How do you monetize a blog? It isn't hard. You can use Google Adsense, text link ads, affiliate products and much more.

Adsense

For the blogger who doesn't have their own product, it's still possible to earn money from their blog thanks to Google Adsense. Google Adsense is free to join and easy to set up.

As you write the content for your blog, keep in mind that the ads shown are dependant upon the surrounding content on your web pages. Also, experiment with the placement of the ads to discover where the ads sit that get the most clicks.

Many believe that the best places for the ads are at the top left, at the bottom of the first post on the page and in the footer. Unless your blog is strictly for getting clicks for Adsense, don't clutter the site with too many Adsense ads. A few ads strategically placed are best.

Unless you are in a niche that provides you with high costs per click, you can expect to make anywhere from ten cents a click to one dollar. There are niches that pay several dollars.

Of course, the more traffic you get to your site the more sales you will make, resulting in a higher income. There are sites that earn a few cents a day and there are sites that earn thousands a month. It all depends on the niche and the traffic.

Products

Another avenue for making money with your blog is to create and sell a product. Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula walks you through each step involved for creating a product, preparing to sell it, and launching it to the public. Anyone who wants to sell their own products online would be wise to invest in Jeff's product.

Selling a product, whether it is an ebook you acquired with resell rights or a product you made yourself, is usually a better way of making significant income. Done correctly, including researching what the public wants, you can usually make a better income selling your own product than depending on Adsense. There are always the exceptions.

Affiliate

Another way to make money with your blog is to promote affiliate programs. When researching the topic for your blog investigate what affiliate programs are available.

There are many resources for affiliate products including Commission Junction, Clickbank, and hundreds of online stores that offer affiliate programs. For instance, if you have a pet site then possible affiliate programs would include Petsmart and PetCo.

Referrals

Perhaps you are in a niche that would attract viewers who need a loan, a credit card, or debt relief. There are many companies that will pay you, the blog owner, a significant amount to refer people to their site to simply fill out a form. For each person you refer who fills out a form, you get paid as much as $45, or even more.

Text Ads

This new type of advertising is still growing and evolving and the majority of ads being served are not graphical but text-based in nature. As a publisher, you can earn cash by selling ads on your blog yourself, or you can use a third party ad service and run their ads on your site. Once you've setup an account and placed the ads on your site, just sit back and watch the cash come in.

How Long for any Income

It's not going to happen overnight, but it shouldn't be long, maybe two or three months, before your blog is bringing in an income that covers your blogging expenses. A little longer, and each blog should make enough to pay some of your living expenses.

Depending on how diligently you pursue blogging as an income source, you could be making a significant amount of money within a year or two, especially if you create your own product.