Making decent ad revenue as a publisher is hard enough. Trying to do it without damaging your brand’s reputation? Even harder. That balance, i.e. earning strong CPMs while keeping your site clean and trustworthy, can feel like a constant trade-off. But it doesn’t have to be.
There are ways to boost your earnings without letting low-quality ads take over your pages. The key is being selective, strategic, and always keeping your audience in mind.
Start with the Right Ad Network
You can’t get quality results from a low-quality partner. If your ad network doesn’t prioritize brand safety, you’ll constantly be fighting an uphill battle. Sketchy ads, irrelevant placements, or spammy formats will sneak through, and your readers will notice.
The best ad networks are the ones that take both sides seriously: helping publishers earn strong CPMs while also filtering out inappropriate or damaging content. Look for a high CPM ad network that has clear advertiser guidelines, good support, and a reputation for working with reputable publishers. That one decision alone can make a massive difference in both your revenue and your peace of mind.
Content Still Comes First
It’s easy to get caught up in optimizing ad units and placements, but here’s the truth: if your content isn’t solid, your CPMs won’t be either.
Advertisers are willing to pay more for quality. That means sites that are trustworthy, have strong engagement, and keep users on the page. So, before tweaking your ad setup, take a step back and look at your content. Is it useful? Easy to read? Designed well?
Sites that load quickly, have a clean structure, and offer real value tend to see better performance across the board. Plus, when you focus on quality, you naturally attract better ad campaigns because premium brands want to be associated with good environments.
Be Selective About What You Allow
Most platforms give you control over the types of ads that appear on your site. Use that control.
It’s tempting to turn on every ad category to try to boost earnings, but that rarely works long-term. Low-quality categories—like misleading “you won’t believe this” clickbait or adult-themed ads—might offer slightly higher CPMs in the short term, but they chip away at your credibility. And once you lose trust, it’s hard to win it back.
Instead, take a few minutes to go through the categories and block anything that doesn’t align with your content or audience. It’s a small step, but it shows you’re paying attention and it helps build the kind of environment advertisers actually want to be in.
Placement Isn’t Just Technical, It’s Strategic
Where you put your ads has a big impact on how well they perform. But this isn’t just about sticking banners in high-traffic areas. You need to think about how your visitors experience your site.
Too many publishers cram ads into every corner, thinking more placements will mean more money. In reality, that approach often backfires. Users get frustrated. Bounce rates go up. And ad performance drops.
A better strategy is to test placements carefully. Try placing ads in natural break points; between sections, at the end of a post, or alongside content that readers spend time with. Track what works, but don’t overdo it. A few well-placed units can outperform five cluttered ones.
Viewability Matters More Than You Think
This one often gets overlooked, especially by newer publishers. Viewability, which is how long an ad is actually on screen, has become a key metric for advertisers. They don’t just want impressions. They want attention.
If your ad units are buried at the bottom of the page or shoved into awkward sidebars that users scroll past instantly, advertisers notice, and they pay less.
Improving viewability isn’t about flashy formats. It can be as simple as making sure ads appear in the main content area, or adjusting when they load so they stay visible longer. Sticky ads, responsive layouts, and minimal clutter all help here.
Don’t Just Set and Forget
One of the biggest mistakes publishers make? Getting everything set up, then walking away. If you’re serious about growing CPMs while keeping things clean, you have to keep an eye on performance.
Make it a habit to check your reporting. Are your top pages still performing well? Have certain ad units dropped in value? Did something strange start showing up that doesn’t belong on your site?
Even a quick weekly check-in can help you catch issues early. It also gives you ideas about what to test next, whether it’s blocking new categories, trying a new placement, or reworking content that’s lost traction.
Control When You Can
Depending on your setup, you may have the option to manually review certain ads before they go live. This isn’t always realistic, especially on large sites, but for many smaller publishers, it’s a powerful way to protect your brand.
If you can preview creatives or see which campaigns are showing up most often, use that info. You might be surprised by what’s getting through and how easy it is to block it. Even small adjustments can have a ripple effect across your site’s overall quality.
Quick Checklist to Keep CPM High and Your Site Clean
If you’re doing a regular site review or just want to make sure you’re on track, this quick checklist can help. Run through it monthly (or more often if you’re actively optimizing).
Ad Network Settings
☐ Partnered with a network known for brand safety
☐ Blocked unwanted ad categories (e.g. adult, misleading, spammy)
☐ Reviewed advertiser guidelines and approval options
Content & Site Quality
☐ Pages load in under 3 seconds
☐ Layout is clean and mobile-friendly
☐ Content keeps users engaged (low bounce rate, good scroll depth)
Ad Placement & Viewability
☐ Ads are placed within or near visible content (not hidden low on the page)
☐ Using formats that don’t interrupt the reading experience
☐ No more than 2–3 ad units per page unless carefully spaced
Performance Monitoring
☐ Checking CPM reports weekly
☐ Identifying pages with low viewability or CTR
☐ Testing changes one at a time (placement, layout, etc.)
Brand Alignment
☐ Ads feel relevant to your niche and audience
☐ No creatives clashing with your tone or values
☐ Manual review (if available) is used for high-traffic pages
Bringing It All Together
The bottom line? You don’t have to sacrifice brand safety to earn good money. In fact, the more you prioritize quality, both in your content and your ad setup, the more likely you are to attract high-paying, trustworthy advertisers.
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy here. But if you stay thoughtful, regularly review your site, and avoid shortcuts, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success. Clean pages, engaged readers, and consistent revenue…it’s all connected.
