Whether you are a webmaster or intend to turn a profit from blogging, Google AdSense would probably be your starting point.
This is supported by the fact that there are people out there making thousands of dollars by monetizing their websites using this service. But you may be wondering why there is a drop in AdSense CPC?
Moreover, why is CPC low in Asian countries?
Let us dive into this matter, but first, some backstory.
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What is Google AdSense, again?
Google AdSense is deemed by many of its users to be the best way to make money, especially if you are a blogger.
By matching text and display ads to your website based on your content and visitors, it can provide you with a hefty income. Since its launch in the early 2000s, AdSense has come a long way and has had many improvements over the years.
Such improvements include optimizing its apps for Android and iOS devices. Since it is a legitimate advertisement program offered by Google, its users see this as an added benefit.
Moreover, it is easy to set up, you can use one account for all your compliant websites, and it also has a support forum where you can find various tutorials that help you increase your AdSense revenue.
Why the decline in Asia?
The last couple of months have brought a sharp decline in AdSense CPC.
The reason why was not exactly clear, so I decided to do a bit of digging, in hopes of finding a solution to this bothersome situation. What I discovered was that Asian bloggers are the majority of users suffering through this ordeal.
In fact, there has been a steady decline in revenue for Asian bloggers over the years. You may just be that blogger whose traffic has not changed but is now earning less. Here’s what I found out.
The Google Keywords Tools show a much higher average CPC for a particular phrase in the USA than in, for example, India.
The difference is great, and it goes to show that publishers that get Indian ads for particular keywords are getting less money with each click. And this is only for a single keyword.
This made me wonder why such a huge difference even exists in the first place.
A simple answer… or is it?
The answer is actually, quite simple. Most Asians chose brick-and-mortar stores over those found online.
In fact, a study revealed that Indians spend 43% less money online than people from the USA. Indian multinational companies spend far less on online marketing in comparison to their branches in other countries.
In addition to low purchasing power, Indians are also keen on free hosting services and free contests. This, in turn, does not look very attractive to a potential investor and leads to a lower CPC.
A meager ROI can only deter investors from spending more on AdSense Advertising.
Unfortunately, it is not as simple as I had thought. Going deeper into the problem, I found out that the market is quite competitive for Indian bloggers.
Since India is an English-speaking country, their bloggers have to compete with bloggers from the USA and the like. Unfortunately, Indian bloggers are not competing with bloggers from other countries.
They are competing with each other. This prevents them from uniting to create a stable body of bloggers that could compete with developed countries.
The fact that only 18%of Indians have an Internet connection is not very helpful either. Developing economies need time to grow so that they could compete with blogs from other countries.
Developed countries, on the other hand have a higher number of visitors. Whereas countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal have weaker economies, so a country’s GDP may be one of the reasons for this fall in CPC.
I looked up “cheapest countries to target ads” and most of the lists I found contained the above-mentioned Asian countries.
Is it just the economy?
As for less economic reasons, I would also like to mention that many bloggers also cry racism. The forums were filled with claims that AdSense has racist policies, some going as far as to claim that there is intentional discrimination between languages.
However, I immediately brushed them off as crazy conspiracy theories, as Google is a brand, and brands cannot afford such behavior.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Ad Sense has strict Terms of Service. You may get your account suspended if they suspect you are up to something shady.
People have tried defrauding the system and they have failed. The above-mentioned countries, especially India, are the late bloomers of blogging. This means that useful, original content was rare, and attempts at scamming were abundant.
Final thoughts:
Let us quickly go over the main reasons before offering a solution:
- lack of online spending
- developed vs developing countries
- lack of quality content
There seems to be a general lack of awareness of Internet marketing among consumers. The Internet is now an integral part of many people’s lives. It is only reasonable that bloggers start writing more about the benefits of Internet marketing.
As the pacing is different in each country, bloggers in low CPC countries should focus on getting more traffic from developed countries.
Choosing the best-paid niche is also quite important. As is planning your keywords, using programs like the Google Keyword Planner. Hiring a skilled writer could result in more well-written articles.
Also, do not forget to respect AdSense’s TOS. The AdSense heatmap is also a valuable tool if you want to get the maximum number of ads on your blog.
In addition to putting up good content, bloggers should also consider changing the way ads are presented on their website. For example, they can change their order or their color. Bloggers should avoid the so-called “ad blindness”
In the end, there are simply some things you cannot control. Either that or one person is not enough to make a change. Economies take time to develop, bloggers need time to collect valuable experience.
Change does not come easily, so first, work on your content, good niches and maximizing traffic in developed countries. Small steps can make long walks.
So start walking, and good luck in developing your Ad Sense(s).
