Has your traffic ever increased, but your earnings didn’t budge? Remember - when it comes to monetizing your traffic, not all sessions will earn equally, and there are lots of factors that influence how much you can earn from a user's visit. This includes things like their geographic location, device type, traffic source, and so much more.
Advertisers bid different amounts depending on where the user is located. Countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia tend to have higher ad spending because there is more demand, leading to higher earnings per session.
In addition to geography and device type, earnings can also vary based on:
- Session duration and user engagement
- Seasonality! 1,000 sessions in Q4 will typically earn more than 1,000 sessions in Q1.
- Page content and ad placement
- Time of day / Week. Demand can fluctuate depending on what day of the week. Saturdays typically earn better than Tuesdays - but that’s all subject to the site itself and its audience.
A few examples:
- 1,000 sessions from the U.S. could earn significantly more than 1,000 sessions from Italy due to higher advertiser demand.
- A thousand sessions on desktop may earn more than mobile traffic since there are more ad placements available for bigger screens.
- Readers from a Facebook post that spent less time on a site won’t monetize the same way as organic Google traffic that spends more time engaging with your content.
So, What Should You Do?
Fluctuations in earnings are normal, and session values will always vary. The important thing to remember is that you don’t need every session to earn the same. That’s not realistic — or necessary.
Instead, focus on long-term strategies that build:
- High-quality, engaged traffic
- Content that’s optimized for your readers AND your ads.
- Original posts and content that perform well year-round
Journey’s technology takes care of the rest, working in the background to maximize your revenue on every session.