If you are just starting out in internet marketing, one of the ways to create a revenue stream or monetize your Web site is to display contextual ads from a number of advertising networks. By far the most prominent and popular with affiliates is Adsense, a program run by Google. If you haven't enrolled yet and you are in Internet Marketing, make a point of reading this article and then go to Google and sign-up. It's free and it is part of any affiliate marketers tool kit.

Before you do sign up, there are some things you need to know as you consider putting these ads on your site.

Page Content

First off, the Web page on which you want to place these ads should be theme based and rich in content. Google ads are based on the content of a page and the geographic location of the customer, so there has to be a way for the ad to relate directly to the information you are displaying. For example, if your site is about a breed of dogs, Adsense will place ads that directly bear on the care or business that relates to that breed of dogs and has some bearing on dog care and maintenance.

Make sure your content is focused and target one or two keywords or keyword phrases; that will ensure that the search engine will serve more relevant ads and increase the chance of clicks for which you get paid. That is how you monetize your site.

Ad Placement and Format Choice

Ad placement and choice of format are other factors to consider.

Ad placement is generally considered to be best where the ad can be seen by the customer. Conventional wisdom places them on the right side of a page, placed on white backgrounds and clearly separated to allow for easy reading. I have seen Adsense ads in the center right top of web sites. The best thing is to test where they are most effective depending on the design of your page and how the information is displayed.

Formats for ads have vertical or horizontal characteristics. The format you choose has more to do with site design and display of the specific Web page. Here again you can experiment to see which format looks better and gives the best results in click throughs.

There are some rules of thumb to respect however when placing ads. For example, it is not a good idea to place Adsense on your homepage. This gives your visitor the chance to click away from your site before they have had a chance to look around and give you some business. So let your potential customers spend time finding the information you have for them before you hand them over to someone else.

If your page is a product endorsement page, you will not want Adsense for the very same reason. You want that lead to buy your product and not leave for someone else's.

Informational pages are perfect for Adsense, just make sure you don't overload with too many ads. Google allows for three ads per page. Anything more than that is just overselling and a turn off for the customer.

You also don't want to put Adsense on social pages or pages used for interaction with others such as a forum. In many cases blog site rules don't permit ads so be mindful of the agreement rules of your site host.

Remember that you are trying to establish a relationship with your customer and overloading on ads in every nook and cranny will work against that goal.

Conclusion

With all that said, effective use of Adsense can be a real source of income to supplement and add to the revenue for the affiliate marketer. So make a point of learning about the ways you can use Adsense to your advantage. It is very easy to set up.

The sign up takes only a few minutes and once you have registered the site on which you want to place the Ads, Google will review and send confirmation with a clip code you will place on your Web pages. This code can be positioned wherever you want and within a short time thereafter, ads will start appearing.

Commission earnings are not disclosed by Google but estimates from experienced users put the rates at between 40 to 60% of Adwords rates and Adsense earnings. That's not bad given you are not doing all the heavy lifting.

And there you have it! Once you have Adsense under you belt, you can take a look at other Ad services such as ValueClick, Affiliate Sensor and others to find new ways to monetize your site. With time, and some trial and experimentation, you will find new revenue streams awaiting you.

May your travel be prosperous.