Some people has told me that my blog is getting too monetized, that there are too many ads on it, that it’s becoming too commercial. I have only one thing to say to that.
If You’re Going To Monetize Your Blog, Then Really Monetize It!
Monetization of a blog is way more than slapping on a couple of Google ads. That is just the beginning. Your job is to find as many ways possible to extract maximum dollars out of it, while still providing a good user experience. There will always be people who will complain about ads on a blog – even if it’s only one ad. Here’s something to keep in mind, those who complain the loudest about advertising on a blog are the same people who will never click an ad, or worst, use an ad blocker. Since you don’t make any money off them, how important is their rant about too much advertising?
How do you know when cross reach the tipping point? The answer is simple. Your traffic will tell you – if it starts going down, you need to make changes. However, the chance of it going down because of too much advertising is quite slim. Asked 100 readers what the biggest reason for leaving a blog is and too much advertising wouldn’t be at the top of the list. I think it’ll be tied with disrespecting a lobster.
Take a look at one of the biggest blogs on the net, Engadget. There are 21 ads on the front page. Do readers complain? I’m sure some do. Does Engadget care? I highly doubt it. If you’re going to monetize your blog, then really monetize it.
The Key To Ad Placement
The key to placing advertising on a site is to use many different advertising sources and to space them out so they’re not too crowded. If Engadget were to put all 21 ads above the fold, there would howls of protests. A good rule of thumb to follow is an ad should be visible with every scroll of an 800×600 page. It is possible to place a ton of ads on a page and still have it look clean (I’m not saying Engadget is clean).
Another key is to use many different types of ads. 21 banners on a page would look ridiculous but if you mix it up with banners, text links, buttons, affiliate stuff, etc., you can still maintain a fairly clean and readable page.
Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, sometime it is worth it to remove advertising from a page. I do not run an inline Google ad on my AGLOCO updates because the goal is to sign up affiliates and not have them leave the site by clicking on a Google ad. This is one mistake I feel many AGLOCO members are making with their landing pages. Why do you have Google ads on it?
Don’t Bother With The Whiners
The majority of your readership won’t care that you have advertising on your blog. Don’t pay too much attention to the whiners. While they maybe vocal, they’re not going to make or break you. I admit I had too many ReviewMe reviews at the end of the month because of that 50% sale, but other than that, I feel the level of advertising on this blog is about right.
One last thing. For those who said some of my ReviewMe reviews were not on topic, this is the Miscellaneous Ramblings of a Dot Com Mogul. This is not ProBlogger. Everything I write about is on topic! 
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