So I received my first genuine question today from my new “ask a question” form and it was a doozy, Lisa from Southern Ontario wants to know how to make money with Google ads. This is a great question because it addresses a few others along the way.

How do I make money with Google ads?

An example of ads which appear here on my website.

Google runs two programs in tandem, the first is called Google Adwords and it allows business owners such as yourself to buy advertising on the Google network. Adwords allows people to bid on the amount they’d like to pay for an advertisement and then, if their bid is high enough to win out over the competition the ads appear on either the Google search results associated with the keywords or websites associated with the keywords.

This is where the second program, called AdSense comes in. AdSense allows website owners such as me to place Google’s Adword campaigns on my website. You’ll notice for example in my search results there is a banner ad (728×90 pixels) that appears as well as an ad in the comments below. These banners are created automatically from Google and appear in my site content, based on the keywords for the pages that I’ve included.

How do I install Google Adsense on my website?

Once you’ve setup your ads by choosing the size, colors and type of ads that you would like to appear Google will present you with code such as the folllow:

[source lang="javascript"]<script type="text/javascript">
<!– google_ad_client = "pub-9144171931162286";
/* 728×90, created 9/21/08 */
google_ad_slot = "2146157422";
google_ad_width = 728;
google_ad_height = 90;
//–>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>[/source]

To place this code into your website there are a couple of options. If you’re using WordPress for example you can place it into your sidebar using the text widget, or you can edit your theme files to place the code in the appropriate places. Sometimes this is a little difficult for non programmers, so if you need a hand you should post a request at http://jobs.wordpress.net/

How do I sell ad space using Google ads?

That’s actually the best part! You don’t. Google automatically matches you with the most content focusses advertisers from around the planet. Essentially, Google takes all the matching requests from its Adwords program and searches for websites in the AdSense program to serve ads to, which means that you never have to sell anything.

How much can I make from Google ads?

That’s a tough question, Google ads work on two principles. First, how many times is a page visited and secondly, how many times does somebody click the ads on your website? Google ads are paid per click, so if a million people visit your website in a given day then you’re likely to attract a reasonable volume of click through traffic, which will result in increased revenue. 

Each time an ad is clicked, you earn money so the amount you make is dependent entirely on how many people see and click the ads. To determine exactly what an ad on your website is worth, try visiting the Keyword Tools and generate a free report on your (and your competitors) website. Remember, you’re likely to receive a little less than half of whatever Google reports on this page.

How do I get paid from Google ads? 

Each month that your Google AdSense total is more than $100, Google will mail a cheque (or transfer funds) to you. If your account hasn’t reached $100 yet, no problem … the total simply carries over to the next month and will payout when it hits the $100 level.

Can I encourage people to click my ads or click them myself?

No. Serious, don’t do it. If Google catches you (remember they’re REALLY smart there) they’ll not only close your account but refund any revenue you’ve earned to your advertisers … it’s simply not worth the risk.

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If you found this post useful, please share it with a friend or if you have a question of your own, why not ask?