Best Ad Networks for Small Bloggers (AdSense vs Adsterra)

 

Best Ad Networks for Small Bloggers — AdSense vs Adsterra (Practical Guide)

By ByteCascade — Updated:

Table of Contents

1. Why ads for small blogs? 2. Real earnings expectations (RPM & examples) 3. Google AdSense — overview, pros & cons 4. Adsterra — overview, pros & cons 5. Side-by-side comparison 6. Step-by-step: Which to choose & how to start 7. Ad optimization strategies for small traffic 8. Alternatives & when to use them 9. FAQs 10. Action plan & conclusion

1. Why run ads on a small blog?

Running ads is one of the simplest, passive ways to monetize traffic while you build other revenue streams (affiliate, sponsored posts, products, email). Ads scale with pageviews and become a predictable baseline income when you get consistent visitors.

Quick reality check: ads alone usually won’t make you rich on low traffic — but combined with affiliate links and email capture they can cover hosting and reinvestment. See earnings expectations below.

2. Real earnings expectations (RPM & examples)

Two numbers to remember: RPM (revenue per 1,000 pageviews) and CTR (click-through rate). For small blogs, RPM can vary widely depending on niche, GEO (where your readers are), ad formats, and season.

• Typical reported RPM ranges for smaller blogs: $1–$15 (but categories and GEO can push this outside that range). 1
• Example: 1,000 daily pageviews × $5 RPM ≈ $150/month. If you have 100–300 daily visitors, expect tens to low hundreds of dollars a month from ads — unless you optimize aggressively. 2

These are realistic starter numbers — don’t trust anyone promising instant thousands per month from 200 daily visitors.

3. Google AdSense — overview, pros & cons

What is AdSense?

Google’s ad program for publishers that serves contextual display and search ads across millions of advertisers. It is the default choice for many new publishers because of brand trust and broad demand. 3

Pros

• Easy signup and integration (many CMS plugins and guides).
• High ad demand from Google advertisers — good fill rates worldwide.
• No strict traffic minimums to get started. 4
• Reliable payments and strong policy documentation.

Cons

• Strict policies — accidental violations can lead to account disabling. Read the policy docs carefully. 5
• Lower revenue upside for some niches vs specialized premium networks (until you scale).
• Limited control over which advertisers appear (brand safety improvements are possible but limited).

4. Adsterra — overview, pros & cons

What is Adsterra?

Adsterra is an independent ad network popular with small-to-mid publishers; it offers a mixture of CPM, CPC, pop, push, and direct traffic monetization formats and claims significant publisher payouts annually. 6

Pros

• Flexible ad formats (display, direct banners, pops, push, native).
• Low entry friction — works with many traffic types and geos.
• Multiple payout methods and configurable minimums for publishers. 7

Cons

• Some ad formats (e.g., pop-unders) can harm UX and SEO if used aggressively.
• Ad quality can vary — requires setup and selective blocking for brand safety.
• Payment rates and fill can be uneven for Tier-1 GEOs compared with premium header-bidding exchanges.

5. Side-by-side quick comparison

Feature	Google AdSense	Adsterra
Traffic requirement	No strict minimum; account approval needed	No strict minimum; flexible
Formats	Display, native, in-page, search	Display, native, pop, push, direct
Ease of use	Very easy, many plugins	Easy, dashboard control
Best for	Content blogs aiming for policy-safe monetization	Sites that want varied formats and immediate options
Payment reliability	Very strong (Google)	Good — depends on chosen payout method

6. Step-by-step: Which to choose & how to start (actionable)

Step 1 — Decide your primary goal

If you want safe long-term monetization and prefer conservative ad formats: start with AdSense. If you need flexible formats (push, pop, direct offers) and want to experiment quickly: add Adsterra (but avoid aggressive formats on content pages).

Step 2 — Prepare your site (must-do before applying)

1. Have 10–20 well-written posts (quality > quantity).
2. Clear privacy & cookie policy pages and an About page.
3. Good navigation and mobile responsiveness (ad networks check UX).

Step 3 — Apply & verify

For AdSense: Sign up with your Google account, add the verification code, and wait for review. Follow Google’s publisher policies closely — noncompliance can get you disabled. 8

For Adsterra: Create a publisher account, add sites, and choose ad zones. You can start with non-intrusive display/native and then test push or pop in lower-value pages. 9

Step 4 — Test, measure, and iterate

Use a simple spreadsheet to track weekly pageviews, RPM, ad impressions, CTR, and revenue per source. Change one variable at a time (ad location, size, or network) and measure the effect over 2–4 weeks.

7. Ad optimization strategies for small traffic

1. Prioritize UX: Bad UX kills retention and SEO. Use one or two ad units per article to start.
2. Target high-value pages: Put ads on pages that already rank and have good time-on-page.
3. Optimize headings & internal links: Better content = better ad CPMs.
4. Use lazy-load for below-the-fold ads: Improves page speed and may help Core Web Vitals.
5. Geographic targeting: Note that RPM depends a lot on visitor country. US/UK/AU visitors usually earn higher RPMs than many other regions. 10
6. Ad balance: Avoid popups on top-performing SEO pages; test push/pop on lower-value pages first if using Adsterra.

8. Alternatives & when to use them

If AdSense/Adsterra don’t fit, consider Ezoic, Mediavine (Journey), Media.net, PropellerAds, or direct sponsorships. Some networks require traffic minimums or niche fit — research before applying. Many comparison roundups list Ezoic and Mediavine as high-earning for scaled blogs, while AdSense remains the most accessible starting point. 11

9. FAQs

Q: Which network pays more — AdSense or Adsterra?

It depends on traffic quality and ad formats. For Tier-1 readers and content pages, AdSense (or premium header-bidding partners) can perform very well. Adsterra can sometimes pay more for certain formats or lower-quality traffic, but results vary. Test both and measure RPM. 12

Q: Can I run AdSense and Adsterra together?

Technically yes, but be careful: AdSense policies disallow placing AdSense ads on pages with deceptive or disruptive ad formats (like forced redirects or excessive popups). Read both networks’ policies before mixing formats. 13

Q: How long before I see meaningful revenue?

Most small bloggers see small numbers for the first 1–3 months. Meaningful revenue (consistent $100+/month from ads) generally requires steady traffic, SEO improvements, and experimentation — often 6+ months for many creators. 14

10. Action plan (30-day checklist)

1. Polish 10–20 high-quality posts and a clear privacy page.
2. Apply to AdSense and set up basic ad units on low-value pages first.
3. Create an Adsterra account and test non-intrusive formats (native/display).
4. Track weekly RPM and impressions; optimize top 5 pages for higher RPM.
5. Start an email capture form — diversify beyond ads (affiliate + sponsorship).

Final tip: measure everything. When you change ad placement, track the impact on bounce rate, pageviews per session, and RPM. Small changes compound.

Sources cited in this article: Google AdSense policy & program docs; Adsterra official site and publisher guides; industry publisher roundups and RPM surveys. For the most important source links used during drafting, see inline citations throughout the post. 15