Introduction

Fundamental to my project is the display of advertisements on my website. Therefore, I faced the problem of finding the best advertising provider that would display (1) appropriate and (2) unobtrusive ads that paid well. Read on to find out which advertising providers I tested, as well as the provider I deemed most appropriate for my website!

Google AdSense

I began my journey and trial-and-error with Google AdSense. Google AdSense is arguably the most well-known, recognized advertising provider; hence, it was the first place I looked to suit my needs. If you've seen advertisements on your favorite websites with "Ads by Google" at the bottom right corner (that is, if you don't have an adblocker), you have had experience with Google AdSense.

Given the renown and credibility of Google, you would probably assume their advertising services are the most established in the mix. And you would be correct in your assumption. Google delivers quality across the board in all their services, and AdSense is no exception. Their ad selection is not only broad but professional; moreover, their user interface is friendly. So if Google AdSense is that great, I probably decided to use it, and this blog post ends here, right?

Unfortunately not. Google AdSense never approved our application! So, down the rabbit hole I went in search of alternative advertising providers...

Amazon Associates

I next tried Amazon's advertisements. Initially, I was relieved that I discovered Amazon was also an advertising provider, as Amazon is, more or less, as reputable as Google. However, once I implemented their ads on my website, my smile quickly faded. I realized that I don't get any money unless somebody buys something from the advertisement I display. Most advertising providers pay on a cost-per-click or cost-per-thousand-impressions model, so I was very disappointed. Onto the next one.

PropellerAds Media

Now I was starting to run out of ideas. I queried "google adsense alternatives" into Google and hoped for the best. Of the first few search results was for PropellerAds, and I experimented with it, hoping this would be the solution to monetizing my website. At first glance, PropellerAds seemed to be my solution. It was a breeze to implement -- just copying and pasting several lines of their code, and I had ads up and running on my website. They had a control panel where I could track my ad revenue generated.

However... the ads were downright inappropriate. They were the type of obscene ads you'd find on a sketchy website. No good. Trashed immediately.

PopAds

Another "google adsense alternative," I had low hopes for PopAds. However, it turned out to be my winner. Let's see why.

1. Appropriateness of advertisements. PopAds, in sharp contrast to PropellerAds, advertises socially acceptable content. For example, one ad provided by PopAds was for somebody's food and cooking blog. Yay!

2. Unobtrusive advertisements. PopAds has a special type of ad called a "pop under," which is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of being a conventional "pop up," the advertisement is launched below the current window. Excellent!

So if you are ever in need to monetize your small website, try Google AdSense first, but if that doesn't work out, I recommend giving PopAds a shot. Thanks for reading!