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Monetising with Ads vs. Affiliate Links: Which Works Best for Beginners?

When you first start a blog, you’ll probably ask yourself: should I focus on ads or affiliate links? Both can make you money, but they work in very different ways. Here’s a beginner-friendly breakdown so you can decide which path is right for you—or if you should combine them.

How Ads Work

Ad networks like Google AdSense or Ezoic place display ads on your blog. You earn money every time someone views or clicks the ads. The more traffic you have, the more you can earn.

• Pros: Simple to set up, passive once approved, works with any niche.
• Cons: Requires significant traffic to make decent money, lower payouts per visitor.

How Affiliate Links Work

Affiliate marketing pays you a commission when someone buys a product through your link. Amazon Associates, Awin, and CJ Affiliate are great starting points. A single sale can often pay more than hundreds of ad impressions.

• Pros: Higher earnings per conversion, great for niche-specific products, flexible across platforms.
• Cons: Takes effort to write convincing content, income depends on sales not just visits.

Which One Should You Start With?

If you’re brand new and don’t have traffic yet, start with affiliate links. They allow you to monetise even a small audience by focusing on buyer-intent content like reviews and comparisons. As your traffic grows, add ads for a steady passive income stream. Combining both usually delivers the best results.

Beginner Strategy

1. Start your blog on Blogger for free.
2. Write 5–10 product-focused posts with affiliate links.
3. Promote on Pinterest and Quora for free traffic.
4. Apply for AdSense once you hit 1,000+ visitors/month.

Final Thoughts

Ads and affiliate links aren’t rivals—they’re partners. Start with affiliate content for higher early returns, then layer ads for steady passive income. Over time, this dual approach will give your blog the best chance to grow into a real income stream.

Resources

Want to see exactly how to combine ads and affiliate links for maximum profit? Click here for a special step-by-step guide that shows you how to build and monetise your blog the smart way.