How the Niche of Your YouTube Channel Affects AdSense

Ever wonder why YouTubers will make different amounts from AdSense on YouTube? For the most part, it comes down to the niche of the content. AdSense pays differently depending on the niche of your videos. And in reality, there’s a bit more to it than that.

There are quite a few factors that will greatly impact how much you make in the YouTube Partner Program. Keep in mind that I’m talking about more than just having a video get demonetized.

That’s a whole blog post or two on its own.

How Your Niche Affects AdSense

AdSense for YouTube works nearly identically to how it does for blogs and websites. You’re paid a percentage of revenue for those advertisements that are either shown or clicked.

The more ads you show, the more you get paid. That’s why it’s always a good idea to produce the best quality videos you can for your audience.

So, why does niche matter for AdSense payouts?

How the RPM in AdSense Works

The RPM of your video is how much money it can possibly generate per 1000 views. So, if you have an RPM of $1.50, it means you’ll make an estimated $1.50 for every 1000 people who watch your videos.

If your goal is to make $1,000 per month on YouTube, you’d then need about 666,667 views per month. For many of us creators, that’s semi-unrealistic. Especially if you have a writing channel like mine.

Then again, you could somehow hit that sweet spot that gets your videos in front of more people. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’ll be more difficult depending on the niche and the topics you cover.

Advertisers and the Niche or Industry

AdSense derives its monetary value from the “bids” of advertisers. The more an advertiser bids to have their video or banner shown, the more the ad is worth to both YouTube and the creator.

The reason for the “bids” is so the system can prioritize brands that are spending more money per ad. So, a bid of $0.50 isn’t as much of a priority as a bid of $5.00.

It’s this bidding platform that allows for both affordable advertising as well as fluctuating AdSense value.

Brands within certain industries are more likely to bid higher for those ads. For instance, companies that are in the health and fitness industry will often pay more for advertising than a company that creates a writing tool for authors.

Think of Planet Fitness vs Reedsy. Who do you think spends more on advertising in general?

If your videos are relevant to those ads that generate more income, you’ll see more from AdSense at the end of the month.

This is why a lot of “reaction” and “gaming” channels don’t make nearly as much as a “personal finance” channel. Brands in the finance industry often pay considerably more for ads.

That’s because the return on investment is much greater.

Tracking Data for Ads

What about ads that are specifically tailored to your browsing and search data? Although these personalized ads are often effective at getting more clicks and exposure, they play a small role in the advertisement revenue total.

That means you’ll make the bulk of your money from niche-related or contextual ads. Not to mention how a lot of people run ad blockers or run incognito so Google and YouTube don’t collect personal data for ad sharing.

Because personalized ads don’t follow niche topics and trends, they can bump AdSense income for a day. Though, it really depends on how many views you get and how popular your channel becomes on YouTube.

Using Trends and Popularity

If you’re curious as to how your channel would stack against another in a different niche, take a look at Google Trends. You can arrange the data to show YouTube and then enter your primary niche versus another.

Now, this isn’t exactly a scientific method. However, I’ve noticed a correlation between the RPM of a channel or blog and its primary topic.

As you can see, any channel that centers around “money” is far more popular in search. Coincidentally, these channels are also the ones promoting massive payouts from AdSense.

You need to think of it from a business perspective. Industries that are more popular will have higher bids and RPMs to reach the largest consumer-base possible.

As most YouTubers don’t want to share how much they make, it’s difficult to get a good analysis of the data. However, knowing how AdSense works with a niche and how advertisements are created, we can extrapolate an educated guess.

Types of Ads That are Shown

Lastly, the types of ads that are displayed will also impact how much you make from AdSense. Not all ads are created equal, and different styles have different bidding schemes.

For instance, banner ads are usually the lowest and cheapest to use on YouTube. Though, it sounds like YouTube might be getting rid of banners on videos anyway.

Still, the banner above the Suggested Column isn’t as expensive as a pre-video ad roll. This means the banner ad isn’t worth as much to a creator.

Don’t Rely Purely on AdSense for Your Niche

In truth, AdSense is among the worst-paying methods to monetize a channel compared to others.

Sure, it can bring in enough to pay for a few things here and there, and a lot of YouTubers base their entire channels on AdSense. But when compared to merch sales, sponsorships, and membership platforms, AdSense is among the weakest.

If you’re not drawing a large audience with every video, you’re not making very much money.

In fact, most successful YouTubers have built an intricate web of monetization. Not only are they getting AdSense revenue, but they also sell goods and services related to their niche.

Don’t get me wrong, you can still do a lot of things with a payout from the YPP every month. But understand that most channels don’t draw nearly as much as the most popular niches on the platform.

Remember, your RPM is an indicator of the reality of AdSense for YouTube. Big brands use a targeted method to maximize their return on investment. If you just have a reaction channel or talk about YouTube drama, it’ll be far more difficult to make a lot of money from AdSense.

That is compared to other channels for specific niches.

The bottom line is that you need to find other methods that help generate income from your YouTube channel. Affiliate links to products, paid sponsorships, monthly membership subscriptions, selling your own products…these are all brilliant ideas that can help you pad that monthly income.

How Do You Boost the RPM of Your Channel?

The base niche of your channel is going to play a massive role with AdSense. However, there are a few things you can do to improve the RPM of your channel. This is actually more related to the videos you create.

What can you do to improve your odds of making a few bucks every month?

• Improve the quality of your videos. You want to keep people watching the majority of your content.
• Look for high-value topics to cover. Popular topics within your niche can help you bring in more AdSense money.
• Incorporate better SEO practices. Brands bid according to search criteria. Meet them halfway with good video SEO.

Keep in mind that every niche is going to fluctuate wildly depending on social factors. And the base RPM isn’t necessarily a cut-in-stone value. There is a lot that can bounce the number all over the place.

How Much Does Your Niche Pay from AdSense?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with only focusing on trying to make money from AdSense for YouTube. Many creators use it as a staple of full-time recording. Just don’t assume you’re going to make as much as some of the other channels you watch.

Remember, niche matters on YouTube, and it’s far easier for certain channels to draw in a windfall of cash than it is for others.

If you’re monetized, what does your RPM look like on the channel? How often does it fluctuate with social trends?