Believe it or not, there are plenty of Google AdSense ("enables website publishers of all sizes to display relevant Google ads and earn") alternatives out there. If you run a successful website, then advertisers may be interested in placing ads with you. Here is a quick guide to a potential revenue stream and what it takes to get started.

STEP 1

Review any eligibility requirements your site (content) must meet. Some advertisers demand high quality content and traffic statistics; others may not be as particular. All advertisters will look for the following:

1. Site is not under construction or incomplete
2. Meets in-house quality criteria
3. Site delivers a minimum monthly page/unique views
4. Content is current and regularly updated
5. Ads placed above the fold (or visible without scrolling)
6. An active, publically stated privacy policy is linked from the home page

STEP 2

Once your site is ready, it's off to select a partner that best fits your own set of criteria. Review the terms and conditions for each potential advertising partner, along with the design/technical details on how to implement advertising code within your site. Also, be prepared to provide a site descrption, a sense of your target audience and how the site content could be categorized.

Here are some to consider:

1. AdBrite http://www.adbrite.com/mb/
2. Bidvertiser http://www.bidvertiser.com/
3. YPNO (Yahoo Publisher Network Online shuttered their self-serve platform for small publishers on April 30, 2010).
4. Chitika http://chitika.com/
5. Kontera http://www.kontera.com/
6. Commission Junction https://www.cj.com/
7. ADEngage http://www.adengage.com/
8. Blogads (Currently not accepting new publishers)
9. Tribal Fusion http://www.tribalfusion.com/
10. Burst Media http://www.burstmedia.com/

A few notable items from the list above:

1. Both Kontera & Commission Junction provide a link or button to download a PDF or print the license agreement. Anything to make it easier to review the legal stuff is a plus in my book.
2. Chitika conducts a review of your site prior to account activation.
3. Tribal Fusion requires least 500,000 unique users per month!!

Thankfully, not all sites are appropriate or suitable for displaying ads. However, if your site meets advertiser's criteria, then it's a revenue stream worth considering.