One of my readers was surprised to see that google adsense was not a big part of my business model. I have been a publisher at google adsense since 2006 and have yet to get my first check. I always put google adsense on the back burner. I only use google adsense for testing. I place google ads on my sites to see if the ad slot will get any clicks. Once I am happy with the ad slot, I replace it with something that would pay a lot more. As you can see from the July income report, I am still testing things out on my other websites. Trying to find the right products to fit the right site.
Being an internet entrepreneur you have to be willing to test, test, and test again. I know what you thinking though. This doesn’t explain why adsense isn’t a big part of the business model. Well lets get into that right now.
Let’s say you using google adsense and you averaging $0.30 per click. You get 100 clicks which result in $30. Not bad right? We all wish that would happen for some of our mini sites right? I know some of you like “I wish that for my blog”
Why use adsense and give somebody else that affiliate sale? Seriously think about it. Lets say you got the same 100 clicks to one of your affiliate links. The product is paying $20 per sale. Only 10% of those 100 clicks result in sales. That’s only 10 sales. That is $200 from the same 100 clicks to adsense that would have made you $30.
That’s a $170 difference. What would you rather have $30 or $200?
You see my point?
This is why I prefer affiliate marketing over adsense. Now you know the role google adsense play in my business model. Google adsense is my “test ads”
Is google adsense part of your business model? Why or why not?
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Most of my O.I is from adsense and CPM ads. However yea we really miss a lot of the real commission. In fact I have a small ads block (468px) using affiliate ads on rotation just before the comment section of my blog, but somehow in 5 months I made only $13 with them
Its shareasale affiliate ads.
For now CPC works more. But you’re right the comission obtained by these are less compared to direct sales or lead. But on the other hand, whether a person buy or not, CPC publishers get paid.
You’re right, it’s even MORE important if you’re working with low traffic websites. Shameless plug coming up
http://www.moneyschemes.net/why-i-regret-ever-using-adsense/
I really like you method about the clicks! That’s neat… I use Ninja Affiliate instead of tracking my clicks by replacing my ads with google adsense, but it’s a great FREE way that makes you earn money at same time.
That is a good point Deneil. If AdSense will make you $30 and another ad will make you $170 more then its common sense to go with the second option.
What had me thinking about your AdSense income is that your site is profitable so I assumed you would be making more form it. You have quite a few visitors which would make sense to get lots of clicks, which in turn equals money from AdSense. I guess I had a different experience with AdSense, but good point overall.
That’s a very smart method. One some of my sites, I make real good money with adsense. With my blog, it close to bottom of the list. I have been phasing out some of the adsense but I should probably look into swapping out for some affiliate ads and see what the difference might be
Let me know how things work out for you.
That is very interesting, I never thought of it that way. My earnings could be better from Adsense, but I will still use them. I might change how many ads of Adsense I’m showing after reading this post.
I do agree with you Deneil, Google Adsense is not the main income source of mine, I do better by selling private ads and I just made $80++ from Clickbank last month too. For Google Adsense, with $80 I need to wait for 2-3months to reach that amount. Anyway, Google Adsense is good for beginner and people who just steps in make money online journey.
Regards,
Lee
Very helpful information to someone like myself that has zero patience and hardly wants to screw around posting a bunch of non converting sponsor ads.
I think it’s all about what kind of methods you are using to make money online. If you are making money on a popular blog like this, I’m sure you will make a lot more money by simply using affiliate networks. Personally I prefer to create small niche sites, which means that I don’t have the energy to get every site approved by affiliate networks, which you have to get in Sweden.
By using Google AdSense you can simple upload your theme with AdSense pre-installed and as soon as Google finds you, you are making money of your visitors.
Sadly, my adsense account got banned almost 6-8 months back for some stupid reason from Google. Then I was not able to get it back. I wanted to have an adsense account and I tried for it a lot but sadly Google very rarely accepts or take care of adsense forms from India.
Useful information especially for new babies like me. I never knew earnings could be better from Adsense.
I recently found a new program that is an Adsense alternative called, Prosperent. You should look into it as it is very customizable and has a high eCPM. I highly recommend it.
5 months and only $13. I would have been found a better and more targeted product to take its place. Try testing some other ads and see how they work out.
True CPC publishers get paid if a person buy or not. It’s good to start of with but I rather be the person getting the big dollars from making the affiliate sales.
To each its own, you know?
That is a great example of what I am talking about.
You know by using adsense you making more options for the visitor. Which means a less chance of them clicking on your affiliate links.
By the way, how you like Ninja Affiliate so far?
I understand why you thought that. I don’t use adsense on here. Well only on the search results when someone use the search bar in the upper right. I recently added that. I use google adsense on my other websites. Very little traffic sites, one of them my girlfriend recently took over so the traffic is rising and we been testing out different ads on it. Hopefully we can get it right this month. That’s why the earnings are so low with adsense.
Just as I said that here I got another 20 cents yesterday lol.
Yea I think I should use proper ads. I simply placed about 5 different ads on rotation and as such I guess it was not targeted. By the way which affiliate ads network do you recommend (excluding shareasale which I am already using)?
Or is it better to use affiliate programs directly with the advertiser’s site?
My favorite CPA networks are neverblue, marketleverage, and peerfly. You also can find a lot of ebooks on clickbank to promote.
If theres a good product or service you like and it only has inhouse affiliate program. Go for it.
Remember to test, test, test. Once you find the right product, like most marketers say its like printing your own money.
It’s up to you George. Find what works and roll with it.
There is some people doing good with Adsense too, they made more than $3000 per month from Adsense too. One of them is GarryConn, he builds a lot of niche sites and earn well with Adsense. But you need a lot of patience in doing keyword research and article writing.
Regards,
Lee
I do better with selling direct ads as well. I been trying to to make money promoting clickbank products but no luck. Well very little luck with that. Keep pushing, it will pay off.
Glad you thought it was helpful. Patience is key with an online business.
Whatever works for your business model. You may have to try clickbank. Depends on the product, mini site, and niche.
That’s not sad, focus on other things to promote. Try promoting clickbank products where your google adsense use to be. Test, test, test. See which ads work the best and let the money roll in.
Glad you thought it was useful. Beginners go with adsense because its easy to make money but its at the bottom of the food chain right along with CPM. CPA is at the top of the food chain making you a lot more money.