Google AdSense has produced $38,875.51 for my business.
For that, I’ve worked with not one client and written not one resume.
Although Adsense doesn’t generate revenue for me as it once did, it’s still a key part of my overall revenue goals.
The truth is that adding ads to my website felt odd at first.
I remember a colleague who once sent me a concerned email that went something like this:
“Do you know that you have a competitor’s ad on your website? I’m sure this must be some mistake.”
No, there was no mistake.
If you’re not familiar with how AdSense works, here’s a brief overview:
Adsense enables businesses like us to make money through displayed ads. Google provides the advertisers. Other than adding code on your website or uploading an Adsense plugin for WordPress, the set up can be completed in less than an hour. Google offers us the ability to allow and block certain advertisers, which gives us some control over whose ads are displayed on our sites.
Why You Need Ads
Here’s a “big pill” you must swallow:
According to Navis, “nearly 90% of your website traffic vanishes.”
Some believe the percentage to be much higher, at 95% to 98%.
If any of these stats are accurate, you’ve learned that visitors are fleeting and that profiting from that traffic can be a solid plan for adding bucks to the bottom line of your business.
You’ll be broke if you rely ONLY on people submitting your contact form or calling you for services (AKA conversions).
That’s not reality for any online business.
Where These Ads Should Go
AdSense is an effective strategy for generating revenue from specific posts on your website.
Notice I said “posts,” not “pages.”
Because pages are how you gain prospects and potential buyers, avoid putting ads on pages.
AdSense is most effective on posts that answer how-to questions.
Those who can profit most from ads are those with a blog and some traffic. You don’t need Wallstreet.com traffic level, but you do need “something.” If you don’t have much traffic, start by writing blog posts.
To start, publish your AdSense code on one or two of your most visited blog posts.
Here are a few additional resources to help with writing blog posts:
Do you want to see AdSense in action?
Here’s a blog post on the ResumeToReferral blog:
Is Your TopResume.com Resume Review, Fact or Fiction? (In-Depth Look)
Once on the page, you’ll notice an AdSense ad after the 7th paragraph.
You might be asking yourself, “Why that page, why that spot?”
To begin with, the leads we generate from that page aren’t ideal for our business.
Therefore, we prefer visitors to that page to click an ad and become someone else’s problem.
It’s win/win for everyone.
We acquire a small profit from the clicked ad. The individual is provided with a cost-effective product, which is likely what they were seeking. Lastly, the advertiser receives the click and potentially a new client.
How to Get Started
The first step is to log into your Google account, click the link below, and create an AdSense account:
CREATE ADSENSE ACCOUNT: https://www.google.com/adsense/start
This step takes only a few minutes.
Once you’ve created your AdSense account, decide whether you will manually insert the AdSense code into your site or opt for a WordPress plugin.
There are pros/cons to each.
For example, manually inserting the code gives you more control over where your ads appear. But at times, Google updates the code, which means you’ll need to manually update the code on your site.
The code looks intimidating. Here’s an example:
<script async src=”//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js”></script>
<!– YourSite –>
<ins class=”adsbygoogle”
style=”display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-1234567890123456″
data-ad-slot=”9999999999″></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>
As long as you copy/paste exactly how Google provides it to you, you’ll have no issues.
When opting to use a WordPress plugin instead, you avoid having to install code manually. That’s a plus.
We manually install the AdSense code on the posts we choose. We don’t publish AdSense sitewide like many other sites. We prefer a selective approach to our advertising strategy. You may wish to do the same.
