Use Google AdSense to Feature Matched Content in WordPress
Google AdSense is mainly used for the purposes of advertising. But did you know that you can use it to add more relevant content on your website. The matched content feature on Google AdSense allows you to display related posts in WordPress while at the same time making money by showing ads. The purpose of this post is to help you understand how you can use this feature to display relevant content on your website.
What is it?
The Google AdSense Matched Content is a great native ad that enables you to display related content from your website. It also gives you the option of monetizing with relevant ads which are shown alongside the related posts. The best thing is that it is possible to customize the look of the widget so that it matches the layout of your website. It is also mobile-friendly so you don’t have to worry about mobile users not being able to access your content.
Pros
The beauty of using Google AdSense is that it requires less server resources. Unlike the WordPress plugins that run posts, this feature doesn’t consume a lot of your server resources. What is more is that it has a better related posts algorithm thanks to its reliance on the sophisticated algorithm used by Google. Third, the tool will help monetize so that you are able to make money at the same time.
Cons
The main downside is that this tool is Powered by Logo. Google will display its powered by link in all the matched content unit. This can be somewhat unattractive.
How to add it to your website
The first step is signing up with the Google AdSense program. The account enables you to earn money online from a WordPress blog. If you website or blog meets a certain traffic requirement, you will be able to use the Google Matched Content feature. To know if your site meets the traffic requirements, go to your dashboard on Google AdSense and select Settings >> My Sites. If you can find the ‘Matched Content’ feature, you can proceed. If not, your site doesn’t meet the requirements.
The next step is to add the Google Matched Content in your WordPress website. Login to your Google AdSense account and select ‘My Ads’ from the left menu. Select ‘New Ad’. Select the ‘Matched Content’ as your ad type. Make changes to the settings on the next screen. Select not to show ads but only display related posts. Save and Get Code. Paste the code on Notepad or the TextEdit.
Display matched content
The best place for the matched content is at the bottom of your posts. If there is no widget area below single post content, add one. Thereafter, go to Appearance >> Widgets page then drag ‘Custom HTML’ widget to after post widget area. Paste the Matched Content ad code in the widget.
These are the simple steps needed to display Matched Content using Google AdSense. Although there are plugins you can use to do the same thing, plugins take up a lot of resources.