Which Websites Are Best for AdSense? 3 High-Revenue Website Types Explained
Late last year, a friend who runs a blog came to me to vent. He was getting around 500 visitors daily and had AdSense running for about a month. He opened the dashboard and saw—$30. He stared at the screen for a while and asked me: “Is it because my website type is wrong?”
Honestly, I’ve heard this question way too many times. Many people think AdSense is just a traffic game: more people, more money. But it really isn’t like that.
I’ve seen tech blogs with 1,000 daily visits earning $300/month, and entertainment sites with 5,000 daily visits earning only $100. Where does this gap come from? Website type.
AdSense has clear preferences for website types. It’s not that certain types can’t run ads, but with the same traffic, different types can have revenue differences of 5-10x. This is related to advertiser bidding, user intent, and content value.
Today I want to talk about 3 website types most suitable for AdSense with high revenue potential: blogs, tool sites, and forums. I’ve tried all three, with both successes and failures, so this article isn’t theory—it’s real experience. After reading this, you should be able to judge which type suits you, or how to adjust your current website.
AdSense Basic Requirements + Why Type Matters More Than Traffic
Before diving into specific types, let’s talk about AdSense’s most basic requirements. Many people think the barrier is very high, but it’s really not that scary.
AdSense’s Most Basic Requirements
Google’s hard requirements for websites are actually few:
- Primarily original content: Can’t all be copy-pasted content, must have your own writing
- Some traffic: Official doesn’t specify numbers, but suggest at least 100+ daily IPs before applying, higher approval rate
- Complete website structure: Clear navigation, has basic pages like About Us, Contact
- Policy compliant: No prohibited content like adult, gambling, pirated content
These requirements basically mean “you need to have a decent website.” Doesn’t need to be perfect, but needs to show you’re serious about it.
Why Does Type Matter More Than Traffic?
Many people can’t understand this. I used to think as long as traffic was high enough, revenue would naturally go up. Later I found out it’s completely not like that.
The key lies in the difference between CPC and CPM. CPC is the price per click, CPM is the price per thousand impressions. These two numbers have ridiculously large differences across different website types.
For example: finance websites CPC can reach $5-10, entertainment might only be $0.1-0.5. Why? Because of how much advertisers are willing to pay. A bank is willing to spend $10 for you to click their credit card ad, but a gaming company might only spend $0.2.
There’s also the issue of user intent. Users who find your website through search are much higher quality than those who randomly click in from social media. The former might actually have needs, the latter might just be browsing.
The most exaggerated comparison I’ve seen: a finance blog with 500 daily IPs earning $300/month; an entertainment site with 5,000 daily IPs earning only $100. This is the gap brought by type.
Blog Websites (Easiest to Start)
Blogs are the type I most recommend for beginners. Low barrier, low risk, and if you choose the right topic, revenue isn’t bad either.
Why Are Blogs Suitable for AdSense?
Blogs are naturally suited for ads:
- High originality: Self-written content, Google review easily passes
- SEO friendly: Articles can get long-term search traffic, don’t need daily promotion
- Long user dwell time: People come to read articles, need to read for a few minutes at least? Ads get full exposure
- Individual can handle: Don’t need a team, don’t need much technical skill
My first AdSense approval was a blog. I didn’t understand SEO back then, just wrote 2-3 articles weekly on topics I knew well, persisted for 3 months, and got approved.
Which Blog Topics Have Higher Revenue?
This point is crucial. Among blogs, choosing the right topic versus wrong topic can mean several times difference in revenue.
High Revenue Topics (CPM $5+):
- Tech tutorials: Programming, design tools, software usage tutorials—CPM around $5-15
- Professional knowledge sharing: Finance investment, entrepreneurship experience, career planning—CPM can reach $8-20
- Tool reviews: Software comparison, product recommendations, equipment reviews—CPM around $4-10
- Practical life topics: Health wellness, education parenting, home improvement—CPM around $3-8
Low Revenue Topics (Not Recommended):
- Pure diary, emotional expression
- Entertainment gossip, celebrity news
- Game guides (unless commercial games)
These low revenue topics aren’t impossible to do, just if your goal is to make money with AdSense, don’t choose these. CPM usually under $2, no matter how much traffic, can’t earn much.
Real Revenue Reference
My own tech blog, 1,000-2,000 daily IPs, monthly income around $150-300. This isn’t even the best case—I’ve seen a finance investment blog with only 500-1,000 daily IPs, but monthly income can reach $200-400. Why? Because finance ads have high bids.
These numbers aren’t made up, I’ve seen similar figures from Tutu Blog (a blogger who specializes in sharing AdSense experience). Everyone’s situation is similar.
The key is choosing the right topic. The field you write about needs to have advertisers willing to spend money, that’s how your revenue goes up.
Blog Website Operation Suggestions
If you want to do a blog, I have a few suggestions:
1. Focus on Niche Areas
Don’t try to write about everything. Rather than doing a “tech blog,” do a “Python data analysis tutorial blog.” The more niche, the easier to develop characteristics, SEO ranking also easier to climb.
2. Maintain Stable Updates
Don’t need to write daily, but need regularity. I suggest at least weekly updates, best if you can do 2-3 per week. Search engines like active websites.
3. Value SEO
Every article needs to think about keywords. Naturally integrate keywords in title, opening, subheadings. This way you can get long-term search traffic.
4. Ad Placement Should Be Reasonable
I’ve tried many positions, currently most effective are: one at article top, one interspersed in middle, one fixed in sidebar. Don’t be greedy putting too many, affecting reading experience is counterproductive.
Tool Websites (High Revenue Potential)
If you have a technical background, tool sites are definitely the most worthwhile type to consider. Revenue ceiling is way higher than blogs.
Why Do Tool Sites Have High Revenue?
I made an online PDF conversion tool once, traffic wasn’t big, but revenue was several times that of the blog. Later I understood why.
Tool site users have strong purpose. People come to your website not to browse, but to solve specific problems—convert a format, calculate numbers, test code. This kind of user quality is high, advertisers are more willing to bid.
And tool site advertisers are usually SaaS companies, enterprise services, they bid much higher than regular advertisers. An online PDF tool, the ads next to it might be from big companies like Adobe, WPS, CPC can reach several dollars.
There’s another point: tool users will visit repeatedly. I have a friend who made a currency converter, many users bookmarked it, come use it every few days. This kind of repeat traffic is much more reliable than blogs relying on SEO.
Which Tool Sites Make the Most Money?
Not all tools make money. I’ve stepped on mines, seen others step on mines too.
High Revenue Tools (CPM $10+):
- Online calculators: Loan calculation, investment return calculation, unit conversion—CPM can reach $10-30
- Format conversion tools: PDF conversion, image compression, code formatting—CPM around $5-15
- SEO/marketing tools: Keyword analysis, backlink detection, website speed test—CPM can reach $15-40
- Developer tools: API testing, JSON parsing, regex testing—CPM around $8-20
Low Revenue Tools (Not Recommended):
- Pure entertainment tools (lottery, fortune-telling, games)
- Low-repeat tools (use once then never again)
- Too niche that nobody searches
The trick to choosing tools is: essential + high frequency. Users need to use it often, and it’s a real need, not just for fun.
Real Revenue Reference
The most exaggerated case I’ve seen is a PDF conversion tool, 500K monthly visits, monthly income $3,000-5,000. There’s also a loan calculator, only 100K monthly visits, but monthly income can reach $1,500-2,500.
These data come from Google AdSense official cases and Mile Tech’s 2024 CPM report. Not isolated cases, but common levels for tool sites.
Of course, the premise is you need to make the tool well. Poor user experience, can’t retain traffic, no matter how many ads you hang, it’s useless.
Tool Site Operation Suggestions
Tool sites are completely different from blogs, operation thinking is also different.
1. Choose Essential High-Frequency Scenarios
Don’t make those weird and wonderful tools. PDF conversion, image compression, calculators—these are real needs. Ask yourself: Would I use this tool every few days?
2. Tool Free + Ad Monetization
Don’t think about charging fees. Tool is free, make money with ads, this is the most stable model. Users come to you for convenience, if you charge they immediately leave.
3. SEO Is the Main Traffic Source
Tool site traffic almost entirely relies on search. Title must have words like “online” “free.” Like “Online PDF to Word Tool - Free Unlimited,” this kind of title has good SEO effect.
4. Ad Placement Should Be Restrained
Tool sites absolutely must not pop ads when users are operating, experience will be very poor. Best positions are: before result page displays, page top, sidebar. Let users finish using the tool first, then see ads.
Community/Forum Websites (High Operation Requirements but High Ceiling)
About forums, I need to be honest: highest difficulty, but once you get it going, revenue is also most fierce.
Why Consider Forums?
I have a friend who made a photography forum, first two years almost no income, spending money on operations daily. But after surviving to the third year, after daily active users exceeded 10K, AdSense revenue just took off—over $2,000 monthly income.
Where’s the advantage of forums? User stickiness.
With blogs you leave after reading, with tools you close after using, but forums are different. Users will hang out in them—posting, replying, browsing old posts, watching others argue. One person can generate dozens of page views.
What does this mean? Same daily active users, forum PV (page views) is 5-10 times that of blogs. Ad display opportunities are also 5-10 times.
There’s also low content production cost. Blogs you need to write yourself, tools you need to develop yourself, forums? Users produce content themselves (UGC). You just need to set up the platform, do good operations.
Which Forum Types Suit AdSense?
Not all forums are suitable for ads. Those purely chat and spam forums, revenue is miserably low.
Suitable Types:
- Professional tech communities: Developer forums like Stack Overflow, Q&A content
- Hobby forums: Photography, gaming, travel, strong user stickiness
- Local information forums: Local life, real estate information, education exchange
- Vertical Q&A platforms: Like Zhihu but more vertical in specific fields
Unsuitable Types:
- Pure chat spam (low content value)
- Prohibited content (you know, can’t even pass review)
- Primarily scraped content (not original enough)
The key is to have valuable content accumulation. Users search and can find solutions, that’s how you get long-term traffic.
Real Revenue Reference
I can’t find many reliable cases, because there aren’t many forums that achieve profitability in the first place.
There’s a tech forum, 5,000-10,000 daily active, monthly income $2,000-5,000. Sounds tempting, but you need to know—this forum was operated for nearly 2 years, early stage almost no revenue.
Forum’s biggest problem is long cultivation period. First 1-2 years all losing money investing, many people can’t survive to profitability and give up.
Forum Operation Challenges
Honestly, I don’t really recommend beginners do forums. Unless you have the following conditions:
1. Clear Community Operation Experience
Forum operation and writing blogs are completely different things. You need to know how to attract new users, retain them, keep them active, handle disputes, ban troublemakers. Really hard without experience.
2. Can Invest Long-Term
Forum cold start is too hard. Early stage you need to soak in there daily, produce content yourself, reply to users, organize activities. Need to persist at least 1 year+ to see results.
3. Have Content Review Mechanism
AdSense has strict content requirements. Forums are user-generated content, you need review mechanisms, otherwise one day prohibited content appears, account gets banned and you don’t even know why.
4. Clear Vertical Field
Don’t think about making a big and comprehensive forum. That’s what Douban and Zhihu do. You just focus on one niche area and do it deep and thorough.
Honestly, if you haven’t done community operations before, I suggest starting with a blog first. After the blog gets going, have stable income and experience, then consider forums isn’t too late.
Three Types Comparison Summary
After saying so much, you might still not know which to choose. Here’s a quick comparison table to help you decide.
Quick Decision Table
| Website Type | Difficulty | Initial Investment | Revenue Ceiling | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog | ⭐⭐ | Low (domain + server, few hundred) | Medium (monthly $100-500) | Content creators, self-media |
| Tool Site | ⭐⭐⭐ | Medium (need dev skills or outsource) | High (monthly $1000-5000+) | Developers, tech entrepreneurs |
| Forum | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High (time + operation cost) | Very High (monthly $3000+) | Experienced community operators |
This table looks clear, but actual choice still depends on your situation.
Which Should I Choose?
If You’re a Beginner/Individual Creator
Don’t hesitate, start with a blog. Low cost, low risk, quick results. Even if early revenue isn’t high, at least you can see results in 3-6 months.
I came through this way back then. First blog monthly income was only $50, but it gave me hope. With this starting point, I had confidence to do tool sites and forums later.
If You Have Technical Background
Consider tool sites. Revenue potential is much larger than blogs. You don’t need to write articles daily, just need to make the tool well, traffic will come by itself.
But don’t be greedy, first make one small tool to test the waters. Don’t try to make a big comprehensive platform from the start, easy to fail.
If You Have Operation Experience + Long-Term Plans
Can try forums. But need to be mentally prepared for 1-2 years of investment. Early stage almost no revenue, all relies on passion and persistence.
I’ve seen too many people excitedly make forums, 3 months later find no activity and give up. Forums aren’t short-term projects, they’re long-term careers.
My Suggestion
No matter which you choose, don’t think about making big money from the start. First get the website going, accumulate experience and traffic, revenue is something that comes naturally.
Also don’t be greedy. Many people want to simultaneously do blog, tool site, forum from the start, result is none done well. Focus on one type, do it to the extreme, then consider expanding.
Review Tips + Revenue Optimization
Choosing the right type is just the first step, still need to pass AdSense review, then figure out how to increase revenue. I’ve stepped on mines in both these areas, sharing some practical experience.
3 Tips to Quickly Pass AdSense Review
Many people get rejected several times before passing, but mastering a few key points isn’t hard.
1. Content Quality Must Meet Standards
Google didn’t say specifically how many articles, but based on my experience: at least 20-30 original articles, each 800+ words.
Don’t think about just making up numbers. I’ve seen people write 10 low-quality articles in one day, still got rejected. Quality is more important than quantity.
Article content needs to have value—can solve problems, provide information, share experience. Don’t write those “today’s weather is really nice” diary entries.
2. Website Structure Must Be Complete
This point many people overlook. You need to have these pages:
- About Us (simple introduction to website and yourself)
- Contact (just leave an email)
- Privacy Policy (there are templates online, just modify)
- Disclaimer (also has templates)
These pages don’t need to be long, but must exist. Google will check.
3. Have a Traffic Foundation
Although official says no traffic requirement, I suggest at least 50-100 daily IPs before applying. Traffic too low, reviewers might think your website is still in early stage, not mature enough.
Where does traffic come from? SEO. When writing articles pay attention to keyword layout, after publishing share on social media. Don’t need much, just some.
4 Methods to Increase Revenue
Passing review is just the start, real challenge is how to make money.
1. Optimize Ad Placement
Position is too important. Same traffic, right ad placement, revenue can double.
I’ve tried many positions, currently most effective:
- Blog: Article top + middle interspersed + sidebar
- Tool site: Result page top + page bottom
- Forum: Middle of post list + bottom of post detail page
If you can, use heatmap tools to see user click areas, put ads near hot zones.
2. Increase Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Native ads (those that look like content) are way more effective than traditional display ads. Click rate can be 2-3 times higher.
Also ad size. I’ve tested, 336x280 and 300x250 rectangular ads work best. Don’t use those 468x60 banners, too obvious, nobody clicks.
3. Choose High-Price Keyword Content
This trick suits blogs. When writing articles, write more about finance, SaaS, enterprise services—these high CPC areas.
For example, among tech blogs, writing “Enterprise Database Selection” has much higher revenue than writing “Python Basic Syntax.” Because former’s advertisers are willing to pay higher prices.
4. Improve User Experience
Many people don’t think of this point. The longer users stay, lower bounce rate, the higher quality ads Google gives you, revenue also higher.
How to improve? Articles written attractively, website loads fast, layout clear and comfortable. Don’t let users want to leave as soon as they enter.
Common Misconceptions
Finally, talk about a few misconceptions that many beginners make.
Misconception 1: More Traffic Means Higher Revenue
Not necessarily. 1,000 precise traffic is worth way more than 10,000 junk traffic. Type and quality are more important than quantity.
Misconception 2: More Ads the Better
Wrong. Too many ads affect user experience, causing higher bounce rate, Google actually downgrades you. Moderation is good.
I’ve seen people hang 10 ad positions in one article, result RPM (revenue per thousand impressions) actually dropped.
Misconception 3: Once You Pass Review You Can Make Money
Passing review is just the start. You need to continuously optimize content, traffic, ad placement. Making money lying down is impossible.
This work needs patience. First 3 months revenue might be very low, but persist, it’ll slowly come up.
Conclusion
After saying so much, summarize the core points:
Blogs are the most suitable type for beginners. Low barrier, low risk, can see results in 3-6 months. If you’re good at writing, starting with a blog absolutely can’t go wrong.
Tool sites are the best choice for those with technical backgrounds. High revenue ceiling, and don’t need to produce content daily. But premise is you need dev skills, or willing to spend money outsourcing.
Forums need long-term investment but have the highest ceiling. If you have community operation experience, and willing to invest 1-2 years time, forums are worth trying. But really not recommended for beginners.
Back to that friend’s question at the beginning: 500 daily visits, $30 monthly income, is the type wrong?
The answer is: possibly. If he’s doing entertainment gossip blog, this revenue is normal. But if switched to tech tutorials or finance investment type, revenue could at least multiply by 5.
So, choosing the right type is really important.
My suggestion is: if you don’t have a website yet, start with a niche blog. Choose a topic you’re good at, write 1-2 original articles weekly, persist for 3-6 months then apply for AdSense. This is the lowest risk, easiest way to start.
After the blog gets going, have stable income and experience, then consider tool sites or forums isn’t too late. One step at a time, don’t rush.
Final question: What type of website are you currently operating? How’s the revenue situation? If you haven’t started yet, which type are you planning to choose? Welcome to share in the comments, let’s exchange experiences~
FAQ
Why is there such a big AdSense revenue difference between website types with the same traffic?
• Advertiser bidding: Finance, SaaS and other fields have high advertiser bids (CPC can reach $5-10), entertainment bids are low (CPC only $0.1-0.5)
• User intent: Search traffic users have clear purpose and high value, social media random traffic has low quality
• Content value: Professional practical content attracts high-value ads, entertainment leisure content can only match low-price ads
Typical case: Finance blog with 500 daily IPs earning $300/month, entertainment site with 5,000 daily IPs earning only $100/month, gap is 15x.
Should beginners choose blog, tool site, or forum?
• Low barrier: Don't need programming skills, can write then can do
• Low cost: Domain + server few hundred dollars settles it
• Quick results: 3-6 months can see revenue
• Low risk: Even if fail only time cost
After blog gets going and accumulating experience, those with technical background can switch to tool sites (higher revenue), those with operation experience can try forums (needs long-term investment 1-2 years).
What blog topics make the most money?
• Finance investment: CPM $8-20 (highest)
• Tech tutorials: CPM $5-15
• Tool reviews: CPM $4-10
• Practical life: CPM $3-8
Avoid low revenue topics: Emotional diary, entertainment gossip, game guides (CPM usually <$2).
Selection criteria: 1) Field you're good at 2) Has advertisers willing to spend money 3) Can continuously produce content.
Why is tool site revenue so much higher than blogs?
• High user quality: Come to solve specific problems (format conversion, calculate data), not browsing, advertisers willing to pay higher prices
• High advertiser bids: Attracts SaaS companies, enterprise services and other high-value advertisers, CPC can reach several dollars
• High repeat visit rate: Users bookmark and use repeatedly (like currency converter), brings stable traffic
Typical revenue: PDF conversion tool 500K monthly visits, monthly income $3,000-5,000; loan calculator 100K monthly visits, monthly income $1,500-2,500.
How much traffic and articles needed to pass AdSense review?
• Article count: At least 20-30 original articles, each 800+ words
• Traffic foundation: Suggest 50-100+ daily IPs (official not clear but actual approval rate higher)
• Website structure: Must have About Us, Contact, Privacy Policy, Disclaimer pages
• Content quality: Primarily original, can solve problems/provide information/share experience, can't be diary entries
Key point: Quality more important than quantity, don't think about writing 10 low-quality articles in one day to make up numbers, review still gets rejected.
Forums have no revenue early on, when can they become profitable?
• Months 1-6: Almost 0 income, need to produce content yourself for cold start
• Months 7-18: Monthly income $0-500, users slowly increase but unstable
• Months 19-24: After breaking 5,000 daily active starts accelerating, monthly income can reach $1,000-2,000
• 2 years+: Daily active over 10K, monthly income $2,000-5,000 or even higher
Key point: Forums are long-term career not short-term project, needs 1-2 years continuous investment. Those without community operation experience or unable to persist long-term, suggest doing blog or tool site first.
How should ad placement be arranged for highest revenue?
Blog:
• 1 at article top (user attention concentrated when just entering)
• 1 interspersed in middle (natural display during reading)
• 1 fixed in sidebar (continuous display)
Tool site:
• Result page top (after user completes operation)
• Page bottom (doesn't interfere with operation experience)
• Sidebar (secondary position)
Forum:
• Middle of post list (during browsing)
• Bottom of post detail page (after reading complete)
Avoid: Too many ads affect experience causing high bounce rate, Google actually downgrades. Moderation is enough.
18 min read · Published on: Jan 8, 2026 · Modified on: Jan 22, 2026
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