Google’s advertising platform for publishers, Google AdSense, can be both rewarding and inexplicably frustrating. Most bloggers who start using AdSense get discouraged after a couple of months because they aren’t making the money they dreamed of. Sure, getting paid pennies for clicks that rarely come can be a disappointment, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not the end of the world. Every day thousands of people are making a killing on AdSense, and with a little optimization you can improve your earnings too.
1. It’s all about the keywords
With Google AdSense, choosing the right keywords can make or break you. When writing blog content, you want to make sure you’re targeting keywords with the highest CPC (cost per click). There are many tools online that will help you find keywords that are great ways to make money. One of the best tools is Google’s own Keyword Planner found in Google AdWords. This little tool will give you an estimate of how much advertisers pay for certain keywords.
Targeting specific keywords will help you influence the type of ads shown to your visitors, making them more likely to click on your ad. However, be careful not to overload your content with keywords; Google can and will penalize your website.
Choosing the right keywords is what Google AdSense is all about.
2. Optimize ad size and position
When you run your own blog, you’ll have the option to customize where you place your ads. Experimenting with the positions will ensure that you get the best click-through rate.
AdSense ads come in a variety of sizes, making it easy to optimize your earnings. Running split tests on your site can help you decide which ad sizes make you the most money.
We recommend starting with the 336X280 rectangular banners. Ads in this format can play video ads that have often been shown to convert more visitors.
3. Don’t spam ads
Everyone has been to a site so cluttered with ads that it was unreadable. Do not make the same mistake. It’s good practice to maintain a good ratio of content to ads on your site. The last thing you want to do is drive your visitors away by bombarding them with pop-ups.
The logic behind having a ton of ads is that visitors are more likely to click on one of your ads. However, this is often not the case. Many visitors get irritated, just leave or read the content and then leave at the first opportunity.
Placing some of your ads in strategic locations throughout your content can be more beneficial to your click-through rate.
4. Keep posting new content
New content is what keeps old visitors coming back and it’s also what attracts new visitors. Whether you update your blog three times a day or three times a week, it’s important to be consistent when posting new content. Not only does it give your page more opportunities to display ads, but it also establishes authority with Google and helps you rank for more keywords, which means more visitors for you.
5. Start and grow your email list
Email lists, like newsletters, can be a goldmine for publishers. They help you retain readers, thereby increasing the average value that each visitor brings to your site. Starting an email list is easy and can often be done for free. Many blogs send a weekly newsletter to their subscribers with links to the content they have posted during the week. It’s a great way to increase traffic instantly.
