AdSense for Search causes a Google search box to appear on your page

Usually, you won’t have any problem finding ads once you have joined some affiliate networks (I won’t cover this process a second time here), and the process for procuring the code to place on your site is similar to the process discussed earlier, except that, unlike in search marketing where you need only that portion of the code between the quotes in the <href> section of the code you will need the entire code provided in order to affiliate ads on your own web site.

If your site is very unique, or if you just don’t feel like poring over affiliate programs searching for the best fits for your own site, there is one option you should consider. Why not let an expert in contextual advertising, like Google, dynamically provide your site with relevant ads?

Adding Content-Focused Ads to Your Site

Programs like Google’s AdSense are ideal if you want to take advantage of content-focused advertising and you run a web site that focuses on one subject in particular and draws a steady stream of visitors. The only thing you need in advance is content content that can be tied to advertisements for products or services. If you would like to try content-focused ads, I recommend you start with AdSense. Here’s how:

1. Go to the AdSense home page and click on the Click Here to Apply button.

2. Fill out the form presented on the web site Information page, providing the URL of your web site and a description of its content. You need to have a web site set up before you sign up for an AdSense account; the entire program is based on advertising through a web site. Your site doesn’t have to be oriented solely to your business, however; it can be a blog, a hobby site, or another site as well.

The important thing is that you need to have a URL and a focus for your content on the site.

NOTE: As part of the application form, you are asked to check whether you want AdSense for Content or AdSense for Search or both options. AdSense for Content causes the content-based ads to appear on your page.

AdSense for Search causes a Google search box to appear on your page so people can search the Web directly from your site without having to go to Google. On the positive side, you gain some revenue if someone performs a qualifying action. (Some advertisers pay simply to have their ads appear; others pay for clicks; still others pay only if a purchase or registration results from the search.)

When you have finished filling out the form, click Submit Information and follow the subsequent instructions to become a member of AdSense. You will need to place some Google code on your web site, but AdSense will provide you with clear instructions on how to do this.

Now that we have discussed the types of ads you might run, as well as where and how to get them, we should begin considering where on your Web pages to put them. In the next section, we discuss optimizing your ad placement on your Web pages.