Adding AdSense to your Blog - revisited.

 Last week when I was on vacation, I received a comment on a very old post titled: Lets Begin by Adding Google Ads. This was from a new blogspot blogger asking for help on adding AdSense to her site.  Unfortunately, this request was placed on the day that I left, so I wasn't able to respond immediately.

Gwen said... I hope you can help me. You make it sound so easy. I signed up for an adsense account but when I try to do anything inside my blogger account it says there is an internal error. After looking through tons of forums and trying to do work arounds I still get an error and an ugly box shows up on my screen. A lot of people said I should "grant access" through the Adsense-My Account section. My account section doesn't say anything about granting access. Please help! June 5, 2010 9:28:00 AM PDT

Once I approved the comment, I then followed the commentator's profile to their blog:

Adventures with Grandma

Once there, I discovered that the owner already figured out how to place Google AdSense ads on their sidebar, meaning: Problem Solved!

However, I realized that many other newcomers to the blogging world may also be experiencing problems similar to Gwen's, so I thought that I would provide a link to the most useful Google pages that addresses AdSense questions:

AdSense Help Page

This Google page provides a well organized index of useful topics, describing the AdSense program, applying to be a publisher, how to place ads on your site, getting paid, and more. Remember, once you apply, Google will send you mail informing you of your acceptance. If there is a confirmation link in this mail, you must follow it to activate your account.

The first thing that isn't apparent is that: Once a ad grouping is placed on a page (whether a web page or  blog), it usually takes some time before Ads are actually displayed. I've found that this delay can range anywhere from 1/2 hour to about 4 hours.

The second thing to consider is whether you are trying to add the AdSense code directly to a blog, or using the Blogger Monetize tab. For use on a blog, you should always use the Monetize tools to Add, Remove, or Customize the appearance.

Another important item to remember is that you must earn $100 before you will receive your first payment. At that time, Google will send you mail prompting you to provide your taxpayer information. It may also request telephone contact confirmation. If so, follow all their instructions in order to receive payment.

Lastly, and most importantly:

Never Click on your Ads

and

Never Ask Someone to Click on your Ads

If done, you will promptly and abruptly removed from the program.

From my experience, the AdSense program the best publishing program around. Displaying Google ads is a privilege, not a right. If you follow their rules and don't abuse the privilege, you will be rewarded in time.