Hey Dev Community! 👋
I want to share a real and recent experience that I hope others can learn from — especially those running blogs or websites and monetizing via ad networks like Adsterra, AdSense, etc.
🧩 The Setup
I'm running a niche blog (let’s call it NextTechFix.com) that publishes regular content around tech tools and software reviews. Since the last 6 months, my traffic has been pretty consistent, averaging around 80K to 100K monthly pageviews — mostly from tier 2 and tier 3 countries.
I’ve been using Adsterra for monetization — their display banners and social bar ads worked decently well in the beginning.
📉 The Drop
Last month, I noticed something strange:
Despite no major changes in traffic, layout, or content, my earnings dropped by over 60%.
Let me break it down:
Month Traffic Earnings
May 93K $480
June 96K $510
July 91K $192 ❗
Same geo, same ad units, same everything.
🔍 What I Checked
Here’s what I audited from my side:
✅ No decrease in impressions or CTR.
✅ Ads were loading fine.
✅ No change in visitor quality (according to GA metrics).
✅ Bounce rate, time on site, all stable.
I even did A/B testing by disabling one ad type at a time — still no difference.
📧 Contacting Support
I contacted Adsterra support and explained the full situation. Here's a snippet of the message I sent:
"My traffic is consistent and setup is unchanged, yet my earnings have dropped drastically. Could you please investigate and let me know if something has changed from your side or if any optimizations are recommended?"
To their credit, they responded within 24 hours.
Their reply?
"We’ve noticed a general fluctuation in CPM rates for your geo and vertical. We recommend trying new ad formats like Interstitial or Popunder to improve revenue."
💡 Lessons Learned
Here’s what I took away from this:
Ad networks aren’t always transparent — sometimes the drop is simply market-driven, not technical.
Revenue ≠ Traffic — good traffic doesn’t always mean good earnings.
Diversify early — never depend on one ad format or network.
Try new formats — Popunders and direct links might annoy users but can work well for specific traffic types.
Always monitor CPM rates by GEO — even small shifts in your audience location can impact RPM.
✅ What I’m Doing Now
Testing different ad placements and formats.
Trying AdSense + Adsterra hybrid setup.
Starting to build an email list and considering affiliate offers relevant to my niche.
🧠 Final Thought
If you’re seeing similar revenue drops and your traffic is stable — don’t panic, but don’t ignore it either. Reach out, test, optimize, and most importantly — diversify.
Hope this case helps someone out there! If you’ve faced something similar, drop your experience in the comments. 👇
Or visit https://ilite-blue.com to get us your feedback about what you have learned and what you want to share.
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