Introducing AdSense Native ads: Introducing AdSense Native ads

Introducing AdSense Native ads
Wednesday, July 05, 2017
Today we’re introducing the new AdSense Native ads -- a suite of ad formats designed to match the look and feel of your site, providing a great user experience for your visitors. AdSense Native ads come in three categories: In-feed, In-article, and Matched content*. They can all be used at once or individually and are designed for:

A great user experience: they fit naturally on your site and use high quality advertiser elements, such as high resolution images, longer titles and descriptions, to provide a more attractive experience for your visitors.
A great look and feel across different screen sizes: the ads are built to look great on mobile, desktop, and tablet.
Ease of use: easy-to-use editing tools help you make the ads look great on your site.

Native In-feed opens up new revenue opportunity in your feeds
Available to all publishers, In-feed ads slot neatly inside your feeds, e.g. a list of articles or products on your site. These ads are highly customizable to match the look and feel of your feed content and offer new places to show ads.

Native In-article offers a better advertising experience
Available to all publishers, In-article ads are optimized by Google to help you put great-looking ads between the paragraphs of your pages. In-article ads use high-quality advertising elements and offer a great reading experience to your visitors.

Matched Content* drives more users to your content
Available to publishers that meet the eligibility criteria, Matched content is a content recommendation tool that helps you promote your content to visitors and potentially increase revenue, page views, and time spent on site. Publishers that are eligible for the “Allow ads” feature can also show relevant ads within their Matched content units, creating an additional revenue opportunity in this placement.

Getting started with AdSense Native ads
AdSense Native ads can be placed together, or separately, to customize your website’s ad experience. Use In-feed ads inside your feed (e.g. a list of articles, or products), In-article ads between the paragraphs of your pages, and Matched content ads directly below your articles. When deciding your native strategy, keep the content best practices in mind.

To get started with AdSense Native ads:

Sign in to your AdSense account
In the left navigation panel, click My ads
Click +New ad unit
Select your ad category: In-article, In-feed or Matched content

We'd love to hear what you think about these ad formats in the comments section below this post.

Posted by: Violetta Kalathaki - AdSense Product Manager

*This format has already been available to eligible publishers, and is now part of AdSense Native ads.

AdSense now understands Urdu
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Today, we’re excited to announce the addition of Urdu, a language spoken by millions in Pakistan, India and many other countries around the world, to the family of AdSense supported languages.

The interest for Urdu language content has been growing steadily over the last few years. AdSense provides an easy way for publishers to monetize the content they create in Urdu, and help advertisers looking to connect with the growing online Urdu audience to reach them with relevant ads.

To start monetizing your Urdu content website with Google AdSense:

Check the AdSense program policies and make sure your website is compliant.
Sign up for an AdSense account
Add the AdSense code to start displaying relevant ads to your users.
Welcome to AdSense!

Apply for an AdSense account

Posted by: AdSense Internationalization Team

Introducing page-level enforcements and a new Policy center
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
As a publisher you face many challenges. One of the broadest and most encompassing of these is growing your user base while making sure your content remains high-quality and policy compliant. Your feedback has helped us understand this challenge, and we’re always working to improve. A few weeks ago, we announced two new AdSense features: page-level enforcements and a new Policy center. Today, we’re excited to let you know that these features are available globally for all AdSense publishers.

Page-level enforcements for more granular policy actions
To allow more precise enforcements, and provide you with feedback about policy issues as we identify them, we’re introducing page-level enforcements. A page-level enforcement affects individual pages where violations of the AdSense Program Policies are found. As a result, ad serving is restricted or disabled on those pages. Ads will continue to serve where no policy violations have been found, either at the page- or site-level.

When a new policy violation on one of your pages is identified, you’ll receive an email notification and ad serving will be restricted on that page. As this is a new feature, you may already have current page-level enforcements that were not surfaced through these email notifications. To make sure you’re not missing anything, head over to the new Policy center to review existing violations.

After you've addressed all policy violations on a page, you may request a review (previously known as an “appeal”). Reviews typically take one week but can sometimes take longer. We'll restore ad serving on the affected page or pages if a page is reviewed at your request and no policy violations are found. Alternatively, you can simply remove the AdSense ad code from that page and the page-level enforcement will disappear from the Policy center in about a week.

More transparency with the new AdSense Policy center

The AdSense Policy center is a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about policy actions that affect your sites and pages. You’ll be able to see:
Non-compliant page(s) or site(s)
Why a page or site is non-compliant
Steps needed to make your page or site compliant
Steps to request a review of the actioned page(s) or site(s)

Follow these steps to see your current page-level enforcements, and request a review of the actioned page(s):
Sign in to your AdSense account.
In the left navigation panel, click Settings, then click Policy center.
In the "Page-level enforcements" section, find the site or sites that have page-level violations and click Show details.
In the "Page" section, click the Down arrow to learn more about the enforcement, the violation(s) on the page, and how to fix them.
Click Request review and tick the box after you’ve made sure the violations on the page are fixed.
Our beta participants provided a lot of great feedback and suggestions on how to make the AdSense Policy center as useful as possible. We’re constantly looking to improve the clarity with which we communicate our policies and policy enforcements, so let us know what you think through the ”Send feedback” link in the AdSense menu.

Learn more about these updates in the AdSense Help Center or head over to the Policy center to try it out.

Posted by: John Brown, Head of Publisher Policy Communications,
Richard Zippel, Publisher Quality Product Manager and
Nick Radicevic, AdSense Product Manager

AdSense Beginner’s Frequently Asked Questions
Thursday, May 25, 2017

What is AdSense?

In short, AdSense is a free, simple way to make money by placing ads on your site.

Google’s ad network connects advertisers looking to run their ads on the web with publishers like you, looking to monetise your website, making it simple for everyone to succeed. AdSense connects publishers and advertisers, giving AdWords advertisers the opportunity to bid on ad space on websites like yours.

By working with an ad network like AdSense, you can spend less time marketing and selling your advertising space and more time focused on creating the best content for your users. Learn more in the AdSense 101 article.

What do I need to sign up for AdSense?

As a site owner, you’ll need pages with unique content that's relevant to your visitors and that provides a great user experience. Before you apply to AdSense, make sure your site's pages are ready by visiting the AdSense Help Center. If you’re ready to turn your #PassionIntoProfit, sign up for AdSense today.

How do I know if I’m eligible to join the AdSense network?

Before applying for an account, make sure that the site you own has been active for at least six months, and complies with the AdSense program policies.

AdSense also works with products such as Blogger and YouTube to allow you to create host partner accounts. To be eligible for a hosted AdSense account via Blogger or YouTube, you must first meet certain eligibility requirements. Learn more about signing up for an AdSense account via YouTube.

How do I monetize my YouTube channel using AdSense?

To start earning money from your video content, you’ll need to apply for an AdSense account to link to your YouTube account. Follow these steps to become eligible to receive payments:
Make sure your YouTube account is enabled for monetization.
Submit your application to create a new AdSense account to link with your YouTube account. Once approved, you'll see a "Host account" label on your AdSense homepage.
If you also have your own non-host site where you’d like to show ads, then you’ll need to submit a one-time application form to tell us the URL of your site (you only need to complete this step if you want to monetize your site, and don’t need to take this action to earn money from your YouTube videos).
Providing that your site is following the AdSense program policies and you’ve completed 5 steps to getting paid, Google will send your first payment the month after your account exceeds $100 in earnings.

How can AdSense help me grow my online business?

AdSense helps you to create a revenue stream from the valuable content you host on your site. AdSense saves you time with a quick and easy setup allowing you to focus on the elements of your business that require your focus.

It’s like an automatic car -- it removes most of the manual adjustments, allowing you to cruise along with less effort. You still need regular “tune ups” to get optimal performance, but you won’t need to shift gears to get from point A to point B.

What is DoubleClick Ad Exchange?

DoubleClick Ad Exchange gives you real-time access to the largest pool of advertisers.The main difference between DoubleClick Ad Exchange and AdSense is that AdSense does a lot of the technical settings and optimization work for you, such as automating the sale of all your ad space to the highest bidder. With DoubleClick Ad Exchange you manage these adjustments yourself, controlling exactly how your inventory is sold.

As an example, DoubleClick Ad Exchange allows you to choose which ad space is for public sale and which is reserved for private auctions. This additional input from you helps you to get the best results from DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

Another important distinction is that through AdSense, demand is primarily from AdWords advertisers, whereas DoubleClick Ad Exchange pulls demand from multiple sources. This means that in addition to AdWords advertisers, you can also access other major ad networks and agencies. Check out the more comprehensive list of differences at our Help Center.

Should I use DoubleClick for my site?

Check out our Choosing the right tools for you article to figure out if solutions from DoubleClick are right for your site.

Can I use AdSense to monetize my WordPress site?

WordPress doesn’t allow advertising on their free hosting plan (WordPress.com). If you’d like to show ads on your WordPress hosted site, then you’ll need to switch to a self-hosted WordPress.org domain. Visit our product forum and learn how to make this switch.

Can I monetize multiple sites under a single AdSense account?

Yes! AdSense allows you to add multiple sites in association to the same account. This will enable you to monitor the inventory on your sites from the same place, saving you valuable time. Here’s how to set up multiple sites on your account:

Sign in to your AdSense account.
In the left navigation panel, click Settings.
Click My sites.
Click Add.
Enter the URL of the site that you'd like to add (e.g., example.com). If you're unsure which URL to enter, check the section on formatting the URLs of your sites below.
Click Add site.
Your site is added to your site list with a status of "verified".
Check out the Help Center for more info on this!

I’d like help growing my business with AdSense, does AdSense offer performance growth tips?

Yes it does! When setting up your account, simply check the box beside the “I’d like to receive performance suggestions” message.

If you already have an account, go to the Settings tab and check the “Performance Suggestions” box.

If I’m not using AdSense yet, how can I receive performance tips?

Follow AdSense on social media for daily tips on how to optimize your account and product updates; Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.

Also, watch the AdSense Optimization Library playlist on YouTube to learn AdSense best practices, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

How do I get more traffic to my site?

First, you’ll want to take advantage of the options within Google Search Console to make sure your site is visible for search users. The AdSense Help Center has all the information you’ll need to submit your site for index, diagnose any problems, and identify which keyword queries are driving traffic to your site.

Next, follow the Long-term revenue framework, a tool often used by our AdSense optimization experts, to better understand the four levers that can help you grow and develop your site.

Also, catchy titles are a way of pushing referral traffic from social media platforms, and Brandon Gaille wrote a great guest-blog for us that lays out how to approach naming your content.

Be sure to follow AdSense best practice policies when planning your strategy, to avoid violations on your account. It’s important to know that in order to maintain ad serving on your site and keep an AdSense account active, it's the responsibility of the publisher to keep up to date with, and adhere to, the AdSense program policies.

How do I increase clickthrough rates (CTR) in AdSense?

Please see our recent response to this question on Quora where Symone Gamble shared her best practices.

What are responsive ad units?

Responsive ad units automatically control the size of your ads using a single piece of ad code. They also allow ads to be resized after a screen orientation change. Using a responsive ad unit will allow your site to show the most appropriate ad size according to your user's device, and will help you to maximize your revenue potential. Learn more about how responsive ad units work and then check out how to customize responsive ads to match the style of your site.

How can I make my site load faster?

Tools like PageSpeed Insights and Mobile-Friendly Test can be used to audit the speed of your site, identify possible problems, and even suggest solutions. From there, follow these 5 tips to improve page speed published on the Inside AdSense blog and then print out the Ultimate Page Speed Infographic for mobile-specific advice.

Why do I have invalid traffic deductions in my AdSense account?

How do I stop my site getting hacked?

HTTPS protocol ensures your servers are talking to who they are expected to be talking to and the conversation cannot be interrupted by anyone else, and that content cannot be altered in transit.

Make sure your software is up to date: this might seem common sense, but up-to-date software means there are no holes or faults that might make you vulnerable to people with a less than honourable intention.

Passwords: Using safe, secure, and complex passwords will protect the security of your site. Avoid words that contain common words, names of friends, family and pets as these are all easily attainable using social media, leaving yourself at risk. Don’t forget to change your password regularly; set yourself a reminder to change your password every few months.

What can I do if a site that I don't own is using my AdSense code?

Since site code is readily available to anyone who inspects your page, it's possible for someone to copy your ad code and paste it on a site you don’t own. In this case, if the ad code ends up on a site that violates the AdSense program policies, your account will receive a policy warning.

To prevent this, site authorization is an optional feature that lets you identify your verified sites as the only sites that are permitted to use your Google ad code.

Learn more about site authorization on the AdSense YouTube channel.

How to stop certain ads from appearing on my site?

The AdSense 101: You’re in control video will show you how to control the ads displayed on your site.

Why is there a decline in my AdSense revenue?

If your earnings have taken a dip, we recommend you check 4 engagement metrics in the performance tab of your AdSense account:
Clickthrough rate (CTR)
Cost per click (CPC)
Page revenue per thousand impressions (page RPM)
Page views
Here’s a few resources to help you identify the potential causes, and nextstep solutions to solve them.
YouTube video: Why are my Google AdSense earnings declining?
AdSense blog post: Why are my earnings down right now?
AdSense Help Center: Earnings troubleshooter
What are AdSense experiments and how can I run an experiment?

AdSense recently introduced automatic experiments, which allow you to take a back seat as Google runs A/B tests on a small portion of your traffic. To enable the feature, just visit the "Experiments" page on your Optimization tab, and switch on "automatic experiments".

The opportunities generated from these experiments will appear in the “Opportunities” page on your Optimization tab. They'll be labelled "verified by experiment,” so you’ll know they’re backed by data and tailored to your site and users.

Posted by: Jay Castro from the AdSense team

AdSense best practice: Set yourself up for success
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
7 minutes to read
In part two of our series for new publishers to turn their #PassionIntoProfit, we’ll cover three steps you can take to set up you up for success. Following these insights won’t guarantee success, however it will give more opportunities for your ads to perform, while making sure they complement your site’s user experience.
To get started, we’ll discuss three topics:
Optimal ad placement
Mobile optimization
How to avoid policy violations
If you’re looking for an introductory overview of AdSense, check out the first part of this series where we cover the basics of AdSense.
Make the most of your ad placement
It’s important to keep the user in mind when deciding where to place ads. You want your ads to perform well, but adding too many can clutter your page for users.
Before you decide where to place ads, ask these 4 questions:
How do your users engage with your site?
Where is their attention going to be focused?
How can you place ads in focus areas without getting in the way of your content?
How can you keep all of your pages easy to navigate?
It’s a best practice to place ads next to the content your visitors are most likely to focus on, but take the time to make sure ads are clearly separate and identifiable from your content. Remember that ads that confuse or mislead visitors violate the AdSense program policies and are not allowed. Other ad placement actions that can lead to policy violations include:
Mirroring or rewriting content from other sources without adding value
Pages with more advertising than publisher content
Using automatically generated content
Hosted ad pages or pages with no content
Sites that don’t follow our Webmaster Guidelines
Here are a few ad placement best practices that may improve the viewability of your ads.
For mobile sites, place a 320x100 ad above the fold, where it will be visible to everyone who lands on your page.
For desktop sites, use vertical ad units, which remain visible as users move around a page. The 300x600 layout is one of the fastest growing ad sizes, and is popular with advertisers who want to increase brand awareness.
Try to lay out your content in a way that holds your visitor’s attention and entices them to continue reading.
Optimize for mobile
Today, there are now more searches on mobile than on desktop. This increase in mobile traffic has increased user expectations of mobile site performance. Meeting the expectations of mobile users continues to be a challenge for publishers. 53% of mobile users will abandon a page that takes longer than 3 seconds to load, with that number rising to 74% for pages that take longer than 5 seconds.
Despite this heavy shift towards mobile, a recent study by Think With Google found that the average time it takes to load a mobile landing page is 22 seconds.
Publishers who don’t adapt to mobile user needs are less likely to retain new visitors. This reduces their ability to convert site visits into ad revenue.
To get your mobile site up to speed, keep these insights in mind:
Dedicate time to discover current issues on your mobile site: Tools like PageSpeed Insights, Mobile-Friendly Test, and Web Page Test will highlight the areas of your site that need attention.
Optimize your mobile site for speed: Get rid of bulky content, reduce the number of server requests, and consolidate data and analytics tags. Prioritize loading elements that are visible above the fold first - styling, javascript logic, and images accessed after the tap, scroll, or swipe can be loaded later.
Monitor your progress: Run regular A/B tests to audit performance and remove anything that lowers speed or harms user experience. Whenever you update your analytics data, evaluate your requests and remove outdated collection pixels.
Once you’ve got your fast mobile site running smoothly on small-screens, take these additional steps to maximize your profits and ensure that you’re compliant with the AdSense program policies.
Help prevent accidental clicks by moving ad units 150 pixels away from your content.
Use responsive ad units, which automatically adapt your ad sizes to fit any screen.
Use the 320x100 ad size instead of the 320x50 where possible. By using the 320x100 ad unit, you allow the 320x50 ad to compete as well, doubling the fill-rate competition.
Place a 320x100 ad unit just above the fold.
Be as consistent as possible across screens - make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for regardless of the device they’re using.
Keep AdSense safe for everyone
After signing up for an AdSense account, you’ll need to make sure your website is policy-compliant before getting approved.
While AdSense will work behind the scenes to maximize your performance, it’s your responsibility to make sure your content and placements adhere to AdSense policies.
Violation of AdSense policies can lead to your account being suspended or your website removed from the network. To keep your account in good standing, follow these best practices:
Don’t click your own ads, or ask others to click them. These clicks won’t count toward revenue and may lead to an account suspension. Even if you’re interested in an ad or looking for its destination URL, clicking on your own ads is considered an invalid click and is prohibited.
Maximize content, not ads per page. It’s important that original, regularly updated content remains the focal point of your website.
Don’t use deceptive layouts. If the line between your content and your ads becomes blurred to your readers, those ads will be flagged as a violation.
Take responsibility for your traffic. Use Google Analytics to quickly identify and resolve unusual traffic patterns. If you’re unsure of what counts as invalid traffic, then watch this short video.
Always follow the Code Implementation Guide and don’t try to modify your AdSense code.
Our Webmaster Guidelines provides detailed notes on how to avoid spammy content and our all-in-one compliance guide is a resource for you to reduce the possibility of receiving a policy violation.
If you have any other questions about AdSense policy check out our Help Center to learn more, or join an #AskAdSense session Thursdays at 9:30am PT to speak directly with a support specialist.
Our beginner’s series will continue with ideas on how to plan and create content that sells.

Apply for an AdSense account

If you think content monetization is right for your website, then try AdSense.
Posted by: Jay Castro from the AdSense team