An interview in the Kansas Metropolis Star was the first time I heard of someone making money from a blog. A food blog brought in tens of thousands of dollars per month for some cool old lady.
It had to do with something I’d never heard of before: AdSense.
Since the beginning, I’ve been charmed with AdSense. I know people who make tens of thousands of dollars each thirty days with AdSense, such as Jon and Jon.
It’s just that I’ve never been able to get it to work.
I’ve only ever been able to extract a few hundred dollars from my AdSense adverts as HerePup approached the 200,000 customer/mo threshold.
So you may imagine my delight when a good friend of mine–who also happened to be one of every one of my main competitors–informed me that Media. The web was outperforming AdSense 2:1 for him.
I immediately signed up and tried it out. And
.it was a flop. During the first week, it made around $7 each day. It wasn’t anything, but it wasn’t quite living up to its expectations.
Then something magical happened.
My excellent friend suggested that I get to know my account supervisor and that they would, get this, optimize my ads for me.
That’s exactly what I did. That’s exactly what they did. And, rather fast, the Media. Web adverts on my website were generating 5x the revenue that AdSense had previously generated. They increased my show advertisement income from $400 to almost $2,000 per month. That was a 50% increase in revenue at the time.
Since then, Media.web’s been one in every of my favourite advert networks, and it’s one of many main networks we advocate to Authority Hacker PRO college students who wish to diversify their revenue with advertisements.
Immediately, I wish to discuss concerning the community, its professionals and cons, and find out how to really implement it so as to add a terrific supply of incremental income.
First, some important data:
- Guardian firm: Bing & Yahoo!
- Community sort: CPC
- Quantity: 70 million paid clicks/mo
- Minimal visitors: none (technically; extra under)
- Join: Media.web
- Key differentiators: account reps, done-for-you ROI optimization, DSP expertise (extra under)
- Writer data: here
- Phrases: here
- Payouts: month-to-month by way of wire switch or PayPal
- Disallowed markets: grownup, tobacco, alcohol, medication, boards and dialogue boards, user-generated content material
Media.web began Bing and Yahoo’s (they run it collectively) reply to AdSense (it’s now not owned by them–it was acquired by Miteno Communication Technology, an enormous China-based tech conglomerate).
It’s an enormous community that caters to huge advertisers. Their promoting roster consists of Forbes, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Reuters, and the like.
And their quantity displays it: according to their data, they generated about 70 million paid clicks in every month of Q1 2016. They use this to boast about their CTR, which is far increased than the business normal of 0.08%, noting it takes the typical promoting platform far more impressions (about 87.5 billion) to attain the identical outcomes.
The place’s this CTR come from? The distinctive (and I feel actually progressive) design of their advertisements.
They developed one thing they name display-to-search (or DSP) advertisements: advertisements that use machine studying to know the search intent of the person and serve advertisements with key phrases related to that intent.
Different blogs name these extremely contextual advertisements.
They really serve plenty of totally different sorts of advertisements–corresponding to picture, video, and wealthy media–however the preferred by far are the straightforward text-based advertisements, and it’s as a result of they’re the advertisements that greatest benefit from Media.web’s DSP expertise.
Right here’s an instance from a HerePup web page on canine collars:
The text-based advertisements seem as buttons with key phrases which might be hyper-relevant to no matter article they occur to be on. They use “auto-learning algorithms” dynamically match advertisers to your content material on a page-by-page degree (though my account rep has examined totally different key phrases earlier than, so I imagine they’ve some management key phrase enter someplace on the backend).
After all, there are a number of key variations between Media.web and its main rival: AdSense.
Maybe the most important is that it awards earnings on the second click on. So when a person clicks an advert, they’re taken to a web page like this:
And in the event that they click on on one thing right here, you receives a commission.
Media. web’s professionals
The ad design is brilliant.
This, in my opinion, is one of the Media. Web’s most notable enhancements. The ad design is brilliant. Here are a few instances (sorry for the poor quality; the screenshots were quite small, and I wanted to show you examples from sites other than HerePup):
You can see how these are keyword-focused and would appear very natural in the middle of some content, particularly if the design was tailored to your website.
The brilliant part is that they’re both (1) buttons and (2) textual material that’s clickbait-y. They’re also primarily made up of textual stuff. When all of this comes together, they’re incredibly clickable.
I haven’t looked at as many ad networks as I should have at this point in my career, but anecdotally, Media. Web’s click-through rates are absurd compared to the others I’ve looked at.
You will be assigned a personal account representative.
I had not anticipated this for his or her measurement, but it is undoubtedly one of the community’s most valuable assets.
You will be assigned a personal account representative. And it’s not just someone who will answer queries or provide customer service. No. After all, they do it too, don’t they? But, more significantly, they’ve been trained to optimize your ads for return on investment.
A/B testing writing adverts for them is a big part of their job. They handle (nearly) every aspect, including design, color, branding, keywords, etc.
The format is the one thing they don’t take into account. Even so, you’re responsible for it. However, they will examine your website and provide format advice; keep in mind that they will almost always want you to insert their adverts in prominent locations.
My representative has been crucial to the success of my Media—web ads (and subsequently of my website as a complete). Without my doing a thing, the checks he wrote took my income from $7 per day to $60-$7 per day… without me doing a thing. In the grand scheme of things, this makes a significant difference.
In some niches, it does work exceptionally well.
Media. The web is more niche-focused than other networks, but when it does work in a certain niche, it does it very well.
After all, HerePup is in the pets section, which is a industrial area with many fun items to buy. The web is usually in analogous niches–those with many physical items–though I’m sure these aren’t the only ones. My colleagues do the best with Media.
And that’s fantastic news. Why?
Because many of us in this community have websites predominantly monetized through Amazon, these types of authority websites are frequently in categories that benefit the most from Media. Web.
The ads appeared to work properly on affiliate pages (albeit this is just in a general sense, as Media. web does not provide page-level information) without affecting the affiliate income generated by these pages.
It works well with AdSense.
Because of Media. Web and AdSense aren’t mutually exclusive; they’re more likely to operate well together. Jon Dykstra will go into greater detail about this below, but it’s worth highlighting here.
I believe it is because they have a propensity toward doing things correctly. The web thrives on adverts that show in the middle of content. AdSense tends to have a higher percentage of image-based banners that perform well above content, whereas Media.
As a result of Media, they’re also incredibly synergistic.
You can use adverts in sticky sidebar widgets on the web, against AdSense’s terms of service.
Advertisements that are docked on cells.
This is becoming increasingly common, but Media. Web performs a fantastic job in this area. Not only do they allow cell commercials, but your account representative will develop and review them in the same way that they do with other advertisements.
Additionally they have mobile-specific advert items, which let you take a look at and optimize particularly for cell visitors.
They also feature mobile-specific ad items, which allow you to test and improve your ads specifically for mobile users.
Media.web’s Drawbacks You desire visitors and a suitable website.
There is no stated minimum number of visitors. On the other hand, people appear to have difficulty gaining access to websites with low traffic. If I had to guess, it’s because their sources have been constrained.
Furthermore, if a website’s content is inappropriate, it may be rejected. One of my colleagues has a webpage where he expresses his thoughts on a certain weapon. It’s something that can be purchased on Amazon and is entirely legal; nonetheless, he’s been turned down several times.
Be aware of Gael’s
Simply as a side note, we’ve gotten websites in with as few as 5000 visits every thirty days, so you’d be able to get started with Media. Web quite quickly, though obviously, you won’t make much with this low traffic.
There is no reporting at the page level.
That is possibly Media. Web’s most significant and obvious negative.
Although the platform provides (near-real-time) reporting for each website you register with them and each advertisement you produce, they do not provide page-level data, making it difficult for publishers to optimize advertisements in their content.
It’s a big concern for authority website builders because we tend to have two types of content (we call them “affiliate content” and “data content”).
There are many different sorts of content that appeal to different people, have different structures, and perform differently. Experimenting with various layouts on various content material types is top-of-mind for many of us. It’s a pain in the neck not to have page-level reporting.
Account reps receive a mixed bag of feedback.
My account representative is fantastic.
I truly rely on him as one of my online associates. I always stop by to wish him a happy holiday season. If I haven’t heard from him in a while, I’ll send him a message to check how he’s doing. He’s a fantastic guy who has greatly aided me with my business.
A lot of my different associates enjoy their representatives as well.
.but, this isn’t the case 100% of the time.
I haven’t heard any true horror stories, but I have heard from many frustrated publishers whose account representatives simply don’t respond. That can be aggravating if you’re performing many A/B testing or have an urgent query.
It’s also connected to another disadvantage.
Be aware of Gael’s
Yes, even though we had respectable visits, my account rep barely introduced himself to me when we first started. As soon as you register, dial assistance and request to speak with your representative; if he is unresponsive, feel free to request a change.
Without third-party platforms, there will be no self-split testing.
Another disadvantage is Media. Web’s preference for using their representatives to do checks rather than having customers do it.
You won’t be able to A/B test things without using a third-party platform like Ezoic until you use a third-party platform like Ezoic.
While Media. This is especially aggravating when it comes to design. The web offers a variety of dashboard design options; your account representative must make the superior designs.
I prefer the optimization process to be hands-off, but you won’t be pleased if you prefer to get your hands dirty.
In many niches, it performs poorly.
Some niches aren’t as well-suited to Media. Web.
Generally speaking, something lacking in goods will perform significantly poorer than its product-stacked peers. Take, for example, the movie star gossip topic of interest. Because there isn’t a product to sell, the adverts are served by Media. We won’t be nearly as interesting.
Replace
One of our readers, Mo, mentioned in the feedback that he gets $7-$8 RPMs in a non-product-based area of interest, so this isn’t always the case. It’s just one anecdote, but I find it very encouraging, and it makes a strong case for individuals who aren’t in a product-based field of interest to at least test Media. Web.
Different? Certain, especially for those who cannot use AdSense for whatever reason. Is it a full-fledged alternative? Probably not.
Now, Media. The web has significantly altered AdSense for me. When I realized how well it was performing, I moved it to the top real estate on my website, and AdSense was relegated to less profitable locations.
I did not remove AdSense. They all operate well together, so there’s no reason to.
However, because this is a complex question, I’d like to bring in someone who is far more qualified than I am to speak about it. Enter Jon Dykstra, a friend from FatStacks and a man who has analyzed more ad networks than anyone I know. For those who are interested, he has a full Media.web evaluation here, but I contacted him over Skype to ask this specific question. Here’s what he had to say about it:
Dykstra, Jon
Yes and no.
Sure, for people who don’t have an AdSense account, it’s a community that can generate reasonable RPMs; $5 to $10 RPMs are possible, but it depends on the niche. In some categories, Media. The web works well, but in others, it fails miserably. For example, one website I recently purchased [that didn’t have many things] performed poorly.
No, AdSense is one of the most straightforward ways to use the Media. Web. For years, that’s been my go-to combination. AdSense looks great on the top of content pages, in high sidebars, and beneath content pages. The adverts varied greatly in appearance, resulting in a pleasing quantity of advertisements on a web page. In terms of content, Media. Web performs admirably.
Try Jon’s Weblog: Fat Stacks Blog
Jon and I are almost identical in our feelings. One of the things Jon mentions right here that I hadn’t given much thought to is how the ad design of Media. Web adverts add variety to your web page. I don’t have any information on this, but I believe it will help reduce ad blindness.
After all, I am not the only person who uses Media. Web. It’s used by a lot of successful people in our community. Some people, on the other hand, do not. Here’s what one of the AH Professional veterans had to say about it.
I asked people what they liked and disliked.
Here’s a quote from Mark Jenner, an Authority Hacker energy guy and grandfather.
And listed here are some nice ideas from Justin Greathead:
And right here, Megan Marrs brigns up some actually nice factors I hadn’t considered earlier than with a reply from Amazon Phrases of Service professional Mark Jenner.
Now that we all know how much Mark adores Media. Web, let’s talk about putting it into action on your website and getting the most out of it.
Prepare by creating a respectable website.
As already said. Before you apply, you must have a respectable website with established traffic. Take a listen to our podcast if you’re unsure what constitutes a trustworthy website.
Step #1:The first step is to join.
To begin, go to Media. Web and fill out their signup form.
Put in your data.
If you get in, you’ll be able to access the dashboard, which looks like this:
You may put your pricing strategies and websites right here.
Right here, you possibly can add your cost strategies and web sites.
Step 2: Make a commercial.
After that, you’ll want to start making some adverts. To see the options, go to the dashboard and click “Create Advert.”
You’ll be able to choose from a variety of sizes.
You can choose whatever size you want; however, if you want to try what I use, try these three sizes:
- 300 x 250 pixels (sticky sidebar)
- 300 x 250 pixels (the first paragraph, wrapped textual content)
- 728 x 90 pixels (earlier than content material)
- 600 x 250 pixels (after content material)
Then decide on pores and skin.
Skins are essentially designs, and skins do not embrace color on their own, so what you’re selecting right now is the literal graphic look of your ad items.
The color customization panel is located beneath the pores and skin carousel. By default, it’s collapsed, so click on it to expand the options.
Colors are probably more important than skins. However, you’ll want to experiment with different skin and color combinations to determine which ones perform best.
However, I strongly advise you to start with your model’s colors. Advertisements will always convert better if they appear to be a natural element of your website.
Simply be aware that the machine will do pores and skin and color optimizations independently.
If you like, you can tinker with the better options.
.but, I usually just leave them. For starters, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have mobile ads on your website, and we do need the platform to be as aggressive as possible with any optimization it chooses to do.
…however I normally simply depart them. First, there’s no actual purpose to not have cell advertisements in your website, and we do need the platform to be as aggressive as potential with no matter optimization it decides to do.
Step #3: Publish the ads on your website.
We are now looking to add adverts to our website. After all, going through our blogs and manually inserting them is a pain in the neck.
There are also an incredibly small number of ad plugins that work with one of the most popular themes out there: Thrive.
As a result, we recommend AdInserter. After clicking on that link, select “Get” from the drop-down menu.
After that, open the settings and configure it like you would any other plugin.
Simply copy and paste the ad code into the editor from here. Each “block” is a distinct piece of code that you may place in a distinct location (pro tip: you can put whatever you want here; it doesn’t have to be adverts).
You’ll be able to choose where the code appears beneath the editor.
Ensure you have a computerized insertion option selected if you want your code to look in a certain location. You’ll be able to choose from the following options:
If you choose “before paragraph” or “after paragraph,” the plugin will place adverts based on the top of the content and place an advertisement before or after that paragraph number. Thus you’ll have to choose a paragraph numerically.
I usually use this to put adverts before or after the first paragraph, so I type “1” into the paragraph number field.
Simply insert your ad code into a standard textual content widget to add a unit to your sidebar. Also, keep in mind that Media. The web allows sticky widgets, and these items can be rather profitable, so be sure to install the Q2W3 Fixed Widget plugin.
You may start experimenting with different skins, colors, and formats to see what works best.
Step #4: Request that your account representative assist you with optimizing.
It’s time to contact your representative after setting up some adverts on your website and optimizing a little.
Your account representative is specially trained to aid their advertisements in generating additional revenue for you and them. They have a good understanding of what they’re doing. Trust them.
Here’s the crucial part: request that they personalize the second commercial page.
I usually send a quick e-mail introducing myself, asking for their opinion, and letting them know what I’ve tried.
Step #5 is to report on the results of the tests.
You may view research throughout your entire account, each website, and each ad unit.
This is where you’ll be able to observe results and assess efficiency as you begin to optimize.
Now it’s your turn.
Overall, I am a huge fan of the Media. Web.
They’re the first ad network where I made a lot of money, and I’ll be using them for all of my authority websites shortly, especially since I’m in product-heavy niches, which usually do well with this platform.
So, how about you?
Do you make use of the Media? Web? How are things going for you? What exactly are you looking for? What is it that you don’t want? Please let me know in the comments!
