I started my first site in 2002 but it took me 2 years before I started making decent money. To answer your other question, affiliate programs haven't worked out so well on my site. I've tried so many different programs but it just doesn't come close to Adsense. I make an additional 10-20% of revenue using affiliate programs. The rest comes from Adsense and banner advertising.
Excellent work man, truely inspiration for us all. And all this time I thought breaking $1000/month was impressive.
Great success story from a smart guy. I'm sure you have worked so hard to achieve this, also your advice about unique content, and keeping working on it is well taken by many new members here. I hope you'll keep increasing your earnings, and will tell us your new success story in the near future.
Grats on your success. And to ya'll idiots who keep asking for information he doesn't want published: Learn to Fuckin' Read. Do your earning stem from mainly generic content-targeted ads or site-targeted ads? I would imagine that quite a few advertisers push site-specific ads on a network this big. P.S. The unique content approach is working for me as well. Sadly, still many believe that you can make millions off generic, reused and recycled content.
Congrats you give us great motivation. You should try Chitika. I heard good things about it. And you can use it with Adsense.
Congrats on the achievement! I know I wish I was where you are at, but, all it takes is continuing work and motivation to make any wish come true.
Why cant you post the URLs here. If it is as you say that " Mouth to Mouth" Traffic, then URL will be higly promoted in this thread. Also How can we believe that all you say without a proof.Its better you post URLs here or send a PM to all who asked your URLs.
Since you went through the trouble of making this thread to, one presumes, inspire the noobs out there, it is now necessary to follow through and dispense with the tricks of the trade. Which doesn't involve giving out your URL, as that does no one any good. But the process by which you began your site's promotion (links? organic search traffic?) that got you that 12 million PVs/month. Or did you do anything at all? Because let's face it, no matter how good your site is, no matter how much valuable your original content is, "word of mouth" isn't going to net you 12 million PVs a month, guy. So since you made the thread in the first place, it's now your duty to tell them how you got your free (as mentioned you didn't pay for it) traffic. This will in no way impact you, as no one will still know your niche or your field or your site, but you will be helping the noobs out there. Or if it's not something they can achieve (someone mentioned you in a newspaper, an article, on TV, etc), then say that. What I'm trying to say is, stop stringing people along, and tell them how you REALLY got your big traffic.
The majority of DP webmasters never disclose their high-traffic/high-earning sites. What good would the URLs do you anyway? Even if you copied the site exactly, you would not have the same results.