Do I Have to Create a Website for Adsense?

How AdSense Works

AdSense pairs content publishers with individuals or companies that sell a product or service. It accomplishes this task by scanning the publisher's content for keywords. Keywords are the words within a Web page that best describe its subject. Once AdSense determines what the page's keywords are, it searches its database for advertisers who specified a desire to advertise for those same keywords. The end result of this system is that content viewers are offered ads that are more relevant to their interests.

HTML

HTML is the framework that shapes Web pages, and is also the vehicle for AdSense. When a publisher decides to feature AdSense ads on their website, they are given an HTML snippet to place in the body of their Web page. If a prospective AdSense user doesn't own a Web property or have access to some website's HTML, he won't have a way to feature ads.

The Domain

Every AdSense account must have at least one domain associated with it. Every domain is unique, and this is how AdSense knows who to pay for ad clicks. Users can add more domains to their accounts as they add content to them. Potential AdSense users who don't own their own domain or who don't want to develop one of their own websites can still make use of a content management system.

Content Management System

Content management systems like Blogger, WordPress and HubPages allow users access to some elements of their page's HTML. For example, Blogger allows the user to include 'Ad Modules.' These are individual blocks within which a user can place AdSense code. Once saved, the code doesn't appear on the published page, but is instead visible only to AdSense. Services such as these are perhaps the only practical way to participate in AdSense without owning a website. However, the user should be aware that there are definite advantages to website ownership. Specifically, sites like those listed above may take a percentage of their content's earnings. In contrast, a user who is the sole owner of a website wouldn't share revenue with anyone but AdSense.