The Entrepreneur RideAlong: Monetizing a Niche Site in the Midst of Google Algorithm Updates
May 17, 2024
I’m back with another update about the website I created as part of the Entrepreneur Ride Along series.
This series allows you to follow along as I start a new site from scratch and build it into a profitable business.
This month, I’ll be talking about monetization.
How Do You Plan to Monetize the Site?
The main way I monetize my site is by using display ads through Ezoic. I like to monetize sites using display advertising because it is easy to get started. You simply set and forget.
I think MediaVine is the best display advertising network, but it depends on how much traffic you have.
The second way I monetize my site is through Amazon affiliates. I do this through AmalinksPro as it improves conversions. It also allows you to add showcase boxes to advertise affiliate offers on your site.
Additional ways that I monetize my sites is by selling my own eBooks or merchandise, or by signing exclusive affiliate offers.
But for new blogs, I usually focus on display advertising first as it is the easiest way to monetize your site.
Which of Your Chosen Monetizations Do You Think Will Be the Most Successful?
I think our own digital product, the Amazon Book, will be the most successful.
But it is also the most challenging to get right as you have to build funnels to guide traffic to your product.
On a few of my other, more mature sites, I have added shops with physical products to sell. This is definitely the most profitable revenue stream.
What Challenges Have You Faced When It Comes to Monetizing Your Site?
Funneling traffic to the site and to my products is the most challenging part for me.
It’s not as easy as simply adding the products to your site and expecting people to buy from you.
You need to write pre-sale articles to guide readers deeper into your sales funnel and increase the reader’s interest in the product.
You can also create a best-of article, like ‘Four Best Glass Pitchers for Summer’, and then list various products you found on Amazon, with your affiliate link of course, and with your product listed as the top choice.
Is Having Diversified Monetizations Something That Is Important to You?
Yes, very very important, especially right now with all the Google Algorithm updates.
You need to have multiple incomes, like display advertising, affiliates, digital products, etc.
It’s also important to have multiple sources of traffic. You can’t just rely on the Google search engines.
If I look at the traffic coming to my site, traffic from Google has been very unpredictable since September last year because of all the algorithm updates.
As a result, I’m ignoring Google traffic right now and focusing elsewhere. Bing has brought in a stable stream of traffic.
I am also focusing on increasing traffic from Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.
What Revenue Goals Would You Like to Achieve in the Next Few Months?
It’s still early days, so I have not set any revenue goals yet. I will wait and see how the site performs.
I do have some plans in the pipeline that I am working on. I want all of my blogs to have their own eCommerce shop.
It seems that the best way to survive in Google today is not to create blogs, but to branch out into eCommerce, SaaS, or services.
Secondly, you need to use real images. Google does not seem to like stock photos and AI images.
That’s it for now. I will be back next month with another update. Bye!
