As a long-time web developer, I have always used AdSense for monetizing because it was the easiest and most efficient way. However, it is definitely not the most profitable route. Let’s examine and compare AdSense to Text-Link-Ads.

AdSense
Google’s marketing service is debatebly the largest ad network. You can get targeted ads on a site of nearly any subject. For marketers, you have the largest range of websites and keywords to promote your product and service over. AdSense is clearly the easiest route to make money on your website.

However, AdSense has its own share of issues. Publishers have little control over the ads. Their choices are basically dumbed down to position and colors — Google does the rest. For marketers, Google offers few tools for customizing and direct targeting.

The biggest complaint with AdSense is the pennies-a-day setup. If your site only gets 50 unique visitors a day, you’ll be lucky to make 5 dollars a month with AdSense. Marketers can pay whatever they want, and then Google takes a large cut of the pay.

Text-Link-Ads
This hot new service takes the principle idea of AdSense - friendly, uninvasive, text-link ads - and turns it into a full-fledged market place. Instead of random generated adverts, you submit your site to the categorical listings. Text-Link-Ads analyzes your site based on its Alexa ranking and other info, and then sets the cost range to advertise on your site.

You get to decide how many and where you want the ads to display on your site. They are a simple, one line link to the marketer’s website. Next, potential advertisers can scan through the listings — if they like your site, they can pay the monthly fee to get their link placed on it.

The best part about Text-Link-Ads is that its a win-win. Monthly advertising can range anywhere from $10 to $300 depending on the site, and Text-Link-Ads only takes half the cut! That means if you offer 8 link spots on your site, and they all fill up at $50 a month, you’re making a basic $400/month right there.

Don’t worry, if no one wants to advertise on your site, you can still become a Text-Link-Ad affiliate. By converting visitors to Text-Link-Ads, you get a small payout (still miles better than Google’s $1 Affiliate program). Even though I am an affiliate, I did not write this article to promote them.

In several weeks, after I have had time to accumulate data, I’ll let everyone know how each service compares $-wise.