Google AdSense: What It Is, How It Works and How To Get Approved

I've been an AdSense publisher since 2008, and in this post, I'll explain what Google AdSense is, how it works, and how to get your website approved. I will also give you an overview of what it takes to make money using the AdSense platform.

What Is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is an advertising platform that helps website owners earn money from their online content. It works by displaying ads relevant to the website's content and visitors. Businesses pay to advertise their products through Google Ads and other advertising platforms, and advertisers bid in a real-time auction for the ad space on your pages. AdSense is free to join, and site owners earn a share of the revenue each time ads are shown.

Here is an example of a Google AdSense ad on a website:

How Does Google AdSense Work?

1. Create a Google AdSense Account
2. Set Up Your Payment Information
3. Add AdSense Ads To Your Website
4. Choose Ad Placements
5. You Get Paid

1. Create a Google AdSense Account

The first step is to go to the Google AdSense website and create an account. To finish this process, you'll need three things:

1. A Google account: Your AdSense account is associated with a Google Account like the one you use to log in to Gmail, YouTube, etc.
2. A phone number and mailing address: AdSense will verify your identity and your address before paying you.
3. A website to add the AdSense code: A live website is a prerequisite to joining the AdSense program. You must own the website and be able to edit its HTML code.

2. Set Up Your Payment Information

The next step in the application process is to add your payment information. You must verify your identity before your account can show ads and receive payments. When your balance reaches $10, Google also mails you a PIN to verify your address, so make sure that the details you provide for your postal address are correct.

You can create an account as an individual or a business. In both cases, the details should match your bank account information.

You may also have to provide a phone number, depending on your location. Google will use this to verify your account.

3. Add AdSense Ads To Your Website

Once you apply for an AdSense account and before being accepted to the program, Google needs to check that your website adheres to the AdSense guidelines.

To pass this step, connect your site to AdSense. You can do this with the AdSense code snippet, an ads.txt snippet, or a meta tag. The code snippet is the most common option, and our guide shows how to add the AdSense code to WordPress.

Follow these steps:

• Sign in to AdSense and click Add site.
• Enter the URL of your website and click Save.
• In the "Connect your site to AdSense" card, click Let's go.
• Choose a verification method. For the AdSense code snippet, copy the code and paste it into the HTML of your pages between the <head> and </head> tags.
• Confirm that you've added the code and click Verify.
• Click Request review.

This is a very important step because there are cases in which your application may not be accepted.

Until you are fully approved, AdSense ads are not shown on your website. If your application is accepted, ads will start showing, and you will start earning.

According to Google, the review usually takes a few days, but in some cases, it can take 2 to 4 weeks.

Remember that this is a once-off process since after being accepted as an AdSense publisher, you can run AdSense on any website you want (provided it does not violate AdSense rules).

To improve your chances, read the section below on how to get approved for AdSense.

4. Choose Ad Placements

Once accepted into the program, the next step is to configure how you want your ads to appear on your website.

You have two options: Let Google decide when and where to show ads or choose the exact places to display the ads.

Let Google Place Ads for You (Auto Ads)

If you go with this option, you must add the AdSense code to your website (once), and Google will automatically show ads in the best possible places. This is currently the recommended method to add ads to your website.

• Go to Sites and click the Edit Button next to your site's name.
• Check the Auto Ads checkbox.
• Go through the rest of the options (Overlay formats, In-Page Formats, Excluded areas, Excluded Pages) to define where ads should be shown.

Create Custom Ad Units

If you don't want to go with Auto Ads, the other option is to create custom ad units and add the code in the exact places you want the ads to appear on your site.

Click by ad unit, and select what ad units to create.

When creating an ad unit, you can select the type (Display ads, in-article ads, multiplex ads, etc.) and define the style (text and border colors) of the ads. You will be given a code (Javascript) to add to your website where you want the particular ad to appear.

In the space provided, Google may show 1 or more ads.

Pro Tip: You can use auto ads to let AdSense show ads AND custom ad units to show ads in specific areas.

5. You Get Paid

When everything is set up correctly, AdSense will start showing ads on your website, and you get paid for the ads shown on your pages.

Since 2024, AdSense pays publishers per impression rather than per click. According to Google, publishers receive 80% of the revenue after the advertiser platform takes its fee. When the ads come from Google Ads, publishers keep about 68% of what advertisers pay.

Google pays once a month, between the 21st and the 26th, when your balance is above the payment threshold ($100 for accounts paid in US dollars).

You can use the Reports option to view details on how your ads perform and how much money you will get each month.

How To Get Approved For AdSense

Getting approved is the step where most new publishers get stuck. Before you apply, make sure that you meet Google's eligibility requirements:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You own the website and can access and edit its HTML source code.
• Your content is high-quality and original and attracts an audience.
• Your website complies with the AdSense program policies.
• You don't already have an AdSense account. Google allows only one account per publisher.

A few things to know about the application:

• The country you enter must be your country of residence, and you can't change it later. If you move to another country, you have to close your account and open a new one.
• You can apply as an individual or as a registered business, but you can't change the account type after the account is created. Payments go to the name on the account.
• Google reviews both your application details and your entire website before approving you.

Common Reasons AdSense Applications Are Rejected

If your application is not approved, Google will send you an email with the reason. According to Google's AdSense Help, the most common reasons are:

• Low value content - Not enough original, useful content to give users a reason to visit your site. Google looks for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
• Policy violations - Content or practices that go against the AdSense program policies.
• Poor site navigation - Visitors should be able to find what they are looking for easily.
• Too much affiliate content - Affiliate content that adds no extra value should be only a minor part of the site.
• Duplicate accounts - You already have another AdSense account.

What To Do If You Are Not Approved

Study the email carefully, fix every issue it mentions, and review the AdSense policies again. Then wait until you have made real improvements, such as publishing more original content, before applying again.

There is no maximum number of attempts, but applying again without fixing the problems will only lead to another rejection. If you need help, you can ask other publishers in the official AdSense Community.

How Much Money Can You Make With Google AdSense?

How much money you will make from AdSense depends on the following:

• The amount of traffic your website receives.
• The type of traffic.
• The number of advertisers in your niche.
• The type of content you have on your website.
• The position of your AdSense ads.

You can get a rough estimation using the AdSense earnings calculator available on the AdSense homepage, but this is only an estimation.

From experience, it's very difficult to calculate exactly the amount you can make from ads. You'll have to run AdSense on your website for a few months to determine your average monthly revenue.

How does AdSense calculate earnings?

AdSense pays per impression, so the most useful number is your RPM (revenue per 1,000 page views or impressions). Clicks and CPC (cost per click) still show you how valuable your audience is to advertisers.

Revenue share also varies per product. For AdSense for content, publishers receive 80% after the advertiser platform's fee. Google doesn't disclose the revenue share for all of its other products.

For real numbers, RPM examples, and our own $100K case study, read how much Google AdSense pays.

How To Make Money With AdSense

Here are some best practices to increase your AdSense earnings.

• Adhere To AdSense Policies - It is crucial to comply with AdSense rules to avoid account suspension. Regularly review Google's policy updates for safe monetization.
• Create a Content-Rich Website - Focus on developing high-quality, original content that provides value to your audience. This approach not only drives traffic but also enhances ad performance.
• Target Keywords With a High CPC - Utilize SEO tools to identify and integrate keywords with high Cost Per Click (CPC), ensuring your content aligns with lucrative advertising markets.
• Place Ads Where People Read - Ads within the main content and near the top of the page get more views, but don't overload the area above the fold. Too many ads there hurt the user experience.
• Use AdSense Optimization Features - Regularly check the optimization suggestions and experiments in your AdSense account, and test new ad formats such as Auto ads.

Read what worked for us in our AdSense case study for more best practices.

Google Ads vs. Google AdSense

Many people confuse Google Ads and AdSense, but they are two different platforms.

Google Ads is the platform that advertisers use to set up campaigns and run ads on Google Search, Google Display Network, Google Discover, YouTube, and other Google products.

Google AdSense is the platform publishers use to show Google Ads on their websites and make money.

When an advertiser chooses to show ads on the Google Display Network, these ads can appear on websites participating in the AdSense program.

In short, advertisers pay through Google Ads, and publishers get paid through AdSense. You can use both: for example, you can advertise your business with Google Ads and show AdSense ads on your blog.

Learn More About AdSense

AdSense is a great way to make money online. It’s easy to use and reliable, and Google handles the advertisers and the payments. AdSense allows you to create ad units of different types and sizes and add those to your website. Using a complex algorithm, Google fills that space with ads related to your content and audience.

If you don’t have an AdSense account, the first step is to apply and get accepted to the program. Then use these guides to set it up and see what you can earn.