There’s something undeniably appealing about earning passive income through affiliate marketing.
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Who wouldn’t love the idea of a website generating money while you sleep?
The reality, though, is that passive income is rarely truly passive. Earning from a website, even in a hands-off way, still requires considerable effort. However, integrating pay-per-click (PPC) affiliate programs can significantly reduce this workload.
With PPC affiliate programs, once your site starts attracting traffic, someone else handles the heavy lifting. You get paid simply for hosting links, images, or videos on your site that visitors click on. This is similar to display ad networks, where you earn each time someone clicks and is directed to an advertiser.
We’re about to reveal 10 of the best pay-per-click affiliate programs available. We’ve used several of these ourselves, which is how we’re able to generate substantial income each month.
10 Best Pay-Per-Click Affiliate Programs in 2024 (Top PPC Sites)
Some of the PPC programs we’re about to share with you can rival the earning potential of the Amazon Associates program.
But before we dive into the details, there’s one crucial point we need to cover.
To improve your chances of being accepted by these programs, avoid discussing controversial or sensitive topics on your site.
If your content is edgy or focuses on topics like politics, religion, sexuality, violence, firearms, illegal activities, malware, or torrents, your approval chances will be significantly reduced.
The advertisers in the programs below are extremely risk-averse and prefer to steer clear of sites associated with contentious content. If you’re just starting out, it’s wise to keep your content neutral and brand-safe to maximize your opportunities.
Top Pay-Per-Click Affiliate Programs:
1. AdSense
2. Media.net
3. Ezoic
4. Mediavine
5. AdThrive
6. Skimlinks
7. Propeller Ads
8. Infolinks
9. Outbrain
10. RevenueHits
1 Adsense
This was back in the early 2000s, when AdSense was the leading—and often the only—option in the affiliate marketing space.
Today, AdSense faces strong competition from other platforms, many of which now surpass Google’s offering. The first challenge with AdSense is that it’s notoriously difficult to get approved. But even more significantly, earning a full-time income from AdSense has become much harder.
This is mainly due to their RPM (revenue per mille), which measures how much you can earn per 1,000 visitors. In the early days of PPC affiliate marketing, RPMs of $30 were quite common. Even beginners like me could make money, with clicks earning anywhere from $1 to $10.
Now, you’d be lucky to earn 10 cents per click unless you’re in a highly profitable niche like affiliate marketing, insurance, or web hosting.
That said, if you already have traffic in those niches, there are other, more lucrative ways to monetize without AdSense.
Where Google still dominates the competition is through its YouTube AdSense program, particularly with social media influencers, where it remains unrivaled—at least for now.
URL: Google AdSense sign-up
Traffic requirements: None
RPM: Up to $7
Affiliate program: None
Payment threshold: $100
Payment frequency: Net 30
2 Media.net
Media.net is often the first choice for affiliate marketing publishers looking to increase their earnings through PPC affiliate programs.
Many beginners start with AdSense by default when monetizing their websites. However, it often takes them months to realize they could potentially double their income by exploring other pay-per-click options, like Media.net.
Media.net boosts your earnings by pulling ads from the Yahoo Bing Network. Plus, you don’t have to abandon AdSense to use Media.net—both platforms can coexist on the same page. This is a strategy experienced affiliate publishers use to maximize earnings per click.
In terms of RPM, Media.net offers around $10, with higher earnings possible if your content focuses on lucrative topics such as credit cards or personal finance.
We recently tested Media.net and saw a 5x increase in earnings from the same traffic volume, making this PPC affiliate program definitely worth your consideration.
URL: Media.net sign-up
Traffic requirements: 5,000 monthly visitors
RPM: Up to $10
Affiliate program: Yes
Payment threshold: $100
Payment frequency: Net 30
3 Ezoic
Ezoic entered the scene as a competitor to AdSense back in 2010 and has since gained significant popularity among affiliate marketing publishers, particularly those running large content sites.
So, why are many switching to this PPC affiliate program?
The primary reason is Ezoic's ability to offer a much higher RPM than AdSense or Media.net. With Ezoic, you can earn up to $15 per 1,000 visitors, rivaling many top affiliate programs. However, your site must have at least 10,000 unique visitors per month to qualify.
Ezoic also uses machine learning to automatically optimize ad placements on your site, saving you the hassle of manually managing ad blocks. Additionally, their referral program pays you 3% of your referral’s lifetime earnings.
URL: Ezoic sign-up
Traffic requirements: 10,000 monthly visitors
RPM: Up to $15
Affiliate program: Yes
Payment threshold: $20
Payment frequency: Net 30
4 media Vine
Mediavine is a prime choice for affiliates who are generating significant traffic and looking to increase their earnings.
However, this PPC affiliate program is much more selective about the publishers it partners with. While other pay-per-click programs also work with high-quality sites, Mediavine sets the bar higher.
A key example of this is their entry requirement—you must have at least 50,000 unique visitors per month to be considered. This weeds out lower-quality, churn-and-burn affiliate sites, leaving more revenue for serious publishers.
Mediavine's earning potential is one of its biggest draws, offering RPMs of up to $30, much higher than many competitors. With 50,000 visitors, you could expect to earn around $1,500 per month or even more, putting it on par with Amazon Associates for earning potential.
One thing to note is that Mediavine’s payment terms are net 65, meaning your February earnings won’t be paid until May.
URL: Mediavine sign-up
Traffic requirements: 50,000 monthly visitors
RPM: Up to $30
Affiliate program: No
Payment threshold: $25
Payment frequency: Net 65
5 AdThrive
If you thought Mediavine’s entry requirements were high, you might want to brace yourself—AdThrive sets the bar even higher. To qualify, your site needs at least 100,000 unique visitors per month.
Even after meeting this threshold, AdThrive conducts a thorough vetting process to ensure your audience aligns well with their advertisers. They also check to see if you're in good standing with other major PPC affiliate programs.
AdThrive's focus is on fostering a high-quality relationship between advertisers, publishers, and their platform. This attention to quality pays off, as they offer RPMs ranging from $12 to $30 per 1,000 visitors, placing them far ahead of most other PPC programs.
URL: AdThrive sign-up
Traffic requirements: 100,000 monthly visitors
RPM: Up to $30
Affiliate program: No
Payment threshold: $25
Payment frequency: Net 45
6 Skimlinks
Skimlinks is one of the longest-standing pay-per-click affiliate programs, having outlasted many of its competitors. It provides affiliate marketers with a way to monetize their content without directly joining individual affiliate programs.
The process is simple: install their script on your site, and Skimlinks will recommend products you can link to within your content. They pay a 75/25 revenue split on all commissions earned, and the best part is you don’t have to worry about tracking or managing any technical details—they handle that for you.
While Skimlinks focuses on affiliate programs rather than just advertisers, the distinction between Skimlinks and traditional pay-per-click affiliate programs is minimal since they both generate revenue from links.
Additionally, Skimlinks has a referral program that pays you a 35% cut of your referrals' commissions for their first 12 months on the platform.
One thing to note: they operate on a net 90 payment schedule, so expect a bit of a wait before receiving your earnings.
Also, as of March 31st, 2020, they no longer support Amazon affiliate links.
URL: Skimlinks sign-up
Traffic requirements: None
RPM: Varies depending on the niche
Affiliate program: Yes
Payment threshold: $65
Payment frequency: Net 90
7 Propeller Ads
You might not have heard of PropellerAds, but with over 150,000 affiliate publishers onboard, it’s certainly gaining traction.
So, how does it stack up against other PPC affiliate programs?
For one, PropellerAds is compatible with Google AdSense, meaning you can display multiple affiliate ads on the same page without issue. They also actively moderate their ad inventory to minimize risks like malware. However, they do serve adult content, so you'll want to ensure that fits with your audience.
One unique feature is their ability to bypass ad-blocking technology, which could potentially boost your earnings by around 20%.
As for earnings, their RPMs top out at about $7, which isn’t the highest, but they do offer fast payouts. Payments are made every Thursday as long as you've earned over $5 in the previous week, making it the quickest payout schedule among PPC affiliate programs.
Lastly, their referral program gives you a 5% cut of all revenue generated by your referrals for their entire time with PropellerAds.
URL: PropellerAds sign-up
Traffic requirements: None
RPM: Up to $7
Affiliate program: Yes
Payment threshold: $5
Payment frequency: Net 7
8 Infolinks
Infolinks is another pay-per-click affiliate program similar to Skimlinks, but with a few distinctions. They proudly claim to be the 3rd largest PPC company of their kind globally and have an impressive roster of advertisers, including brands like Nike and Netflix.
What makes Infolinks stand out is its real-time traffic analysis, which ensures that the ads displayed are the best fit for your visitors.
While their RPM of up to $5 might not seem particularly high, there are a couple of advantages:
1. You can use Infolinks ads alongside other PPC programs like AdSense.
2. Even with a modest RPM, it’s still 2x to 5x higher than a typical AdSense unit.
Infolinks also offers a referral program, allowing you to earn 10% of the revenue generated by affiliate publishers you refer to the platform.
URL: Infolinks sign-up
Traffic requirements: None
RPM: Up to $5
Affiliate program: Yes
Payment threshold: $50
Payment frequency: Net 45
9 Outbrain
Outbrain operates differently from many other pay-per-click affiliate programs mentioned here. While most focus on having you host ads on your site and pay you for each click, Outbrain also allows publishers to purchase ad space from other affiliates within their network. This unique approach benefits both advertisers and affiliate marketers, which may explain why they’ve been in business for nearly two decades.
They collaborate with prominent companies like 3M, Lego, Merck, Panasonic, Disney, and IHG, among others. Outbrain claims to offer publishers the highest RPMs, but they don’t provide concrete proof of this claim. However, after some research, it's evident that most publishers experience a healthy RPM ranging from $5 to $10.
One standout feature is their ongoing analysis of ad performance on your site, which helps optimize ads to maximize your RPM. Do keep in mind, though, that payment can take up to three months.
URL: Outbrain sign-up
Traffic requirements: 3 million monthly visitors (not a typo)
RPM: Up to $10
Referral program: No
Payment threshold: $50
Payment frequency: Net 60 or Net 90
10 Revenue Hits
RevenueHits operates as a CPA (cost-per-action) program, meaning you only earn money when a user clicks on an ad and completes a specific action. This model is akin to traditional affiliate links, where you earn only when the advertiser receives payment, rather than getting paid for each click like with AdSense and similar platforms.
Of course, they monitor click farms and fraudulent traffic, so it's crucial to send genuine visitors. Driving low-quality traffic to Revenue Hits won’t yield results, as conversions are essential.
Is this affiliate program worth your time? The answer is Yes, especially if your site attracts a decent volume of warm traffic. That’s how you can achieve those $10 RPM figures with this program.
RevenueHits offers various ad formats, including display ads, floating ads, footer ads, pop-unders, and more. They are also slightly more accepting of “edgy” content, making them a good option if other programs have turned you away.
Additionally, they have a referral program that rewards you with 10% of the earnings generated by any referral within their first 12 months.
URL: RevenueHits sign-up
Traffic requirements: None
RPM: Up to $10
Affiliate program: Yes
Payment threshold: $20 (PayPal)
Payment frequency: Net 30
Over to You
It’s interesting to reflect on how much Google has declined in the pay-per-click affiliate market. Once considered unbeatable, they've now been overshadowed by companies leveraging only a fraction of their resources.
This shift is strange but ultimately great news for you. It’s a testament to how a free market should function—where the best providers rise to the top. Pay-per-click affiliate programs like AdThrive and Mediavine are now leading the way, allowing numerous other companies to flourish. Clearly, Google has dropped the ball!
This variety gives you an extra avenue to earn money through pay-per-click affiliate programs on your site.
Are you unsure how to create an affiliate site? No worries! We’re here to guide you with our free training. Investing your time wisely will equip you with the knowledge and skills to launch a basic website.
And don’t worry—it’s not a pitch-fest where we spend most of our time bragging about ourselves. We share the same valuable insights that many so-called gurus hide behind pricey courses.
So, if you're tired of binge-watching Netflix, Disney+, or any other content, why not take the leap and sign up? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Just let us know the best email address to send your invite!
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