Google AdSense remains the easiest, most popular way for bloggers, publishers, and website owners to turn traffic into steady income. But while millions of websites run AdSense, only a small percentage really maximize its full potential. Why? Because understanding all the ad types, how they work, where to place them, and how to follow the rules makes all the difference between pennies and sustainable passive income.
In this detailed guide, we’ll break down:
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All the main types of AdSense ads
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Where and how to place each for maximum earnings
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The dos and don’ts that keep your site safe and approved
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What to know about spammy or misleading ads
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Extra tips to boost your RPM and stay in Google’s good books
What is Google AdSense?
Google AdSense is Google’s official display ad network for publishers. It matches ads to your site’s content and visitors. When someone sees or clicks those ads, you earn money. Google takes care of collecting money from advertisers, targeting the right ads to your readers, and paying you every month. It’s free to join — and extremely flexible.
Why Does Ad Type and Placement Matter So Much?
It’s not just about putting ads on your site. Smart placement and the right ad formats make all the difference:
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Good placement → Higher visibility → More impressions → Better chance of clicks
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Right formats → Better user experience → Higher earnings → Lower bounce rates
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Following AdSense rules → Keeps your account safe → No bans or disabled earnings
Main Types of Google AdSense Ads
Below are the core ad formats you’ll see inside your AdSense dashboard.
1️⃣ Display Ads
What are they?
These are the standard image or text + image banners. They come in various shapes and sizes: rectangles, leaderboards, skyscrapers.
Where to place them:
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Top of your page (above or just below your header)
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In the sidebar (if you use one)
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In the footer (less common)
Why they matter:
Simple, flexible, easy to insert. Good for general brand awareness ads.
Best practice:
Avoid overloading — 1–2 display banners max per page works well.
2️⃣ In-Article Ads
What are they?
These are designed to show inside your actual blog post text, looking like a native part of the content. They adjust to screen size and blend naturally between paragraphs.
Where to place them:
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After paragraph 2–3
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After paragraph 5–6 (if your post is long)
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After paragraph 8–10 (for 2,000+ word posts)
Why they matter:
In-content ads have high viewability. Readers see them naturally as they scroll, so they get more real impressions and clicks than sidebar or footer ads.
Best practice:
Don’t overdo it. 2–3 well-placed in-article ads per post is usually enough. Space them evenly so they don’t feel spammy.
3️⃣ In-Feed Ads
What are they?
These show inside lists — like in a blog’s homepage feed or product grid. They blend with your content cards.
Where to place them:
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Inside your blog’s home page feed (between posts)
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Between products or listings if you run a shop or classifieds site
Why they matter:
They match the “scroll and browse” behavior. If you have long lists, they can boost ad impressions without interrupting the user.
Best practice:
Keep them clearly labeled as “Sponsored” or “Ad” so users know it’s an ad.
4️⃣ Auto Ads
What are they?
Auto Ads are Google’s fully automated system: you insert one piece of code on your site, and Google decides where, what, and how many ads to show.
Where to place them:
You don’t manually place Auto Ads — Google does it for you site-wide.
Why they matter:
Good for beginners. They can test layouts, formats, and new placements for you. But they can sometimes overdo it, so always check your site for too many ads.
Best practice:
Use Auto Ads to test new ideas — but customize their settings. In your AdSense panel, you can turn off aggressive formats or reduce the number of ads per page.
5️⃣ Anchor Ads
What are they?
These stick to the top or bottom of the user’s screen while they scroll — especially on mobile. They’re unobtrusive and easy to dismiss.
Where to place them:
No placement needed — you just enable them. Google does the rest.
Why they matter:
Anchor ads have some of the highest viewability and CTR (click-through rate) because they stay in sight. Very good for mobile-heavy sites.
Best practice:
Enable anchor ads in your AdSense settings under Auto Ads.
6️⃣ Vignette Ads
What are they?
Full-screen ads that appear between page loads when a visitor clicks a link on your site. They don’t interrupt reading — they show up briefly during transitions.
Where to place them:
No placement needed — you just toggle them on.
Why they matter:
Great on mobile. If you have long posts with lots of internal links, vignettes can add extra impressions without disrupting the content.
Best practice:
Don’t worry — they don’t count as pop-ups (which Google penalizes). They’re compliant if used through AdSense.
7️⃣ Matched Content (Multiplex Ads)
What are they?
Previously called “Matched Content,” now Google calls it Multiplex. It shows a grid of related posts mixed with ads. Readers get a blend of your links and ads in one block.
Where to place them:
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At the end of a blog post
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In your sidebar under “You May Also Like”
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After product reviews
Why they matter:
Good for boosting pageviews AND earning money at the same time.
Best practice:
This works best if you have a lot of related content. Keep your related posts updated for higher click-throughs.
✅ Where to Place Your Ads for Best Results
Here’s a quick ideal placement plan for the average blogger with long posts:
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Top banner: 1 display ad under the header
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In-content: 1 in-article ad after para 2–3
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In-content: 1 in-article ad after para 5–6
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In-content: 1 in-article ad after para 8–10 (for longer posts)
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Sidebar: Optional display ad or Multiplex block
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Footer: Optional display ad
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Auto Ads: On for anchor & vignette
This mix covers all the best spots without overwhelming your readers.
Dos and Don’ts for AdSense
✅ Do:
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Use clear, visible ad placements.
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Keep your site fast and mobile-friendly.
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Write real, original, useful content.
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Blend in-article ads naturally.
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Enable anchor & vignette ads if you’re okay with them.
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Check your site on mobile — see how the ads appear.
❌ Don’t:
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Don’t click your own ads (ever).
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Don’t ask others to click them.
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Don’t hide ads behind fake buttons or images.
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Don’t place ads near misleading navigation that might trick users.
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Don’t overload pages with too many ads — Google penalizes “excessive ads.”
Watch Out for Spammy Ads
One worry many new publishers have is: “What if Google shows low-quality, scammy ads on my site?”
Here’s the truth:
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Google filters out most misleading ads, but not 100%.
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If you see repeated scammy ads (like fake downloads or sketchy offers), you can block certain ad categories in your AdSense dashboard under “Blocking Controls.”
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You can also block individual ads by URL or advertiser.
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Keep your site clean — your niche and content quality matter. The cleaner and more relevant your content, the better ads Google will serve.
✅ Bonus Tips for Higher RPM
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Get more traffic from US, UK, Canada — their ads pay more.
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Write about topics with high commercial value: finance, health, tech, travel.
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Encourage more pageviews per session: link to related posts.
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Focus on long-form posts — more scroll = more ad impressions.
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Don’t depend on one traffic source — share your posts on social, groups, email.
Conclusion
AdSense can be an amazing passive income source if you understand how to use it properly. Now that you know all the main ad types, where to place them, and the dos and don’ts, you can confidently optimize your blog and see your RPM and clicks grow steadily.
Always remember: it’s not about flooding your pages with ads — it’s about serving them naturally, respecting your readers, and giving Google good reasons to trust your site.
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