Sometimes an increase in traffic does not result in a corresponding increase in ad revenue. A major factor behind this is the publisher's inability to run the most profitable ads on their websites. The success of an ad is directly related to the performance of the ad network used. Hence, it's essential to find the right ad network to optimize ad revenue.
Global digital advertising spending is expected to reach $626.86 billion in 2023, accounting for 67.4% of total media ad spending. It means the competition is also growing. Therefore, attracting more traffic shouldn't be your only objective as a publisher. You have to make the most out of each visitor.
If you're struggling to maximize your ad profit, it may be time to explore other ad networks that offer higher profitability. With the right ad network, you can monetize your website's traffic more efficiently, ensuring that you're not leaving money on the table.
We compare the three best ad networks for publishers—Media.net. AdSense, and Publift—and let you decide which one suits you the best.
What Is AdSense?
One of the oldest and most popular ad networks, Google AdSense allows site owners to monetize their online content by displaying relevant ads to their visitors. What makes AdSense stand out is its low barrier to entry relative to other ad networks. Even new publishers with relatively little traffic can join AdSense and start monetizing their content.
Google AdSense was launched in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the most widely used ad networks on the internet on the back of its easy accessibility and Google’s commanding hold over the adtech space.
It uses a number of factors to determine which ads to display. These include keywords, page content, the user's browsing history, etc. Advertisers bid on ad space in real-time, and the highest bidder gets their ad displayed. The ad network is also highly customizable, allowing you a good degree of control over your page’s content by filtering out the ads you don't want.
New publishers often confuse AdSense with Ad Exchange. Although both are Google products, Ad Exchange is targeted at larger publishers and provides access to a large pool of ad networks. To understand how the two differ, and which one should a publisher choose, refer to our detailed post on Google AdSense vs Ad Exchange.
Google AdSense Pros
- Easy to use: AdSense is easy to set up and use, even for people with little technical knowledge.
- Easy to join: The fact that the Google AdSense network has no minimum traffic or revenue requirements makes it accessible to all types of publishers.
- Wide range of ad formats: Google AdSense offers multiple ad formats, including text, display, and video ads. The AdSense network also allows different forms of ads such as banner ads and native ads.
- Experimental features: Features, such as self-control, auto-ads, and experiments allow publishers to explore new ad possibilities. However, be careful about experimenting too much. AdSense might ban you for violating rules if you keep ignoring the warnings.
- AdSense arbitrage: Google AdSense arbitrage is a content monetization strategy that allows publishers to use paid ads to drive traffic to their websites. However, be aware that the strategy only works if the revenue from clicking on AdSense ads exceeds the cost of driving paid traffic.
- Real-time reporting: Google AdSense provides detailed reports on ad performance, earnings, and other metrics in real time.
- Customizable ad units: Publishers can customize the look and feel of their ads to match their website's design and layout.
- Large advertiser pool: As Google AdSense is one of the largest ad networks, there is a large pool of advertisers to choose from, which translates into higher bids and better revenue for publishers.
Google AdSense Limitations
- Site performance issues: While Google AdSense is great for generating ad revenue, it might be harmful to your site performance in some cases. There are instances of websites experiencing loading issues and reduced site speed with Google AdSense.
- Poor support: Google AdSense provides very limited human support. This means that there's a possibility that publishers may have to wait for days for a solution should they experience any issue with their AdSense account or ads.
- Difficult analytics: Though Google AdSense provides real-time analytics, configuring detailed analytics could be challenging for new users.
- Low revenue for certain niches: Some niches may not generate as much revenue as others, which can be a disadvantage for publishers in those niches.
In a Nutshell
Google AdSense is one of the best ad networks for publishers from every stage looking to monetize their website traffic. It offers a wide range of ad formats, high-quality ads from reputable advertisers, and real-time reporting. However, lower entry barriers also mean that access to premium advertisers is limited, which in turn has a direct bearing on publisher revenue.
What Is Publift?
Publift is an ad tech platform and Google-certified publishing partner that offers established publishers a range of tools and services to maximize their ad earnings. It has been helping publishers increase their revenue by up to 55% since it was founded in 2015.
Publift has an impressive roster of awards and achievements to support its claims. In 2019, it was awarded the Drum APAC Award for Best Sell-Side Technology for Programmatic Trading.
It was also ranked by Deloitte among the top 10 in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 rankings that recognize Australia’s fastest growing companies. In 2020, Publift was recognized by The Australian Financial Review and Statista as one of Australia's Fast Starters 2020.
Publift offers the full range of ad format options to its publishers, including display ads, rich media ads, and video ads in different forms, such as native ads and programmatic.
The platform bases its proprietary Fuse technology on machine learning and the latest ad tech to analyze data and optimize ad placements, ensuring publishers are earning the highest possible revenue from their ad unit. This makes it one of the best Google AdSense alternatives for publishers looking to upgrade to a higher quality ad network.
Underlying Technology
Publift uses advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze website traffic and user behavior, as well as to identify trends and patterns in ad performance. The company's technology platform allows publishers to optimize their ad placements and formats, as well as target specific audiences and demographics.
Publift Pros
- Advanced ad optimization: Publift uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to optimize ad placements and formats, resulting in increased revenue for publishers.
- Programmatic advertising: Publift's programmatic ad platform enables publishers to connect with a wide range of advertisers and earn higher CPMs.
- No lock-in contract: Publift doesn’t do lock-in contracts with its partners. This allows publishers to work with any other similar network or platform at any time, helping publishers compare the services and outcomes side-by-side and decide which network suits them the best.
- Ad optimization based on best practices: Publift optimizes ads based on the best practices to suit the publisher's specific requirements. Once it's done, publishers get tags that they can include on their websites, allowing for header bidding.
- Great reporting and support: Publift not only provides real-time reporting and analytics it also provides its partners with one of the best supports. There's a dedicated accounts manager to look after each publisher. They immediately take care of any issues as fast as they occur.
- Customized and responsive ad units: Publift offers customized ads that match the design and layout of the publisher's website. Also, its ads are responsive, meaning they are optimized for different screen sizes and devices.
Publift Limitations
- Restrictive eligibility criteria: Publift only partners with premium advertisers, and as a result, sets a relatively higher entry barrier to its publisher program. Publishers must have a minimum monthly of $2,000 or get more than 500,000 monthly page views to be eligible to work with Publift.
In a Nutshell
Publift is an excellent choice for high-end publishers looking to maximize their advertising revenue. If your website meets Publift’s criteria, you could be working with one of the best ad networks that helps you connect with premium advertisers.
The network's state-of-the-art technology and its ability to provide publishers with detailed metrics means that publishers have better optimized ad placements and increased ad earnings. Another plus point with Publift is that its customized ads and responsive design make it an excellent choice for publishers who value a seamless user experience.
Media.net vs. AdSense vs. Publift: Who Pays Better?
When it comes to payouts, all three ad networks offer competitive rates. However, which platform pays better depends on several factors, such as your website's niche, traffic volume, and ad placement.
Media.net typically pays high rates for contextual ads, especially for websites in specific niches like finance and technology, whereas AdSense offers a wide range of ad formats and pays fairly for all ad formats. Publift supports publishers across all major niches and formats and promises up to 55% increase in publisher revenue.
That being said, payouts can vary depending on your website's niche and audience. Ultimately, the platform that pays better for you will depend on your specific circumstances, and it is recommended to test each platform to find out which one works best for your website. Let's review the payment of each network:
AdSense Payment
Adsense typically pays around 68% of the revenue earned from website ads. Additionally, the ad network pays 51% of the total revenue for total revenue generated from Google AdSense searches.
Like other ad networks, traffic and niche play a vital role in determining Google AdSense revenue. For instance, there's a higher payout rate for websites with primary visitors from top-tier countries like the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Likewise, tech, real estate, finance, and insurance niches generate more revenue from ads than most other niches.
Publift Payment
Publift primarily focuses on connecting its clients with the best-paying advertisers in the ad market. Therefore, the platform usually targets high-quality ads and high-paying advertisers to guarantee the maximum possible revenue for its partners. As such, the ad network claims to have increased its client’s ad revenue by 55% on average.
Similar to the other two ad networks on the list, the audience, web traffic, and publisher's niche heavily influence the ad earnings of publishers on Publift. The network pays its publishers via direct bank transfer in the currency of their choice with Google revenue paid at the end of every month and revenue from other networks paid every 90 days. There is a minimum payout threshold of $200.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best ad network is no longer a two-way race between Ezoic vs AdSense like it used to be a few years ago. Publishers today have plenty of high quality options that not only offer better quality ads, but also value-added services such as world class customer support, site optimization, and above all, customization to fit the publisher’s specific needs.
This is important because a one-size-fits-all solution like AdSense may not be right for all publishers, and may unpredictably impact a website’s speed and performance. The right platform will not only customize its ad solutions to a publisher's specific needs, but also ensure that any glitches in implementation are promptly resolved.
Publift offers a full-service solution to publishers and developers with an emphasis on optimizing mobile and desktop ad revenue. The platform has helped its partners increase their ad revenue by up to 55% on average. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you optimize your inventory and increase your ad revenue.
