How to Properly Add Google AdSense to Your WordPress Site: The Ultimate Expert Guide

As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience in monetizing websites, I‘ve learned a few tricks when it comes to successfully integrating Google AdSense ads into WordPress sites.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share everything you need to know as a fellow WordPress site owner looking to tap into AdSense earnings.

Below, you‘ll find insider tips on creating your AdSense account, properly placing ad units, optimizing your configuration for higher RPMs, and avoiding common AdSense mistakes made by beginners.

My goal is to help you implement AdSense in a way that maximizes income while providing a smooth experience for your visitors.

Let‘s get started!

What is Google AdSense and Why Use It?

Google AdSense is an ad network that allows publishers to display ads on their websites and earn money when visitors view or click on these ads. As one of the largest ad networks globally, Google AdSense provides access to premium advertisers across geographies and niches.

Here are some of the key benefits of using AdSense:

• Passive earnings – Once implemented, AdSense provides completely passive income that can add up over time. No need to actively sell ad space or manage advertiser relationships.

• Easy setup – AdSense is known for quick and simple implementation with copy-paste ad code. Much easier than direct-sold ads.

• Targeted ads – Google‘s extensive advertiser base and analytics power means the ads shown are highly targeted to site content and visitors. This results in better visitor experience.

• Global demand – Advertisers from all over the world use Google Ads to access global inventory. This means steady ad supply for publishers.

• handling payments – Google takes care of all advertiser relationships and payments. Earnings appear in your account monthly. No invoicing or collection needed.

In my experience, AdSense can be a significant "set and forget" earnings stream for most websites able to attract a steady amount of traffic.

While earnings may not make you an overnight millionaire, incremental income of $100-500+ per month is certainly achievable with optimization over time.

Now let‘s go through the step-by-step process of adding AdSense code to your WordPress site correctly.

Step 1 – Signing Up for a Google AdSense Account

To display Google ads, you first need to register for an AdSense account. The sign up process is fairly quick and straightforward:

1. Go to the Google AdSense homepage.

2. Click "Sign up now" and select your country.

3. Provide required personal details – name, address, phone number, etc.

4. Accept their terms and conditions.

5. Submit your publisher application.

After submitting the form, Google will review your website details and content to determine approval.

Here are some key criteria they look for:

• Original, high-quality content
• Site is fully functional and mobile optimized
• Relevant amount of traffic and users
• No copyright violations or stolen content
• No adult, illegal, or offensive content

Site should be at least 6 months old as well.

Google aims to keep the AdSense network filled with reputable publishers showing high-value ads.

Approval rate is around 60% currently, though exact percentages aren‘t disclosed.

Don‘t get discouraged if your first application is rejected. Just focus on improving your site and apply again later. My advice is to have at least 15-20 posts with original content before applying.

Once approved, Google will send you an email confirmation and your account will be ready for generating ad codes.

Step 2 – Generating AdSense Ad Code

To display ads, you need to generate a Google AdSense ad code and place it where you want ads shown:

1. Log in to your AdSense account.
2. Click Ads on left sidebar.
3. Select the "Ad units" tab.
4. Click "+ New ad unit".
5. Choose your ad type – Display, In-article, In-feed, etc.
6. Select ad size and specifics.
7. Give your ad unit a name and click "Create".
8. Copy the generated code snippet.

This unique code snippet contains your publisher ID and ad unit ID which pulls in targeted ads.

Save it in a text document for reference. You‘ll need it for the next step.

Some tips for choosing your initial ad type/size:

• Go with a responsive ad size that works on all devices vs fixed size
• Start with 300 x 250 or 336 x 280 which get good CPM rates
• Use display ads for sidebars and stick with text & image, not rich media

With the ad code generated, you‘re ready to add AdSense to your WordPress site.

Step 3 – Placing Your AdSense Ads in WordPress

When inserting AdSense ads into WordPress, you have a few options:

Via Theme Editor

Pasting the code directly into your theme files like header.php or footer.php is one way to add AdSense.

However, this method can cause issues when updating your theme and overrides your code. Instead, use a plugin for better reliability.

Via AdSense Plugin

Dedicated AdSense plugins like Ad Inserter let you easily insert the ad code and customize placement.

To use a plugin:

1. Install and activate the plugin.
2. Go to settings and paste your ad code.
3. Choose placement options like before/after content.
4. Save settings.

This makes changing your ads or theme much easier versus editing code directly.

Via Widget

If you want more control over placement, you can use a text widget:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets
2. Add a custom HTML widget to your desired sidebar.
3. Paste the ad code into the widget.
4. Click save.

The benefit of widgets is precise positioning though it takes longer to add multiple ad units this way.

Code Snippet Plugins

For more flexibility, snippet plugins like Insert Headers and Footers allow you to insert AdSense code sitewide or on specific pages with custom positioning rules.

Step 4 – Placing and Optimizing Multiple Ad Units

Most publishers start with a single ad placement like the sidebar. But it‘s important to experiment with multiple ad units around your content to increase earnings.

Here are some top performing placements to try:

• Above post title
• First paragraph below title
• Between paragraphs in post content
• After paragraph 1, 3 or 5
• Above/below post content
• In sidebar
• Above comments
• Between comments

When testing new placements:

• Start with 1-2 ads per page maximum
• Gradually increase number of ads
• Monitor RPM and CTR in AdSense to gauge performance
• Remove underperforming ad units

With some tweaking, you can find the right mix of placements that maximizes revenue while keeping your site easy to use.

Here are examples of earning rates for different ad types and positions:

Ad Type/Position	eCPM Rates
Top of Content	$1.00 – $3.00
Paragraph Insert	$0.60 – $1.50
Sidebar	$0.40 – $1.00
Bottom of Post	$0.30 – $0.60

Use eCPM as a benchmark to assess performance as you test new placements.

AdSense Optimization – Tips and Best Practices

Beyond just placing ads, you should also optimize your AdSense configuration for better earnings and user experience.

Here are some best practices I recommend based on my experience:

• Use page-level exclusions to remove ads from pages like "Contact" or "About" that don‘t warrant monetization.

• Limit ads per page to a reasonable number based on content length. Don‘t bombard visitors with endless ads.

• Vary ad types and sizes to determine optimal formats for each placement. In-content text ads often work well.

• Avoid header/footer as common ad blocker target areas. Focus on in-content positions instead.

• Review optimization tips in your AdSense dashboard. Address low CTR ad units.

• Never click your own ads. Google will ban you for click fraud!

• Pick appropriate color themes and formats that match your site design rather than clashing.

• Inform Google of major site changes like domain name, layout, or redesign.

• Stay on top of Google policy changes and maintain compliant ad implementations.

With regular review of your AdSense performance reports and some A/B testing, you can maximize earnings over the long-term.

Alternatives Worth Exploring

While Google AdSense is by far the most popular ad network, it‘s not your only option. Some other networks and models to consider:

• Media.net – Works similarly to AdSense. Provides strong global demand with 75%+ revenue share.

• Ezoic – Uses AI to automatically test ad placements and layouts for increased earnings.

• Infolinks – Specializes in less intrusive integrated text ad formats.

• Amazon Associates – Earn commissions by promoting relevant Amazon products to your readers.

• Direct Advertising – Sell ad space directly to relevant brands in your niche for higher CPMs.

Diversifying across 2-3 ad sources helps maximize coverage across different advertiser verticals and demand fluctuations.

Just be careful not to overwhelm your site with too many display ads competing for attention.

Wrapping Up

Adding Google AdSense to your WordPress site is a relatively straightforward way to start earning from your content and traffic.

The key steps we covered include:

• Signing up for an AdSense account
• Generating ad unit codes
• Placing ad units through plugins or widgets
• Testing multiple placements across site
• Monitoring performance and optimizing over time
• Considering alternative ad networks as supplements

Follow the tips in this guide and you‘ll be positioned for AdSense success without disrupting your user experience.

While AdSense earnings take some time to build up, the income can become a nice addition to your overall monetization and content strategy over the long term.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to share additional tips and tricks with fellow WordPress site owners looking to better monetize their traffic.