How to Add Google AdSense to Your Blog

1. Apply for an AdSense account using your Google ID or create a new Google ID for use with your AdSense account. Check your email inbox after you submit your application; Google will send an email soon after you apply, and you must click a link in the message to confirm your AdSense application and send it for review. Once submitted, it can take a few days to a week or more for the AdSense team to approve your account.
2. Log in to your AdSense account once the account is approved. Click the 'My Ads' tab on the main AdSense interface to view your AdSense ad units. You won't have any ad units yet, so click the 'Content Ads' option on the sidebar, and then click the ' New' link to begin creating a new ad unit for your blog.

3. Customize your ad unit. Give it a name, select an ad unit size, ad type, color scheme and other customization options on the 'New Ad Unit' setup page. Ideally, you should select a 728-by-90 ad unit for your initial ad unless you have another size in mind. Consult the preview pane to view changes to your ad unit as you make them. Once you are satisfied, click the 'Save and Get Code' button to save your ad unit and obtain the code that you will need to implement the ad. Click your mouse inside the box containing the ad code and press “Ctrl-A” on your keyboard to select the code if it is not already selected. Press 'Ctrl-C' to copy the code to your system clipboard.
4. Navigate to your blog and log in to the administrative dashboard or control panel. Then, open the 'index.php,' 'home.php' or similarly named file that represents your blog’s home page in your blog layout editor. If the blog is hosted on your own website, you may be able to edit the files directly from the site's file manager or via an FTP connection.
5. Look through the code on your blog page and locate the '
' code that opens the header or content area of your blog. If you have specific text in your header or at the top of the content area, you can find it quickly by pressing 'Ctrl-F' to access your browser or file editor's text search function. Click at the bottom of the header code or at the top of the content area code, and then press 'Ctrl-V' to paste the ad code into your page. Save the page.
6. Load your blog in your Web browser. Take note of the position of the ad that you just inserted into the page; it should appear below the header of your blog or at the top of the content area. Make adjustments to your ad code, such as adding center-justified paragraph tags or other HTML or PHP code as needed to position the ad exactly where you want it. Google ads might not display immediately; instead, generic ads may appear until Google has properly indexed your blog to optimize ad content.
7. Create additional ad units to place in your blog, repeating the above procedure. You can add a banner ad to the left or right side of your blog's content area, or you can use 350x350 square ads to fill space between your blog roll and other sidebar content. An additional horizontal banner can be placed halfway down the screen between blog posts to increase ad visibility without overwhelming your visitors.
8. Open the PHP file that you use to generate individual blog post pages and repeat the ad placement procedure on that page, too. This will insert ads into individual blog posts, ensuring that AdSense ads will display even if visitors reach your blog from external links and don't actually view your blog’s home page.