How to get approved by Google Adsense
If you love writing, than Google Adsense gives you a very easy way to make money from any content you publish on the internet.
The process is actual quite simple.
All you have to do is visit the Google Adsense signup page and submit your website to the Adsense program.
However, Google being Google, it can be difficult to actually get your site approved.
Trying to get your website approved can therefore turn into a daunting process.
The *definitve* list of things to watch out for
Here is a list, in no real order of things you want to check out for before you submit your application to increase the odds of getting your site approved.
Sufficient content
To qualify for Google Adsense, your website should have quality, well-written, meaningful, original and rich content. Articles must be free of grammar or spelling errors, and with relevant images if possible.
Don't use recycled PLR content, scrapped together pages etc. Google employ real human auditors that check your site before approval… What you do after approval is another story.
Those using WordPress should aim to have at least 40 articles.
Those who use non-CMS versions, or are using HTML, should have at least 50 landing pages. Otherwise, Google may see your website as having “insufficient or unacceptable content.”
No prohibited content
Google Adsense only approves sites which are family safe, thus, it should be content that is wholesome and is comfortable to an audience of any age.
Studies proved that websites with quality content about Business, Technology, Health, Law, Internet Marketing, Travel, Social Media and Lifestyle get approved easily.
Your website should not have content that is adult in nature, copyrighted, illegal, violent, or is related to weapon, drug, tobacco or alcohol.
It should not talk about cracking or hacking, offer compensation programs or advocate against a person, group or organisation.
Covers more topics
Many have observed that Google Adsense favours sites that cover more than one topic, and not those which limit to one, such as, a micro niche or event blogs.
If a site is only about a a limited topic, chances are in Google's eyes it is just being used as a spam blog to rank higher.
Website theme
Your website must have a clean design which promotes easy navigation for users.
The metric you want to watch out for is “time on page” or bounce rate.
Make sure your site is comfortable to the eyes and looks pleasant.
Be careful also of white space.
Later on you will be hosting ads in that space, so create lots of generous spacing around elements.
Identification pages
Your website should contain the usual:
- Contact Us
- About Us
- Privacy policy and Disclaimer policies
The Privacy Policy is important and is easy enough to get a generic free template to use on your site.
The About Us section page should have an explanation of who you are, why is the site created and what people would get from it. The clearer, the better.
Language
Aside from English, Google Adsense accepts other languages too.
Unfortunately, it does not support all languages.
Your website’s primary language should be on that list or your application will be rejected.
Site ownership and age
While no one would probably apply a site that does not belong to him, it is emphasized because the applicant needs to have access of the site’s HTML source code to place the Adsense code if the website is approved.
Publishers in some countries like India and China are required to own their websites at least six months for Google to ensure the quality of their advertising network and protect their advertisers.
Google Adsense is only for those who are 18 years and above. Make sure you provide your correct birth date, age and other personal information in your application.
Custom domain and email ad
The Adsense team takes your website more seriously if it is using a custom domain that costs money.
Free domain names and other services like Blogspot or a free WordPress platform makes it harder for you to get approval.
A domain name costs 10$, which is not a big deal for many.
With a domain name, create an email address with your name in the format [email protected], before applying for Adsense.
The email address you use in your application should be valid as it will receive all communications about your account and will serve as your sign in name to Adsense. An invalid email address will necessitate you to resubmit the application.
Third party programs or ads
Do not submit any sites that already have other third party banner ads, or text links from Infolinks, ads from Yahoo and Clickbank etc.
Turn them off temporarily if you have to.
Google analytics
Having Google analytics code on your site shows you mean business.
Get a Google Analytics account and place the tracking code on your site.
Another nice-to-have thing is to register your site with the Google Webmaster program.
XML Sitemap and Robots.txt
If you have an XML sitemap on your website, you have a good chance to be approved too.
The presence of sitemap in a website helps search engine bots to index that site faster.
Also put Robots.txt on the website as another trust factor since it will help avoid indexing unwanted junk onto Google.
Alexa Rank and traffic
Want to tell Google your website is worth the approval for Adsense?
Then, your website’s Alexa ranking should not be more than 400k. If it is, it will be considered new, or does not contain much data.
If your website is new, do not rush your application. Give it at least eight weeks, so it has the possibility of gaining traffic.
One of the reasons for rejection is when your site has not enough traffic yet.
You can keep trying
There is no limit to how many times you can re-apply.
Many applicants who failed in their first try only need to re-apply again to get approval.
Perhaps you only need an hour or two to fix the cause of the rejection and your next application may be easier than before.
With its good reputation and on-time payments, Google Adsense is worth the effort.