Getting started with AdSense is easy, but when reviewing the applications we get, we've noticed a few common pitfalls. To help make sure your application is approved the first time around, ask yourself the following questions below before submitting.

Do I have what I need to apply?

• Website: To display Google ads, you need administrative access to the site you submit for AdSense in order to place our JavaScript ad code on your site. Adding the Google code to your site's source code will enable you to show ads, search boxes, and referral units on your pages.
  
  If you don't have a website of your own, that doesn't mean you can't participate in AdSense. We offer a couple of options to help you easily create your own site.
  
  First, there's Blogger, a free tool for setting up and publishing your own blog online. With its easy-to-use and customizable templates, you can create an account and start blogging right away. You can also set up AdSense ads easily through your Blogger account.
  
  If you prefer more flexibility and control, then our web page tool, Page Creator, may be more suitable. Signing up for a Page Creator account is free as well -- all you need is a Gmail account. The best part is that you don't have to download any software or hire a designer. Once you've created your Page Creator site, you can begin displaying Google ads in minutes.
  
  
• Valid payee name: Payments will be made out to the name on your account, so make sure to include your full and valid name, or that of your business, rather than just initials. If banks won't accept the name you enter in the 'Payee Name' field, neither will we.
  
  
• Valid address: We want to make sure your hard-earned money reaches you, so please also provide a complete valid address where you can receive mail. If you live in a country or territory that doesn't have a standard format for addresses, please be sure that your application includes as much information as a mailman would need to find your residence.
  

Does my website meet all the necessary requirements?

• Valid URL: If you manage an entire website, give us the URL of your home page. If you manage a blog or other account within a larger website, you should provide the URL of the specific page that you manage and not the URL of the entire hosting website. Don't forget to double check your URL for typos!
  
  
• Fully launched website: Since we won't be able to review websites that are not fully launched or built, please ensure that your site is live and functioning at the time you submit your application.
  
  
• Unique content: We want visitors to sites in the AdSense network to have a good experience, so please publish content that's interesting and unique. Avoid using "doorway" pages created just for search engines, or other cookie cutter approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content. If you're participating in an affiliate program, give people a reason to visit your site first.
  
  
• Supported language: We're constantly working to provide targeted, relevant ads in more languages. However, until then, we can only approve your application if the majority of your website is in one of our supported languages.
  
  
• Pay-To Sites: If your site participates in programs that compensate people to perform activities that drive traffic to you, we can't approve your application. Some examples of these "pay-to" programs are sites that encourage users "to click" or "to surf" or "to read email." In addition, you shouldn't encourage others to join these programs in the content, links, or third-party ads on your site.
  

We also encourage you to read our program policies in detail for further insight on how to create a successful application. Now that you have all the necessary information, now's a good time to apply.

Whether you're a new to this blog or have been with us since way back in August of aught five, we'd like to provide a few simple tips for effectively using the features provided on our site.

First of all, we've made it easy to subscribe to the blog so that you'll never miss a post. There are a few ways to do so:

• E-mail
  Have a Google Account? Then visit our subscription page, or just enter your email address into the yellow box on the right sidebar of this page. You'll be subscribed via Google Groups, and we'll send you a confirmation email. Once you confirm your subscription, you'll begin to see new blog posts in your email inbox.
  
  
• RSS Reader
  After clicking on the 'Site Feed' link in the upper right-hand corner of this page, you'll be taken to a Feedburner URL, which you can access from any RSS Reader or Live Bookmark of your choice. To view all of your feed subscription options, look for the 'Subscribe Now!' box on the right side.
  
  
• iGoogle
  Click the white '+ Google' icon on the top right, and you can receive the latest Inside AdSense updates on your iGoogle page or within Google Reader.
  
  

There's also plenty of content in our blog archives. Here are some ways to access some of those useful posts from the past:

• Labels
  Each post is tagged at the bottom with one or more labels that reflect the content of that post. All of these labels are also listed on our sidebar, which you can use to sort through past posts - for instance, click the 'Optimization' label to view all the posts related to optimizing AdSense on your site. You'll notice that this post is tagged with 'Newbie', since that's been our focus on recent Fridays.
  
  
• "You may have missed..."
  This name says it all - check the right sidebar for this section, where we'll be rotating links to useful posts from past months.
  
  
• Search box
  You can search for the topic of your choice using the search box at the top right. Using the tabs on the results page, you can choose whether to search within the AdSense blog or other resources such as our Help Center, the AdSense Forum, and the web.
  
  

We hope these tips will help you become a pro at navigating and absorbing our blog posts in the future!