Big site or many

[web_guy_08]

What is the consensus of having one big adsense site or having many targeted sites that may be able to earn money faster, and with many of them might be as good or better than all your eggs in one basket with the big adsense site.

Also, what is the most effective way to find profitable adsense niches? I know no one will answer that last question...LOL.

[Swanny007]

The consensus is there is no consensus. I've been running sites for 8 years. I have two "medium" size sites that makes most of the money and a bunch of smaller sites that are basically for fun (but do make a little profit).

[annej]

I think a big site has a lot more internal linking power but I still run a couple of small sites. I like to know I have a back up if anything should happen to the big one.

[Woz]

The key is diversification, not only in sites but also in topics and revenue streams. IE., many eggs, many baskets.

Onya
Woz

[buckworks]

You need to find a balance between the benefits of diversification and the dangers of spreading yourself too thin, though.

[nippi]

many good big sites, not all running adsense. set up intentionally to run without adsense so its not an walls come tumbling down situation if you get chucked.

[Hobbs]

You need to set your priorities right:

A) Good traffic
get it from one site or 200, does not matter much, whatever you need to do to have good quality and volume traffic is what you must consider as a FIRST.
B) The rest is easy
:-)

[golftrainer]

Okay...pretty much what I am doing. Thanks!

[YesMom]

I don't know what is "best" -- but here's what I have, by default. One BIG site where I tweak and test and make 80% of my income... and a few dozen little sites where I work hard to build them into big sites. Mix of AdSense and affiliate income on the big one, especially, to not put all my eggs in one basket.

YM

[golftrainer]

I have a similar approach.

[ronburk]

Also, what is the most effective way to find profitable adsense niches?

If you want to strike oil, then learn the basics of what geology can tell you about where to look -- and then drill as many holes as quickly and as cheaply as you can.

[farmboy]

What is the consensus of having one big adsense site...

What is an "adsense site?"

...and with many of them might be as good or better than all your eggs in one basket with the big adsense site.

Spreading your eggs around is a good idea. On the other hand, you're operating from one AdSense account so even with lots of sites, your eggs are still in one basket.

FarmBoy

[HuskyPup]

so even with lots of sites, your eggs are still in one basket.

Not necessarily so, I had #2 core site hit with the -950 penalty Xmas 2006, it took me a while to resolve why I had been hit however by the time it was back in the SERPs etc just over 3 months had passed meanwhile my #1 core site and most satellites remained unaffected and earning "normally".

one big adsense site or having many targeted sites that may be able to earn money faster

It will all depend on your subject matter and whether you have enough unique content to construct a 20-50 page mini authority site.

I do have many sites all based around similar specialised construction products sourced from many different countries. If you have the in-depth knowledge and resources to write about your subject matter, great, if not be very careful about what you write since it will come and bite you hard if you get it incorrect or blatantly copy someone else's work.

My articles and information are copied ad verbatim a lot yet it's very rare any of them appear in the SERPs as an authority page.

what is the most effective way to find profitable adsense niches?

What do you know about? Has it been written before and is it expertly covered?

Usually a subject that has several more pages of "More Sponsored Links »" on the SERPs pages means plenty of advertisers which may mean better paying ads.

[farmboy]

Not necessarily so...

I was referring to a banning from AdSense encompassing all the sites in an account.

FarmBoy

[HuskyPup]

I was referring to a banning from AdSense encompassing all the sites in an account.

Yep, I realised that however it's also important to point out that having several sites can better safeguard earnings IF one of them is penalised for any reason...e.g. an algo update as in my, and many others for that matter, -950 penalty.

That site lost 75% of its organic traffic and earnings with no warning whatsoever and, of course, no hint from G as to what may have been wrong, if anything. The search forum here has a thread a million miles long trying to fathom it out and is still going on in Part 12!

If you're interested it's here:

[webmasterworld.com...]