Monetizing a Site With Inline Text Ads

Google AdSense Alternatives for Small to Medium Sized Sites

May 7, 2009

The current economic condition has more and more first time bloggers seeking advertising in an attempt to turn their online writing hobby into a money making venture.

Most individuals making a living and/or earning money via the internet are familiar with Google AdSense. However, Google AdSense is not the only game in town. There are other types of advertising programs online that webmasters and bloggers can take advantage of without having to worry about violating the Google AdSense terms of service.

InLine Text Advertising

Unlike like Google AdSense, in-line text advertising virtually utilizes the existing text on a webpage. The advertiser's ads are only displayed when a reader passes the mouse over or clicks on selected hypertext links. Upon clicking the hypertext link, a small window is displayed containing information related to the hypertext words. The hypertext appearance is usually different than the style used for non advertiser links.

For example, a web page with information on auto insurance may have the words "automobile insurance quote" associated with an advertiser's hyperlink. Upon clicking the link, a small window with more information on automobile insurance is displayed. The advertiser may be an insurance company, an agent or an auto dealer. If the reader further clicks on the pop up to find out more information, the webmaster earns money. The amount of money each ad generates depends upon the type of site, amount of traffic and the advertiser.

Monthly Page View Requirement

Many times newbies and uninformed webmasters shy away from in-line text advertising because they assume their sites do not generate enough monthly traffic to qualify. While there are those in-line text advertising sites that have a minimum monthly requirement, the four sites listed below do not have such stringent requirements. Be advised however, some of the in-line text ad sites perform better on maller sites than others.

In-Line Advertisers for Small to Medium Sites

To sign up for the above sites, one should go to their website, register and submit the URL of the site for which the ads will display. Once approved (usually within 24 to 48 hours), displaying the ads is as simple as adding the advertising code to the website.

Ad Display Customization

Each advertiser offers varying degrees of customizations. The in-line text advertising sites allow bloggers/webmasters to alter the color and display of the links Infolinks, for example, allows it's customers to set the maximum number of links to display per page. Not all inline advertisers offer the same amount of customization.

Ad Campaign Tweaking and Re-Tweaking

Successful webmasters understand that checking stats and making modifications is the only way to find out which advertising campaign is the most successful. It is recommended to try one in-line text advertising program for a period of a month or so to get a good feel for the income earning potential. After the trial period, try another in-line text advertiser.

After a period of a few months, or sooner, one should be able to determine which advertising system works best. Keep in mind that as the site gains popularity and increases traffic, advertising needs may change. Although advertising campaigns are moving targets, proper analysis can result in a lucrative website or blog.

The copyright of the article Monetizing a Site With Inline Text Ads in Blogs is owned by Felicia A. Williams. Permission to republish Monetizing a Site With Inline Text Ads in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.