Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
AdSense is perhaps one of the most common ways people monetize their blogs. But, what does it take to join AdSense? How much content do you need? Today, I hope to answer some of those questions for you.
In reality, it’s difficult to come up with an exact number of articles or a specific number of words. This is because of how Google operates.
So, this is all based on my own personal experiences using the system.
Why Join AdSense?
AdSense is one of the easiest methods to make money from almost any website. Using the code Google provides lets you show ads for a variety of brands. If someone clicks on the ad, you make a slice of the money.
Some ads will also pay you for simply showing them on your site. Though, these aren’t very common. Contextual and search ads are perhaps the most utilized through the AdSense code.
It’s the ease of use that makes AdSense worth joining, though. With a copy and paste of the code snippet, you can start making money in a very short amount of time.
Requirements to Join AdSense?
Google isn’t very forthcoming when it comes to the requirements of AdSense. This is because if there was a quantifiable number, shady characters could easily game the system.
Google wants legitimate content creators to own legitimate websites. So, you have to focus more on the quality of what you publish.
Now, the following isn’t an absolute. I’ve seen websites get monetized from AdSense with as few as three articles. It all comes down to content quality and presentation.
However, this is what I’ve done for myself as well as clients learning how to join AdSense.
Have a Unique Take on Your Niche
Google loves when you write unique content. It also loves a unique take on any particular niche. In other words, you don’t want to copy and paste other people’s articles to make it look like you’re building a website.
The Google algorithm is fairly quick to identify sites that come off as cookie-cutter content.
I know that with the sheer volume of sites on the Internet, it’s quite difficult to provide your own unique spin on a topic. But, do your best to make your site stand out from similar blogs.
Create 10 to 20 Original Posts
Like I said, I’ve seen sites get monetized with few posts. However, I find that creating 10 to 20 articles before applying to join AdSense works perfectly in nearly every situation.
This gives the algorithm a way to analyze and categorize your site as it provides a larger sample of what you’re creating.
And speaking from personal experience, I have yet to see Google deny a site with 20 or more articles. I have, however, seen denials from beautiful sites with a single post.
Aim for More than 800 Words Per Article
To join AdSense, Google wants to make sure you’re providing quality content. So, writing quick, 300-word articles probably isn’t going to help in most cases. Of course, that also depends on if those short pieces of content can drive an audience.
Besides, making money with AdSense relies on visitor traffic. By writing longer pieces, you can engage an audience and get people to read your posts. Not to mention getting people to come back for future content.
The point is that short articles are often buried when compared to longer counterparts. In fact, a lot of experts show average data on how posts longer than 16000 words often get more page views and more shares on social media.
Focus on SEO Content Writing
One great method to sweeten the pot when joining AdSense is to make sure you’re writing for SEO. This means proper use of keyphrases, headers, and putting in effort to get your content as a Featured Snippet.
Now, I’m not 100% sure if creating SEO content is a driving factor to getting authorized in AdSense. But, it doesn’t hurt to put in the effort simply because it helps you get traffic much sooner.
It’s not just the AdSense bot you need to please. And the happier you make the Google search crawler, the better off your website will be in the long run.
Spread Out the Content Over the Next Month
This is another aspect that I’m not sure if it makes a difference. But, I find that spreading out the content on a regular schedule works wonders. And not only to join AdSense, either.
When you “train” the Google algorithm when new content is published, your site gets crawled more regularly. Not to mention how a publishing schedule helps in gaining subscribers and followers.
For example, in my last blogging experiment, I published a new post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. After 20 articles, I applied to AdSense for the site and was accepted in less than an hour.
Does Visitor Count Matter to Join AdSense?
It seems that Google really doesn’t put much stock into how many visitors a website needs to have before approving AdSense.
Between August 1 and September 17, I had 26 total visitors to my new blog. And the average time on page was approximately 8 seconds. As you can see, that’s about one visit every other day.
I applied on the 18th and was approved rather quickly. So, I am fairly sure that visitor count doesn’t really matter to Google when you try to join AdSense.
Based on the multitudes of accounts I’ve set up since 2008, the common theme has centered around the content itself.
The Reality of Joining AdSense
AdSense is a quick and easy system. But, there is no guarantee you’ll make a lot of money. For one thing, bids on specific niches can be quite different.
If your site’s niche is not very popular or doesn’t have a lot of advertisers, the amount you make is significantly lower than if you were in a more popular one.
The bottom line is that it can take more than 350,000 visitors per month to make around $1000. So, if you’re building a website to replace a full-time income from your job, it might take a while.
Of course, this also depends on your blog’s niche, the target audience, other ways you monetize, and the type of content you create. You could whip out something that winds up going super-viral right off the bat.
It’s nice to have those kinds of goals. Just be realistic when setting everything up. Yes, you can make money when you join AdSense. However, it takes a lot of quality content to drive in the visitors.
And the visitor count is where that money is made. Because without people to view or click the ads, there is no money to be made.
I’ve Had My Account for a While
Another aspect that might help me get authorized sooner is how long I’ve had AdSense in good standing. I’ve had my account since AdSense first started many years ago.
And because I always focus on quality content, I’ve never personally been denied…even in the beginning.
I’m not sure if this matters much when authorizing a new website. However, it may be something you want to take into consideration when building your own.
Joining AdSense Gets the Ball Rolling, But…
You can start to bring in a bit of money after you join AdSense. But, you also want to keep your eyes open for other monetizing methods. Even the most popular of YouTubers make more money through sponsored content over AdSense.
Diversify your income. There’s a lot of ways to monetize your website. Make sure you take advantage of every one of them, if possible.
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