Reality Check

What I Learned and Earned from 12 Months of Blog Ad Trial on My Personal Website

My experimentation suggests that earning from blog ads might not live up to the hype. Here’s why with annual stats.

“If you aim to keep your personal website running and accessible to a broader audience, seeking methods to cover website costs as passive income can be helpful,” said my mentor, Angela, who is a digital marketing expert. I apologize if my story may come across as disheartening, but it’s essential to understand the reality of the situation

I’ve come across tons of articles and YouTube videos claiming that you can make a boatload of money, sometimes thousands monthly, even millions, by putting ads on your blog. But here’s the thing:

I’ve always wanted to keep my blog posts free for everyone on the Internet. I write and share my experiences and research because I genuinely want to help people without strings attached. I don’t even use affiliate links in my blog posts unless the article is specifically about a product I review.

Then, last year, one of my young mentors, Angela, gave me a nudge. She always gives me brilliant ideas about digital marketing. This time, she said,

“You know, Dr. Yildiz, you can still share your stuff for free on the Internet, and that’s perfectly fine and understandable. But why not earn a little passive income on the side through ads to cover the cost of your website or even give it to your favorite charity organization?”

It sounded good in theory, and I like passive income. However, I was a bit unsure at first because I didn’t want those annoying ads that interrupt the reading experience of my blog posts.

I personally dislike content filled with excessive ads and videos that interrupt the flow with frequent ad breaks, causing disruption and stress.

But Angela told me I could control how many ads appear and where they show up in my posts. So, she convinced me, and I said, “OK, why not give it a try?”

Then, I registered my personal website with a popular ad company Angela advised me based on her experience. My application was accepted, and in the next few days, the ads started. Fortunately, I never had a complaint from my readers.

I’d like to give a quick overview of the truth about blog Ad earnings based on my lessons from a year of trial.

Behind the Scenes of Blog Ad Revenue: My 12-Month Analysis

So, last year around this time, I chose a plan of around 1000 to 2000 ads per month, which will only show at the end of my posts, similar to the attached screenshot from my latest blog post showing the end of my post.

If you take a look at my posts, you’ll notice that the ad doesn’t get in the way of my blog post, so it won’t bug my readers while they’re reading.

I thought this opportunity could be a win-win position for both readers and me as a writer and publisher. These ads might bring in a little extra income, which could help cover the costs of maintaining my website.

But, to be honest, it hasn’t been as fruitful as I’d hoped. Even with around 1000 ads displayed every month, the best monthly earning was a measly $0.44. In September, the site served 1590 ads, and my earnings were just $0.10.

Here’s a little screenshot showing my earnings from these ads over the past 12 months.

So, serving around 12,000 ads couldn’t even generate $2, as shown in the earning portal from the ads served on my blog posts.

I wonder how people earn thousands or even millions of dollars from their blogs. It does not make sense to me unless someone gets enormous traffic using innovative ways or being a celebrity followed by millions on social media.

I acknowledge my personal website is not big. However, it receives a reasonable amount of traffic and delights me and my loyal readers.

For example, on average, the site gets around 10K unique visitors daily, and each post gets around 20 to 30K views monthly. Here is a sample stat for a post.

Conclusions

It’s possible I’m not making the best use of these ads. I’ve kept them limited to just one at the end of my blog post. That’s because, personally, I’m not a fan of those websites that bombard you with ads all over the place when you’re trying to read something.

I’ve heard about some folks using paid services to boost traffic to their websites, but from what I’ve seen, the costs can sometimes outweigh the income you get from the ads.

If you have experience with ads on your sites, I’d love to hear your thoughts and learn from your experiences.

As a content strategist, I aim to empower my readers with practical insights and encourage them to make informed decisions about using ads in their blogs while maintaining a reader-friendly environment.

The takeaways of this story

Understand that ad revenue may not be as substantial as you anticipate, even with a significant number of ad views.

If you aim to keep your website running and accessible to a broader audience, seeking methods to cover website costs can be helpful.

Consider exploring alternative income sources like blog ads if you’re providing free content. But prioritize the reader’s experience by placing ads thoughtfully and sparingly, ensuring they don’t disrupt the content.

Learn from the experiences of others who have used ads on their websites. Collaborate with your fellow bloggers to gather insights and enhance your strategies.

Interestingly, my friend Ted couldn’t even monetize his website for paid ads, as his site did not qualify due to low traffic. I hope Ted’s experience can give my readers valuable perspectives and reality check.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

As a content strategist for five decades, I documented my experience and perspectives in numerous stories that might guide aspiring writers and bloggers.

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, and humor.

I publish my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness. Be Your Own Therapist in 10 Steps.

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