, and a rectangular ad at the bottom of the left hand column. However, my Golf Index has, appropriately, ads just for golf stuff (a top banner ad and two vertical ads in left column). If you have a popular site, or lots of sites, the cents-for-clicks amount can add up. You won’t become rich from Google-placed ads (well, you might, but unlikely) but you will receive something for your efforts.

To use Google-placed ads you must control your site, which generally means you are paying a service to host your web pages. Controlling your site means you place the ads where you want them; you can’t specify exactly what ads will appear but you can eliminate areas objectionble to you (e.g., no liquor ads or cigarette ads, etc.) You will likely NOT be able to use Google-placed ads if you are using a free web server — in that case, it is more likely the service is already placing their ads on your site when and where they want, and reaping all the benefits (that’s what happens if you have “free” web hosting).

To use Google-placed ads and generate income:

1) Have a web site or web sites that you control, i.e., a) you are paying for web hosting, and b) you can alter the code at will and upload a revised web page whenever you want.
2) Go to Google Adsense. Submit your websitesite URL as directed. MAKE SURE IT CONTAINS VALID CONTENT. Valid content doesn’t mean it’s true or false, only that there is real content and not just a bunch of links or a family photo album. If there is no valid content the site may not be accepted for the AdSense program. Also, note that you have to agree not to include incentives to click on the ads AND that there is no pornographic content. An absolute no-no is that you don’t click on the ads yourself; multiple clicks from any single computer (tracked by the ISP address), such as a relative’s, will be a red flag and could result in being kicked out of the AdSense program. You will also be asked to provide a bank account where the payments can be direct desposited.
3) Once accepted in the program, choose the ad type you wish from their extensive menu; this will generate the JavaScript code for the ad. Spend some time looking at all the options, which include color, shape and size.
4) Copy the Javascript code and place it in your web page as directed by Google. Generally you can place three ads per web site.
5) Upload the webpage to your server. You will quickly appreciate that (in most cases) the ads are relevant to your site’s content.
6) After a month or so, Google will email you that a payment has been made to your account.
7) An option is to sign on to Google Analytics, so you can track how many people visit your site.
8) Maintain your website(s) so that it stays fresh and continues to attract users. With both Google Analytics and the monthly income stream, you can trend the popularity of your web site.