To get back into the swing of things here, I’m going to be answering some reader questions over the next couple weeks. Some have been left as blog comments and some have been sent in. Feel free to use the contact mail link in the header or if you’re on the mailing list, you can just hit reply to an email to send a question.
To start things off, a recent commenter asked…
How can you make money with Google Adsense if you don’t have any money to get started?
As I’ve mentioned before, I make a big chunk of my income from Adsense, so I’m always game to answer questions about the program. If you’re serious about starting a web site (or two or three or ten), I recommend buying a domain name and getting your own web hosting, an investment of less than $20 up front with an ongoing $5-$8 a month for hosting fees.
However, if you’re broke (which I was in the beginning, so I can sympathize!), you can indeed make money with Adsense without spending a dime out of your pocket.
The easiest way is to set up a Blogger account and build one or more blogs there. Since Blogger is owned by Google these days, they make it easy to apply for the Adsense program and serve ads right on your blog (when I got started, you actually had to have your own domain name in order to apply, hmmph!).
It’s actually not a bad idea to cut your teeth on freebie blogs. You can start several on Blogger and see which niches end up keeping your interest, drawing a decent amount of traffic, and making you noticeable money with Adsense.
Remember, content that is closely associated with products and services tends to do best for pay-for-click publishers.
11 responses so far ↓
1 adsense cash // Apr 13, 2009 at 2:43 am
Very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to share your view with us.
2 Lawrence S. Miller // Apr 13, 2009 at 6:27 am
Hi Lindsay,
That is terrific news about being able to get a free AdSense account on a Blogger domain.
I am broke or dang near it and living in the Philippines, and brand new to internet marketing, so I am where you were when you started.
I just signed up for Court’s Keyword Academy course and I am hoping that will help this ole dog learn a new trick or two, and get up and running toward a new income stream.
The next question is can I figure out how to set up a Blogger blog? I have had a heck of a time getting WordPress going with a Thesis theme.
Thank you for all that you do for us learners out here in the blogisphere.
Lawrence
3 Andy - Home Security Guy // Apr 14, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I dont belive blogger sites are given as much credit as a real domain name? Just be aware that Blogger sites may not do as well which could leave you disheartened as you may not get the traffic you hoped. Good article though.
4 Lindsay // Apr 14, 2009 at 1:47 pm
@Andy — I started a Blogger blog last year just to see if you could make decent money without spending anything, and you certainly can.
The problem comes when you want to grow your site, and you don’t have the flexibility you’ve got when you have 100% control. Also, if you think you might ever want to sell your site, you’ll get a lot more if you’ve got your own domain name and all the files and what not.
5 Dawn // Apr 22, 2009 at 7:45 am
I just wanted to say, thank you so much for your blog! My present blog is not set up for making money, and that’s okay – that isn’t what I started it for. However, I love reading all your thoughts and ideas. I am thinking about another “for money” site in the future and you’ve given me tons of food for thought. I just wanted to drop a note and let you know how much this information is appreciated.
6 CPA Arbitrage // Apr 28, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Making money with Adsense it’s becoming harder and harder. Couple of years ago, Adsense program was really hot
Nowdays, affiliate earnings are much more rewarding. More and more publishers go into CPA networks everyday. Adsense is paying penny per clicks .. Too bad .. I actually enjoyed it while it lasted.
7 Stephanie // May 7, 2009 at 11:27 am
First – Thanks for the incredible information you provide on your site. I’ve read almost everything on your site and I have learned so much.
You said that you’ve had success with Blogger and you only started it last year. That’s very encouraging. How long before you saw a return on your time investment? I’m a bit excited and probably started more blogs at once than I needed to. Do you recommend allowing a blog to “simmer” before starting a new one?
When using Blogger, do you find that you have better revenue results for posts that include affiliate programs or do you let Adsense do all the work?
8 Stacey Bryant // May 20, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Thanks for this post. One quick question. Since adsense has been around for a few years now, do you TRULY feel that you can still make money with Adsense, or is there a new medium that i should look into?
9 vmen // Jun 23, 2009 at 2:50 am
Google AdSense – Anyone can sign up for this service and 100% free to use. Google will display ads on your site and pay you when they get clicked on. This is by far the easiest way to make money with your site.
10 John Hatheway // Jul 20, 2009 at 11:19 am
Stacey, I set mine up on Thursday. It is now Monday and I have about $40.00. Sure I’m not buying a mansion just yet, but it’s a heck of a start.
11 Mark // Nov 1, 2011 at 11:38 pm
I’ve taken your advice in setting up a website and recently registered an adsense account. Thanks.
Leave a Comment