Key Points

  • Once you sign up for a Google AdSense account and add their code to your site, Google will automatically crawl it, making the process of getting your site approved relatively straightforward.
  • Provided your site is compliant with AdSense’s terms and conditions, website owners should have no problem getting site approval, but compliance is essential.
  • There are no minimum traffic requirements to use AdSense, but once you’re displaying ads on your site, you’ll have to reach a minimum dollar amount before you can request payment.

Most things in life — and in the ad space — are complicated. Fortunately, getting your site approved by Google AdSense is not. 

In fact, there’s a simple formula for getting your website approved to use AdSense. Follow it and you’ll get the green light. No magic, no secret sauce. Just a clearly delineated list of dos and don’ts.

If you’re here, you likely want to read that list. And we’ve got it for you. In this post, we’ll break down the formula for how to get your site approved to use Google AdSense.

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Google AdSense Pillar

The Complete Guide to Google AdSense

Google AdSense Approval Criteria

Google makes it very easy to get your site approved to use AdSense.

You just have to be a good ole’ rule follower.

Brace yourself: there are a lot of them (rules, not rule followers. You bunch of renegades.). 

For the most part, these rules are pretty standard industry-wide. Do you avoid restricted topics, respect intellectual property, and just…generally create good content? Then, you should be fine.

If you’re concerned that your content is too edgy for the mainstream, there are a few different things you should check out.

Google AdSense Terms and Conditions

The first thing you should review are AdSense’s terms and conditions. 

By agreeing to these, you’re saying —

  • Your content meets the quality guidelines: meeting Google Search Essentials and providing people-focused, high-value content.
  • You follow the Google Branding Guidelines: Google has strict rules for how partners can use their branding. Don’t break them.
  • Your site adheres to all applicable policies: this includes content policies and ad implementation policies. There are a lot of these — too much for a single bullet point. So let’s dive a little bit deeper into this one.

Google AdSense Policies

To get your site approved to use AdSense, start by auditing your content against Google’s series of content policies.

AdSense requires total adherence to —

  • Program policies: this includes Google's Publisher Policies and Publisher Restrictions. For example, illegal content, intellectual property abuse, dangerous and derogatory content, and deceptive or unreliable claims are all in the prohibited category. If your content might fall under this umbrella, waste no time. Take steps toward corrective action before moving forward. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting denied.
  • Traffic quality guidelines: invalid ad interactions, poor quality traffic, incentivized ad interactions, and artificial performance inflation of any kind are prohibited under AdSense’s traffic quality policy. All of your traffic should come from real humans who are genuinely interested in your content. 
  • Site behavior policy: if a website places user experience or safety in jeopardy with tactics such as redirection to unwanted destinations, pop-ups, or deceptive navigation, it will not be approved for AdSense.

If you’re in the clear for all of the above, then congrats! You’ll most likely be approved to use AdSense within a few business days. 

However, just because you’ve received AdSense approval, doesn’t mean you can forget these guidelines as soon as you’re in the network. AdSense requires a continuous commitment to compliance. Specialists at Google monitor engagement with ads to ensure brand, customer, and publisher safety. 

They will flag and restrict violators. So be on your best behavior.

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Google AdSense Resource Center

The Complete Google AdSense Resource Center

 

Who is eligible for Google AdSense?

There are no minimum traffic requirements to use Google AdSense. You can sign up for an AdSense account as long as your traffic is high-quality and authentic.

One caveat: you won’t be able to pull out your payment until you meet an earnings threshold of $100. While that might seem low, it can be a challenge for beginner publishers.

How do you get approval to use Google AdSense?

Is your site compliant with everything we’ve discussed? Good. The rest should be easy. Just add the AdSense code to your website and wait for Google to crawl and approve it.

Then, stay compliant and enjoy access to the largest demand network in the world.

AdSense Website Approval Checklist

Still having trouble getting your site approved? Here’s a list of things to consider beforehand and throughout the duration of your time using AdSense.

  • Ensure all clicks and impressions are authentic and not incentivized.
  • Don’t click the ads displayed on your site.
  • Consider ad placement. You want to place ads in good areas of your site that won’t result in accidental clicks or misleading visitors.
  • Exercise extreme caution when running ad campaigns with a third party.
  • Take advantage of Google Analytics to assess your traffic quality.
  • Ensure the content on your site is compliant with Google’s content and publisher policies.
  • Create and publish unique and valuable content.
  • Use SEO best practices and avoid keyword stuffing.
  • Don’t make false claims or offers.
  • Don’t alter the AdSense code in any way.
  • Avoid the use of pop-up prompts and automatic software updates.
  • Maintain appropriate use of Google’s branding.

In a nutshell: create high-quality content, don’t cut corners, and keep your visitors’ experience at the heart of your strategy, and the Google AdSense team will love you.

Access the Right Ad Tech Tools With Playwire

If the Google AdSense criteria and approval process still give you a headache, you’re in the right place. 

Trying to make sense of the complex ad tech world is a challenge for even the most experienced publishers. 

That’s why we’re here.

At Playwire, we make reaching your ad revenue goals a breeze. We have access to all the tools, specialists, and resources you need to optimize your ad monetization strategy and maximize your revenue potential.

Contact us online to get started.

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