What is Google Ads and AdSense? How much money can you make with AdSense? Are there alternatives to these platforms?
In this post, we’re going to be answering all of the above questions and more. We will discuss what each platform is and how they differ from one another, as well as provide some tips and tricks for you to ensure you’re successful on each platform.
Google Ads (AdWords) vs. AdSense – The Differences
Google Ads (AdWords) is Google’s pay per click (PPC) advertising program that allows advertisers to show ads to users who are searching for specific keywords on Google Search or on Google’s Display Network. These ads appear as text, images, or video clips placed on a website of a Google partner to promote their product or service. It allows advertisers to target users who are most likely to be interested in their product and the placement of these advertisements is typically based on the user’s search history and location.
Google AdSense, on the other hand, is a contextual advertising platform that allows website owners to display relevant ads on their sites by selling ad space and collecting revenue from clicks or impressions of those ads. It’s one of the easiest and most popular ways to monetize your website without having to worry about any design or coding skills.
There are differences between the two, but the most significant one is that AdSense provides website owners with more control over what kind of content they want to show and what kind of ads they want to serve. Some of the ways it is able to do this are through the use of a lookalike audience for serving ads on their website and the ability to block or allow certain websites or publishers.
When to Use Google Ads
Google Ads is a great way to promote your business, but it can be difficult to know when you should use them. There are three main types of campaigns that you can run on Google Ads: Search, Display, and Shopping.
- Search Campaigns: You should use search campaigns if you want to target specific keywords or phrases that people might be searching for online.
- Display Campaigns: Display campaigns are best for reaching people who have already seen your website or social media page and are interested in what you offer.
- Shopping Campaigns: Shopping campaigns are best suited for products that people might purchase on mobile devices or desktop computers.
There are a number of other types of Google Ads, so we encourage you to look in to each type of advertisement to find one that will be most beneficial for your product or service and business.
When to Use Google AdSense
The best time to implement Google AdSense on your site is when you have a considerable amount of traffic coming in each day, between 20-100 visitors per day will be enough for you to start generating some revenue and get started. For reference, this is equal to about 3,000 visitors per month. The more visitors the better, but getting started right away is a great way to begin earning money and testing out various ad placements on your site.
How much can my site make with Google AdSense?
The amount of revenue your site makes with Google AdSense enabled will vary tremendously. A few factors will be your location, the users, and the advertisement. For example, an advertisement for Chevrolet’s new vehicle will likely have a higher budget than a local yarn shop selling homemade coasters.
As your site gains more content and increases in traffic, you’ll likely see an increase in revenue. Google will actively place higher-bidding advertisers’ ads on your site if it has more traffic because their ads will be seen by more people. The more impressions, clicks, and purchases from those ads the more your site will earn.
How to Successfully Monetize Your Website with Google AdSense
Before you begin monetizing your site, you’ll need to create a Google AdSense account. You’ll need to verify ownership of the site, which can take 2-4 weeks, according to Google.
Once you’ve created your Google AdSense account, you’ll need to begin placing the ads’ code snippets on your site. Google also has an option for you to let them auto place them throughout your site. This can get messy, though, as Google tends to favor placing more advertisements than necessary, making a site unattractive due to the number of ads. So be cautious of this if you decide to test it out on your site.
If you aren’t sure how to place your ads on your site, contact your website’s developer or marketing team.
Google AdSense Alternatives – Should You Switch? (3 Alternatives)
There are many reasons why you might want to switch away from Google AdSense. The most obvious one is that you are not happy with the low CPMs that you are earning for your ad space. If this is your reason for switching then there are plenty of alternatives that can provide better rates than Google AdSense.
If Google AdSense isn’t the right decision for you, below are three of the best alternatives.
Google Ads Alternatives – What to Consider Before Switching (Plus 3 Alternatives)
It is not unusual for a marketer to want to switch from Google Ads to another advertising platform. There are many reasons why marketers might want to switch, but the most common reasons are because they feel that Google Ads is too expensive or that they don’t have enough time or resources to manage their Google Ads campaigns.
When should I switch? If you’ve found your conversion rates have decreased, it may be time for you to look into other options. If you’re paying more than $5 per click and getting less than a 1% conversion rate, it may be worth exploring other advertising platforms.
Are Google Ads worth it? Similar to the amount of money you may make with AdSense, it depends and varies heavily on a number of factors. There are alternatives, which are listed below, that advertisers can use if Google AdSense isn’t the most viable option. Google Ads can be expensive, depending on your niche, but that shouldn’t deter you from exploring different target audiences, demographics, and topics. All of these things may lower (or increase) your ad spend, so it’s worth researching and testing out different approaches in any platform you decide to use.
Here are the three best Google Ads alternatives:
What to Consider When Choosing Which Advertising Platform to Use
There are many factors to consider when choosing which advertising platform to use. These include the size of your budget, the target market, and how much time you want to spend on managing your ads.
If you have a website or blog that you’re looking to monetize from the traffic, then Google AdSense would be the best choice. On the other hand, if you want to spend money and place ads on others’ websites, then you’ll use Google Ads.
Remember that both platforms can be used in tandem with one another and you don’t necessarily have to choose one over the other because they do very different things.
Best Platform to Run and Manage Google Ads
Every ad platform has its own system to manage the advertisements you’re running on that platform, but when you’re running Facebook ads, Twitter, ads, Reddit ads, and Google ads, wouldn’t you prefer to manage them all from one dashboard?
That’s what YŌK Digital provides. Our platform is built from the ground up to connect all of these advertising platforms into one to make marketers’ lives easier, and ultimately save money and time.
Conclusion
Google Ads and Google AdSense are both different platforms, but they serve a similar purpose: to make businesses money. If you’re a publisher (blogger) looking to monetize your website, Google AdSense is a great program. It’s easy to use, reputable, and has really built out systems to nearly automate the entire ad placement methods.
If you’re a digital marketer or business looking to put your service or products in front of the right target audience, Google Ads is a great option. Google is a robust company with respectable products that people know and love, and their Ads service is no different. If your Google Ads are set up properly, you should see an increase in your company’s revenues from those ads. If not, there are many alternatives.
