Using Adsense? Consider another approach.

[sirkinm]

If you're using Adsense to monetize your site, you may be missing out. A lot of website owners aren't aware of some of the other options out there.

If you're making a few bucks a day from Adsense, you can translate that into quite a bit more by hosting other types of ads on your site. Consider, for example, joining a site like BuySellAds, where you can rent out space on your site on a monthyly basis (this particular site is probably a bad example, because their traffic requirements seem very high).

Or you can select which ads you want to run by joining a CPA network (Google it if you're not sure what this is). That way, you pick the ad from a large variety, and when a user clicks on it and fills out certain info (such as submitting their email), the advertiser pays the network, and the network pays you. Getting accepted into these networks can sometimes be a pain, but it's worth looking into.

In fact, the only case where I would even CONSIDER running Adsense would be one in which the keywords were costly, like if I had a site related to divorce attorneys or BMW dealerships (I have no intention of making such sites, but just for example). These might generate good Adsense revenue.

If anyone has a site with relatively high U.S.-based traffic, feel free to PM me. I run a small, very exclusive ad network with better payouts then you'll find pretty much anywhere. I have access to pretty much whatever type of offer that's out there, plus you can check your stats in real time, and you get paid via Paypal fast.

[Requiem]

I used to look at the ad service Project Wonderful, which is kind of like you describe. The traffic requirements are low, and the way it works is advertisers can bid for a per-day rate on your website, so whenever an ad is up, the highest bid is paying you on a per-day rate (which is actually paid on a per-second rate, but listed as a per-day rate).

I hear, however, that this gives very good rates for advertisers but publishers end up being under-bid and get less money than they would from adsense.

I haven't monetized my site yet- I've got adense but haven't actually put it on my site yet. I think it's ugly but I'll eventually have it on there until I have more traffic.

[MiketheTaxGuy]

Hi Sirkinm,

Thanks for the tip. I run a few websites, including one I do mostly for fun (see my signature). None of them generate any significant traffic just yet, but I'll definitely keep your non-adsense approach in mind.

Just a question...how do you know which Google keywords/Adwords are costly?

[Moxie]

I use Commission Junction.

[darkun]

If I wanted ads on my site, Adsense is who I would use for the in-context facility. There is no use selling ads for dating services, cars or gardening products on my site.

Nothing I have found comes close to what adsense can offer. I even sent a query to Project Wonderful asking about the relevance of their ads to my content, to which they said that's something they don't offer.

El

[Oddity]

Most of the sites I've seen using Project Wonderful are webcomics.

Given, I haven't taken a look at them in a long time. Looking now, it seems to be webcomics and a few other small-time startups like virtual pet games. So if that's your sort of audience, then it might work out.