Don't Make The Same Mistake I Did When Signing Up For Google AdSense
Getting Started
As a new Hubber, I was excited both to write and to get paid to write on HubPages.com. Since I hadn't written online before (aside from a blog that I never monetized), I needed to sign up for the Google AdSense program. I started by reading the Learning Center hub on signing up for Google AdSense.
I logged into my account on HubPages.com and went to the "My Account" page, then clicked on "Earnings". I joined the HubPages Ad Program, and then began the process of joining Google AdSense. I had all the criteria that the Learning Center described - I had written at least one hub (exactly one, at that time!), and had followed all the other steps. I was ready to go.
Mistake #1: Denied!
On the Earnings page, I clicked the "Configure" button next to Google AdSense. I followed the steps to apply for an account.
Within two days, I had an email from the AdSense team, saying that my membership was denied! I was shocked. The reason given was "Insufficient Content". Apparently, I needed to have more than one hub (and my profile) set up before applying. I hadn't published any more hubs because I wanted to wait until I could earn from them. What I didn't know is that I needed to publish enough so that AdSense would take my application seriously.
Mistake #2: Waiting and Waiting and Waiting
After my denial, I wrote several more hubs in the hopes of gaining enough content to reapply to Google AdSense. The email that contained my denial also explained how to reapply once I had resolved the issue.
So, after I published more hubs, I reapplied. I quickly received an email that said "Welcome to Google AdSense!" I was excited! Then I continued reading and saw that they had completed a "partial review" of my site. The rest of the review would be completed and I would hear from them within four business days. Okay, not bad given that I'd been denied the first time.
I waited and waited. I asked Questions on the HubPages forums about how long it took to hear back from Google AdSense. Still waiting, I published more hubs. Finally, after nearly two weeks, I contacted Google AdSense Support and inquired about the status of my account. I received a response within two days, and was shocked to find that I was the one causing the delay!
Apparently, once the initial review of your site is complete, Google AdSense waits until it starts seeing impressions of ads on your site before they will finalize your approval. So, I needed to do the following:
- Go back to the Earnings page of My Account on HubPages.com
- Click "Configure" next to Google AdSense.
- Answer "YES" to the question at the top, "Do you already have a Google AdSense account?"
- Enter the email address associated with the Google AdSense account (even though it's only conditionally approved).
TA-DA! Suddenly I was active in the ad programs on HubPages.com, and was able to apply for both eBay and Amazon accounts (which have now also been approved).
Lessons Learned
If you are conditionally approved to Google AdSense, make sure you go back into the Earnings tab and add your account, even if you've been denied before. You could be missing out on earnings like I was!