Fake News and Clickbait

Typically on Facebook there are many posts we see in our feeds that have titles I consider as "clickbait".  So what is clickbait anyway?

Clickbait is a title that's designed to get you to click through to a blog or website that's loaded with ads ... that's because the site owner gets paid for those ads.  Don't get me wrong, there isn't anything wrong with getting paid if you write or create interesting content, whether it's articles or videos, or even through mobile apps. Getting paid for what you create yourself isn't wrong. Getting paid for junk that has no value is not something that's very acceptable in the real world though. To get paid you work, whether that's online or in a factory or store.

But there can be something wrong in the way you get those visitors to your site. And using titles that are considered clickbait, is just wrong.  At least it is if you use Adsense.

But why?

How (NOT) to Get AdSense Ads to Show on Your Website or Blog

In recent months there have been quite a few people showing up in the help forum wondering why their AdSense ads show on their blog, but don't record earnings or statistics.

Initially, this was a little puzzling because if the ads show up, they usually work just fine. That's supposed to mean the site/blog is approved to show ads, but when reviewing the ad codes on these sites the problem becomes apparent, at least, it does to people who are used to reviewing sites and ad codes, but I suppose it is understandable that new publishers don't recognize why there is a problem.

Publishers have been listening to falsehoods (ie: or untruths), and watching videos with more false information.

Here's the deal publishers ... if you want to get the right information, you go to the right place. Not someone's blog, website, or channel but AdSense's own official sources. The Inside AdSense Blog, or AdSense's own official YouTube Channel, or even the AdSense Help Center. If none of those official sources confirm what you've seen/read/heard/watched, then don't do it. That's the simplest, most honest and realistic truth anyone can give you. The only source that's right, is AdSense.

Making Content: Words for AdSense

Language, Grammar & Spelling

This is one of the largest areas of non-compliance and rejected sites that we see in the forum (usually the rejections are for a site that "doesn't comply with AdSense policy or Webmaster Guidelines", or it says something like insufficient content; or little to no useful content).  I write about this all the time; constantly ... because it is important, and hopefully if I write about it enough, publishers will get it.

Some of these problems are the result of users who choose to write in English, but whose native language isn't English. The results can be ... everything from badly written to pure gibberish, and aren't suitable for AdSense.

Although I don't want to discourage new publishers from creating content, if you aren't able to write well in English, then don't write in English. AdSense supports many other languages, so if your native language is one that is supported (see: Languages AdSense Supports) then write in your own language. (Visitors who don't read your language can choose to translate it themselves if they need the content).

Even more unfortunate (but thankfully rarer) are the people who don't read (illiterate - which doesn't make them stupid or not intelligent. Surprisingly even today when so many resources are available, there are people who cannot read at all, or only a grade 1 or 2 level.)  Without a great deal of help from others, this type of individual wouldn't be able to even come close to a suitable blog (unless purchased, but then they wouldn't be able to update ... that's a whole other issue). Best option for them would be to create content for a YouTube channel (thankfully, AdSense has opportunities for almost everyone).

YouTube Making More Changes to Publisher Accounts

In the last week or two (maybe slightly longer) the AdSense help forum has noticed a large influx of questions from YouTube publishers; lower earnings, more views but less impressions, lower CPCs, ads not showing in videos, etc. have been plaguing YouTube creators in recent weeks (a lot of complaints over the last week in particular).

According to the YouTube Creators official blog ... there are even more changes coming.  This will impact newer publishers, and smaller channels with low view rates more so than any of the larger channels though; and it may be part of the reason for some of the above complaints (at least those related to ads not appearing in newly uploaded videos).

To quote youtube's own article:

"Starting today, we will no longer serve ads on YPP videos until the channel reaches 10k lifetime views. This new threshold gives us enough information to determine the validity of a channel. It also allows us to confirm if a channel is following our community guidelines and advertiser policies. By keeping the threshold to 10k views, we also ensure that there will be minimal impact on our aspiring creators. And, of course, any revenue earned on channels with under 10k views up until today will not be impacted."

Inserting AdSense Code into Wordpress Header/Foot

In a post I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I made note that AdSense was retiring (deprecating) their official Wordpress Plugin, and linked to recommendations made by AdSense - in particular the "QuickStart" Ads option for WordPress users. That's the official recommendation, but they also indicate you can simply paste your code into a text widget, which is fine if you want to put it in a sidebar area. What that won't do is insert code into your header or footer area of your site, so when using a wordpress site to apply for AdSense (or a host account upgrade) if you aren't able to (or comfortable with) editing your php files, you may feel a little lost. There have been a fair number of users coming to the forum asking what they should do now.

I can understand this myself. I've edited php files very few times, and each time felt like I could very easily screw something up, so I'd be pretty uncomfortable editing the header file myself. For those who need an easier solution, there are other plugins available that can do that - insert codes into your header or footer. And there are themes that will allow you to do that directly from a box in the "customizing" options of your theme, without manually editing the php files.

For new wordpress users and non-coders, this might be the best option. At least until you feel comfortable editing your theme files yourself.