When I started building niche websites.
I didn’t put any thought into whether I should be focusing on ads or affiliates for revenue.
I didn’t actually expect to make any money at all!
Instead of making business decisions
I was more concerned with what’s for lunch – soup or a sandwich.
In 2019, when I started my hobby blog.
That’s now grown into a $1000-per-day travel website.
I simply had NO idea what was possible.
Now that I’m onto site number 5,
It’s clear to me that some niches are much better for ads
And some are much better for affiliates…
And this really influences the type of content I write.
For example,
On my UK-based site,
The RPM from ads is less than $5
(You need to target US readers to make a lot from ads)
So, I’d need a HUGE volume of visits to make money.
But, problem….
There aren’t that many people in the UK!
There are, however,
A lot of UK brands that are lining up to not only send me free stuff
But to pay me to write about it.
The delivery guy must think I have a shopping addiction!
So, on this site, I write affiliate-targeted content, like product reviews.
On the other hand,
I have a website that isn’t very relevant to products
But, there are a lot of people searching for info
And US visitors earn me about $50 per 1000 views in ads.
So, on this site,
I write only informational content.
But I do link to a product occasionally if it’s helpful to the reader.
Many people succeed with a hybrid mode
That makes money from ads and affiliates equally.
I definitely think there’s a lot of value in doing this
And it’s what I’m doing with my newest sites.
My favourite articles to write
Are based around a problem that needs solving
But the answer is a product!
Like these:
- “How to keep cats out of the garden”
- “Windows keep steaming up in car”
- “What to put under vinyl flooring”
With these types of keywords,
You can attract a lot of US traffic to serve ads (ker-ching!)
And suggest a single product to solve the reader’s problem.
Plus, because you’re not doing products reviews
You don’t need to test them all out!
Because nobody wants to buy 10 cat scaring devices, do they?
So now, you might be wondering
What kinds of niches work well with this hybrid model?
Well, here’s a great list of The Best Niches For Affiliate Marketing.
Enjoy!
But, don’t start too many sites at once!
This is such a common pitfall.
Get one site earning a decent income before you move onto site two.
- It’ll grow so much faster with your full attention.
Until next time,
– NSL
P.S. I appreciate that one of the biggest struggles is knowing where to start.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could look over someone’s shoulder while they build a profitable site?
And copy every step?
Well, you can.
I’m currently testing out The Authority Site System from Authority Hacker.
It let’s you do just that.
I’ll let you know how I get on.