How to Build a WordPress Site and Earn from Google Ads
Mainly, here’s a quick rundown of the solution:
For WordPress site building, there are plenty of tutorials out there, so there’s not much to dig into. Even your hosting provider might hand you a ready-made setup. Instead, let’s focus on a few issues that don’t get much attention.
I wouldn’t recommend sketchy shared hosting or VPS providers—the kind whose support chats are either unreadable or incomprehensible. The most likely pitfalls are:
1. Virtually no real service.
2. Poor or nonexistent customer support.
In the best case, you’ll be dealing with frequent outages and will need to troubleshoot everything yourself. In the worst case, the provider will vanish and take your data with them. A more hidden risk is that they may assign you an IP that search engines penalize, making your content nearly impossible to index—a fatal flaw for any content-focused site.
Because many excellent plugins have specific requirements, be sure to choose a cloud VPS rather than shared hosting. PHP 7.2 or higher is perfectly fine. Here are my top picks:
These two are slightly pricier, but they’re reliable for serious use and index well. If you’re building content targeting mainland China, remember that you’ll need to complete ICP filing and comply with content moderation (Tencent’s review tends to be stricter). For a more budget-friendly option, I’d recommend this smaller provider: A new cloud server platform with strong cost-performance—it’s also a better fit if you’re targeting overseas audiences, since you can choose foreign servers and pay in RMB.
All three providers generally offer hands-on setup guidance through live chat. Once your site is live, check out The Best WordPress Plugins for 2023—using the right plugin stack will give you everything this site currently offers (for a peek at what’s built: From Bay Area Daily ｜ The Creator Speaks). Pair that with a suitable theme, and you’re basically set.
Free WordPress Site Speed Optimization Guide
When it comes to integrating Google AdSense, there’s an unwritten rule—your original content should have been actively published for at least three months. I’m fairly certain that’s the requirement. After meeting it, simply register, link your account, and insert the ad code.
Google Ads—I recommend Google Ads not only because the favorable exchange rate gives you better cost performance, but also because their smart ad technology and adaptive targeting are quite strong. Of course, since Google hasn’t entered the Chinese market, the available ad inventory is quite limited (and accessing Google requires a VPN—figure that out yourself). Once you’ve inserted your Google ad code, remember to enable smart ads in your AdSense dashboard. After that, you can basically leave it alone; Google’s system will auto-optimize placements to maximize your earnings. Just grab any ad-insertion plugin from the WordPress repo, paste your AdSense code in, and you’re good.
The two biggest hurdles when using Google Adsense:
First, you’ll need to complete a secondary identity verification step to link your payout method. That means waiting for a postal letter with a verification code. If you don’t receive it within about six months, you’ll be prompted to contact support for a feedback form. Fill that out, and you’ll be able to link your payout method directly—so don’t worry about this step. Just be sure to log in occasionally to trigger a fresh code mail-out. If you skip it, there won’t be a second round, and you won’t be able to escalate to support for an automatic verification bypass.【PS: If your address is detailed down to the exact door number and you add a contact phone number (your mobile), you should receive the verification mail, since it’s sent via registered post. However, if the address is unclear or missing a phone number, postal couriers may leave the item at the local post office without further action.】
The other common concern is handling USD payouts. Honestly, there’s hardly any issue. China Merchants Bank supports incoming USD transfers up to $50,000 annually. If you have a CMB card, just log into their mobile app and tell the agent you need to receive USD payments. They’ll walk you through the exact fields and formatting; you can then use those details directly. If your monthly income ever exceeds that threshold, you can switch to this alternative payout method:
Cross-border Payout —if you don’t mind a small fee, you can process unlimited inbound transfers, which also works for other foreign trade earnings. (CMB card linking is straightforward, but it’s capped at $50,000 per year. Some third-party providers, however, support uncapped payouts.)
Overall, these are really the main issues—nothing too complicated.
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