How to Make Money with Google AdSense & Affiliate Programs

As the cost of fuel rises people are flocking to the internet to find new ways of making money. Everyone from bloggers to serious webmasters are looking to maximize profits on the internet. One great way of getting cash from your site is affiliate marketing. With affiliate, marketing you can realize good cash flow quickly. To maximize your profits you can use Google Adsense also, as long as you have rich content and good traffic to your site it will be a breeze.

Why Affiliate Marketing?

Why not make a profit on someone else’s product? With affiliate marketing, you make a profit by legally selling another persons product. Even if you have, your own line of products that you already sell on your site you can still benefit from affiliate marketing programs. As an online retailer, you could market products that compliment the ones you currently offer.

The affiliate marketing relationship can be easily understood. You, the affiliate agree to allow the merchant to advertise their product on your website. The merchant then agrees to pay you based on the terms set out in your agreement. For instance, you may earn a percentage of the purchase price or a flat rate per sale. That leaves you cashing in on very little effort. Of course, the merchant benefits to because he is not out any extra for advertising. A true win/win situation for everyone.

There are many more compensation plans for affiliates out there. You being the website owner will want the method that brings you the best money. The most common methods of pay are pay-per-click, pay-per-lead and pay-per-sale. All of these plans have pros and cons. Pay-per-click is preferred by some because all you have to do is guide traffic to the merchant. A potential customer clicks onto their site and you get paid. The pay-per-lead option is a bit more intensive since the potential customer must register on the merchant’s site. Finally, pay-per-sale is pretty much self -explanatory you only are paid if there is a complete sale. The benefit of the latter two is that usually the compensation is higher than pay-per-click.

Earning decent money on affiliate programs takes more than a good compensation plan. You can have the best compensation plan on the planet but if you do not have good traffic to and from your site then it is pointless. The more visitors you have the better chance you have of making a lot of money on your affiliate-marketing program.

What is Google Adsense?

Google Adsense is another type of affiliate program. With Google Adsense, Google is actually the middleman. The affiliate merchant signs up with Google and submits their ads to them. These ads are really cleverly disguised links back to the affiliate merchant’s website. These ads will now come up in a Google search and on your website if you are an Adsense affiliate. Now every time someone clicks the ads on your site you begin to accrue money in your Google Adsense account. The ads will have different rates and conversions.

It is true that Google Adsense and affiliate marketing are a lot alike there are also some differences. With Google Adsense, all you must do is place a code containing links to merchants on your website. From there Google takes over, they track the clicks and purchases that come from the special code you placed on your site. Moreover, since Google strives to make sure the ads pertain to your site both you and the merchant win. You get to offer people on your site more products and the merchant gets the benefit of having traffic from a related website. In other words people who are already looking for things similar to what the merchant is offering.

Google Adsense is a strictly pay-per-click based affiliate program. The merchant pays Google a set amount per click then Google passes part of that on to you. The part you get is what is left after Google collects their fees. Once you reach payout, Google pays you by check once a month. The nice thing about Google Adsense is you can track the activity from your site. This way you keep up with which ads are paying well and how your site is doing overall.

So, where does all of these lead us?

Money, money and more money! No matter whether you are the affiliate or the merchant Google Adsense will work for you. For the merchant you will save a mint because you will not have to advertise, your affiliate will do all that for you. For the webmaster you get to do what you enjoy, build great websites! Then you simply use Google Adsense with any other affiliate-marketing program of your choice and watch the money roll in! You will have the best of all worlds by being paid while doing what you love.

36 Comments

  • 2ask.ws

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    I saw some success with adsense previously. Now I’m trying to build niche blogs with adsense

    2ask.wss last blog post..8 WAYS FROM WHICH YOU CAN MAKE MONEY FROM HALLOWEEN

  • Bruno Auger

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    There are many good programs out there to promote and make good money doing it. I think most just don’t want to spend that little bit if cash they have to make a lot more.
    I think most people who try and yet fail just haven’t done theor research properly befire heading to an online venture.

    Bruno Augers last blog post..Mr Javo 2.0 Give Away!

  • Bryan Hee

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Affiliate marketing is the best business model to replicate. It won’t affected by economy recession.

    To your Success
    Bryan Hee

  • charles

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Your print goes over into the blue border.

  • charles

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Pease disregard last comment. My computer must have hiccuped as now it is okay.

  • Nayanika

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Affliate marketing sure is a splendid business model. What is better is the twain, google adsense and Affliate marketing can make an awesome twin use, which could keep the oodle rolling in.

    Splendid copy

  • Jane

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    I do quite a bit with Google Adsense and have integrated textual CPA offers into my content. The combination of the two works very well. You’re right Reed…content is the key and if you write good valuable content while continuing to add fresh content on a regular basis you can be successful with adsense and affiliate marketing.

    Thanks for a good post.
    Jane
    Adsense Templates With RR

  • tmobil8

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Greetings Reed Thomas Richmond here, great info but the problem with PPC is that you always have to out bid your openant to stay at the top, costly, but with affiliate program like mine you have options on both accounts, get your website indexed as well as making some cash on the side if you should sell what i offer with others, also an affiliate program is free no matter what it is. Enjoy your day guys. God_bless you

  • Jay

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Adsense should be used sparingly on a site where it will compete with your own products. I find that the best place to have Adsense is on pages that the visitor would already be on there way out anyway. Such as my links pages, faqs, and thank you pages that follow after a sale. They are going somewhere so why not monetize that action?
    Jay
    http://www.TheSmallBusinessNanny.blogspot.com

    Jays last blog post..Business Survival in Today’s Retail World

  • Timothy Millar

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Hey Reed, Hows the Family hanging in there with you working so hard. Great information on Google
    opportunities, Much easier than PPC,You can get your bank account in serious trouble if you don’t know what you are doing with these bid your price programs. Affiliate sales are hard to get but well worth the effort,just learn how and where to advertise and you will do fine.
    knowledge is King! Have a wonderful day.Tim

    Timothy Millars last blog post..Free Online Services

  • Timothy Millar

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Almost forgot, Thanks for the info on outsourcing that you sent me, I am waiting for a reply from them now.Anybody got 300 to invest?
    Can’t hurt to try! Keep up the good posting Reed,
    “The Leprechaun”

    Timothy Millars last blog post..Free Online Services

  • PV Reymond

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Hi Reed,

    Affiliate programs and Google Adsense are good ways to make money online.

    You can even combine them. You can set up a blog where you write about the affiliate product you are promoting and at the same time you can put Google Adsense on it.

    This way you can kill two birds with the same stone.

    Thanks,
    ^PV Reymond

    http://www.pvreymond.com

  • Rivers

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Two no brainers when doing business on the internet…real easy stuff to set-up and then there are numerous ways to market….

    A great way to start your online business!

    Rivers
    Founder – LeverageYourBiz.com

  • Brian Carelse

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Hey Reed,

    Great Article – Adsense and blogs go well together .. but add an affiliate program or two and you have a ATM cash machine.

    It must be done right.

    Put links to affiliate program in blog 3 to 4 times

    Make headlines bold

    Keyterms at the begining of headlines

    This is by far the easiest no brainer to making money online.

    Hows your wife and baby?

    Best wishes to all

    Your friend

    brian carelse

    http://www.e-marketingsolutions.info

    author of : The Revolutionary Internet Marketing System and The E-mail Butler

  • June Choi

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    I agree Adsense is one form of Affiliate marketing and should be part of overall picture to monetize our websites.
    Everybody is promoting PPC 2.0 this week.
    Reed,
    what is your experience of pay-per-click advertising so far?

    June
    http://biglist-bucks.com

  • Peter

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    Hallo Reed,
    The text as always is great but pro Adsense and pro affiliates. But do the applicants know in 90% of the cases whom they grow rich? and do you think that the one or the other or both in combination is better than to keep everything in own hands. Do you read the comments ? To do the setup correct and start accordingly bring everything together to name it a ATM cashmachine you are of the opinion this is it? Where is the content? Oh yes you need also the keywords to spill a nice text,
    it is a hell of a workload for the beginners. and no one is telling the truth only you can become a millionair.
    Peter

  • deb livingston

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    This is great info. One site I generate revenue with is at http://www.flixya.com. It’s a site that offers 100% Adsense Revenue. It works! Check it out?

  • Wayne Bell

    Reply Reply October 17, 2008

    A winning combination Reed….
    Affiliate Program + Blog + Adsense = Profits. I wonder if one of thes days your going to write a bad article? No Way! Your King.

    Regards

    Wayne & Susan Bell
    BELL’S HOME PROFIT NETWORK
    “Searching The World To Bring You The Best Online”
    http://bellshomeprofitnetwork.synthasite.com/

  • David Smyth

    Reply Reply October 18, 2008

    Dear Reed (thank you for another great post) and readers,

    I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read my guest blogging posts and left generous and warmly worded comments. My sincere gratitude to you! (And thanks for overlooking my frequent, sloppy punctuation.)

    Sincere thanks to Reed for giving me the opportunity to write for him (even if it was only for a short stint). I am taking an extended break from Internet marketing, for personal reasons, and just wanted to wish everyone the best!

    Reed Floren is a prodigiously talented and exceptionally fine-tuned Internet marketer and there are not many websites that I would personally recommend to people who want to learn about selling in the online world. This blog is definitely on my short list and I think that the fact that it is so cleanly set out and refreshingly free from excess advertorial material, is what sets it apart from many.

    Best wishes and sincere prayers to you all!

    Regards,
    David Smyth Braybrooke (‘Fatherspirit’).

    David Smyths last blog post..Why Money Sometimes Runs A Poor Second… (Don’t Read If You Vote For The Right!)

  • Delords

    Reply Reply October 18, 2008

    Great Post Reed

    Keep it up we enjoy reading From Your Blog.

  • TeasasTips

    Reply Reply October 18, 2008

    Hey Reed,

    I just added the custom search bar from Google Adsense, and it has made a world of difference in my commissions. This along with partnering with a couple of good CPA networks I’m looking at a nice income as a full time blogger. Check out my blog posts to find out which CPA networks are paying me well.

    TeasasTipss last blog post..Free Blog Home Income Tricks

  • Rafael Cervantes

    Reply Reply October 19, 2008

    My comment is thank you for this opportunity maravilloza, but as a dime, or they are going to put my mind commissions, and when this winning, so you can pay a cross, to better develop this work?.
    I have to provide a bank account, debit or check?.
    In addition I want to know from where tendre commissions, an estimated dime, agradesco your responses.
    CAREFULLY.
    LAE.RAFAEL CERVANTES.

    Mi comentario ,es darte las gracias ,por esta maravilloza oportunidad,pero dime como ,o en que cuenta van a depositar mis comisiones ,cuando ya este ganando,para poderte pagar un curzo,para desarrollar mejor este trabajo?.
    tengo que proporcionarte una cuenta de banco ,debito o de cheques?.
    Ademas quiero saber a partir de cuando tendre comisiones,dime un estimado,agradesco tus respuestas ,.
    ATENTAMENTE.
    LAE.RAFAEL CERVANTES.

  • admin

    Reply Reply October 20, 2008

    @2ask keep us posted on your results

    @Bruno agreed a lot of people don’t do their research

    @Bryan yes it’s nice to be in a business that let’s you live anywhere and beat recessions

    @Charles sorry to hear your computer wasn’t working for the blog

    @Nayanika it is nice to have multiple streams of income

    @Jane thank you

    @Thomas you don’t need to be #1 to get lots of traffic from PPC also you can go for related terms that are cheaper

    @Jay I agree don’t put adsense on pages that you are trying to sell people a product

    @Timothy family is good I agree if you aren’t careful PPC can be really expensive the nice thing is most PPC search engines let you set a limit on what you spend

    @PV it’s great killing two or more birds with one stone

    @Rivers thanks

    @Brian great points, family is doing well

    @June I haven’t used PPC since 2006 but I will be trying again since PPC 2.0 got me interested. I was doing adsense arbitrage and was setup to do $1K per day or $30K a month.

    @Peter I don’t think anyone became an internet millionaire without doing some sort of work. Now that doesn’t mean they did everything they may have outsourced

    @Deb thanks I’ll check it out

    @Wayne thank you

    @David thank you for your kind words I hope you come back soon.

    @Delords thank you

    @TeasesTips awesome congrats

    @Rafeal sorry I’m not sure what you mean.

  • affiliategun

    Reply Reply October 20, 2008

    Nice post Reed,
    I already use adsense in my website and it’s amazing. I got $10-$15 per day. Thanks for your information.

    rgds
    http://affiliategun.com

    affiliateguns last blog post..6 Steps How to Make Use of Cheap Internet Banner Advertising

  • Geoff Dodd

    Reply Reply October 21, 2008

    Reed, It’s all good. I can attest that Adsense works and is NOT dead. Affiliate programs work if you can keep supplying words and content for spiders and bots like Googlebot – they’re constantly monitoring every web site for change. You can see that in Cpanel. They want News! and fresh content. ‘Relevance’ is now also a key. Supplying articles and paragraphs highly relevant to the topic of the affiliate program. This means: The writer is king. You must learn to be a prolific writer. High productivity is essential. Don’t let your web sites get stale. That’s why blogging is preferred now because of user-generated CONTENT keeping the freshness factor alive! Use blogs for news about your affiliate product offerings. Yada. Geoff.

  • admin

    Reply Reply October 22, 2008

    @affiliategunn congrats on your success keep us posted

    @geoff great post!

  • Rumen

    Reply Reply October 22, 2008

    Good content Reed.But every who want good
    profit need have more sites.That is the questions.I think 2or3 sites plus one blog
    it’s a good formula.10-15 bugs per day from
    Google Adsense is nothing.

    Rumen
    http://mihgtpartner.blogspot.com

    Rumens last blog post..???????? ????????? ???? hosting

  • admin

    Reply Reply October 23, 2008

    @Rumen yes having multiple site making you money is great.

  • Jorge EZ Affiliate

    Reply Reply October 24, 2008

    Great article Reed. Having many websites with different programs like AdSense is a good strategy to stay diversified.

    Jorge

    Jorge EZ Affiliates last blog post..What to Look for Before You Buy a Website Builder

  • admin

    Reply Reply October 25, 2008

    @Jorge always good to have some diversification.

  • Google Money

    Reply Reply July 8, 2009

    Not only to stay diversified, but most things are dependant on popularity and whether or not it’s just a fad. Things change and people move on to other crazes.

  • googleworksultra

    Reply Reply August 10, 2009

    Great website enjoyed it very much will return =-)

  • Maria

    Reply Reply August 25, 2009

    i am just starting out with Google Adsense. i am hoping that i would earn a good deal of money on this program.

  • great information you have here thanks so much

  • bob

    Reply Reply May 3, 2010

    thi site has alot of good posts keep up the good work!

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