The gap between Google AdSense and WordPress is a little smaller today thanks to the release of the new Google Publisher Plugin.
Google Publisher for WordPress, which is still in beta, allows publishers to add Google AdSense and Webmaster tools to their sites without having to change the HTML themselves. This is a major step forward for WordPress users who frequently prefer to focus on content, rather than technical, issues.
The plugins’ main function is that it allows blog publishers to monetize their sites with AdSense with just a quick download. It also provides for a greater range of ad placement options than previous, non-Google AdSense plugins.
WordPress users should also appreciate the fact that Google Publisher for WordPress provides one-click Webmaster Tools verification. (This step won’t be necessary if you’re already using Webmaster’s reporting tools on your WordPress sites.)
Though Google Publisher for WordPress is a pretty robust plugin, it does come with a couple caveats.
For starters, its still in beta testing mode and that means the potential for undiscovered bugs is definitely high. (On launch day, only two of the 18 users reviews on the plugin download page mentioned bugs.)
Google Publisher for WordPress is also not available to sites that are hosted on WordPress.com, though that is expected to change in the near future.
This is the first official Google plugin for WordPress and is absolutely loaded with potential. Expect to see plenty of improvements and additional functionality added to this plugin in the weeks and months ahead.
Google Publisher for WordPress is available for download from your WordPress Dashboard or from WordPress.org.