Some CMS programs have an issue when you try to put specific code within the site. Joomla is one of them. If you try to put ads in a content page with the “script” tag in them, the tag becomes garbled enough that your ad doesn’t show.

Adsense
There are a couple Adsense options that I’m aware of. The first is a Mambo Adsense add-on that happens to work with Joomla that will allow you to put ads within the content of your site. It’s called the Mambo Adsense Mambot, it’s free, and is available at http://www.mambosphere.com/mambo/adsense_mambot_1.0_beta/ . After installing it, you set it up and follow the instructions:

It’s pretty easy to use.

Another Joomla option which is great for putting ads in the sidebars is a free module called the Google Adsense Module which is available at http://joomla.medspan.info/ . They have a regular edition as well as a “clicksafe” one which will keep the ads appearing on own IP. It’s also quite easy to use.

Chitika
For those using the Chitika eMiniMalls, all is not lost. There is a free module out there for you too, and you can find it at http://www.joomlaspan.com/joomla-downloads/Download/-JoomlaspanModules/ChitikaeMiniMallsModules/. . It’s called the Chitika eMiniMalls Module, and works in a similar fashion to the Google Adsense Module, allowing you to put ads in the sidebar, etc.

The Third Option
The third option, which works especially well if you’d like to generate some revenue from your site by putting ads throughout the content, is going through a company like cj.com or shareasale.com. Both have a variety of merchant programs. You basically sign up with the merchants through them. The nice thing is, when adding banners/links to your site, it works basically the same way as adding a simple linked image. Joomla doesn’t have a problem with these sorts of ads, and it can be a great way to incorporate revenue-generating ads into the content of your site.

Whether you decide to integrate Adsense/Chitika into the sidebars of your site, put Adsense into the content of your page, or go with an affiliate program and put custom banners in place, don’t be afraid to experiment. Whether testing new ad positioning, or testing new methods of generating revenue, the key to a successful site is to make changes, evaluate, and make more changes until you’ve found what works best for you.