Google Adwords

Google Adsense works in conjunction with another Google program called Adwords. Google Adwords is a network of advertisers that buy ad placement on Google search and also on Google’s site partner network (Adsense).

Adwords advertisers buy ad space on the content network by bidding on keywords. If their bid is high enough, they get placement on sites with that particular keyword.

Because the advertisements only show up when the keywords are present on your site, you’ll get highly targeted ads that are relevant to your site and add value to your readers. Having ads that are related to your content also means your readers are more likely to click on the ad and earn you money.

Making money

How much you get paid by Adsense per click is dependent on how much the advertisers are bidding on that keyword. Usually, companies with high dollar value or high margin products and services will pay more per click. Common products in this area include web hosting, travel, car loans and bank loans.

If your goal is to earn money online, take into account which keywords have high competition and design your site around them. To learn which keywords have high competition, visit Google’s free keyword tool.

Different types of Adsense Programs

In addition to providing ads for content, Adsense has some other programs available for publishers including:

• Adsense for domains – with this program, you can take a website address that you own and have it set up to just run ads without other content. This program will work best if you have a website URL that people are likely to type into their address bar without a search (this is called direct type). If it is a simple name it’s more likely to get a high number of direct types. Domainers (people who buy domains strictly to place ads on) also sometimes buy commonly misspelled company names in the hopes that someone will go there by mistake.
• Adsense For RSS – this program allows you to add Adsense ads to your RSS feed so that when readers look at your content in their RSS reader, they’ll also get ads by Google. Adsense for RSS works well in conjunction with placing ads on your blog.
• Adsense for Mobile – just like it says, with this program, you can add Adsense to a mobile website. You can actually create your own mobile site with a WordPress plug-in, but we’ll talk more about that in future posts.
• Adsense for Search – with this program, you can embed Google’s search engine on your site. When someone uses search on your site and clicks through to a paid ad, you get paid.

Before you start using Adsense, make sure you review their terms of service closely, as you don’t want to get banned from the program and miss out on the opportunity to make money.

Adsense Guidelines:

• Click Fraud – don’t click on your own ads or ask friends to click them for you
• Don’t tell users to click on your ads in any way
• Never alter the Adsense code in any way
• Don’t run automated programs to click on your website’s ads
• Never divulge your Adsense earnings publicly
• Don’t place AdSense on sites that promote violence, drugs or any other illegal activity.

To find out more about Adsense policy, visit Google’s Terms and Conditions.

Find your niche:

Since there is no shortage of options, find ones that are in line with your interests. By promoting  products & services in a field that fascinates you, you’ll be able to market them with passion. For example, if you enjoy personal training and fitness, affiliate offers in this market will most likely work well for you. Remember, chasing the industries that pay out the highest commission won’t necessarily mean you’ll make more money. Even worse, you’ll probably be bored stiff!

So, when deciding what products to promote, the first thing you should ask yourself is if it appeals to you. This not only refers to the type of products but also to the quality of an individual product & brand. If you don’t believe in it, you shouldn’t let your company or personal brand be associated with it.

The money:

You’re obviously not thinking about becoming an affiliate marketer for goodwill, so have a very clear picture of what to expect from your affiliate programs in terms of money. Also, since there are various ways in which your program can pay you; knowing their terms is important. The 4 most common payment plans include:

• Pay per Sale: This is when you earn a commission on every sale that is made from traffic generated by you.
• Pay per Click: This is when you are paid a fixed amount each time a visitor clicks on a link on your website that takes him/her to the website in question.
• Pay per Lead: This is when you receive payment when the visitor requests information or fills out some kind of form on an advertiser website, thereby making him/her a probable customer (lead).
• Residual: This is when you continue to receive commission even after the original sale has taken place, probably because the sale is for an ongoing membership plan.

Other things to consider:

• How often do they pay you?
• Is there a minimum sales volume required before they issue payment?

The affiliate network:

Another very important aspect that needs to be addressed – the reputation of the affiliate networks you decide to work with. There are, unfortunately, many companies out there that are unscrupulous. These companies may offer questionable programs from questionable companies or be slow to make payment. Not to worry though, you can find affiliate program reviews easily on Google. You can also look at the affiliate companies I work with by visiting my What is affiliate marketing? blog post. Another way to find quality offers is to visit company websites you like and look for a link titled “affiliate“. If you trust the company, chances are the program is legit.

To sum up, there is no shortage of affiliate programs out there for you to work with. If you decide that affiliate marketing is for you, follow your passion and promote brands you believe in. The money will come. And, you’ll have a blast learning as you go! I know I do. To find more articles on affiliate marketing, visit my affiliate marketing category page.

Amazon.ca’s product list includes the following categories:

• Books
• Computers & Video Games
• DVD
• Deals Store
• Electronics
• General & Multi-product
• Harry Potter
• Holiday
• Music
• Software
• Video

You can promote their products using text links like the one below:

Canon PowerShot A480 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)

You can choose banners advertisements in a wide variety of sizes like the one to the right of this text for the Canon PowerShot camera. Here is a list of the different banner sizes available:

• 468 x 60 Banner
• 88 x 31 – Button
• 120 x 90 – Button
• 125 x 125 – Button
• 234 x 60 Half Banner
• 728 x 90 Leaderboard

You can create stores like the one that I’ve created for my recommended reading and promote your store with the Amazon astore widget like the one below:

In addition, there are a number of other widgets that you can use to promote Amazon products including:

To get started with Amazon Associates, visit their site