My AdSense Journey: The Beginning
It has been over two years now since I started applying for AdSense, and should I tell you the number of times I applied before finally getting approved? Should I tell you it is a million, you will scream. Should I say six, as well? Then you will doubt me. However, the honest truth is that this is the seventh time.
If you'd ask me, one of the hardest journeys I have taken so far in my life is my journey with getting AdSense approval. It all stems from the confusion, the inexperience, worry, and troubles. Though it has been a tough journey, it is worth it because there were days I felt like crying, and there were times I gave up as well.
There were moments I said to myself This is not meant for me, but do you know what I was missing out? It was my passion. The passion to flow in my direction and write in my own style. Not to do something shabby out there, and expect AdSense, a potential lifetime partner, to give me a chance.
Understand that Google AdSense is More Than Just Ads
Before sharing my personal roadmap, let me first clarify what Google AdSense truly is.
Many people will call it a monetization platform that allows website owners and creators to earn money by displaying targeted ads on their sites. That is true, no misconception about it. But I do not only see AdSense as a monetization platform but a lifetime partner that is willing to come and work with you.
You want to find out how they rally work things around and pay creators? Well, from my own experience, Google matches the ads based on the creator's content and visitors, paying you per click or impression.
Many think it is all about earning, no. You have to build that trust, build that quality, and be compliant with policies.
My Early Mistakes and the Lessons I Learned
We are all humans, and as a matter of fact, we are nowhere always near the word perfect. We make mistakes. And sometimes, the corrections we make for our mistakes are also mistakes. Because you might think you are doing it right, but then, it is the wrong way. Looking back, these were the top pitfalls that held me back.
1. Thin Content
It is something everyone keeps talking about, and the reason why? Let me enlighten you from this perspective. All my messages on AdSense rejection have been a result of low content value. Thin content is part of that low content value family.
At first, I would publish articles that were very short. Some were just short poems I wrote, others, maybe a short story, mostly between 400 to 500 words. I thought I just had to write an essay like we did in exams those years back in primary school. That was the first blow.
How did I fix this?
I started writing articles straight from my head, but with at least 1000 words and more. I began to focus more on the visitors who will read my posts and not search engines. The search engine will not read; it is the user, so I started writing for the people who will use my site.
2. Copied or Rewritten Content
This has and will always be one of the mistakes of mine I regret entirely. In my early attempts, guess what I always did. I will use "rewriting tools", "Almighty Quilbot". Paraphrase this for me, and that is it. I copied that paraphrased text of someone's original content and pasted it onto my site. The nuisance I created for myself gave me more room to feel inconvenienced any time I am slashed with the "Hey there, your site isn't ready emails.
How did I fix this?
Fixing such an issue, to me, was harder than crying without a cause. But here is what I had to do. I deleted every questionable post and began writing fresh, but first-hand content with my personal experience.
3. Unclear Website Structure.
Don't laugh at me when I tell you this, but the structure of my website before AdSense approval was like that of the 1940s. That is just an exaggeration, you know, but it was really bad. There was no about section in the first place, no contact page or privacy policies, talkless of terms and conditions pages. It did not even end there.
My template looked like, Hey, drag me to hell." It looked so disorganised, and for the contents on my page, they were packed into one long section panel and a long white empty space running through the other side.
How did I fix this?
It wasn't that hard, but it still felt like a waste of time. I added all my essential pages. and remained transparent in my About section and contact us pages. I changed my template, making sure it looked professional and ever AdSense-ready.
The Turning Point: What Changed on the Seventh Try
After my sixth rejection, I had to pause for a while and stopped applying for a few months. I did not sit idle during those months; I focused on research. I spent hours studying Google's official AdSense Program Policies. I read case studies from creators and studied how they wrote their articles.
After learning from experts and the experiences I had, I wrote some fresh articles again, more than 50, and tried again. This time, the good news came.
Key Lessons From My AdSense Journey
From all my downfalls with AdSense approval, I learned the following.
- I learned that content is king, but for originality, it is the Kingdom. So I chose to write my own experience and voice.
- I made users my priority and SEO a choice. Keywords mattered, but engagement and trust mattered more.
- I learned it was important to build a professional-looking site. Not one that looks like a dumping site.
Trusted Sources That Helped Me Along the Way
I wouldn't say I did it all by myself. No, that will be a lie. Below are trusted sources that helped me along the way.
If this article didn't encourage you enough. You can read the following articles too.
What Every New Individual Starting a Blog Fears Most and What They Can Do
My Experience as a Student With Blogger - The Setting Up and The Benefits That It Comes With
💬What I Have To Leave With You
AdSense approval can feel like forever, but it doesn't feel that way if you have the right focus.
Have you been rejected by AdSense before? Share your experience in the comments — I’d love to hear your story and help where I can.
