How to Apply to Google Adsense and Actually Get Approved

I first applied to Google Adsense back in 2005 or 2006.  Since that time, I have applied and gotten approved many times for related business entities or helping others set up their own Google Adsense accounts.  Each time, my applications have been approved to start using the Google Adsense program, so I feel like I can offer some solid advice on how to apply for Google Adsense and get approved.

Now, if you have been following my blog, you know that I had a bit of a set back with Google Adsense, but I am now actively using Google Adsense as though nothing happened.  The reality is that Google Adsense is the best contextual marketing program on the market with the most advertisers and the highest payouts.  I love the Adsense program and definitely recommend those involved with niche websites to at least get started with Adsense.

There are other options available once you get over a certain amount of pageviews, but Adsense is a fantastic way to earn extra income, especially if you are just starting out.  Let's take a look at the steps you'll need to take to get approved with adsense, as well as some other alternatives  you might consider if you already get lots of traffic.

Doesn't Everyone Get Approved?

To be honest, its shocking to hear how many people get declined from Google Adsense when they apply.  I've received many emails from readers saying that their applications were declined.  I've read complaints on forums or comments about the difficulty of getting approved with Google.  There are quite a few things that people miss when they apply, like privacy policies, contact pages, or just having a decent website in general.

I personally have never experienced going through a rejection, but I've also been very careful when I apply.  Below you will find the process I have used to apply and get approved to Google Adsense on two different occasions.

A Step by Step Guide to Getting Approved:

In a nutshell, there are 5 steps to applying and getting approved to the Adsense display ad network.  You'll want to follow each of these steps for Adsense approval.

Create a Valuable and Good Looking Site

Google wants to know that you have an valuable resource!  So, in order to increase your chances of approval, you need to create original, articulate, and useful content!  You should never aim to just throw up some spammy content that's not useful.  This will just irritate readers and your site won't rank as well in search engines.

This should go without saying for any website; however, I can guarantee you that people have applied to Google Adsense with autoblogs, or copied articles from EzineArticles.com.  Then they wonder why they didn't get approved.  You want to make sure your content is extremely valuable so that you can get an Adsense approval, but also so that search engines rank your content well and give it the viewers that it deserves.

My advice is to have at least 10 well-written articles of 500 words or more each on your site before applying.  In addition, I would have a great “About Page”, “Contact” page, and a “Privacy Policy” page.  The privacy policy needs to include this information supplied by Google here.  You can find a free privacy policy generator that I have used right here.

In addition, you are more likely to get approved if you have a great looking theme or site.  I recommend using a premium theme (if using WordPress) if possible.  You can still use a free theme, but do your best to find one that looks high quality.

Finally, to give your site an extra boost on the “look” score, I recommend having a logo designed.  You can do it yourself, or you can hire someone on Fiverr.com if you are cheap (like me).  For $5 you can take a generic theme and make it look much nicer with a custom logo.

Overall, make sure that your site is fully developed with content, logo, layout changes BEFORE you submit the site to Google.

Quick Tip!  Remember, you CANNOT apply to Google Adsense using a site that has ever been used for Google Adsense before.

Apply Online

You can apply online to Google Adsense right here.  Here you will supply your website URL, Individual name or Business Entity, contact name (you if applying for yourself; could be someone different if you are applying as a business entity), mailing address, phone number, email address, and perhaps one other basic bit of information.  You are not required to submit your TIN or bank account information at this stage yet.  This will happen after you get approved.

Make sure to give accurate phone and physical address information. You will be REQUIRED to verify your phone number and they will mail you a PIN to the address you supplied.  However, this does not occur until step 4.

The online application itself only take a few minutes to fill out.

Get Temporarily Approved and Place Ads

Adsense approval usually occurs within 24 to 48 hours now.   If you follow my steps above for creating  a unique site that has never been involved with Google Adsense before, you should have no issues getting approved quickly.

At that point, you will receive an approval email from Google that explains the process.  Essentially you are “temporarily” approved until you meet other verification steps.

This means you can start placing ads on your site and you will see the clicks and revenue coming into your account.  Google is simply monitoring your activity to make sure you are not clicking your own ads or sending suspicious traffic.  As long as you leave your ads alone and don't do anything suspicious – you should be fine.

You can temporarily place Adsense ads on your site using the code that Google provides you in your ads dashboard.

In addition, you can also add the Google Adsense code to ANY of your other websites!  You don't have to apply for each new site – you can start placing Adsense ads on all of your sites once you have an approval.  Once you have any approved account, you can use the same Adsense code on all your sites, but you should definitely create new ad units and color themes for each ad that you place on different sites.  You want to make sure your ads match the coloring of your site and your brand.

Getting Verified: Pin Verification, Bank Account and Tax Information, Phone Number

However, before you get paid, you need to verify a few things.  First, Google will send you a PIN verification in the mail.  This will come after a week to 10 days usually.

There is no rush, but at some point you will need to verify your bank account and submit your tax information.  The bank account must be in the same name that you applied with.  (So, if you applied with your business entity, the bank account must be for the business entity).

To get paid by ACH (the best way), you need to supply your bank account number and routing number.  Then Google will do a test deposit of a few cents.  You will then input this amount in your Google Adsense account to finish the verification.  Then you can start getting paid monthly!

You will also need to supply your TIN number and complete the necessary tax documents (this is all handled online by Google and only takes a couple of minutes).

If you haven't previously verified your phone number, you will need to do so.  Google will place a test call with an automated code to you.  Input the code, and you are good to go!

Be Smart with Your Ads

Finally, be smart about how you handle your Adsense code.  Only put it on sites that meet the Google Adsense guidelines here.  Don't click your own ads and NEVER ask anyone else to ever click your own ads!  This will get your account shut down.

Overall, stay in compliance with Google and enjoy the deposits coming to your account each month.

FAQ:

I answer a lot of questions from my readers on a monthly basis on why they may not have been approved to use Google Adsense.  Unfortunately, I don't have time to answer all those questions, so I've put together a “frequently asked questions” section for you below, which should answer most basic questions about why you may not be getting approved.

Where can I find adsense policies?

You can find the Google Adsense Policies for running their ads right here.

Do I have to have a gmail account?

You do have to use the Gmail platform to apply.  You don't need a Gmail address.  If you have a custom domain (yourname@yourwebsite.com) then you can use that as long as the custom domain email content is being hosted by Gmail on GSuite.

Where can I put ads on my blog post?

Anywhere!  I would suggest you follow best practices for display ads.  Generally speaking, these are where display ads work the best for most websites.  Generally speaking, display ads work best when they are front and center, mixed in with your content.

What size ad units make the best revenue on my site?

This varies by what niche you are in.  I've always had the best success with 250×300 for in-content, and 300×600 on the sidebars.  Other ads have made me a little money, but nowhere near the amount of revenue I get from these two sizes.  You should always test within your niche to see which ad units work best for you.

Can I get approved on a “Blogger” website?

Yes!  You can apply using a site with a subdomain and get approved for adsense.  I would however caution against this.  It costs so little these days to setup a custom domain and customize your own website, that you should always consider moving away from “blogger” type platforms and host your website with a reputable hosting company.

Do I need to worry about navigation overlap on a pull down menu?

Yes.  You need to be sure that there are no parts of your website that would stretch over your ads and cause intentional clicks.  Google looks at this as fraudulent clicks, which means that it can lead to getting your adsense account banned.  I've had that happen to me in the past for having my ad placement be too aggressive.  Make sure you don't follow in my footsteps.

Do I need to have a specific Alexa Rank?

Nope.  While Alexa is a great tool to check out the authority of your site, it's not something that you need to worry about when getting approved for Adsense.

What email address should I use to apply?

This doesn't really matter.  What matters is that the email is hosted with Gsuite or you'll need to apply for a new Gmail address to apply for Adsense approval.  You'll login with that email address when running your ads and checking on your Adsense earnings.

What can I expect to make in regards to Adsense Earnings?

This is entirely niche dependent.  Some niches pay more than others and you can earn more per click depending on your average CPC (advertiser cost per click).  It will also vary by traffic.  Some people make a full time income strictly from Adsense display ads.

Do I have to use WordPress?

Nope.  Although I recommend using WordPress because it's easier to use and get up and running.  You can really use any Content Management System you want, but WordPress makes Adsense integration seamless and easy.

Can I use other methods of monetization at the same time?

Absolutely!  You'll just want to make sure you aren't providing a spammy user experience for your readers.  If you have a product you are promoting or are using other means of earnings via affiliate programs like Amazon, there is no reason not to utilize both.

Are there any Adsense Alternatives?

There are a number of Adsense alternatives.  If you have steady traffic, I'd highly recommend you look into some type of media partner that partners with Google to manage your ads.  There are a number of these companies out there right now – specifically AdThrive (requires 100k pageviews), Media Vine (requires 50k page views) or Ezoic.  These companies work with Google and other advertising partners to sell ad space on your sites.  They usually pay out by RPM (per 1000 visits) and end up paying more on a monthly basis then Adsense.  The downside is that you need traffic to apply.

In Conclusion

These are the exact steps that I have used many times to get myself, my business entities, or the accounts of others approved to Google Adsense.  On the surface, they are fairly straightforward; but trust me, lots of people never get approved.

This could be for a number of reasons ranging from low quality content, to suspicious activity.  But if you follow the 5 steps that I've outlined here, you should get approved without any issues.

Have anything to add to the discussion?  I'd love to hear your thoughts below.