The Google Adsense Tour For Beginners

Had I known enough to take the Google AdSense Tour when first setting out to make money on the Internet, two years worth of frustration and the loss of our home could have been avoided. Buying and selling on eBay produced a number of sales but never a net profit. Building great websites became a labor of love and a sinkhole devouring time and energy. Visitors to the websites did occasionally click on a banner or a text ad but almost never followed up with a purchase.

As my late father would have put it, I was pounding sand down a rathole.

In the end, more in resignation than with any real hope of success, I did eventually sign up for an AdSense account. It turned out to be a fortunate decision, to this day producing my only consistent Internet income. At this point, I believe I've found my "inside track" on which to run. It's time to give back. If this Hub can help a few relative newcomers to shorten the learning curve in these troubled times, that will be a good thing.

Anyone can view Google's official AdSense Tour pages (10 of them) at any time. They are presented simply, with straightforward, concise explanations. However, these pages could use just a touch of Commentary here and there from someone who is still close to the "beginner" stage.

Here, then, is The Google AdSense Tour For Beginners.

As Google introduces AdSense to the reader on this introductory page, several things are pointed out:

1. Every page of your website can earn revenue. Commentary: What is not stated is that you don't even need a website. If (for example) you choose to specialize in writing Hubs, then HubPages.com provides the website...but you still receive the lion's share of money passed on by Google for clicking on their ads displayed on your Hub pages.

2. Only minimal time is needed to implement the program, and no additional resources. Commentary: I've done this with my website (at the rate of a few minutes' time per page) and here on HubPages. Once Google was notified that all of my Hubs were to receive AdSense ads by default, I did NOT have to proceed page by page; the process is automatic. Nifty.

3. Ads relevant to the content are automatically delivered to each page. Commentary: In my experience, Google does this amazingly well. Now and again (not often) ads will show on a page that are not what I'd hoped to see. In these cases, a quick read-through and adjustment of content and tags will fix that just fine.

4. A Google search box can also be easily added, in which case Google even adjusts the ads to track with search results that might come up. Commentary: I've just begun adding this to my poetic humor website and find the box actually makes a page's appearance more attractive.

1. Here the key point revolves around Google's dual auction process (Cost Per Click vs. Cost Per 1,000 Impressions) and the company's ability to instantaneously provide your page with the ads carrying the highest profit potential. Commentary: For the curious or for those with a geekified mind, comprehending this process in full is no doubt a vital thing. For those of us who really don't care but just want Google to SHOW US THE MONEY, all we really need to remember is: That's what Google wants, too, and they DO know what they're doing.

2. It is also pointed out that up to the minute reporting is available online 24/7. Commentary: These reports are state of the art. To me, they're even addictive: I have to discipline myself to keep writing steadily instead of checking my earnings every hour or two.

1. This page emphasizes what every beginner needs to hear, namely the reassurance that it takes only a simple online application and the ability to copy and paste in order to begin seeing ads on your site (or Hub page or etc.). Commentary: It really is NOT hard to do. I confess to having avoided taking action for far too long. Once I went through the process, I was almost ashamed at having stalled for more than six months after first reading about the program.

The key points on this page are:

1. Google's large (I would say huge) database of advertisers allows them to provide you with "spot on" ads no matter how specialized your business. Commentary: True and then some. My own pages cover topics ranging from comedy to cowboys and more, you name it, and the only times the ads delivered are not on target--as stated previously--the fault always turns out to be mine.

2.The size of your company makes no difference. Commentary: Clearly true. It is page content that controls ad content. This is one case where size really does NOT make a difference.

3. Global companies can also target local advertising. Commentary: Cool for Ford or Toyota; as beginners, we don't care...yet!

4. You can use AdSense in many languages. Commentary: Very cool. My wife and I live near the Mexican border. Ads targeting this area could be run in Spanish OR English, depending on your demographics? Yup! VERY cool.

Just one key point on Page Five: Google knows what your content means. They give the example of understanding if your content is about Java the coffee, not Java the programming language.  Commentary:  This is good to know, because nothing would come out right without it.  Ads for products to shut up a barking dog wouldn't sell all that well on a website discussing various types of tree bark, eh?

More detail about the advantages of including the Google search box on your pages: When someone searches from within your site...calls up a results page...and clicks on an ad shown on that results page...you get paid! Commentary: Not bad. Reminds me I need to Git 'R' Done and place the search box on the REST of my website's pages.... After all, why leave money on the table for no good cause?

If you care about family values, this page is possibly the coolest of all. Without the user having to lift a solitary finger, Google filters out adult material... war/death/chaos...and even the ads from your competitors. They tout their rigorous ad review process with justification, but if even that isn't good enough, you can pick an ad of your choice. Commentary: For those who prefer G ratings, this is excellent. Admittedly, if you're more into R or even "darker" content, you're out of luck.

Page Eight expands on the user's ability to customize AdSense as desired, including (a) how the ads look as to color and style, (b) how the search results page looks (if the search box has been added), and (c) from which angle/angles you choose to view activity results. Commentary: These aspects of AdSense feel absolutely invaluable after you've used them for a while. Example: Although I'm still sticking (so far) with the color scheme I originally selected, I keep looking at making them flashier...and knowing that I CAN do so any time I choose is of significant comfort. Example: Being able to look at statistics from a different angle every now and again is a great help in getting a "feel" for what I need to do next.

Getting ready to close, Google lists three testimonials. Commentary: Everyone and their dog includes testimonials from satisfied customers. There is one difference here, however: Enough information is included to enable the enthusiastic investigator to visit the websites to take a looksee. While you're more than welcome to do just that, you don't necessarily need to...'cause I did while researching material for this Hub!

Here are my findings as of June 22, 2009:

1. Broadband Wireless Exchange. This company hosts an online publication, the Broadband Wireless Exchange Magazine, at www.bbwexchange.com. The home page presents a professional look I'd term "muted elegance" with Google tower banner ads in the right margin and a small, discreet block of text ads tucked in with the site's menu on the left. The ads' color scheme exactly matches the rest of the site. That this company and Google have a solid and mutually satisfying business relationship is easy to believe.

2. SeatGuru.com. This is a "trip advisor" company designed to help the traveler select a preferred airline seat. No Google ads could be found on this website, at least by me. Best guess is that SeatGuru is a former AdSense affiliate of Google's but not a current one.

3. Vik Kachoria at RealAdventure.com. Vik is clearly a staunch ally of Google's and so states without reservation...plus he does, in fact, run the ads on his various web pages.

Summary: Despite the lack of ads on one of the three, yep, these appear to be legitimate testimonials, all right!

 On this final page, Google wraps up with a concise summary of AdSense benefits and asks for the sale.  Commentary:  If you're great at multitasking and only feel comfortable when stirring as many pots as you have spoons, then this program might be only one of several you find to be of benefit.  If you're a single minded type with a laser focus, however, no other advertising system I've seen can match AdSense for freeing your mind to concentrate on what you do best--in my case, write.

----The End of The Google AdSense Tour For Beginners----

Thanks for reading,

Ghost32