Making Money with Display Ads on Your Blog

Ad Networks by Traffic Level

Google AdSense accepts new blogs with minimal traffic — it's your starting point. Earnings are modest (£1–£5 per 1,000 page views typically). Once you reach 50,000 monthly sessions, apply to Mediavine — they pay significantly more (£10–£30+ per 1,000 views). At 100,000+ monthly page views, AdThrive offers the highest rates. Each tier up roughly doubles your earnings per visitor.

Optimising Ad Placement

Place ads where they earn the most without destroying user experience. In-content ads (between paragraphs) perform best. A sticky sidebar ad performs well on desktop. Avoid placing too many ads above the fold — Google penalises sites that push content down with ads. Start with 3–4 ad units per page and test different placements to find the optimal balance between revenue and reader experience.

Increasing Your Ad Revenue

Write longer content (ads get more impressions on longer pages). Target high-CPM niches if possible (finance, insurance, technology pay highest). Optimise your site speed — faster sites have lower bounce rates and more page views per session. Increase your traffic (more visitors = more impressions = more revenue). Use a combination of ad sizes and test different layouts regularly.