ID: 383
Category: Computer Ramblings
Added: 14th of November 2024
Views: 91
I started My Computer Tips in 2015 as something to do in my spare time to provide help and advice to other Linux users. Over the years I added more tips and tutorials and the site grew in popularity. With 250 visitors a day it felt like the right time to turn on Google Adsense to try and earn a little bit of money.
I wasn't earning much, about £2.50 a month but everything was on an upwards trajectory. In 2023 Google decided to update the search algorithm and overnight I lost 50% of my traffic. My revenue also dropped down to 0.01p a day. I did everything I could to make sure Google was looking at my site correctly, but I'm still not seeing the same amount of visitors as I did in 2023.
I was not the only site that suffered from this update, with many other users complaining about the same thing. It seems to me Google doesn't put as much focus on regular websites anymore. It might also explain why other computer related websites that I have visited are now littered with auto ads due to drop in visitors and possibly revenue on their own websites.
Given the choice, most computer users will already have adblockers installed, so there will be no revenue coming from these visitors, which is why I decided to turn off Adsense completely on My Computer Tips. Having adverts disrupting the flow of my own tips and tutorials really wasn't worth it anymore and It really just sums up the way the Internet has gone over the last 5 years, and I think things will become tougher.
Losing that amount visitors was annoying, and all I was doing in the end was chasing the Adsense revenue and had forgotten why I started My Computer Tips in the first place, to provide quality content and also enjoy doing it at the same time.
So what is the point of running a website if you are not making any money? Do it because it is something you are passionate about, and if you make money along way it's a bonus, just don't put all your eggs in one basket.
