In terms of monetizing a site, your first thought is likely online advertising - in particular, Google AdSense. AdSense is the most popular tool, but it's not the only one. In recent years, new tools and sites have been created to combat Google's domain. The result is advertising platforms of the highest level.
In this article, we introduce you to the best Google AdSense alternatives. You can use these platforms to increase your earnings or to replace your AdSense account.
Google AdSense is a free service that allows you to show ads on your website. Once you have access to your account, you will need to enter the code provided on your site or blog. Then you can start to monetize.
Easy, right? Not really. There are some minimum requirements you must meet:
- Your site must not have content that the platform prohibits.
- You must have at least 50 daily visits.
- You must be of legal age.
- The site must have been active for at least six months
The checks take about seven days; then you will receive a response to your request.
Earnings vary greatly based on ad type and are of the PPC (pay-per-click) type. Each time a user clicks on the banner, you will receive a commission from $0.01 to $2.
There are also more profitable banners but they are very rare.
Are There Any AdSense Alternatives for Travel Blogs?
Google has about 80% of the advertising market, but it is not the only advertising possibility. There are many valuable tools and networks that are by no means inferior to AdSense. Relying on a single tool is not advisable as, for example, you may not be accepted on the Google platform or - worse still - be banned.
Following are alternatives to AdSense that deserve your attention.
This is among the best AdSense alternatives. The rules are strict but the timing of checks is very quick: about two days. Its strength is contextual ads, which offer targeted advertising based on the site's topics. You also have the ability to customize the style and graphics of the advertising banners.
The earning model is PPC and the minimum payout is $100. The program must meet certain criteria:
- The content must be original and not infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties.
- Most of the traffic must come from the United States / United Kingdom / Canada.
- The content must be mainly in English.
- There must be an adequate volume (not specified) of visitors.
- The content must not contain excessive advertising.
This platform is appreciated for its quality and ease of use. RevContent gives you widgets to insert in your site, as if they were related articles. It also offers targeting and retargeting capabilities.
To join your site, you must comply with rules much stricter than those of Google AdSense:
- Have at least 50,000 monthly visits
- Have original and quality content
- Not contain prohibited content such as malware and hacking activities
Applications for membership are monitored very closely. About 90% of applications are rejected. If you are one of the lucky 10%, you can aim for good earnings, with a minimum payout of $50.
Propeller Ads is one of the leading networks in the industry specializing in pop-under advertisements. This type of advertising is less invasive than pop-ups. Pop-under ads are placed below the page loaded by the browser, letting the user navigate normally.
Earnings in certain niches may be even higher than in AdSense.
With a few exceptions, registration is accessible to all types of sites. The minimum payout is $25.
PopCash is a good alternative in the pop-under field. You will be paid on a CPM basis for every 1,000 views. The network offers a good-quality product that is easy to implement. Joining the program is very simple. It has rather permissive rules and in just a few hours you'll be operational.
The great advantage of this platform is the very low payout of $10. Payment can also be requested on a daily basis. PopCash is one of the few programs that allow this. If you decide to receive your commissions by bank check, you will have to arrive at a payout of $1,000.
Also worth mentioning is the referral program that allows you to earn 10% on sites registered with your code. In addition, you can earn on both desktop and mobile version thanks to the excellent system.
If you are at the beginning of your project and are having trouble finding a network that accepts your application, Chitika is for you. No minimum traffic is required and registration is quick and free. Another important factor is the payout of $10 if you decide to receive payment via PayPal. If you prefer to receive payment by check, the payout must increase to $50.
Chitika also allows you to customize the graphics of your ads. The only downside is that the ads are in English only. Therefore, if your blog is not in English it's better to seek other networks.
If you want to learn more, we have written an article about AdSense alternatives for blogs.
Here's a summary to help you compare options:
Other types of networks for travel blog Monetization
Earning on the internet isn't easy, but it's possible. There are many ways to start getting some revenue from your work. Advertising is one of them. However, registering with an advertising site might not be enough. There are other solutions that might be more rewarding.
So, how to monetize a travel blog? An excellent method is CPA marketing, also known as affiliate marketing. CPA marketing allows you to earn commissions from every sale or lead on your site. You can give your users more targeted proposals and, above all, you will have full control over every aspect.
Travelpayouts is one of the best affiliate marketing programs for travel. It allows you to earn money right away on flight and hotel bookings. However, that's not all. This program has several offerings, ranging from tours to train tickets to car rentals. In short, you have everything you need to make money with your site.
These are just some of the possibilities available to you:
- Fully customizable search forms
- Widget map for flights and hotels
- Banners
- Calendar widgets and popular routes for flights
- Hotel widgets and hotel selections
- A WordPress plugin
And much more, all in one account.
The program is free and accessible to anyone. Of course, there are a few simple rules to follow, such as avoiding spam and illegal content on your site. Earnings can be very high - an average of $7 on flight bookings and $18 on hotel bookings. In addition, you can access numerous other offers on your dashboard.
What are the best AdSense alternatives for travel blogs?
We have seen five valid methods of earning revenue from advertising. We have also seen how to use CPA marketing as an AdSense best alternative. We did not want to rank the best or worst tools because every technique and tool to earn is useful. Very often, what works for one person or business does not apply to another.
Who knows your audience and your project better than you? You may discover optimal results with affiliate marketing or an automatic advertising system. Whatever your choice is, you must be patient and put in serious effort. Money doesn't fall from trees; to get something, you must have the strength to go and get it.