Choosing AdSense for Content

I make putting the code on your Web site sound really easy because it is. Before
you get to the whole cut-and-paste part, you’d best understand a few things
about AdSense ads, and it’s these facets of the ads that can be confusing.
First of all, you have to decide whether you’ll use AdSense for Content or
AdSense for Search. (I don’t talk too much about AdSense Referrals, Video
Units, or AdSense for Mobile, just yet. Those capabilities are discussed in
Part III.) To make the decision, you need to know how the two differ, so here
goes: The difference between AdSense for Content and AdSense for Search lies
in how your ads are displayed.
AdSense for Content displays linked ads — ads that contain links that
lead to the advertisers’ Web sites — in text or graphical formats on your
pages.
AdSense for Search displays a search box on your Web site that site
visitors can use to search for additional information if they don’t find
what they need on your pages.
shows an AdSense for Content ad and an AdSense for Search
ad side by side.
AdSense for Search is a tough sell. Not because it’s not useful. Many people
like having the option of searching for what they need right from the page
they’re on. However, the fact that it takes two clicks before you get paid
turns a lot of folks off.