Ads can be a huge source of income for bloggers, but sometimes it can feel like you have to be in the hundreds of thousands of pageviews to make any sort of decent income with them.
Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be true! While it is easier when your pageviews are higher, because you can have ad networks manage your ad stacks for you, you can also make your own miniature ad stacks (or waterfall ads) to get the most out of your ad spaces.
If you have over 100,000 pageviews a month we recommend Adthrive to manage your ads. If you have over 30,000 we recommend mediavine.
In the video below I will show you exactly how to create an ad stack using amazon CPM and google adsense. Even though I’m using these two popular sites as an example, you can do the same thing with most ad companies, in a similar way. I’ve also used Sovrn, and I know many others that allow this as well.
The benefit to creating an ad stack instead of just using adsense, or another such ad company, is that it allows you to really increase your earnings. Instead of just getting whatever that particular ad agency is able to serve up that day, be it low or high, you get the best of all the ad companies you’ve stacked.
For example, if you are using just google adsense, some days they might have a stellar ad for you, one that’s giving you a really high RPM (rate per 1,000 views).
But, the next day, they might only have low paying RPM ads to display. Sadness!
Instead of just relying on the ebb and flow of that particular ad company, you combine efforts and get the best of both.
In the video I put Amazon CPM on top my stack and then adsense at the bottom. I did this because Amazon CPM typically has a higher RPM/CPM (adsense and amazon can’t agree on which term to use), so I want to give them the chance to give me a higher paying ad.
I also always keep google adsense on the bottom because they have a 100% fill rate.
That means they always have an ad to show, even if it’s low paying, many other ad companies can’t do that, so adsense on the bottom of the stack ensure I’ll always be earning from my ads.
I hope this shows you that building your own ad stack is not as intimidating as it seems, and you can totally do it!
If you are focusing on increasing pageviews and income on a tight time-schedule, then your next step just might be our blog intensive, called Part Time Blogger, Full Time Income. In it, we discuss tips like this that can help you make the most of every minute of your time, grow your blog and make a great income with your site, even if you don’t have all day to devote to it! See more details by clicking the image below!
It’s always a good idea not to leave money on the table. That said, I’m not sure I’d bother with optimizing monetization before a blog gets at least 10k pageviews a month.
Hi!
I don’t have the “CPM” link on my associates page. Are there specific requirements you have to meet in order to have access to that? Thanks!
This was super helpful Paula! I love that you show how to do it step by step. I have a question–I have three ads with Adsense right now, can I stack all three of them using the same steps you outlined in your video? I’m assuming I can but just wanted to make sure first.
No, adsense will already give you the best it has to offer, so you want your 3 adsense ads in different areas of your site so they can each be earning. Otherwise, only one adsense ad will be making you money because you can only have one ad displayed at a time. This is something you do to use multiple ad companies in your prime spots.
Hello there.
It’s good to read an established article such as this one.
I’m looking for the best Ad network out there to monetize my site.
As of writing this comment I am a small blogger, I have re applied for mediavine since I was rejected due to advertisers not taking interest in my site, I am currently trying to get approved by Google Adsense but it’s really hard to get approved by them nowdays, I am also with sovrn and their potential seems promising.
What would your recommendations be? my site is shapeup4success.com
Thank you and best regards, james