😴At 3 AM, I found myself staring blankly at the backend data. Two AdSense accounts were bringing in a decent income, which seemed promising at first glance. But when I looked closer, I realized that 90% of that revenue was generated by a single site. The other 29 websites collectively contributed a mere 10%. Honestly, that's the reality.
Everyone keeps telling you to create a "matrix" and build "in bulk," as if the more sites you have, the more money you'll make. I bought into that idea and spent two years launching over 30 sites. What happened? Most of those sites couldn't even get approved by AdSense, and the ones that did felt like empty shells—lots of traffic, but no conversions.
The one site that's truly profitable is the ninth one I built. It’s just a review site, nothing fancy. But it meets real user needs—that's the simple truth. I invested the same time and energy into other sites, and the results were worlds apart.
The irony is that in 2025, I created four subscription sites, and three of them started making sales. Sounds good, right? But when I crunched the numbers, I realized the earnings barely covered my API and domain costs. All that effort for nothing. This is the harsh reality that nobody shares in their social media feeds.
Eventually, I figured it out: building a website is easy, but making money from it is tough. You can set up a site in three days, but keeping it alive and valuable requires ongoing management and iteration.
When I upgraded the framework, I almost tanked my rankings. The core SEO parameters didn’t align between the old and new versions, leading to a drastic drop in traffic. After a week of tweaking and verifying parameters, I managed to claw my way back. Since then, I've realized a website isn’t just a one-and-done project; it’s a living entity.
Building backlinks is another tricky area. In 2025, free directory backlinks were almost useless. I tried a variety of approaches, only to find that I had to invest money after all. However, how you spend that money matters—consider brand keywords, whether the page can be indexed by Google, and if it can actually drive real traffic. The most effective method? Check popular domains, use backlink databases, and leverage AI for analysis.
Social media promotion is no different. In the AI era, creating videos is ridiculously easy, but that also means everyone is doing it. How do you stand out? Tools are just tools; your success hinges on how you use them. A programming newbie might use VSCode and Copilot, while someone with experience will use Antigravity Tools and Claude Code. The difference? It’s not the tools themselves; it’s knowing when and how to use them.
Choosing a domain name is almost an art. Everyone says to aim for .com or .net, but what if all the good ones are taken? You might add dashes, incorporate "ai," or try various variations. But you need to consider whether users will actually remember it.
Honestly, my advice to newcomers boils down to two points:
- If you lack programming skills, focus on ad monetization first.
- If you have programming experience, dive deep into SaaS sites.
Don't chase after every new tool; first, solidify your core business.
Let’s take a step back. I’m not here to brag about my success. On the contrary, this income is the result of two years of trial and error—the hidden costs of those 29 silent websites.
If I could start over, I’d probably just focus on three sites instead of 30. More quantity doesn’t always lead to quality; sometimes it just means more trial-and-error costs. But that's part of the growth process. You only truly understand the way forward by experiencing the pitfalls yourself. Others can show you a map, but only you can walk the path.
Finally, I want to say that the journey overseas isn’t easy. But when you see that first income hit your account, the feeling is genuine. It tells you that your hard work isn’t in vain and that you’re on the right path. So take the time you save from trial and error and invest it back into your life and the people you care about.
Starting today, focus on one site, and trust me.
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