Make Money Online - The CaymanHost

24/05: Google Adsense Alternatives

With all the hype surrounding Adsense these days you could be forgiven for thinking that it is just about the only way to monetize your blog or website, when, in actual fact there are plenty of alternatives available to both advertisers and publishers. It has become progressively harder to earn money with Adsense, and, it would seem, set to get even more difficult in light of the latest clampdowns on cheaters. I'm all for shutting down the people who dishonestly waste advertiser's money by attempting to generate fraudulent and artificial clicks, but at the same time, sympathize with the little guys who inevitably get caught up in the witch hunt. 

I always advocate keeping your options open when it comes to pay per click, and here are a couple of advertising options you may want to consider as alternatives, whether you are an advertiser or publisher. Sure, they are not as big as Google, but all have served me reasonably well as a publisher on various sites. 

1) Bidvertiser  have been around for a while and offer pretty much the same look and feel as Google. I have been happy with the results from the company and they offer a good introductory deal to advertisers too. 

2) Text Link Ads - Recently made several improvements to their service making it a lot more attractive to both advertisersand publishers. Well worth checking out and one to watch  for the future. 

3) Pheedo  - Another choice for bloggers/webmasters and attractive if you are looking for simple ways to monetize your RSS Feeds. The only disappointing thing about Pheedo is that there is no referral or affiliate program as yet. Still recommended though, particularly for RSS. 

4) ExoClick  - Not particularly well known and can throw up the occasional adult related ad, so if that's a problem for you they might not be  for you as a publisher. Having said that, worth a look and they do  operate a referral program too. 

5) Kontera - Saving the best for last. Their terms mean that the service is pretty much restricted to high traffic sites - however, they do make exceptions so applying and putting your case forward is well worth it. Their ad format enhances a site without being too intrusive and generates far better click through ratios than traditional static advertising. A definite thumbs up for a very innovative contextual ad solution, despite no referral bonuses. 

There are of course many others out there including Yahoo, we would love to hear from people about their experiences with any pay per click solutions they have tried, so please leave your comments to help others out. 

TCH