AdSense Rules for Publishers

The simplicity of AdSense makes it an easy target for cheats. The fact that simple act of clicking a link on an ad could actually result in an AdSense publisher earning money seems too tempting for those webmasters that want to earn a quick buck. So in order to curb the activities of the more ‘adventurous’ webmasters Google have outlined a number of general AdSense rules regarding publisher behaviour.

The rules focus primarily on the more extreme techniques often used to boost search engine rankings, these include:

• Using hidden text and links within websites
• Using inappropriate keywords, irrelevant keywords or excessively repeated keywords within the content (or code) of website
• Creating ‘doorway’ pages primarily for search engines with little to no content

None of the techniques above are allowed to be used in conjunction with AdSense.

Included, are quality guidelines for webmasters. Sites submitted for inclusion for the scheme must be of a certain standard. Poorly constructed sites will be rejected by Google. For more information about these rules go to Google’s site.

AdSense Rules about Traffic Sources

Traffic is the lifeblood of AdSense. Due to the low pay outs of most ads the only way to make money using AdSense is to try and generate as much traffic for your site as possible. The more traffic flowing through your site the more clicks you will have on average.

Artificially boosting traffic levels is therefore another way to cheat Google AdSense. In order to circumvent cheating, Google has drawn out another set of rules relating to traffic sources these include:

• Publishers may not use the services of paid-to-click merchants
• Webmasters are prohibited from using services that may artificially inflate impressions such as click-exchange-programmes
• AdSense publishers cannot use mass unsolicited emails to promote their site
• Webmaster cannot use software that trigger pop-ups, redirect users to unwanted websites etc...
• And publishers cannot use online advertising (like Adwords, MSN adcenter etc...) unless the site complies with Google’s landing page quality guidelines

The last rule in the list is included to stop publishers using the arbitrage method of earning AdSense cash. AdSense arbitrage users often create ‘extreme’ landing pages for their advertised sites, to boost CTRs. If they are forced to comply with Google’s landing page quality guidelines, their CTRs will be drastically reduced, cutting their profits and forcing them to quit the method.

For more about Google AdSense rules look at:

AdSense rules about click behaviour

AdSense rules about the treatment of ads

AdSense Rules about Treatment of Ads

What about the ads themselves? Can the JavaScript code be changed or altered in any way so that for instance the ads can be blended better into your site?

The simple answer is no.

Google AdSense states that their code cannot be altered in ANY way. Tampering with their code can result in you getting banned.

But what about placement of AdSense ads?

AdSense rules about placement of their ads in your site is that you cannot put their ads in areas of your website they deem inappropriate.

You can experiment with ad format and placement within your website to give the ads the best possible exposure, but AdSense code cannot be placed within pop-ups, emails or software.

Basically AdSense ads can only be used ‘normally’ within websites, bedside actual page content it cannot be:

• Used in software applications of any kind, including toolbars
• Put in pages that contain no content
• Used on pages created solely for displaying ads
• Hidden behind elements of a webpage

AdSense with other Advertising Schemes

There was a time when Google didn’t allow their ads to be used in conjunction with other advertising schemes. But times have changed and in order to remain competitive it has relaxed this rule relating to the use of its ads.

But publishers have to still remain vigilant of the state of affairs concerning this AdSense rule.

Other ads can be displayed on a website containing AdSense ads, however, these other ads cannot use the same layout and colors as Google ads. This is so that its users are not confused and are fully aware of what adverts they are interacting with.

For more information about Google AdSense rules look at:

AdSense rules about click behaviour

AdSense rules for Publishers

AdSense Rules about Click Behaviour

Nothing is more tempting than to click on the AdSense ads on your own site, especially after months of waiting for your expected AdSense cash to come rolling in.
But nothing is clearer in Google AdSense Programme Policies than the rules relating to click behaviour.

Google states:

'Publishers may not click their own ads or use any means to inflate impressions and/or clicks artificially, including using manual methods.’

In order for their scheme to work properly, Google have had to employ some of the best tracking technologies to monitor the behaviour of millions of internet users.

As well as keeping tabs on your I.P address, Google also store other important information related to your web activity which they use to calculate if you or your friends are participating in click fraud.

Remember that clicking on your own ads is prohibited.

The temptation to cheat Google AdSense can be extreme. But clicking on your own ads (or encouraging your friends to click on your ads) is the fastest and easiest way to get yourself banned from the scheme.

AdSense Rules about Encouraging Clicks

Some new AdSense publishers that are unaware of Google's AdSense rules, think that they can outsmart the system by using subtle methods to encourage clicks on their sites.
But there is one thing that all new AdSense publishers have to be aware of; and that is ALLforms of encouragement is prohibited that can be used to entice visitors to click on AdSense ads. It is crucial that all webmasters that have joined the scheme understand a number of simple rules related to encouraging clicks, these are:

• The use of suggestive terms like ‘click the ads’ or visit these links’ cannot be used anywhere near Google ads in order to encourage users to click on them
• The use of arrows, symbols or text to deliberately point the users attention to ads on a website is not allowed
• The use of suggestive or misleading images in close proximity to AdSense ads is forbidden
• AdSense ads cannot be put in floating box script

You get the general idea.

There are many publishers that break the rules, but they are all eventually found out. All sites are regularly reviewed at random intervals by both automated means and Google employees.

Behave normally and you won’t break AdSense click rules

First and foremost check Google AdSense rules regularly. Their rules do change over time in order to adapt to the ever changing PPC internet market so make sure that your knowledge of their rules is up to date.

As long as you behave normally, do not encourage friends and families to click on your ads and refrain from using suggestive images or text to encourage clicks on your website you shouldn’t fall foul of AdSense rules related to click behaviour.

Google has an obligation to the multitude of people that use its AdWords scheme and they need to ensure that clicks on Google ads result from genuine user interest.

For more information about Google AdSense rules look at:

AdSense rules for publishers

AdSense rules about the treatment of ads

AdSense Calculator

Calculating your Potential AdSense Earnings

An AdSense calculator gives you an indication of how much you could be earning (or should be earning if you already have a website) using the AdSense scheme.With a combination of good traffic levels, high Click-through-Rates (CTR’s) and high paying Adsense ads you could be earning some extra AdSense cash from a website you just set up.

Just key in all the required values below and give yourself an idea of how much you could start to earn from the simple flow of traffic passing through your Adsense website.

AdSense Calculator

Daily Impressions:

Click-Through-Rate CTR (%):

Average Cost-per-Click CPC ($):

Use the Adsense Calculator to estimate your Earnings

If you already have an AdSense website you can use the Calculator to quickly estimate how optimized your site is.

A good indicator is how much traffic is flowing through a particular site. If you have a healthy level of traffic (something in the region of 500-1000 a day) you could use the calculator to determine how much you should be earning from AdSense.

Using average values of 2% for CTR and $0.50 for CPC you can assess how optimized your AdSense site is. Of course different types of websites attract different kinds of ads and different kinds of visitors, so you do need to take this into consideration when weighing up the quality of your site.

How Does Google AdSense Work

Understanding how Google AdSense works

How does Google AdSense work? How does Google and the Publisher make money? Google AdSense is the premier Pay-Per-Click scheme that works by enabling webmasters to advertise content related ads on their sites. When a visitor clicks on an ad, Google shares out the fee paid out by the advertiser with the Publisher. Basically the AdSense scheme is Google’s way of monetizing the flow of traffic through the web.

The key to Google AdSense success is contextual advertising

The reasons why Google AdSense works so well is because it can deliver good quality content related ads. Depending on the topic choice, how well the content has been put together and how cleverly the keywords have been placed Google AdSense can bring you ads that are very focused towards the interest of people visiting a particular website.

So for example, let say you happened to be looking for reviews of new computer blu-ray burners and you find a site with the information you want. What could interest you more than ads specifically focused on the topic of computer blu-ray burners? After all you were searching for them anyway, so Google AdSense knows that you are going to interested in the ads they display on the site in question.

Why Google AdSense works is because it makes the most of visitor interest. People in general are more primed and ready to respond to contextual ads after a search engine query. The delivery of context related ads has been crucial to Google AdSense success.

So how are context-related AdSense ads delivered?

Google uses sophisticated software to automatically analyze the content of webpages. The software determines the type of content it contains, focusing on key areas of the page; like its title and headings. The process for determining contextual ad relevancy is very similar to the one Google uses in its search engines to determine if the content of a site matches the keywords used in a search.

How Google AdSense Works: Terms and Definitions

If you are new to Google AdSense you will undoubtedly come across a number of specific terms that describes various aspects of the scheme. Most of the terms are very simple but it is important to know what they really mean before you can begin to delve deeper into how Google AdSense works.

Here are some of the most used terms in the world of AdSense:

• The Click: This is the money making event triggered when a visitor clicks on a link within a an ad unit in a website. It is this action that generates the revenue.


• Ad Unit: This is often a group of ads that are delivered by Google using a piece of JavaScript code. The color, font and size can usually be changed by the Publisher. Choice of ad itself is determined by Google.


• Cost-Per-Click (CPC): This is the amount paid to the publisher by Google for an individual click on an ad. Also known as Pay-Per-Click (PPC).


• Click-Through-Rate (CTR): A very important term that measures the number of clicks divided by the number of times an ad is shown. Normally it is a value derived from the clicks divided by page impressions.


• Page CTR: The average click-through-rate for ads on a particular page.


• Page Impressions: The number of times a webpage is displayed and viewed.

Getting links for AdSense Sites

Links for AdSense sites

There are a number of ways to get the necessary quality links required to get your AdSense website noticed. They are all quiet simple to use, but all of them require a bit of work to use properly. Ideally you are looking to get around 150 links to your site. But this number can vary depending on what kind of AdSense site you’re putting together. If the theme of your site is general in scope, you might need much more links (computers, business, cars sites etc...). If it is a truly niche site you will probably need much less.

Webmasters have been exchanging links with one another for as long as the web as been around. But recently link exchanging as taken on a new dimension.

Bulk link pages

Since some elements of Google’s page ranking criteria became common knowledge, many webmasters have gone on to dedicate whole pages worth of links on their websites all connected to partner Webmasters. Some have even gone on to automate the whole process.

This form of link building isn’t completely liked by Google, as it verges on spamming. But it isn’t completely ignored either. These links are often closely related to the theme of the sites they are connected to and some of them are quality links. No matter what Google feels about these link pages, it nonetheless has to treat them as legitimate ranking criteria. Google however, deflates the value of such bulk links but they still contribute positively to the whole ranking process.

Link exchange sites are a better option

A better link swapping mechanism is one involving membership only link exchanges. These sites act as go betweens, matching Webmasters with similar websites with each other. They are often free to join but a few do ask for a small registration fee.

To join you only need your site URL, title and description before you are free to either initiate the process of link exchange or wait to be contacted by an interested party.

However, be careful when joining such sites. There will be many Webmasters who will be eager to exchange links with you, especially if your AdSense site happens to be quality one. Do a little research into the sites requesting a link. There are a few dodgy Webmasters in reciprocal link exchange sites, so be careful of the company you keep.

Table showing a few link exchange sites

Website	Cost	Comments
http://www.linkstraffic.net/	free	Provides a directory service as well as link exchanges.
http://www.linkpartners.com/	free	Simple easy to use website.
http://www.123exchangelinks.com/	free	Have over 50,000 members.
http://www.linkexchanged.com/	$19.00 Per month	Has a lot of features. Good way to build links if you have cash.
http://www.links4trade.com/	$9.95 Per month	More manageable cost. Not as many features as linkexchanged.

For more information about links and traffic look at:

Directories and AdSense sites

Articles and AdSense Traffic

Tracking AdSense Traffic

AdSense Niche Topics

How to find the best AdSense Niche Topics

Good AdSense niche topics are like goldmines. They are often poorly covered areas of interest that has little to no competition from other publishers. They often have good levels of demand (interested visitors) and a good number of high paying related ads. Basically a good AdSense niche is one that has:

High Cost Per Click

High Traffic

Low Competition

Of course no niche topic is ideal, only rarely, do all the above factors coincide to create an AdSense niche topic. There are other more realistic combinations of factors that can make good AdSense niches for example:

Low Cost Per Click

High Traffic

Low Competition

Another reasonable combination of factors could be:

High Cost Per Click

Low Traffic

Low Competition

Basically, the common factor in all possible combinations is low competition. This ensures that you control a large portion of the traffic affiliated with the topic in question.

Ways of finding AdSense niche topics

There are a number of different ways to discover AdSense niche topics. Some people prefer to tackle it from the profit angle, focusing on finding AdSense niche topics withinhigh paying AdSense keywords. But this technique is fraught with difficulties, not least the problem of trying to create an AdSense website on a topic you’re probably not familiar with.
A good AdSense niche topic has to be of interest to you. How can it be a ‘good’ topic if you can’t turn it into a success? The best way to find a good AdSense topic is to discover one, so at least when its found you'll know it’s one that is ‘good’ for you.

Brainstorming for you niche AdSense site

To make success of an AdSense website you have to be passionate about the subject matter. So the first step towards finding one that is ideal for you, is to brainstorm and write down all the topics that interest you. For ideas to start you off look at AdSense Website Themes. Try and write down a list of 10-15 different topics.

From this list review each topic and ask yourself a number of important questions;

• How passionate am I about this topic?
• Would other people be interested in this topic?
• Would this topic work well as a website or a blog?
• Has this topic got longevity?
• What would I need to make this topic interesting to a prospective visitor to my site and can I deliver what is required?
• But most importantly, what topic do I have the most understanding of and the greatest interest in?

Passion, understanding and interest in the topic helps make the work flow easier for you. Building the website becomes less of a burden if you have a deep interest in the subject matter.

From the list try and whittle down your options to only 5 topics. This list is now probably comprised mostly of general website themes which are not yet specific AdSense topics. To convert these themes into possible AdSense niche topics, you need to do some basic keyword research. For this you are going to need a keyword discovery tool. One of the best is the one provided by Google in its Adwords section. It is free to use but requires constant entry of CAPTCHA text to use if you haven’t signed up for Google Adwords.

Use Googles keyword tool to fine-tune your AdSense themes

When through to the tool enter your topic into the entry field and click on ‘get keyword ideas.’ A list of related terms is then generated which could be possible AdSense niches. However, most of them will need to be fined tuned further. Put any terms that seems too broad back through the keyword tool for more related suggestions. Try and put together a list of ten, two or three word niche topics created from your original five keywords. This process can be quite exhaustive (but imagine the trials and tribulations required to find a goldmine) but it is necessary. 

Now you have a number of possible AdSense niche topics. But they still need to be investigated further. You need facts and figures to make these possible AdSense goldmines more real. Further research into the competition (supply) and demand for the topics is necessary.

But this essential first stage has enabled you to find possible AdSense niches that could be AdSense goldmines for YOU. To make a success of AdSense you need to plan first before you can move forward. And finding the perfect niche for you is one of the many first steps you need to make before putting together your first AdSense website.