If you own a website and get regular traffic, you could be earning money right now. One of the easiest ways to start generating revenue is by using Google AdSense.
Whether you’re a website owner or blogger, Google AdSense ads can help with monetization in just a few steps. About 2 million site owners use Google AdSense as it’s a good way for beginners to get started.
In this article, we’ll explain how Google AdSense works, how to set it up, and how and when you get paid.
What is Google AdSense?
Google AdSense is part of the Google Ad Network and is a free and simple system to help website owners, publishers, and bloggers make money from ads displayed on their sites. Google acts as the broker between a site and advertisers.
By placing a snippet of code on your site, Google will display ads created by advertisers who want to promote their products.
The AdSense revenue you can earn will always vary due to advertisers paying different prices for the space. You can choose to get paid based on ad impressions or user clicks. For impression-based ads, revenue scales based on page views, so the more views you get, the more revenue you can earn. For Pay per Click (PPC) ads, you only get paid when people click on the ads.
There can also be a wide range of what advertisers are willing to pay. Bids tend to be lower for general interest sites and higher for niche sites in targeted industries.
Google AdSense can be an easy way for beginners to get started because it’s pretty much a set-it-and-forget way to monetize your site without having to sell your own ads. Since there are no minimum traffic requirements, Google AdSense is available on most sites.
To set up Google AdSense, you’ll need a Google Ads account, which also gives you access to additional performance tools and features such as Google Analytics.
How Google AdSense Works & How to Set It Up
Setting up a Google AdSense account is easy. You’ll first need to have a Google account. If you’re already using Gmail or any other of Google’s online services, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you’ll want to sign up for a free account.
You’ll also need a website or blog to monetize that you control. Your site will need to meet AdSense program policies and may require a review, but most sites are accepted.
With the two things in hand, head to the Google AdSense signup page and get started. Here are the steps:
- Sign in to your Google account.
- Enter the URL of the site you want to monetize.
- Choose whether you want to receive performance improvement suggestions from Google.
- Set the country where you currently live and will receive payments.
- Review and accept the terms and conditions of the program.
Once you’ve done these five steps, you’re set up in Google AdSense. Google Ads will send you a Personal ID number (PIN) in the mail that you’ll need in the future to get paid. Once you receive the PIN in the mail, you will need to enter it into the Payments section on your Google AdSense account to verify your address.
When you’re ready to activate your account, there are also a few more things you’ll need to do, including:
- Add your payment information to the account, including your legal name, bank account payment information, and phone number.
- Copy the code Google provides.
- Place the code on your site between the <head> and </head> tags on your website pages.
For WordPress users, you can use widgets or plugins to place the code throughout your site.
You may want to consider using the Google AdSense Auto Ads feature. When you do, you place one snippet of code on all the pages on your site. Auto Ads will scan your site and determine ad placement locations where they are most likely to generate the most ad revenue.
Once you’ve followed these, congratulations! You’re ready to start earning money from Google AdSense. The Google Ad Network brokers deals with advertisers. Whoever bids the highest amount will be shown on your account.
You’ll need to earn at least $100 before any payout occurs.
When Does Google AdSense Pay You?
Google AdSense payouts happen monthly and generally fall between the 21st and 26th of each month.
You can check activity and see your potential earnings as they grow on the AdSense account page. You’ll also see a payment timeline showing when payments are in process. It can take a few extra days for the money to make it into your account. Once the transfer occurs, it can take between four and 10 days for it to show up in your bank account.
To make sure you’re ready to receive AdSense earnings properly, you want to double-check to make sure you’ve followed all the steps. This includes your tax information, personal information, bank account and payment details, and the payment threshold has been met.
You’ll also want to ensure you’re using the right publisher ID on your site. The ID is included in the code you copied and pasted onto your site, but it’s a good idea to double-check it. If the ID is incorrect, you won’t get credit for the activity.
Google may deny payments if it discovers invalid traffic to your website, such as bot activity, repeated clicks from the same source, or publishers clicking on live ads on their own site.
If AdSense ads aren’t showing on your site, there are several common reasons. We’ve put together a guide for you: What to Do When AdSense Ads Aren’t Showing.
Google AdSense Payment Timelines
The Google AdSense payment timelines reset on a monthly cycle. At the beginning of each new month, Google will finalize the payment amount and add it to your balance under the Payment page. As long as the amount has met the payment threshold and there are no payment holds, you’ll receive the money between the 21st & 26th of the month.
Example AdSense Payment Timeline
Here’s an example. Let’s say you earn AdSense revenue for the month of September. In the next month, around October 3rd, Google will post the total earnings for October on your Payment page. If you’ve met the minimum threshold, payments for September and any other accrued payments will be sent to your bank account sometime between October 21st and October 26th.
If you don’t earn at least $100, the money will roll over into the following month.
AdSense is a simple way for bloggers and websites to get started with monetizing their sites, but it’s typically best for sites that have limited traffic or earning potential. For example, AdSense uses an ad rank system, which prioritizes some bids. That means you won’t always get top dollar for showing ads on your site. AdSense also does not support header bidding, which limits competition for ad units.
Other ad networks, such as Newor Media, operate differently. Newor Media does not prioritize some bidders, which means publishers are rewarded by getting the ads from the highest bidders. By using header bidding, advertisers and ad exchanges are offered ads simultaneously, which leads to increased competition and higher bid rates.
Google AdSense is self-service. It does not offer telephone support or live chat, so if there is a problem with your payments or how your ads are functioning, you may be on your own. You can email Google, but there may be a significant delay in getting a response or solving your payment issues. Newor Media, however, provides robust customer service and support to help handle any problems you may have.
What is a Payment Threshold?
The payment threshold at Google AdSense is the minimum you must earn before you can withdraw money by electronic fund transfer.
According to Google, here are the minimum payment thresholds for Google AdSense payment depending on where your site operates and the form of payment being sent/received.
- US Dollar – $100
- British Pound – £60
- Euro – €70
- Yen – ¥8000
- Australian Dollar – A$100
- Mexican Peso – $1,200
- Canadian Dollar – C$100
What is a Payment Hold?
A payment hold on your AdSense earnings typically occurs when something is missing when setting up the account. For example, tax information may not have been submitted or filled out properly. Other causes for payment holds include your identity or address hasn’t been verified or you failed to add a payment method to your account.
How Do Taxes Work with Google AdSense?
AdSense revenue is taxable the same way any other earnings are taxed. If your country collects taxes, you’ll be responsible for claiming them and paying them.
If you have questions about tax information, you can check Google’s support page which breaks down the various tax obligations for income tax or Value Added Tax (VAT) for each country.
Explain that the earnings that come from Google AdSense will still collect tax if the country you reside in collects tax payments.
Can Google AdSense Be Used with WordPress?
Google AdSense can be used with WordPress and it is easy to manually add the code to WordPress. In the backend admin panel, you will want to decide where you want to place the ads and use WordPress widgets and the custom HTML code you received from Google AdSense. It can be set up in just a few minutes.
With AdSense, Auto Ads is a good choice for beginners as it will automatically determine the best locations on your site to display ads and optimize them.
More than 455 million websites are built on the WordPress platform, about 30% of all sites worldwide. WordPress is built to accommodate AdSense and alternative programmatic ad platforms using either a widget or a plugin.
You can also access and check on your AdSense earnings via WordPress. There’s an Advanced Ads dashboard that displays AdSense Earnings.
Conclusion
Google AdSense is a good way for those just starting to build an audience to earn some ad revenue. Website owners can show Google Ads to site visitors, but Google AdSense pay is just one way you can monetize your sites.
Site owners and bloggers that get a fair amount of traffic will quickly realize there are better alternatives to increase the amount of revenue you can make using more sophisticated programmatic advertising platforms.
If you’re planning on your Google AdSense pay options, you should first see where you stand if you work with Newor Media. Check out the free Earnings Calculator to see how much you could potentially stand to gain.
