How to Set Up Google AdSense for Passive Income in 2024

Do you have a blog or YouTube channel? Then, you have the potential to earn passive income through Google AdSense. For gig workers and even small businesses, there is no reason not to make a little money from work you’re already doing anyway. Learn how to set up Google AdSense, what prerequisites you must meet, how much money you can anticipate, and how to overcome beginner mistakes.

AdSense Eligibility Requirements

You can only create an AdSense account if you know the criteria. Fortunately, the foundational points are relatively straightforward:

• Be 18 or older.
• Own your content.
• Meet Google AdSense’s policies.

Digging deeper into these might spark a few additional questions. Owning your content means it is entirely original. Are you exclusively reposting other people’s content? Then Google may not want to monetize your blog. Alongside owning your content, your site should be well-constructed and easy to navigate. It should load fast and be readable. Google is providing you an opportunity to earn money, so you have to validate what you have to provide is valuable.

You’ll also need to familiarize yourself with Google AdSense’s policies. They have an AdSense Program policies resource for you to pore through, though they can update at any point per their Terms and Conditions. A few of the highlights include:

• Obtaining authentic traffic to ads that are not self-clicked or overtly encouraged.
• Placing ads in allowed areas.
• Keeping site navigation honest.
• Meeting technical standards.

Getting approved for AdSense for a valid website requires no other prerequisites, though you want to have a sizable amount of visitors. For YouTubers, the process is even more complicated. You must first meet the criteria on YouTube and be part of the YouTube Partner Program. Achieve either of these thresholds to get the green light:

Creating Your Account

Now that you’re well-versed in the fine print, you can learn how to set up Google AdSense. It does not take much effort at all.

1. Sign up through the relevant Gmail account
2. Activate your account, which means entering payment info and connecting your site
3. Wait for Google to review your account and payment information. It could take up to a month, but it is usually faster.
4. Once approved, you can set up ads.

It is as easy as that. If you do not receive approval, AdSense will email you with the reason. Generally, you can get approved and everything in motion with only an investment of your time — perhaps a little bit of money. You may be able to fix what the issue is and begin the process again.

Additionally, you should always pair your AdSense strategy with a familiarity of Google Analytics for ultimate optimization.

Navigating Google AdSense

You are probably setting up AdSense on your blog or YouTube channel. Navigating them is different for each platform.

YouTube

You can finagle with AdSense settings and what kind of ads show up on your videos in YouTube studio. These are the current types of ads creators can host — note that overlay ads have been discontinued:

• Skippable ads
• Non-skippable ads
• Bumper ads

Under the “Content” section, you can pick what video(s) you want to monetize. In the “Monetization” menu, you can edit “Ad settings.” You can update multiple videos at once with this tool. It is an easy way to insert mid-roll ads or adjust back-to-back ads.

Your Website

You can run auto ads or curate them. To set up auto ads, you must go to your Google AdSense account linked to your website. Under the “Ads” section, you will see connected websites, where there will be an “Auto ads” toggle, which you change by clicking the “Edit” button on the right-hand side. It will provide you with a preview to make sure everything looks good. Choose what kind of ads show up and even exclude them.

You can also manually put AdSense code on your website. Obtain the code from the AdSense dashboard.

Getting the Most of Google AdSense

Most people will want to know how much money you will make through this program. Unfortunately, there is no straight answer. There are a few generalized metrics you can use as guidelines, though these change.

YouTube AdSense is based on every 1,000 views. The price per video changes. It averages between two cents to $2.50 on the high end, but successful content could earn up to $25. Websites ads earn based on factors like geography, industry, and more. Google has a revenue calculator where you can input your information to get a more accurate idea.

What are the best tips for keeping those numbers on a positive trajectory? Consistency and quality are the two most important values for getting the biggest payouts.

The best blanket answer is to ensure your content always provides value to searchers. This appeals to search engines and satisfies user intent. You want visitors to have a good time and get the answers they want, and being bombarded with too many ads surrounded by useless content doesn’t help anyone or your wallet. You may not get massive payouts immediately, but the longer you stick with it, the more value you may receive in the long term.

Writing or designing top-tier content is not the only way to make sure you earn from AdSense. Keep copyrighted and plagiarized content out of the picture. Avoid AI-generated copy. Fact-check everything you post. These are basic tenets of ethical publication, but it ensures you stay in the clear with Google AdSense to earn the most money you can.

Common Google AdSense Mistakes for Users

One of the most significant mistakes people make in the beginning is altering the AdSense code. Though setting up Google AdSense requires access to website HTML, that does not mean you can mess with the code provided. Many attempt to remove the “Advertisement” or “Sponsored Links” disclaimer, which will ruin performance.

Another mistake is thinking you need multiple accounts if you have several properties you want to monetize. Luckily, Google AdSense allows you to house everything in one place. There is no need to make everything unnecessarily complicated when they cover that for you.

You may want to get as much revenue as possible by placing ads everywhere, but there are some places, primarily for websites, where ads are not welcome. They should never appear on pages related to legal information, like disclaimers or terms and conditions. Ads shouldn’t appear if there is a website redirection, such as to a 404 error page. Generally, only put ads where you want people to gain value from your content.

Even though we covered this as part of their policies, it is worth reasserting — do not try to pull the wool over Google’s eyes. If you or bots click ads presenting false information, AdSense will find out and potentially suspend or ban you from the service. You cannot fool Google to earn more money.

How to Set Up Google AdSense in No Time

The upfront process of setting up a Google AdSense account is relatively easy. Leveraging it for high earnings is a different story. You’ll need even more skills to maximize profits, including SEO, marketing, design, and content management. The value of Google AdSense to your platforms matters as much as the effort you put into making high-quality content for the search engine. Only then will Google reward you.