You have a website and visitors. Now you want to earn money from it. The most common way is to put ads on a website and get paid for views or clicks. It sounds technical, but the process is simple. In this guide we explain every step, from choosing an ad partner to receiving your first payment.
How do website ads make money?
Advertisers pay to reach your visitors. You provide the space, and an ad partner fills it. Then you get a share of what the advertiser pays. There are two main payment models.
- CPM. You earn a fixed amount for every thousand ad views.
- CPC. You earn money every time a visitor clicks an ad.
If these terms are new to you, read how to calculate CPC, CTR and eCPM first.
What you need before you put ads on a website
Ad networks review every site. Therefore prepare a few things before you apply.
- Original content. Write useful articles that are your own.
- Clear navigation. Visitors should find menus, contact details and a privacy policy.
- Some traffic. You do not need millions of views. However, ads on an empty site earn nothing.
- Your own domain. Most networks do not accept free subdomains.
Do you still need a site? Then follow our guide on how to make a WordPress website.
Ways to put ads on a website
There is more than one way to sell ad space. Each one fits a different stage.
Ad networks
An ad network is the easiest start. Google AdSense is the best known example. You add a code, and the network finds advertisers for you. In addition, there are many AdSense alternatives.
Header bidding
Larger sites let many ad exchanges compete for each ad view. This method is called header bidding. It usually pays more, but it needs more work.
Direct deals
You can also sell a banner directly to a company in your niche. As a result, you keep the whole payment. On the other hand, you have to find the buyers yourself.
Finally, you can show banners with affiliate links. In this case you earn a commission for every sale.
Step by step: how to put ads on a website
- Sign up. First, create an account with an ad network, for example Google AdSense.
- Add your site. Next, enter your domain and paste the verification code into the head of your pages.
- Wait for approval. The review can take from a few days to a few weeks.
- Create ad units. After that, choose automatic ads or create your own units.
- Place the code. Then paste each unit where the ad should appear. WordPress users can do this with a plugin.
- Publish ads.txt. Finally, upload the ads.txt file to your domain.
Where to place ads
Position matters more than the number of ads. For example, an ad that nobody sees earns almost nothing. So keep these rules in mind.
- Place one ad near the top of the page, but do not push the content down.
- Add ads inside long articles, between paragraphs.
- Use a sticky ad in the sidebar on desktop.
- Choose popular formats. See the best desktop ad sizes and the best mobile ad sizes.
How and when you get paid
Most networks pay once a month. First, you add your payment details and tax information. Then you must reach a minimum balance. After that, the money is sent by bank transfer or another method. Keep in mind that earnings are usually paid a few weeks after the month ends.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Too many ads. Visitors leave, and browsers may filter ads that break the Better Ads Standards.
- Clicking your own ads. Networks detect it and close accounts.
- Buying cheap traffic. Fake visits lead to a ban.
- No testing. Above all, measure results and try new positions.
Conclusion
To put ads on a website you need good content, an ad partner and a few lines of code. Start simple with one network. Then improve placement and watch your numbers. Later, when traffic grows, move to stronger solutions such as header bidding. This way your website pays more every month.
