Make a Google Custom Search For Your Blog, and Make Money
Do you know that every time a person searches your blog you could make money?
Follow this tutorial and you'll be surprised.
Why should you use Google Custom Search?
Because the WordPress search function isn't the best. WordPress just lists every post with the search terms in it, with no priority given to the most relevant posts. Also, WordPress search doesn't allow you to make money from it, but Google Search does.
In this tutorial I am going to show you how to create your own Google custom search and make money with it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 - Start by creating a page were you want to show the search results. Go to your WordPress menu and select Write > Page.
Give the page a title like "Search Results". Don't enter any content now. Deactivate the comments and pings, and publish the page. After that click "View Page" and copy the URL from your browser's address bar and save it somewhere for later.
2 - Go to the Google Custom Search Engine page and click the button that says “Create a Custom Search Engine”.
Google will ask you to login. If you already have a Google account you will be redirected to the configuration page. If you don't have a Google account, you will have to create one (It's free!).
After the login, the “Set up your search engine” page will appear. Here you will have to fill in some details about your search engine:
- Insert the Search Engine Name;
- Insert a Search Engine Description;
- Insert some Search Engine Keywords;
- Choose the Search Engine Language;
- Select "Only Sites I Select";
- Insert your Website URL (Click on "Tips on formatting URLs" for more information).
- Select the "Standard Edition" option;
- Check the box;
- Click Next.
Click on either of the 2 images below to see screenshots of the completed form.
After you click Next, another page will open. In this page you can try your new custom search engine.
Try it out, then click Finish.
3 - Start by styling your search box. Click on the "Look and Feel" menu and choose one of the available options that Google has to offer. The most interesting is the watermark one, but it requires JavaScript.
I would change the color scheme for the results that are displayed. Choose wisely, and try to use the color scheme of your website.
4 - Now is the time to start making money with your custom search engine. Click on the “Make Money” menu. You have two options.
If you don't have an AdSense account, choose "I am a new AdSense User" and you will be redirected to a Google page were you can create one. After you have created your account you can follow the next steps.
If you already have a AdSense account click "I already have an AdSense account".
After that Google will ask you for your email, your Zip or Postal code, the last 5 digits of your telephone number and your preferred locale. Enter all the information and press Submit.
Before you do this, you will have to be signed up to Google AdSense for Search. If you aren't already, you can do so by signing into your AdSense account and selecting "My Account" and then "Account Access".
Now you have to allow access from www.google.com/coop to your AdSense account.
Then try clicking Submit in your search engine page and all should be fine. If you haven't done it right, you will get an error saying: "Your account does not have SearchAds. Make sure you are signed up for AdSense for Search and not just AdSense for Content or Referrals."
Now click the link "Add Custom Channels" so you can filter the revenue that comes from the Search Engine.
Choose a channel name. I choose "SE_Revenue" (Search Engine Revenue). Click Submit.
5 - Now we have to put the Search box and Search page code in our blog. To do that click in the “Code” menu and select the option iFrame.
The new option Overlay only shows 8 results and doesn't allow you to make money from AdSense. Only choose this option if you're not interested in making money form your search engine.
Next insert the URL of the page were you want the search results to appear. Remember that URL that I told you to save in at the beginning of this How-to? Now it's time to use it. That will be the page were the search results will appear.
Select were you want the ads to be placed.
Now scroll down and there you have the codes that you need to place on your site or blog.
Copy the first code and paste it were you want your search box to appear (usually the Sidebar).
Then copy the second code and in your WordPress control panel go to "Manage", then "Pages", select the page you created, choose HTML View, paste the code and press "Save".
All done! Now test your custom search engine.
Testing
If you followed this how-to correctly than you should have everything working as it should. Here's a screenshot of how mine looks.
The first block of text is the AdSense Ads. If people click there you will make money. But remember, never click your own ads or Google will ban you from AdSense!
The second block is the results, based on the keyword or text that the reader entered in the search box.
This system isn't going to make you rich, but it will make you a few bucks.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and don't forget to comment.
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About the Author - Diogo Iglésias also writes about technology at his Portuguese blog.
Written on 16th September 2008.
16th September, 2:11 am GMT
I am currently setting up my own blog at the moment and needed to add a search, so this comes in timely. It looks like you havn't added the google search to this blog though (or is that coming).
The big issue I see with it, is that it doesn't have the same page design. Is the monetary gain really going to be worth it compared to the usability aspect of having the same design. Personally using this very site as an example, the way the posts are displayed using the wordpress search is far nicer and in keeping with the rest of the site.
On the other hand for really big sites the google search may be both more accurate, powerful and quicker. Also as a bigger site with presumably more traffic, you are on average going to profit more.
How about some radio button under the search box to allow users to select which option they would prefer to use?
16th September, 4:44 am GMT
Great tutorial, however I was never really a fan of the Google Custom Search. I must admit that Google is the search engine I use 99.9% of the time, but ever since I added a search plugin to my WordPress installation, I haven't needed any third-party searching capabilities.
I'll be back should that need ever change, for whatever reason.
16th September, 8:33 am GMT
Very useful tutorial
I will use this on my blog
16th September, 5:13 pm GMT
Nice, very nice! Just tried it and it works great. I'll replace the wordpress search engine on my website tonight with this one.
Thanks a lot!
16th September, 7:07 pm GMT
Yeah! My article got published ! Hope you all enjoy it. Don't forget to comment.
I'll keep sending more great tutorials for PBD. Make sure you don't miss them by subscribing to the RSS feed.
Cheers
Diogo Iglésias
16th September, 7:38 pm GMT
Different way of doing it i suppose. I modified Google Adsense for Search's given code to suit my site. You can test it out and see how it works.
The difference between mine and Diogo's is that his search is on the WP page but mine is part of the theme.
Anyway, it really helps in earning. Now instead of being searched by Wordpress, the search is done by Google and I do earn from it. I just got $0.24 from a click in the search today.
17th September, 12:35 pm GMT
Nice guide. However for some reason my Google Custom Search refuses to display the banner above the results and also I get no adsense ads displayed. I did give some keywords...
17th September, 7:20 pm GMT
Thank you much for this tutorial. For whatever reason I was so confused on just how to set up a custom search but now after following this I finally have a custom search. Any chance you can do a post on Google Adsense in general?
18th September, 2:50 pm GMT
Excellent tutorial, and thanks for the detailed instructions.
18th September, 6:23 pm GMT
Jon,
It might well be coming to this site. I know the design isn't as nice, but the WordPress search is near useless. Anytime I'm looking for one of my old posts, I go to Google and use that to search this site for the terms I'm after. The WP search gives back too many results in an unhelpful order.
An option to choose which search to use is an idea, but i think it would just confuse a lot of people, and it's more hassle than is needed.
Thomas,
What plugin are you using?
Sniper Wolf,
Cool. I hope it works out for you!
Arjen,
I'm thinking I should do the same!
Diogo,
Thanks again.
Goldfries,
Sounds like a similar trick. Both must work, and I'm glad you've had some success with the ads!
Jack,
Not sure what's wrong there. Has your Adsense account been approved?
Steve,
No, but if there's something you'd like to see covered, I can cover it. Try using Google though. There are hundreds of blogs out there, writing about AdSense. It's a very popular topic!
Matt,
Hope you found it useful!
18th September, 11:29 pm GMT
Excellent tutorial, I prefer to use Wordpress right now because I really don't think that big ad box looks attractive. Maybe I will try it, but it would be nice if you can share how well it does with your audience and the bounce rate.
Don't want to make readers unhappy for a few bucks...
18th September, 11:54 pm GMT
Syed,
(I haven't done it myself, so I'm not certain, but if you had to have the Ads, I'm guessing Google would make you do this all through Adsense itself.)
The ads are optional I think. Just skip out the "Make Money" tab and you'll get Google results without the AdSense.
20th September, 6:05 am GMT
I've tried that with the old Adsense search. But I ended up having a "Search Result" menu beside my "Home" menu on my page list. Any ideas how to hide the page?
21st September, 3:11 am GMT
very good tutorial, and thanks for the detailed instructions.
Richard
22nd September, 5:41 pm GMT
I've just set-up adsense for search in a really similar way on Moveable Type.
I thought having the adsense ads was compulsory, so it's useful to know there is a way round that - I'll have a go at rewiring mine when I get chance. I'm not against ads on principle but they take up such a lot of room at the top of the page before you get the real results!
30th September, 3:48 pm GMT
Thanks for the detailed tutorial. I will check it on my tv site and I think it could increase my revenue. Thank you very much!
Best Regards,
Manuel
1st October, 9:53 am GMT
Love this tutorial! Very good step-by-step instructions. However, I wanted to point out that you should also make this a "child" page so that the "search results" page doesn't show up in the table of contents. I had problems with the latter at first until I gave search results a parent page. Thanks again!
1st October, 5:47 pm GMT
I have the same problem with Jack, in that no ads are being displayed when I try my search. Maybe it takes a while to show up in the system, I'm not sure. I have been approved for adsense for almost a year now, so I don't think that would be the problem.
Anyway great tutorial and I'll be implementing this right away at my blog!
2nd October, 3:05 pm GMT
Nice post. I created one a month ago and it does generate some money but I'm not getting rich anytime soon. Try it out http://tutsearch.net
5th October, 10:52 am GMT
I actually used a completely different method to integrate CSE, and it works well too - perhaps I'll pitch in a guest post to PBD about that some time later
This one is undoubtedly easier, but I hope the WYSIWIG editor doesn't muck up code (as it usually does). Did you disable the visual view before adding the code, Michael?
6th October, 4:57 pm GMT
I never thought of doing that until I saw this post. Golly!
16th October, 1:22 am GMT
Wordpress users can actually go I more step and integrate the Adsense Search to the Wordpress page itself , so the search looks much more like its a part of the site rather than being redirected to a page by Google.
Look @ the search on my blog or this image to see what i mean : http://img80.imageshack.us/img.....ionso7.png
4th November, 7:08 pm GMT
It's a very good site !! Very nice work, admin
Good luck !,
6th November, 2:49 pm GMT
Thanks a lot! Great tutorial!