All bloggers are on the constant search for the highest paying display ad networks. Since display ads are one of the easiest ways to monetize a blog, it’s no suprise either.
In this post, discover the ten highest paying display ad networks to help you earn the most from your unique blog or website. I’ll also share some clues on estimating how much you can earn from display ads with a calculator.
What are Display Ads?
Display ads are a common form of online advertising that bloggers often utilize to monetize their websites. These ads are visual banners or images displayed on a website, typically placed strategically to attract the attention of visitors. The best analogy for display ads is they are similar to a Billboard, but digital. As you read through this article, you will see display ads interspersed between my content.
For bloggers, display ads offer a passive income stream, allowing them to generate revenue while focusing on creating content. These ads can be customized to match the look and feel of the website, ensuring a seamless user experience. Bloggers have the ability to choose where display ads appear on their site and how many per page.
By partnering with display ad networks, bloggers can earn revenue based on various metrics like clicks, impressions, or conversions.
What is a Display Ad Network?
Display ad networks are platforms that connect advertisers with website owners looking to display ads on their sites. These networks help website owners monetize their traffic by displaying relevant ads to their visitors. Most bloggers begin their display ad journey with Google AdSense. Other common display ad networks include Ezoic, Mediavine, and Raptive
As mentioned, Google AdSense is one of the most popular display ad networks and a good starting point. AdSense offers a wide range of ad formats and targeting options. More premium and higher paying display ad networks like Ezoic, Mediavine, and AdThrive focus on optimizing ad placements for maximum revenue.
These networks work by serving ads to website visitors based on their interests, browsing behavior, and demographics. Advertisers pay the network to display their ads, and website owners earn a portion of that revenue for hosting the ads on their sites. Display ad networks play a crucial role in the online advertising ecosystem, facilitating the buying and selling of ad space across a vast network of websites.
Check out the highest paying display ad networks in the next section.
10 Highest Paying Display Ad Networks
The below list of the top 10 highest paying ad networks is ordered based on both my unbiased personal experience owning websites and working in the ad industry for over a decade.
Disclaimer: RPM performance will vary by site niche. While Mediavine/Raptive are almost unbeatable in the Travel and Recipe space; Ezoic will typically earn more in Technology, Business, and Sports.
How Much can you Make from Ads on your Website?
Display ad earnings vary based on factors like website traffic, audience demographics, and niche. Websites with higher traffic and valuable demographics typically earn more from display ads. For example, a website with 100,000 monthly visitors can potentially earn a significant income through display ads, especially if the audience is engaged and the ads are relevant to their interests.
The amount you can make from ads on your website is influenced by the click-through rate (CTR) and cost per mille (CPM) of the ads displayed. CTR refers to the percentage of visitors who click on the ads, while CPM represents the cost per 1,000 impressions. Websites with a high CTR and CPM tend to generate more revenue from display ads.
To maximize your earnings from display ads, it’s essential to optimize ad placements, experiment with different ad formats, and focus on attracting quality traffic to your website. By understanding your audience and catering to their interests, you can increase the effectiveness of display ads and boost your revenue potential significantly.
Display Ads Earnings Calculator
Use the below calculator to estimate your monthly earnings from display ads. Simply Enter your Monthly Traffic. I’ve used this calculator thousands of times to estimate display ad earnings within hundreds of dollars of actuals.
This earnings calculator is also helpful if you are in the market to buy a website and need to make projections from display ad earnings.
*Disclaimer: This calculates display ad earnings based on Tier 1 traffic (US, UK, Canada, Australia). If your traffic is comprised mainly from countries like India, your estimate will be far lower than the result returned with this tool.
If the estimate is not where you want it to be, then I suggest creating a consistent content schedule in order to grow your traffic.
Alternatives to Display Ads
While display ads are one of the easiest and most common ways to monetize a website, there are several alternatives. A few common ones are:
Affiliates – Monetizing through affiliates allow you to earn a commission from the sale of a product. Product reviews are a great format for affiliate sites. A common affiliate program is through Amazon.
Subscriptions – If you offer excellent content, some readers will be willing to pay to access your content that is either ad free or content that is exclusive to paying members. Many top news outlets such as The Wall Street Journal will put their content behind a paywall.
Digital Course/Product – If you have a loyal brand or audience, you can begin to sell them products. Digital courses or e-books work great if you are in the Education space. Alternatively, you can sell something as simple as T-shirt using a WordPress plugin like WooCommerce.
In summary, choosing how you monetize your audience is up to you. You can use one or a combination of each of these offerings to maximize revenue across your blog.
Wrapping up the Highest Paying Display Ad Networks
Like choosing how you monetize your audience, you are also free to choose the display ad network that meets your goals and requirements. Each of these ad networks have their pros and cons.
If earnings are most important to you, I highly suggest choosing one of the top three highest paying display ad networks from my top ten list. There is a noticeable drop off in earnings from ads as you move further down the list.
