Alternatives to AdSense

Many people have started using Google's AdSense service, others find it too risky or it simply doesn't meet their needs in terms of an ad programme. Fortunately, there are a number of AdSense competitors that aim to address some of the programme's weaknesses. Here's a list of the most notable from the collection, along with a brief description of each offering.

AllFeeds (http://www.allfeeds.com/?action=publishers) AllFeeds offers a large number of online marketers to choose from. It also offers a variety of ad formats. Banners, buttons, XML feeds, DHTML pop-ups and so on are examples. It also provides real-time reports on the status of your adverts. If you earn more than $25.00 per month, you will receive a cheque. If not, your earnings will be carried over to the next month. Another interesting feature of AllFeeds is the connection with Google AdSense, so you can maximise your AdSense profits.

MarketBanker (http://www.marketbanker.com/mb/sell.php) MarketBanker offers you the unique opportunity to create your own pricing for your website. You also have the option to accept or decline any link that is displayed on your website (although AdSense itself does this very well with URL filters). There is also a statistics section where you can check the performance of your website. The adverts are the same size as AdSense's and are just as easy to place. Registration with MarketBanker is also free.

BidClix (http://www.bidclix.com/PubTop.html) BidClix is unique in that it gives advertisers the opportunity to compete for clicks on your website, resulting in the highest possible revenue for your site. It also provides a huge pool of advertisers so that your site can be seen by a large number of people. However, it requires a higher level of sophistication in terms of your site's content than AdSense. As with most websites, real-time data is provided. Getting started with this service is extremely easy, but it is also very versatile.

AdHearus (http://adhearus.com/webmaster.php) AdHearus is a contextual ad provider with many features. The adverts are targeted, just like AdSense, but that's not all. You can choose between text ads, banners, rectangles, pop-ups, pop-unders or skyscrapers for your ads. You can also display your own adverts on your website and on other partner websites through rotation, making AdHearus a combination of traditional advertising technologies. There is an extensive online real-time reporting component and, as with other programmes of this type, it is free and easy to get started.

AffiliateSensor (http://www.affiliatesensor.com/) AffiliateSensor offers highly customised ad units that you can create via an intuitive online interface. You can also analyse clicks in real time by domain, page and creator. AffiliateSensor also integrates with Google AdSense via the alternative Google Ads URL, so it can be used as a replacement for Google PSAs (Public Service Ads).

Kanoodle Bright Ads (http://www.kanoodle.com/about/brightads.cool) Kanoodle's service allows publishers to receive topic- or segment-based adverts instead of keyword-based adverts. To ensure that the ads generate high revenue, your website and publishers' websites are manually grouped with the advertisers. And while we're on the subject of revenue: The amount you earn is half of what Kanoodle receives for an advertiser.

TargetPoint (http://publisher.targetpoint.com) TargetPoint is primarily aimed at content creators. It gives you complete control over the appearance of your ads, as well as analyses of your site's overall performance and revenue growth. Signing up is completely free, and you get a guaranteed 60 % of all the money. You can pay via Paypal, bank cheque and (most commonly) bank transfer.

Clicksor (http://www.clicksor.com) Clicksor can pay you up to 60% of the revenue generated by your website. You get something similar to AdSense in terms of targeted text ads and the ability to track your site's earnings in real time. If you've earned more than 50 $, you can receive the money via PayPal or by cheque every fortnight. If you have not earned enough, your earnings will be carried over to the next period.

Bidvertiser (http://www.bidvertiser.com/) Bidvertiser, like AdSense, places text advertising on your site. The difference, however, is that advertisers compete for your ad space, so you are guaranteed to earn as much money as possible. This also means that bids will increase over time, allowing you to earn even more money. You also get a wonderful opportunity to customise your advertising using an easy-to-use tool, as well as complete data on the health of your site.

Quigo AdSonar (http://www.quigo.com/adsonarpublishers.htm) Quigo AdSonar ensures relevance by applying a filter based on the categories of your website. It also provides you with online data about the health of your website and gives you the option to replace unprofitable ads with your own customised ads. It's easy to set up, similar to AdSense, and is highly configurable.

IntelliTXT (http://www.intellitxt.com/site/web 01a.html) User-activated advertising is available through Vibrant Media IntelliTXT, which highlights keywords in the content of the page and displays corresponding adverts when the user hovers over them. It uses a pay-for-performance pricing model and, because it is unobtrusive, can be easily combined with other advertising tactics. You have complete control and can easily integrate it into your website using simple JavaScript.

Nixie (http://www.nixxie.com/display.php?section=Partners) Nixie claims to have developed technology that can read and understand your website so that it can display the most relevant material. Nixie offers text adverts as well as price comparisons and live auctions. It is easy to set up and has a reasonable payment policy.

MIVA AdRevenue Xpress (http://www.miva.com/us/content/partners/arx.asp) Small and medium-sized publishers will benefit from MIVA AdRevenue Xpress. It has a search box function, a category directory and a 404 error page. You can connect it to your site with a simple online wizard.

Fastclick (http://www.fastclick.com/publish.html) Fastclick gives you a full 65 per cent share of the revenue generated by a click on your website. Payments are made monthly, either via PayPal or by cheque. Adverts can be formatted as you wish. Fastclick offers free help to its members. Registration for the programme is also free.

ContextAd (http://www.contextweb.com/Corporate/publisher/publisher.shtml) ContextAd allows you to create contextual adverts for dynamic pages, meaning your adverts change as your page changes. It's easy to use, registration is free and payment methods are straightforward. Ads are fully customisable and real-time reporting is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

AdBrite (http://www.adbrite.com/) AdBrite allows publishers to insert text adverts on their pages. These are placed at your own prices on websites that you manually authorise, making it somewhat similar to a traditional advertising programme. You can also include an "Add Here" button that gives customers instant access to ad space on your site. It can also be used in conjunction with Google AdSense to increase your CTR while allowing advertisers to display their links in your Google AdSense space. You have complete control over the look and feel of your adverts. You receive 75 % of what the advertiser pays for each click.

As you can see, there are many options for this type of advertising and also many hybrid forms based on AdSense. A variety of services can be used in conjunction with AdSense so that you can earn even more money with your advertising space.