Making Money Online with Google and Yahoo Advertising

Okay, so you've heard of people reporting outrageous amounts of money from their blog/websites and you want to know how to get in on the action, right? But you probably don't know how to get started. Never fear! Team Benjamin is here to save the day and educate you about getting started in advertising revenue.

For starters, let's talk about the basics. You will need:

• An account with an advertiser.
• A website and/or a blog.
• Content for the website and/or blog.
• Friends to spread the word!

As far as the advertiser goes, for minimum-hassle startup we recommend either Google Adsense or Yahoo Publisher. They are both content-driven advertisers which means they tailor their ads to your website content. Google Adsense allows you to cash out at twenty dollars and up, and will send you a check. Yahoo Publisher is still in its beta phase, which means you need to apply for an invitation first. They automatically cash you out and send you a check every month PROVIDED you have a balance of $100.00 or more due. For both you need to submit your website for approval before they'll allow you to participate, and both require either a social security number or tax identification number for verification to prevent duplicate accounts or botting(we'll talk more about that later).

Now, a website! Many people just place the ads on their blog(short for web log, a kind of online journal). We recommend Blogger. They're free to sign up for and allow javascript and HTML coding(neccesary to place the ads on your page). If you're looking to make an actual website, there are many hosts out there to choose from. You'll also need to know HTML coding as a minimum. You might also look into getting a webpage creator like Dreamweaver or Frontpage. Dreamweaver is the more powerful of the two by far, but some say Frontpage is easier to learn.

Regardless of whether you want to go for a blog or a website, the main thing you'll need is content. Let's face it, no one's reading your blog to find out whether or not you brushed your teeth this morning. You need something to keep them, and you, interested. If you don't enjoy what you're writing about, then why keep doing it? Pick something original(politics is rediculously overdone), like a hobby, art, local affiliation/town, or even a sports team. Look to the website of your chosen advertiser for instructions on properly installing the code(or see if a neighborhood kid/relative with HTML knowledge can help).

As far as advertising YOU site goes, just spread the word however you can. Tell friends, family, neighbors, whatever. If you have interesting content, they'll tell other friends. This is known as viral marketing, and it's one of the best kinds out there. It's free, low maintenance, and requires almost no work on your behalf apart from keeping the site maintained. Be careful though. At first, the money may not be coming in very quickly, and you will be tempted to click some of your own ads. DON'T DO THIS! This will cause for your immediate eviction from the ad program. The same goes for any "botting" or "auto-click" scripts you may be tempted to use. Read the rules and TOS(terms of service) for your advertiser, and follow them to the letter. There's no shortcuts or free lunches to be had.

Hopefully this article has helped get you started on your way to making money with YOUR blog or website.

Until next time!

Team Benjamin