Joining AdSense

"All right," Claude said, "you've sold me. How do I join AdSense? Do I have to sign away the rights to my firstborn?" Anita rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.

I continued my description of AdSense. "Joining AdSense is a simple processyou apply online and wait for Google's approval."

"Does it cost anything?" Stef asked.

"No, there are no fees," I answered, "and once you're approved you can start earning money almost immediately. There are a few conditions, though."

The Application Process

The AdSense program is open to most Web-site owners who meet Google's standards for content and service. You apply online from Google's AdSense site at www.google.com/adsense. The first part of the application process involves creating an AdSense account using your email address and a password you choose. If you already have an account with one of Google's other services (such as AdWords or Google Print, but not GMail), you can reuse your existing login. You then choose the type of account you want to create (individual or businesssee below) and provide Google with the important details, such as your name and address.

Read the Fine Print

Acceptance into the AdSense program is also conditional on your reading and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions found at www.google.com/adsense/terms.

As part of the application process, you must supply the address of a working Web site that you own and control. After you submit the application, someone at Google visits your site to ensure that it meets the AdSense program requirements. This visit normally occurs within two or three days of the application. Google notifies you by email if your application is accepted or refused.

What If You're Refused? If your AdSense application is refused, it usually means there's a problem with your Web site. If the reason isn't obvious, you can always contact AdSense support at adsense-support@google.com and ask for clarification. Normally, sites are rejected because they don't meet the AdSense program policies. If you can change your site so that it meets those policies, you can reapply to join AdSense.

This surprised Claude. "So you can't join without a site?"

"Nope," I said.

"So I asked you a useless question," he said.

"No again," I replied, "because you want to keep the content restrictions and other AdSense program policies firmly in mind when you design and build your site. Knowing these things at the start will save you a lot of work later."

"And I have to reapply for each site I create?" he asked.

AdSense Policies

Read AdSense's program policies at www.google.com/adsense/policies.

"Luckily, you don't," I said. "You only have to submit one site to Google for approval. Once you've been accepted into the AdSense program, you can display AdSense ads on any site you own that doesn't violate the AdSense program policies. The corollary to this is that you can only have one AdSense account. Which isn't that big a deal, since you can easily track which pages on which sites are making you money."

Now it was time to describe the biggest condition on AdSense membershipthe AdSense content restrictions.

Content Restrictions

As a mainstream advertising service, AdSense must ensure that participating sites are acceptable advertising venues for the majority of Google's advertising clients. In addition, different legal restrictions in different countriesdon't forget that Google's services are available across the worldalso limit the kinds of sites that Google wants to associate with. The AdSense program policies therefore place the following restrictions on participating sites:

• No pornography or other adult-oriented material.

• No discriminatory, hate-inducing, or violent content.

• No other content that is illegal or that infringes on other people's rights.

• A site must not deceive or induce visitors into clicking ads.

• A site must not promote or sell prescription drugs, firearms, alcohol, tobacco, or any related products or services.

• A site must not annoy or otherwise interfere with visitors' use and enjoyment of the site and other sites.

Your site must also not interfere with Google's analysis of its content in any way, nor fraudulently manipulate its rankings within the Google search engine.

Adsense Support

If you're ever unsure about AdSense restrictions or other policy questions, you can always email adsense-support@google.com and ask for clarification.

Some of the restrictions are vague. The program policies are fairly explicit in some areas, though. For example, you can refer to AdSense ads on your site only as "sponsored links" or "advertisements."

Keeping Tabs on Sites The AdSense support team at Google regularly checks participating sites to ensure that they are following the AdSense program policies, especially sites that are unusually active. Any violation of those policies can lead to the suspension or cancellation of an AdSense account.

Quality Standards

Besides content restrictions, AdSense also imposes certain technical quality restrictions on participating sites. Again, this is to ensure that sites associated with Google's services (AdSense and AdWords being two of the more prominent services they offer) do not tarnish Google's own reputation for quality and service. The restrictions are fairly basic:

• A site must be launched and working, with no "under construction" pages and no broken links.

• Visitors must be able to easily navigate the site.

• A site must have a proper Web address and be publicly accessible.

• A site must be responsive, so that pages load quickly.

You'd want your site to meet these criteria in any case.

Account Types

Quality Counts

Additional quality guidelines that every site should adhere to can be found at www.google.com/webmaster/guidelines.html.

There was one last wrinkle to discuss: the AdSense account types. There are two types of accounts, differing primarily by who gets paid. In an individual account, the payee is a person, while in a business account the payee is a business. Unless you're already running a small business, you'll probably want to sign up for an individual account and have the AdSense payment checks made out directly to your own name. You can then deposit the checks in your own personal bank account.

Adsense and Taxes

A tax information wizard available through the AdSense management console will guide you in selecting the correct tax form to fill out for your AdSense account.

As a condition of membership, individuals and businesses based in the United States must provide Google with a federal tax identification number before they can receive any payments. Individuals must supply their Social Security number (SSN), while businesses provide their Employer Identification Number (EIN). (If your business is a sole proprietorship and you don't have an EIN, sign up for an individual account.)

The AdSense program is open to individuals and businesses outside the United States, but there is additional paperwork to fill out once you've been accepted into the program. You'll be required to submit one of several different Internal Revenue Service forms in order to receive payment and possibly pay U.S. taxes on the revenue. Google may even be required to withhold a percentage of each payment on behalf of the U.S. government.

Consult a Professional In general, any payment you or your business receives from AdSense is going to be treated as income and is likely taxable, but the rules, of course, vary from locale to locale. Be sure to consult a qualified tax professional for advice on how to properly handle AdSense payments.