This thread pushed me over the edge. http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=350579 This is not a rant. This is an explanation to those willing to read. I won't sell a single thing here. The title mgiht seem like I'm offering a service, but I'm simply going over the long-lost basics. How to make a million with AdSense? Fact: Yes, it is possible to earn a million, and more with AdSense. www.plentyoffish.com, a dating site run by a local webmaster of my city, earns $3.6-$4 million a year. It's not easy, infact, it's downright hard, but it's possible if you've got the commitment and the potential. 1. Start small. If you're training for an Ironman contest, you don't jump into it right away. It takes years of hard work and dedication to achieve a level to be able to compete. The same applies here. Before aiming for making a $1 million, aim to make $100. 95% of the people (mainly adolescents) who hope to achieve $1 million on the internet give up within two or three weeks because they've had a bad day or couple of days. Unfortunately, this sours the experience forever for most. Think about that first couple of dollars, and not that first $1 million. Which brings me to my next section. 2. Don't worry about the money. I know, this will make me sound like a loony to most of you, but just find a topic you truly enjoy and want to share with others, and go from there! Make a site, or a blog, or even a forum. We all know that the secret to generating revenue is good content. The money will come with the content, and if you're passionate about your niche, your articles will be amazing. If you're compared to 100 other webmasters who just picked the niche for the money, and you picked it because you genuinely like it, I can bet that your articles will be much more attractive, explanatory, and overall terrific, allowing you to easily bypass those other 100 webmasters. Though content is a major part of your journey, that's not all... 3. You'll have to market so much. If you're reading this, you don't realize how much you'll have to market. Links exchanges, SEOing, SERPing, and so much more. I can't even stress the gargantuan amount you'll have to market... Is the word "market" starting to sound weird? Anyway, you'll also have to invest in your web-business. You know the old quote, "It takes money to make money"? Truer words have never been spoken. But it all goes back to your idea. If you've got a good idea, start doing free link exchanges, posting on forums, SEOing, and with the money you'll make in the first couple of months will be enough to start real investing. Marketing is a major part of making that million, and though it sounds obvious, this thread was inspired by someone who had these very questions. 4. If you're a little more advanced with marketing, you'll know about Blackhat SEO and Whitehat SEO. You can search on the forums, and you'll find lot's of information about them. Blackhat SEO makes money much quicker, but your AdSense account is prone to termination much more. Whitehat SEO is the way to go. It'll take longer, but it will pay much more in the end. Which brings me to the next topic. 5. It'll take a long time. If you can't commit the next couple of years to this, leave the thread right now. I guarantee that you'll make tons of mistakes. Everyone does, and the sites with most potential and revenue today looked like hell in the beginning, for quite a while. If you're one of those people who quits after seeing a month of bad AdSense revenue, and you will have that, with other setbacks, once again, close the thread. I can fill another 50 pages writing about this topic, but I feel if you haven't left yet, and threw your computer out of the window, screaming and scaring the neighbours, you've got the potential to make, if not $1 million, than at least a very nice side-income with AdSense. I hope this answers the massive future threads like the one that inspired me to write this. Vadym
Very true. I hope new-comers will come to the realization that it takes work to earn money. One can't expect to simply "make a million dollars" just by placing some ads on a website.
If you've got additions, I can add them. I wasn't sure if I've covered every aspect of questions of a newcomer with a hunger for money.
very nice article and i agree. making money on the internet is not going to happen over night. it's a long term investment with the potential to pay off in the end given that you put the time and effort into making it work for you. that said, i wish you all good luck with your endeavors and may you make enough to buy that fancy car
Very nice aticle. A great source of inspiration for people who, like me, faced the same worries in their way to make a few decent bucks. Congrats.