Google’s AdSense is, perhaps, one of the best known ways that bloggers can monetize their websites.  Why is it one of the best known?  Because it is so easily integrated with Blogger and everyone is encouraged to sign up for an AdSense account at the same time you sign up for a Blogger account.

AdSense makes it super easy to place advertisements on your blog.  You can place them in your sidebar, below actual posts, and/or in your feeds.  Aside from choosing where the ads will appear on your site, you don’t really have to do too much.  Google automatically chooses the ads that appear based on your content.

From start to finish, here’s how the process works:

1. A company decides to place an advertisement using a site like Google AdSense, and pays a set amount of money for said ad.

2. Google uses blogs to display those advertisements.

3. If your blog is displaying one of those ads, you will get paid a certain amount of money every time someone clicks on the ad.

4. Google does not divulge any specifics, but you will get paid half of what the advertiser pays {per click} and Google keeps the other half.

Warning: If Google suspects that you are somehow manipulating your “click-through” numbers, they won’t pay you anything.  For instance, I’ve seen sites encourage readers to click on the ads to raise money for the site.  The site may then do something like use those funds to host a giveaway.  Google frowns upon this.

If you can’t tell, I’m not a huge fan of Google AdSense.  I’ve never seen anybody make a lot of money from the service, and it seems like Google benefits most of all.  Yet, I recognize that the service is sticking around so someone is making money.  I really just wish the service were more transparent.

If you use Blogger and you’re not yet using AdSense, find your “Monetize” tab and then click on “Set Up AdSense.”  It is pretty easy to set up from there.  You’ll just choose where you want the ads to appear on your site.  Once you have set-up AdSense and if you choose to show the ads in your sidebar you’ll be able to choose specifically where the ads appear by going to Layout > Page Elements, and moving around the box that says “AdSense.”  AdSense is also compatible with all of the other blogging services.

Click here to sign up for an AdSense account, or learn more about the service.

Please share – Have any of you been able to make a sizeable amount of money using Google AdSense?  Do you have any advice for making the most of AdSense?