Important Things To Check Before Applying For Google AdSense

Applying for Google AdSense is more than creating an account and placing an ad code on your website. Before submitting your application, it is worth taking time to check whether your website is ready to be reviewed.

Google looks at the site submitted for AdSense and checks whether it has original content, follows its policies and provides a good experience for visitors. Your website also needs to be accessible to you so you can make the required changes and connect it to AdSense.

If you are planning to monetise a blog, news website or another content-based site, these are some of the important things to check first.

1. Make Sure Your Website Has Original Content

Your website should offer content that is useful and relevant to its audience. Google says AdSense applicants should have their own unique and interesting content that is high quality and attracts an audience.

Simply having many articles is not enough. Look through your existing posts and ask whether they provide useful information or a clear reason for someone to visit your website.

If your site contains a lot of copied material, lightly rewritten articles or pages that add little value, it is worth addressing those issues before applying.

2. Check The Quality Of Your Articles

Go through your important articles and look at them from a visitor's perspective.

Check for incomplete information, unnecessary repetition, poor formatting, spelling mistakes, broken images and articles that do not properly satisfy what their titles promise.

Google's guidance says sites should contain unique, relevant content and provide a good user experience.

For a news or information website, this also means making sure articles are readable, properly structured and useful beyond simply repeating information from another source.

3. Make Sure Your Website Is Fully Built

Do not rush to apply while your website still looks unfinished.

Your homepage, navigation, categories and important pages should work properly. Visitors should not encounter large numbers of empty sections, placeholder text or unfinished pages.

Google says a site that is not ready may have issues such as being unreachable, having insufficient unique content or failing to provide a good user experience.

Take a final look at the website as if you were visiting it for the first time.

4. Check Your Website Navigation

Your visitors should be able to move around the website without confusion.

Make sure the main menu works, categories lead to the correct pages and important links are easy to find. Avoid navigation that sends visitors to unrelated pages or makes them click through unnecessary steps.

Google's AdSense policies specifically require sites showing ads to be easy to navigate and prohibit deceptive navigation designed to generate clicks or views.

A simple and organised website is easier for both visitors and search engines to understand.

5. Review Google AdSense Policies

Before applying, read the current AdSense Programme Policies and Google Publisher Policies.

This is important because Google can restrict or disable ad serving when a site violates its policies. Google also states that publishers are responsible for keeping up with policy changes.

Do not assume that an article is acceptable simply because other websites publish similar content. Your website is responsible for complying with Google's current requirements.

6. Remove Copied Or Scraped Content

Review articles that were created using information from other websites.

Using external sources is normal for many types of websites, particularly news websites. The problem is publishing content that does not provide enough original value.

Google says publishers should create unique and relevant content and may take action against domains that do not add value to users.

Before applying, identify pages that are largely copied or provide little beyond information already available elsewhere and improve them where necessary.

7. Check Your Important Website Pages

Your website should have the basic pages visitors would reasonably expect from a professional website.

Depending on the type of site, these may include:

• About Us
• Contact Us
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

These pages also make it easier for visitors to understand who operates the website and how they can contact you.

They should not simply exist for the sake of AdSense. Make sure the information on them is accurate and the links work properly.

8. Make Sure Your Website Works Well On Mobile

A large percentage of website visitors may access your content from smartphones, so check the mobile version before applying.

Open your website on a phone and test the homepage, menus, articles, images, buttons and forms.

Make sure text is readable and important elements are not hidden behind other parts of the page. A visitor should be able to read an article and move around the website without struggling with the layout.

9. Fix Broken Links And Unfinished Pages

Before submitting your application, click through your website and look for problems.

Pay particular attention to:

• Broken links
• Missing images
• Empty categories
• Error pages
• Placeholder text
• Incomplete articles
• Buttons that do not work
• Menus leading to the wrong pages

These may seem like small issues, but they can make a website look unfinished and create a poor user experience.

10. Check Your Website's Loading Experience

Your pages should load properly without unnecessary delays.

Large images, excessive scripts, poorly configured plugins and unnecessary third-party elements can make a website slower.

You do not need to turn your website into a technically perfect site before applying, but it is worth removing obvious problems that make pages difficult to use.

Google's AdSense guidance places emphasis on providing a good user experience, alongside unique and relevant content.

11. Make Sure Google Can Access Your Website

Your website needs to be live and accessible when it is submitted for review.

Check that your domain opens correctly and that important pages are not accidentally blocked.

You also need access to the site's HTML source code so you can connect the website to AdSense. Google specifically lists access to the site's HTML source code as an eligibility consideration.

For WordPress users, this means you should have sufficient access to your website to add the required AdSense code when needed.

12. Review Your Traffic Sources

Take a look at where your website visitors are coming from.

There is no need to chase traffic through questionable services simply to make your website appear more popular. Google monitors traffic quality and prohibits methods that artificially generate clicks or impressions.

Invalid traffic includes clicks or impressions generated through automated tools, repeated activity and encouraging people to click ads.

Build your audience through legitimate sources and keep an eye on unusual traffic patterns.

13. Avoid Invalid Traffic And Artificial Clicks

This is particularly important once you start displaying Google ads.

Never click your own ads or ask friends, readers or anyone else to click them. Google also prohibits artificial methods used to increase clicks or impressions.

Even accidental or third-party activity can become a problem if it results in invalid traffic. Google says publishers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that traffic to their ads is valid.

The safest approach is to let visitors interact with advertisements naturally.

14. Check Your Ad Placement If You Already Use Ads

If another advertising network is already running on your website, review how the ads are displayed.

Your pages should remain focused on their actual content rather than being dominated by advertisements. Google advises publishers not to place more ads than content on a page and prohibits ad implementations that can mislead users.

Remove unnecessary or intrusive placements that interfere with navigation or make it difficult for visitors to find the content.

15. Confirm Your AdSense Account Details

Make sure the information you provide when setting up your AdSense account is accurate.

Google's eligibility requirements state that applicants must be at least 18 years old and have their own content that complies with its policies.

Google also reviews payment information as part of the account setup process. Its current sign-up guidance says identity verification may also be required before an account can start showing ads and receiving payments.

Avoid creating multiple AdSense accounts for yourself. Google says publishers are permitted to have only one AdSense account.

16. Do Not Focus On A Fixed Number Of Articles

One of the most common questions about AdSense is how many articles a website needs before applying.

Google does not publish a fixed minimum number of articles as an eligibility requirement. Its guidance instead focuses on original, high-quality content, policy compliance and whether the site is ready for review.

That means publishing 50 articles does not automatically make a website ready, just as having fewer articles does not automatically make it ineligible.

The quality, originality and usefulness of the content matter more than chasing an arbitrary article count.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many articles do I need before applying for Google AdSense?

Google does not specify a fixed number of articles. Your website should have enough original and useful content for Google to properly evaluate the site.

Does Google AdSense require a certain amount of traffic?

Google's published eligibility requirements do not state a minimum traffic figure. The focus is on having your own content and complying with AdSense policies.

Can a new website apply for Google AdSense?

Yes. A new website can apply if it meets Google's eligibility requirements, has suitable content and complies with the relevant policies.

Can copied content affect an AdSense application?

Yes. Google expects websites to provide unique and relevant content and warns against content that does not add sufficient value.

Share this

Share on FacebookPlus on Google+