How to add Google Adsense Ads to your blog

If you’ve ever wondered how to add Google Adsense ads to your blog then I thought I’d help you out. Coming into the new year, you might be interested in how you can make money blogging. One of the answers is advertising with Google Adsense ads!

Google Ads will be most successful for you if you are getting a good amount of traffic to your blog, and if that traffic clicks on the ads that are on your blog. Never click the ads yourself or encourage anyone to click them – you risk having your Google Adsense account terminated.

Before you start, make sure you have the following on your blog:

1. At least 20 quality blog posts that are unique to your blog (your own content)
2. An About page, Contact page and Privacy Policy page
3. The three pages above in a navigation menu
4. No other ads from other ad networks

How to get started with Google Adsense

Go to Google.com/adsense and click the blue “Get Started” button. Fill out your details to create your account.

Once you’ve created a Google Adsense account they will provide you with a code to paste into your blog so Google can review your site and decide if they want to accept you for advertising.

You will need to paste the code they provide within the head tags of your blog. If you have no idea where these are, follow the instructions below:

WordPress:

1. Install and activate the plugin “Insert Headers and Footers“.
2. In your WordPress menu hold your mouse over Settings then click on Insert Headers and Footers.
3. In the box that says “Scripts in Header”, paste the code that Google has given you and click save.

Blogger:

1. Go to Theme > Edit HTML and click once anywhere in the coding box. On your keyboard press CTRL and F. A little search box will pop up top right. Type in </head> and press enter. You will be taken to where that bit of coding is in the box.
2. Paste the code Google gave you above </head> and save

Once that code is in place, you just need to wait for Google to accept you! If you don’t get accepted, take a good look at your blog and think about what may be missing (from the tips above) and make those changes. Then apply again.

How to create a Google Adsense ad for your blog

Now that you’ve been accepted, you can log into your Google Adsense dashboard. This page will show you your earnings, page views and clicks on your ads.

There are two options when placing ads on your blog. You can let Google place them for you (so they might end up anywhere within your posts, pages and site layout. Otherwise, you can place ads individually yourself (I recommend this option!).

The first ad I would recommend placing on your blog is one for your side bar. It’s an easy spot, not too intrusive for your readers and will keep your blog looking neat and tidy. To create a side bar ad:

1. In the left Google Adsense menu go to Ads > Overview
2. Click on the “By ad unit” tab at the top
3. Click “Display Ads”
4. Name your ad at the top (eg. Side Bar) and select the size you want. I’d recommend square or vertical for the side bar (I have a vertical ad in mine). Choose “Responsive” for the ad size on the right and click the blue “Create” button.

Copy the code they provide. Now you can place it on your blog.

WordPress:

In your WordPress menu go to Appearance > Widgets and find your side bar area. Drag a “Custom HTML” widget into the side bar area, paste in the code and click save.

Blogger:

In your Blogger menu go to Layout and find your side bar area. Click “Add A Gadget” and add in a HTML/Javascript gadget. Paste the code into it and save.

When placing an ad on your blog for the first time, it can take up to 48 hours for that ad to appear. Be patient, and you will soon notice the ad on your blog.

You can’t control the content that appears in the ad. Most often, a reader will see an ad that relates to websites they’ve viewed in the past. For example, if you visit a particular online shop quite often and they are paying Google for advertising, it’s very likely you will see their ad when viewing your blog.

As your blog gains more traffic, you might like to place more ads within your posts, in your footer, etc. I wouldn’t go crazy with it, as they can get annoying for your readers. You’re more likely to get more clicks on them if you place them strategically, rather than placing them all over the place.

Good luck!