What is Adsense?

Updated on: by Miranda Grimm

Google Adsense

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We have talked many times here at Work at Home Adventures about websites where you can earn money by writing articles and sharing information. Many times these companies, like WonderHowTo.com, Hubpages.com and Bukisa.com, pay through Google’s Adsense. But if you are not already familiar with Adsense you are probably feeling a bit confused and lost in regards to how these sites work!

When you are browsing the web I am sure you have noticed plenty of advertising. Even watching YouTube videos will flood you with it. Just take a quick glance around this page here and you will quickly see several places where I have placed advertising. These are all a part of Google Adsense.

Anyone can create an Adsense account. Once you do, you are given a unique ID that can be used on the sites where you can display advertising.  Whether you are writing on a blog or posting articles at Hubpages, the advertising becomes your source of payment for your work. Your articles will draw traffic to your advertising. Obviously, the more traffic you receive- the more people you have viewing the advertising. This is because you earn money when someone clicks on one of the advertisements. Each click can vary in pay, so it is often hard to estimate how much you can make from this type of earning money online.

But exactly how do you get paid? One thing that seems to confuse many people is that they are not sure how they are paid or by who. If you post articles on sites like Bukisa, that pays through Adsense, you will never see a payment from Bukisa. Instead, think of it as a place that is allowing you to post your work for free. They are helping you by driving traffic to your articles. However, you own the content. Google Adsense is the one who will pay y0u.

Adsense pay structure can vary dramatically. The more articles you have online- the more advertising you are sharing- the more money you will make. Adsense can be a tremendous way to make money! However, when most people begin writing content for what is called revenue sharing, they find they are only making pocket change at first. While you may have 100 people look at your article, only one of them, if any at all, may click on the advertising. Most usually, you are only paid when someone clicks on the ads.

When I began blogging I was only making a few dollars a month. Now, a year later I am nearing $100 a month with Adsense and it is continually growing. However, with blogging you are building from the ground up. If you put your focus on sites like WonderHowTo, where they pay 100% of the Adsense earnings, but they have already created a highly respected site that many people visit, you should expect your earnings to begin a little higher than the usual blogger’s.

Your Adsense earnings can be tracked on their site. Once you have made at least $100, Google will pay you within 30 days of the end of the month. Adsense pays either through a paper check mailed to your house or you can set up direct deposit to save a few days in waiting.

Be sure to read through the Terms and Conditions when you sign up for Adsense. There are some basic rules you will need to follow. For example, I recently learned that Adsense does not approve of writing content about Paid-To sites. You also cannot click on your own advertising or ask other people to do so for you. These are strict rules and if you violate them Google will close your account. So, be sure to understand how to use Adsense to your benefit and make money online through advertising.

Did this help you understand Adsense better? Or, do you feel even more confused than you were? Please share your questions so we can be sure you understand exactly how to use Adsense to make money online.

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Katie Jones

June 29, 2011 at 9:35 am

I really appreciate this post because I know I was highly confused about Adsense when I first started with it and some days I am still confused! I think this will really help those who are struggling to grasp what it is!

Anna

June 29, 2011 at 6:21 pm

It was all overwhelming to me at first, too, and just like with the paid-to thing I learned about just a few weeks ago, it seems I still don’t totally have my mind wrapped around how it works! This post will certainly be very helpful to people who want to take advantage of it but don’t fully understand it.

Angie

June 29, 2011 at 7:59 pm

Some day I need to spend some time experimenting with AdSense on some of my other sites. I have it on WAHW and it earns, but not as much as it could. I am too scared to play around with its location there, though.

Aj

December 7, 2012 at 2:40 pm

The main thing that confuses me about AdSense is the taxes,
Do I owe taxes if I were to make say 300 dollars?
Do I gotta pay taxes by myself, If so how?

Miranda Grimm

December 7, 2012 at 2:56 pm

Yes, you owe taxes on every dollar you receive as income. So, even if you make $50 from Adsense you must report it. Adsense may or may not send you a 1099 at tax season- but you are held accountable for it yourself. A business will be required to send you a 1099 if you earn over $400 (or maybe it’s $600). You will have to pay self-employment tax but I would suggest you talk to your tax advisor or use one of the online tax programs- they will walk you through it too.

Check out my series on Taxes from last year: http://www.wahadventures.com/category/lifestyle/advice-and-tips/taxes-advice-and-tips