What a Small Blog Needs Before Applying to Ad Networks

I applied to my first ad network too early. My site had twelve posts, half of them link roundups, and no contact page. The rejection note was polite but clear: come back when the site looks like a publication, not a placeholder.

Since then I keep a short checklist before I fill out any application. It saves time and awkward emails.

The first item is original writing. Reviewers want to see posts that only exist on your site. Syndicated pieces and spun summaries read thin, and a reviewer can usually tell within a minute. I aim for a handful of substantial posts that show what the blog is actually about, not a hundred short filler entries.

Second, a privacy policy. If you run analytics or ad scripts, you need a page that says what you collect and why. Templates are fine as a starting point, but I read mine against the tools I actually use and update it when I add something. A missing policy is one of the fastest ways to get an application parked.

Third, a contact page with a real way to reach me. An email address is enough. A form that goes nowhere is worse than nothing.

Fourth, steady traffic. Not huge, just steady. I look at whether weekly sessions have held roughly level for a couple of months. A spike from one viral post does not count for much, and reviewers know it.

Fifth, clean navigation. Categories that make sense, a working search, no pop-ups covering the article on load. If I cannot find my own older posts in three clicks, I fix that before applying.

Then there is the part people skip: reading each network’s current minimums. Traffic floors, content rules, accepted regions, payment terms — they differ, and they change. I keep a short list of networks that fit my size and check the terms on their own sites before I apply. It also helps to compare requirements side by side, which is what I use AdNetworkRank for.

None of this guarantees approval. But a site that looks cared for, with a policy, a contact route, and a few months of steady numbers, gets a fairer read than one that does not.

— Daniel Hayes