Need Money Blog: Google AdSense Help

My Google AdSense check arrived this week and before I took it to the bank, a friend asked "What is the secret to making money with Google AdSense?". They then went on about how they had put some ads on their website or blog and only made a few pennies before taking the ads off.

Clearly, the need for AdSense help is out there for new and aspiring bloggers. The idea of making a few dollars (or thousand!) extra a day from ads which magically populate themselves on a blog sounds pretty cool. But there must be a key to making Google AdSense work well enough to keep the ads on a site.

Google AdSense Help

First, should you do ads or not?

If your website or blog is about personal matters, daily thoughts (musings seems to be a popular name for these blogs) or rants, Google AdSense is probably not for you. AdSense takes content and finds related ads. If you think your blog lends itself well to advertisers, then read on.

What type of ads?

Advertisers may not like this, but text ads do better than image or video ads. By doing better, it means that visitors click the ads and the publisher (you) make some money. When setting up AdSense, use text ads rather than image ads. Blogger has a tendancy to default to image ads upon setup so be aware of this.

Big ads or little?

That completely depends upon the individual site and the layout. My own take is the 250x250 block at the top of the page does better than any other format. The sidebars are mediocre in results, but fill in some space with potential revenue opportunties. The little info links are handy for tight spaces. The long across the top or bottom ads have so-so results for me as well. Placing block ads between blog posts is very successful.

Which colors of ads should I use?

Blend with the layout of the blog. The reality is, most website visitors are familiar with ads; they don't fall for website stunts to fool them into thinking an ad is content. However, ads should not stick out like a sore thumb. They should flow naturally with the layout as to create a pleasing view to the visitor. That encourages the visitor to stay longer, explore content and possibly see an ad which interests them.

Which colors, designs or tactics should I avoid with Adsense?

Read the terms of service for Google. DON'T encourage visitors to click ads. DON'T go on the internet, visit forums and ask visitors to click ads. DON'T hide ads in pictures or other content. All will result in an AdSense account getting banned. Google knows all the tricks.

Instead, DO write original content. DO use good ad placement. DO focus on getting lots of bonefide traffic to a blog. DO measure and alter a blog or website to increase visitors and clickthrus.

Should I concentrate of one big site or several smaller sites for AdSense revenue?

The jury is out on that one as I know people who are successful with both. I encourage a new publisher to focus on one site, make it good, get visitors and only when things are going well, move on to another interest. Others say build lots of little sites and focus on getting traffic to each. Do what works best for you, your time and your sanity.

Finally, Google AdSense is a very cool way to monetize a site. However, be aware that it should be part of a complete strategy including advertisements, product and affiliate sales.