If you’re looking for a way to make some extra money, buying a website that makes money from display ads could be the answer. Not only will you get an instant stream of revenue, but you can also double the revenue in just a few months if you know the right strategy.
Buying a Website and Doubling the Revenue
I haven’t bought a website yet, but I’ve built them, and understand the power of monetizing content. I’ve been thinking about buying them and my research led me to Doug Cunnington, and Adam Smith.
Adam Smith from Niche Website Builders did just that. He bought a website that was making just over $1000 in display ad revenue, and more than doubled it.
In this video, Doug Cunnington interviewed Adam about his purchase and what he did to get this website to double the profits in such a short amount of time.
As a blogger who specializes in monetizing websites, and content channels, I’m always drawn to great success stories. I watch the videos and take notes.
Here are some of my take-aways and notes from this excellent interview.
My Quick Takeaways
1) Switch to Ezoic
Switching from Adsense display ads to Ezoic display ads can make a website more profitable. (On a side note, I switched to Ezoic, qualified for premium, and made more money. Not long after, I merged two websites, and am now in the process of getting the new one back on Ezoic after having Adsense for a time.) Here’s my video review of Ezoic.
2) Find a Quick Win
A quick win when buying a website is finding one that has more opportunities for display advertising.
The sticky sidebar ad can be the biggest revenue earner, so wide themes may not be great for websites focused on display ad revenue. (If you aren’t yet using Ezoic, there’s a WordPress Plugin called Advanced Ads that will help you create a sticky sidebar ad with Adsense, although Ezoic is easier).
Display Ad Revenue Might Be More Reliable Than Affiliate Marketing
Based on the recent volatility of affiliate websites and Google, display ads may offer more consistent revenue when buying a website.
As an affiliate marketer, I have noticed that Google is cracking down on product reviews. Be sure to be fair, honest, and give several choices to the visitor. Google wants choices.
3) Find a Fixer-Upper
When buying a website, look for a fixer-upper. Increasing revenue might be easy with quick, obvious fixes (like adding more placeholders, optimizing the website, or correcting content formatting).
4) Astra Theme
The Astra theme is great, but upgrade the font size (in this case 22). It adds time on site because there is more scrolling which increases the sticky sidebar ad view.
I’ve been testing themes, and Astra is still my favorite. When you visit my website, you’ll notice it change as I’m still testing themes.
5) Create More Scrolling
Scrolling = more opportunities for display ads. Add 3+ images to break up the content, and display more ads. I use Canva for images. Generally, I’ll create a blog with limited images and see if it ranks. Once it lands on the search engine, I will optimize it with more images. That’s my personal style for publishing content unless I need visuals to show examples.
6) Follow the 80/20 Rule
Optimize the top 20% pages. Using a tool like SEMrush, it’s easy to see which pages on the website are bringing in the most traffic. And of course, the display ad platform such as Adsense or Ezoic will also show which pages are the top earners, or “money pages”.
7) Add a FAQ
Publish at least 3 relevant frequently asked questions to the bottom of the article. This is another addition that I make after a page starts to rank.
8) Add a Table of Contents
Add a table of contents plugin to create jump links on the SERP. I use easy table of contents. It’s a WordPress plugin that uses the headings on the page (H2) to create the table of contents.
9) Activate Breadcrumb Navigation
Activate breadcrumb navigation: This can be done in your theme or SEO tool.
10) Add Related Posts
Add related posts: Make sure they are contextually related. This can increase engagement, and assist Google in crawling your website.
11) Add Internal Links
Add internal links: (Adam uses Link Whisper. AIOSEO also just rolled out this feature). Internal links can increase user interactions as well as help Google crawl the website.
Ezoic Display Ads
Watch the Clip: https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxt6iOwKFPTq8WLIM_-W3exi8GrD5evYrW
The main reason that Adam was able to increase the revenue of the website he purchased so quickly, was by adding more Ezoic placeholders throughout the website.
Ezoic is a platform that allows you to manage all of your display advertising in one place. You can add as many ad placements as you want, and they will serve the highest paying ads on each page.
Ezoic placeholders are a great way to add more ads without annoying your visitors. They are small, unobtrusive boxes that allow you to display an ad without taking up too much space on the page.
Adam increased the number of placeholders on each page. This increase in ad inventory allowed him to make more money from each page view. Adam also pointed out that this website was a wide theme, with no sidebar.
Therefore, it was losing the opportunity to place a sticky ad in the sidebar which would earn more revenue on desktop views. The sticky sidebar ad is key to making money with display ads.
Adding display ads is an easy way to make more money from your website. If you’re not using a platform like Ezoic, I recommend that you start. Historically, Ezoic ads pay more than Adsense, and if you qualify for premium ads, the payouts can be even higher.
Learn more about Ezoic.
Figuring Out The Value of the Website
Within a couple of hours of the website being posted for sale on Flippa, Adam contacted him and asked for the price, which turned about to be a multiplier of 35 X the monthly revenue.
When selling a website, the value can be determined by a few factors, but the main one is existing monthly revenue. It’s what Adam used in his purchase.
Adam shared with Doug in this video that he looks for websites that are earning at least $1000 per month.
About the People
Doug Cunnington of NicheSiteProject.com is a force to be reckoned with in the online marketing world. He is highly skilled in creating engaging and persuasive content. His YouTube channel is popular for its interviews with affiliate marketers and bloggers who make money from their websites.
Adam Smith is the Co-founder at Niche Website Builders. They are a full-service SEO agency helping affiliate marketers grow their traffic, and more importantly, their revenue with expert advice and services. From keyword research to on-page optimization and link building, Niche Website Builders has your back so you can focus on making money.
Lori Ballen is a dynamic and creative individual who brings her own unique perspective to everything she does. From her blog posts to her social media interactions, Lori is always looking for new and interesting ways to engage with her audience.
Her passion for marketing and communications is evident in everything she does, and she has a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life. As a result, Lori has built up a large and loyal following online and is widely respected as an expert in the field of digital marketing.
