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 Did you know that you could turn the
tables on Google and actually use its search engine to
generate money?
Google Adsense pays you money in exchange for being
allowed to publish paid-for ads on your web site. The
clever thing is that the ads are related to what your
users are looking for on your site. If used correctly they
can both enhance your site and make you money.
So how does it work? Google provides you with its AdSense
HTML code, which you place on your web pages. Then, Google
automatically "reads" your pages and decides on
the best ads to display.
It uses a sophisticated algorithm that includes such
factors as keyword analysis, word frequency, font size,
and the overall link structure of the web. It says it
knows what a page is about and can precisely match Google
ads to each page.
AdSense also uses geo-targeting to serve Google ads to
your pages that are specific to a user's region and
language, based on their IP address. This means that the
ads that are served to a user from Australia may be
different than those that appear for a user from Canada.
If a visitor clicks on one of the ads they get taken to
the advertiser's web page and you get paid cash - easy!
Well, not quite. First you must have a site with plenty of
visitors, otherwise it isn't worth the effort. Secondly,
your page must be set up in such a way that Google stands
a chance of working out what you are trying to promote or
sell. In essence, you need to look at your page title,
headings and initial copy to make sure that Google matches
the right ads to your page.
For example, on my page devoted to digital photography
courses, I don't want to advertise rival courses. So what
I do is ensure that the first words on the page are
"digital cameras", not "digital camera
courses". That away, Google shows ads for companies
selling cameras, not training courses.
Don't expect to earn a fortune. Google is a bit cagey
about its ad rates, but you typically earn a few cents per
click. Advertisements for casino or other gambling sites
could make you up to a dollar or more for each click
though.
On the downside, the very nature of Google Adsense means
that users navigate away from your site, which may not be
in your best interests.
If you want to see Google Adsense in action go to http://www.infotechcomms.net/courses1.htm
or http://www.greatshortbreaks.com.
Both these pages have been carefully optimized to throw up
the ads that I want.
Another word of warning, if Google can't work out what to
display it will serve up ads for charities. It will also
do this for the first few minutes after putting a page
live.
In two months of using Google Adsense on a few of my sites
I have made a few hundred dollars. But other canny users,
who have specifically targeted high value clicks by
setting up portal sites with lots of traffic have made
thousands upon thousands of dollars!
For more information see https://www.google.com/adsense/.
FAQs (262 words):
Q. So with
Google Adsense can I really make any web site generate
money?
A. Possibly. If you have a high traffic site with a
particular theme you should be able to make it pay its
way. The trick is in getting the traffic in the first
place.
Q. What type of sites work well?
A. Niché sites really. It is still fairly easy to get
high search engine listings for way-out or niché search
terms. Getting a high rating for the word
"vacations" is near impossible nowadays if
starting from scratch, but something like "Anguilla
beach hotels" just might be possible.
Q. Anguilla beach hotels - you're
kidding me?
A. No, actually. http://www.anguilla-beaches.com/
is one of the most visited sites on the net and has
generated a lot of income for its owner with Google
Adsense and other techniques. Oh, by the way, Nori Evoy, a
14 year-old teenager, runs the site, although she did have
a little help from her dad Ken, a well-known internet
marketer and the creator of SiteBuildit - see http://buildit.sitesell.com/newsdata.html
Q. So how hard is it to put ads on
my site?
A. If you can handle a little bit of HTML coding you
shouldn't have a problem. You can color coordinate the ads
to suit your pages too.
Q. Can I change the way the ads
look?
A. You can choose from multiple ad layouts, designed to
suit a wide variety of page designs.
Q. How will I know what pages
produce the most revenue?
A. You can code each page differently so that you can tell
which "channels" are producing what revenue.
Q. How do I get paid?
A. Google will send you a cheque approximately 30 days
after the end of each calendar month if your earned
balance is US $100 or more.
Q. Great! How do I start?
A. Get over to https://www.google.com/adsense/
and see if your site is eligible. Once signed up it is a
simple task to add the necessary code to each page.
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| About
the Author: Steve Nichols runs InfoTech Communications,
which specializes in online communications. He has acted
as consultant and trainer for many blue-chip companies
including Aviva, AWG, BT, Shell, Standard Life, HBOS, BNFL,
AstraZeneca, Diageo, Accenture and Australia New Zealand
Bank. |
