[Case Study] How to Make Money with Adsterra: Two Friends Made $2,700 Per Month

Each story of our publishers telling how to make money with Adsterra is a unique experience, full of insights and inspiration. Sometimes it is a quick and bright adventure, and sometimes a long path of trials and experiments. This time our heroes are two childhood friends from Pakistan who found their own version of success and boldly trusted Adsterra. $2,700 per month: Read and be impressed with us!

Hi, I’m Mutee Ur Rehman, and along with my school close friend Hamza Ali, I began my blogging journey back in 2019. We come from a small village in Pakistan, where resources are limited but dreams are limitless. For years, we struggled to make our blogs profitable — applying for other ad networks, getting rejected, and trying every trick in the book.

But everything changed in 2025.

That was the year we discovered Adsterra, an ad network with no strict monetization requirements — a true game-changer for small bloggers like us. Within just the last month, Adsterra helped us earn $2,700, something we once thought was impossible coming from where we are.

Note from Adsterra: We are very thankful for your trust and always do our best to make the requirements as comfortable for newbies as possible. But it would be fair to recall that we still have some requirements reflected in our Terms. We need them to keep the traffic quality high and cooperation highly productive. 

What Made the Biggest Difference? 

We focused entirely on low-competition niches and local keywords, which allowed us to rank quickly in our region and drive targeted traffic with minimal effort.

In this case study, we’ll walk you through our real-life journey from our early struggles to the exact strategies we used to scale our blogs using Adsterra. If you’ve been dreaming of making money online but don’t know where to start, this story is for you.

Let’s dive in.

Adsterra invites everyone to join: Your own succesfull monetization story is closer than you think!

How We Find the Best Niches and Local Keywords

One of the key reasons behind our success with Adsterra is our ability to identify low-competition niches and local keywords that rank quickly and attract long-term traffic. This is especially important when you’re just starting or targeting your local audience.

Initially, we focused on Tier 1 countries — just like everyone else. But later, we shifted the strategy to target local keywords, and that’s when everything changed. This approach helped us generate millions of monthly visitors.

To find these keywords, we use a powerful (yet free) tool — the Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator.

This tool allows us to:

• Search country-specific keywords
  We simply select the target country (like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, etc.) and enter a broad topic. Ahrefs then gives us keyword suggestions based on real search data from that region.
• Filter by Keyword Difficulty (KD)
  We always aim for low KD keywords — usually under 10. In Ahrefs, they show Easy, Medium, and Difficult KD keywords. These are easier to rank for, especially if you’re running a new blog or don’t have many backlinks.
• Discover local search intent
  Most bloggers chase global traffic, but we target local queries, such as city-based services, regional trends, or culturally relevant topics. These are often ignored by big bloggers but have very little competition and great CPMs with Adsterra.

For example, instead of targeting a high-competition keyword like “best phones 2025”, we go for something like “best budget phones in Faisalabad 2025” for the informational articles — easier to rank, and still attracts complex intent.

This smart keyword strategy has helped us drive highly targeted traffic, which converts well with Adsterra’s ad formats.

How We Set Up the Website and Got Initial Traffic

We first purchased our Hostinger Business Plan during the Black Friday Offer in February 2025. At that time, our goal was to start small and test how quickly our social website could rank.

However, last month one of our websites finally ranked and started pulling in massive traffic. Unfortunately, the Business Plan couldn’t handle the traffic load. To solve this, we switched to Hostinger’s Cloud Hosting, which cost us around $200. This plan not only gave us higher server capacity but also included complete website maintenance.

To get started, I set up the first social website using WordPress, which gives more control and flexibility in the long run. However, if you’re a complete beginner or have a limited budget, you can easily start with Blogger — it’s free and simple to use.

Once the site was ready, we focused on publishing at least 5 articles every day. We made sure each article was optimized for local, low-competition keywords. But we didn’t just publish and wait — we actively shared our content with:

• Friends and family
• Local WhatsApp and Facebook groups
• Niche communities in my region.

This strategy helped us gain initial traffic, which gave our social blog some early momentum.

The real magic happened after just 10–15 days. Because we were targeting keywords with very little competition, many of the articles started ranking on the first page of Google. Some even got picked up by Google Discover, which led to a massive traffic boost.

One of our websites that got featured in Google Discover ended up making us over $2,000 alone — just from Adsterra ads.

This showed us that with the right niche, consistent content, and smart promotion, even new websites can perform incredibly well — without needing backlinks or high domain authority.

Note: According to Search Central Live Deep Dive Asia Pacific 2025, the Google Search team revealed that initial traffic plays a key role in how new websites are evaluated. Google monitors this early engagement to help determine ranking positions. However, it’s not just traffic — high-quality, helpful content is equally important for long-term success.

WordPress Tools & SEO

Our website runs on WordPress, and we rely on Yoast SEO. One major benefit of Yoast is that it automatically generates a sitemap and submits it directly to Google Search Console, eliminating the need for manual handling.

This automation saves time and ensures the site stays SEO-friendly at all times.

Website Growth & Analytics

Below there are some Google Analytics screenshots along with Search Console data to show how the website traffic grew in just a short time.

Most of our traffic came from Google Discover. Even during the short period, we were able to make hundreds of dollars from just one website, thanks to Adsterra’s fast monetization system.

Our Favorite Ad Formats on Adsterra

After using multiple ad formats, we found that some work significantly better than others especially for traffic from Pakistan. Below are our top-performing Adsterra ad formats that helped us earn high CPMs and increase our revenue dramatically.

1. Adsterra SmartLink (Top Performer – CPM up to $10)

The SmartLink is our absolute favorite ad format from Adsterra. It gives us the highest CPM, often reaching up to $10, especially with non-mainstream traffic. It’s super simple to use and works perfectly on platforms like Facebook, Telegram, and buttons or banners on websites.

How to Set It Up:

1. Log in to your Adsterra Publisher account.
2. On the right side, click the link icon (🔗) to open the SmartLink section.
3. Click the “Add SmartLink” button.
4. Choose whether you want to show Non-mainstream or Mainstream ads. (Note: non-Mainstream ads usually offer much higher CPM.)
5. Click “Add” — your unique SmartLink will now appear.
6. You can copy and share this link on:
   • Facebook groups
   • Telegram channels
   • Download buttons on your website
   • Banners with strong CTA like “Watch Now”, “Download File”, etc.
7. The more impressions you get, the higher your earnings — and CPM often increases with more volume.

💡 Tip: Integrate the link naturally. Don’t spam — instead, offer real value (like a tool, download, or content) and direct users through the link.

Note from Adsterra: Be careful with the intent you put into the link integration. It should be fair and simple, yet catchy: Remember our Terms prohibit motivated traffic. 

2. Popunder Ads (CPM: $2–$5)

Popunders open a new tab behind the current browser window. They offer stable performance and high fill rates. We use them mostly on blogs with high user engagement and long session times.

How to Set It Up:

1. In your Adsterra dashboard, go to Websites and select your blog.
2. Click Create Ad Unit > Choose Popunder.
3. Name your unit and click Save.
4. You’ll get a JavaScript code.
5. Paste this script right before the closing </head> tag in your website’s HTML.

3. Social Bar (CPM $1 to $2)

Social Bar ads are highly customizable and look like system notifications, chat boxes, or alerts. They are great for mobile users and can be visually engaging without being too intrusive.

How to Set It Up:

1. From your dashboard, select your site and click Create Ad Unit.
2. Choose the Social Bar format.
3. You’ll get a JavaScript code.
4. Paste this script right above the closing </body> tag in your website’s HTML.

Our Website Design Strategy

When it comes to blog success, design matters more than most beginners think — not just for looks, but for speed, user experience, and SEO. We always keep our websites lightweight, fast, and distraction-free to improve rankings and user engagement.

Simple, Clean, and Fast

We don’t use fancy animations or heavy plugins. Instead, we focus on:

• Fast loading speed
• Mobile responsiveness
• Clear navigation
• Minimal distractions (no popup overload)

This not only helps with SEO and Core Web Vitals but also keeps the user experience smooth — which leads to lower bounce rates and higher ad revenue.

Themes We Use

GeneratePress (Free & Lightweight)

One of our favorite themes. It’s ultra-fast, easy to customize, and perfect for beginners who want a clean and professional blog without slowing things down.

Kadence (Premium & Feature-Rich)

For more advanced projects, we use Kadence Pro. It’s a premium theme with better layout options, built-in performance optimization, and excellent support — without compromising speed.

Our Recommendation

Always choose a lightweight theme — whether free or paid. Avoid flashy designs or bloated builders. Your focus should be on speed, simplicity, and helping users find content quickly.

If your site is slow, you’ll lose both visitors and rankings — no matter how good your content is.

How We Use Free ChatGPT to Create Perfect Content 

One of the biggest reasons we’re able to publish consistent, high-quality blog content every day is ChatGPT — even the free version is powerful enough to help you create content that ranks.

We’ve developed a smart workflow where we write content after we analyze our competitors and then let ChatGPT help us improve the result and make it more useful.

Creating Articles

One of the most powerful tools we use in my blogging process is ChatGPT. It helps us create high-quality, engaging, and SEO-friendly content — faster and more efficiently.

Here’s how we do it:

When we want to finalize the article, we give ChatGPT a clear prompt, asking it to check if the text is detailed, NLP-optimized, engaging, easy to read, and written for the user — not just for search engines. We make sure the content focuses on solving user problems and answering all related queries in one place.

To keep it SEO-friendly, we also ask ChatGPT to check if the keywords are placed correctly and naturally within the content, without stuffing. This ensures that the article flows well while still being optimized for Google’s algorithm.

We usually make articles that are 800+ words, covering the topic in depth, including:

• A strong introduction and conclusion
• Subheadings for better readability
• Bullet points or step-by-step instructions when needed
• Answers to common questions related to the topic

This strategy helps us consistently produce high-quality content that ranks well and keeps users engaged.

Our Exact Prompt Strategy

Step 1: Find a Competitor Article

We search Google for the keyword we’re targeting and find top-ranking articles on the same topic. Then read through it to understand what’s covered and what’s missing. Then make our own version of the article covering the topic making sure we’ve mentioned all the important issues and more.

Step 2: Use ChatGPT

Then we pass the material to ChatGPT, asking it to change and improve the text if needed. 

Prompt example:

“Analyze the following text. Make it more user-friendly, offer any missing points or outdated information. Check if it is SEO-optimized, uses natural language, and answers all user questions clearly.”

Then we paste the article under the prompt.

ChatGPT gives us a full article back — often better structured and easier to read than it was. We read through the content, make a few manual tweaks if needed, and make sure:

• The tone is natural and friendly
• Important keywords are included
• It solves the user’s intent completely

Step 4: Optimize & Publish

Once we finalize the article, we:

• Add images or screenshots if needed
• Make sure the meta title, description, and URL are SEO-friendly
• Publish it using WordPress or Blogger
• Share it on social platforms and local groups for initial traffic

Why This Works So Well

• You’re taking the best of all sources and keeping the text manually created.
• You build content that fills gaps left by competitors.
• It saves time, even if you’re a great author.
• You get unique content that ranks and converts.

Pro Tip: Do not delegate the whole process to ChatGPT and always read the output before publishing. ChatGPT often misses small details or makes generic points — your personal touch makes it vital.

Why We Chose Adsterra Over Other Ad Networks

After trying several ad networks in our early blogging days — including AdSense and others — we faced constant rejections, low CPMs, or strict approval requirements. That’s when we came across Adsterra, and it changed everything.

Here is the result. As you can see, by the time there’s $1903 more earned already with Adsterra using the same tactics and strategy, and we’re sure that more is yet to come!

What stood out for us:

• No strict monetization policies — perfect for new or low-traffic blogs
• High CPM rates, even for South Asian traffic
• Multiple ad formats to test and optimize
• Fast approvals and on-time payments
• 24/7 support for publishers

For bloggers like us who don’t come from a major city or have big budgets, Adsterra is truly the most accessible and reliable ad partner we’ve worked with.

Our Strategy for Blogging Success in 2025

In 2025, the blogging world is more competitive than ever — but we found a strategy that still works if you’re consistent and smart:

1. Target low-competition, local keywords
2. Use ChatGPT (Free Version) to get the best possible user-friendly and helpful content
3. Focus on volume + quality — publish at least 3–5 articles daily
4. Promote content in local communities via WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram
5. Use Adsterra Direct Link + Popunder for monetization
6. Avoid backlinks early — let content and traffic build naturally

This strategy allowed us to generate millions of impressions and earn thousands of dollars, even from simple blogs.

Why We Chose Blogger in 2025 (And You Should Too)

While we now also use WordPress, we still recommend Blogger.com for anyone starting in 2025 — especially if you have:

• Zero budget
• No coding experience
• Low-end devices
• Limited internet access

Why Blogger?

• It’s 100% free
• No hosting or domain fees required
• Easy integration with Adsterra
• Simple, fast, and secure
• Perfect for beginners

We started many of our successful blogs on Blogger, and some of them still run and earn well — even in 2025.

Conclusion

If you’re from a small town, have limited resources, and dream of earning online, let our journey be proof that it’s possible: From zero dollars to thousands, from rejections to success. Now you know how to make money with Adsterra following our experience, and let us tell you: If we can do it, you can too. So start small, stay consistent, think local, and go global!

Adsterra Team is beyond words flattered with the trust you have for us. We welcome everyone to explore the opportunities we provide and sincerely hope this case study, so as many others in our blog, help you realize how to earn with Adsterra. Start by joining us today!