Add Google AdSense Ads to Your WordPress Blog

Add Google AdSense Ads to Your WordPress Blog

If you want to use Google AdSense with your WordPress blog, there are two things you need to add - Google AdSense advertisement code, and a privacy policy link.
You can easily add both into your WordPress blog by using the text widgets that come with WordPress 2.2 or later.
If you have an older WordPress release, you can enable widgets by installing the widgets plugin.
To use these widgets, you must install a WordPress theme that is widget-ready, i.e. a WordPress theme that has predefined widget areas. It is best to choose a WordPress theme that is easily customizable, and has several widget-ready areas where you can insert your Google AdSense advertisements, or other useful widget functions.
Visit Shiba WordPress to see an example of a widget-ready free WordPress theme with Google AdSense advertisements, and a privacy policy.
Note - WordPress.com does not allow advertisements on the blogs that are hosted on their site. To monetize your WordPress blog, you must host it elsewhere.

Screen-shot of the Shiba WordPress theme which is widget-ready in the header, footer, and sidebar areas.

How to Add Google AdSense Advertisements

1. Log into your Google AdSense account. If you do not have a Google AdSense account, here are some tips on how to get started with Google AdSense.
2. Once you are logged in, click on the AdSense Setup tab on top of your screen. Then select Get Ads to create new advertisements, or Manage Ads to access previous advertisements you have created.
3. After you finish creating an advertisement, Google AdSense will provide you with the code for displaying that advertisement on your blog or web-page. You can also access that code at a later date by going into AdSense Setup >> Manage Ads, and clicking on the Code link to the right of your advertisement unit.
4. Open another browser window and log into your WordPress blog.
5. Click on the Appearance menu on the left of your WordPress dashboard, and then select the Widgets option.

Screen-shot of the Widgets menu in your WordPress dashboard.

The middle column of the screen shows all the available widgets, and the right column of the screen shows all the available widget areas for your current WordPress theme. If your current theme does not support widgets, then WordPress will show the following message when you access the Widgets menu option.

The theme you are currently using isn’t widget-aware, meaning that it has no sidebars that you are able to change. For information on making your theme widget-aware, please follow these instructions. ~~ [From WordPress Dashboard]

Screen shown when the WordPress theme you are using is not widget-ready.

If there is no Widget option in your WordPress dashboard then the WordPress release you are using does not come with widget plugin support, and you will need to install the WordPress widgets plugin manually.

Add Google AdSense Code into a WordPress Text Widget

Now you are ready to add your Google AdSense code into your WordPress blog.
6. Click on the widget area in the right column where you want to insert your Google AdSense advertisement to open it up.
7. Drag a Text Widget box from the middle column and drop it in the widget area on the right column.

8. Click on the right corner of the Text widget to open it.
9. Copy your Google AdSense code and paste it into the Text widget area.
10. Click on the Save button at the bottom right of the Text widget to save your Google AdSense code.
11. Refresh your WordPress blog and your Google AdSense advertisement should now be displayed in the widget area that you just edited.
12. You can add as many Text widgets as you want to your WordPress blog but remember that Google AdSense only allows 3 advertisement units per web-page.

How to Add a Privacy Policy to Your WordPress Blog

Google AdSense now requires that you add a privacy policy to all your pages that display Google AdSense advertisements. This privacy policy must include a cookie disclosure notice.

AdSense publishers must have and abide by a privacy policy that discloses that third parties may be placing and reading cookies on your users' browsers, or using web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on your website. ~~ [Excerpt from Google AdSense Program Policies]

1. Create a privacy policy page in your WordPress blog. For more information on what needs to be included in your privacy policy, refer to the Google Advertising Cookie and Privacy Policies page.
2. Drag and drop a new Text widget into the area where you want your privacy policy link to appear.
3. Add your privacy policy link to your Text widget. Your privacy policy link code may look something like this -

<a href="[Your Privacy Policy HTML link]">Privacy Policy</a>

Failure to add a privacy policy may lead to rejection of your Google AdSense account application or to the disruption of your current Google AdSense account.