Ezoic uses artificial intelligence to increase ad earnings by automatically testing different ad types across your site. In this Ezoic review, I will outline my own experience after one month on the platform.
Ezoic Review – The Invitation
About a year ago I started receiving emails from Ezoic representatives saying they could increase the ad revenue on two of my sites. Sceptical of their claims and too busy with other jobs at the time, I ignored their emails and eventually forgot about it.
A year later they emailed me again with another invitation to join their platform. It was around the same time I was browsing a competitor’s site and noticed they had Ezoic logos under their ad slots, so I decided to do some more research on the company and their claims.
Ezoic’s Claims
The first email I received from Ezoic said they could boost my ad revenue by 60%.
I am reaching out to you about Ezoic (Google Certified Publisher) where we use machine learning technology to provide ideal ad layouts on a per-user basis. This allows our publishers to see around a 60% lift in their overall revenue while their user experience metrics improve dramatically.
So, they will use robots to magically increase my ad revenue by 60%? It initially sounded very far fetched and too good to be true, and why I initially ignored their emails. But Ezoic were persistent and emailed a few more times.
Ezoic is also free and we don’t require a contract so there are absolutely no tie-ins! If you’re interested in joining over 1,000 other publishers currently working with us, just give me a short reply. Thanks!
I started to read some Ezoic reviews from other bloggers and threads on Reddit to see what others were saying. All were surprisingly positive and many reiterated Ezoic’s claims:
- An increase of ad revenue anywhere between 60% and 200%.
- No contract. You can easily disable Ezoic whenever you want.
- Helpful support team of Google Certified Publishers with the expertise to maximize your ad revenue.
The Reality
I contacted an Ezoic representative to see if the invitation was still open and within a day I had my account set up and integrated with one of my WordPress sites.
So, did Ezoic manage to increase my ad revenue or not?
Ezoic Review – After One Week
Prior to joining Ezoic, I was earning anywhere between $5 and $10 a day. When I switched to Ezoic on the 20th Feb, I was seeing figures between $10 and $30 consistently. A marked improvement.
Ezoic Review – After One Month
Here are the numbers comparing one month of earnings with AdSense and one month with Ezoic. A 212% increase in ad revenue.
How Does Ezoic Work?
Robots! Ezoic uses machine learning algorithms to test thousands of different combinations of ad locations and sizes to see which ads people click the most.
Ezoic tailors ads per user, so the longer you have it running on your site, the better it gets.
Head over to Ezoic’s website to read about how the technology works, they explain it far better than I can!
Ezoic Review – My Thoughts
The numbers are undeniable. Revenue went up 212% in one month and I have stuck with the Ezoic platform ever since.
And it improves over time. As Ezoic’s machine learning algorithm gathers more data about your visitors after a few months, the performance improves, as does your revenue.
Ezoic’s support team was able to walk me through the entire integration process and advise me on ad placement and site layout to maximize revenue. If you’re using WordPress, this process can be simplified with a plugin.
How Do I Join Ezoic and What Are The Requirements?
If you have already been contacted by Ezoic and invited to join, you have probably already passed all the requirements and can sign up right away.
If you haven’t received an invitation, you can apply to join on their website, but there are some requirements:
- Your site must have at least 10,000 monthly visits* and Ezoic will want to see your Analytics account for proof. This is because Ezoic uses a data-driven machine learning algorithm that needs a minimum amount of data in order to produce reliable results.
*Some applicants with less than 10,000 monthly visits may be approved depending on site content quality. Contact Ezoic support to find out if they will approve your site if you have less than 10,000 monthly visits. - Ezoic is a Google Certified Publishing Partner and needs to ensure that sites using their tools are compliant with AdSense policy. You do not need an AdSense account to join Ezoic, however, if you do have an AdSense account, it must be in good standing as Ezoic cannot approve sites that have been banned by AdSense for policy violations.
- Ezoic wants informational and content-rich sites that are original, constructive and enticing, not ones that are predominantly corporate or e-commerce in nature. However, if your site is a blog attached to an e-commerce site, it may be considered.
- Your site must be written in AdSense-supported language.
Ezoic Review – FAQ
Prior to joining Ezoic and integrating my site, I read a lot of other Ezoic reviews looking for answers to the following questions and concerns I had myself. If you have any questions not answered below, feel free to ask me in the comments.
Update May 2021: I recently had a meeting with Ezoic just to clarify the most common questions in the comments below.
Is there a contract or any hidden terms with Ezoic?
No! This was one of my main concerns and I made sure read the Ezoic Terms and Conditions thoroughly before signing up. There are absolutely no legal tie-ins with Ezoic and you can turn it off temporarily or permanently if you are not happy with the results.
Do I need an AdSense account to join Ezoic?
No! You do not need an AdSense account in order to sign up for Ezoic. However, if you previously had an AdSense account that was banned for policy violations, Ezoic will not approve your application.
Do I need 10,000 views per month to join Ezoic?
No! While 10,000 users is the stated requirement, Ezoic may approve your account with less visits if they deem your website to have future potential. However, Ezoic has informed me that they have limited resources to deal with new applications, so there is no guarantee that your site will be approved with less than 10,000 visits per month.
How does the integration with Ezoic work?
There are three main integration methods; one involves changing your nameservers to Ezoic, the second method, if you are using Cloudflare, is authorizing Ezoic to access your Cloudflare account, and the third method is via a WordPress plugin.
Whichever integration method you choose, you can disable Ezoic temporarily or permanently on-the-fly and return to AdSense if you are not happy with the results. You can also choose a percentage amount of ads served by Ezoic and AdSense so you can compare the difference in revenue.
For more info, see: How Can I Integrate My Site with Ezoic?
Do I have to point my nameservers to Ezoic?
No! If you are using WordPress, you can integrate with Ezoic using a WordPress plugin, though Ezoic recommends either the nameservers or Cloudflare integration method for faster ad rendering. Personally, I have tried both the WordPress and Cloudflare methods and while I couldn’t really discern much performance difference between the two when browsing the site, page speed benchmarks showed some improvements with the Cloudflare method.
I don’t use WordPress, can I still integrate with Ezoic?
Yes! Ezoic works with every CMS, host, and website configuration, but if you’re not using WordPress, you must use the Nameservers or Cloudflare integration method. Ezoic works with many popular CMSs such as Custom PHP, Squarespace, Joomla!, Shopify, Blogger, Drupal, Arch, Rebel Mouse, Magento, Bitrix, and more.
How and when do you get paid by Ezoic?
Ezoic pays you via international bank transfer, check or PayPal between the 27th and 31st of each month. The minimum account revenue threshold for payout is $20 USD, meaning an account must have generated a balance of at least $20 before a transfer is initiated.
You may also still receive payments from AdSense depending on your site settings in the Ezoic control panel. By default, Ezoic will display a very small percentage of ads from AdSense so that you can run direct CPM comparisons between Ezoic and AdSense, and confirm that you are getting higher ad rates from Ezoic.
Is Ezoic really free? What’s the catch?
After your first 30 days trial, Ezoic places a small ad on the bottom of your page, which allows them to earn a small amount of ad revenue from you. This is not the sticky ad overlay you might see fixed to the bottom of your screen like on this site (you can control this yourself in the Ezoic control panel), but instead a smaller ad at the end of the page. You can remove this ad by upgrading to a Premium account starting at $14 p/m, which gives you access to premium CPM advertisers and higher payouts.
Update: I was invited to upgrade to a Premium account shortly after I joined Ezoic. When you join Ezoic Premium for a monthly fee, Ezoic removes the ad at the bottom of the page and serves premium ads across your site, which returns a higher CPC and ad revenue. Read more about Premium plans on Ezoic’s website.
Why does Ezoic need access to my AdSense account?
If you have an AdSense account, you may need to link it with Ezoic, but you can revoke this permission at any time after joining Ezoic. However, one integrated, Ezoic will automatically generate ad placeholders and pull in the data from AdSense on the traffic going to the non-Ezoic version of your pages. This allows Ezoic to establish a baseline for improving ad revenue, which in turn speeds up the optimization process. Ezoic may also check that your AdSense account is not in violation of any policies before approving your application.
For more info, see: Google Adsense And The Mediation App
Why does Ezoic need access to my Google Analytics account?
Your site must have at least 10,000 monthly visits to join the platform and Ezoic will need to see proof in your Analytics account. This is because the Ezoic system is a data-driven machine learning algorithm that needs a minimum amount of data in order to produce reliable results. You can revoke the Google Analytics permissions after joining without any affect on your account.
However, Ezoic has informed me that some applicants with less than 10,000 monthly visits may be approved depending on site content quality. Contact Ezoic support to find out if they will approve your site if you have less than 10,000 monthly visits.
For more info, see: How Do I Grant Read and Analyze Access For Google Analytics?
How long does it take to be approved by Ezoic?
For me, it took one day from the sign up to integration, but that might have been because Ezoic invited me directly. Ezoic has grown a lot since I joined and is now receiving hundreds of applications a month, so it may take a week or so for them to get around to your application.
Update May 2022: Ezoic informed me that new applications may be delayed due to staff shortages. If you have applied to join Ezoic and have not yet received a response, contact them to enquire.
Will Ezoic make my site cluttered with ads?
Ezoic’s algorithm will customize the frequency of ads based on the visitor and where it thinks you will get the best payout, so you should trust Ezoic’s algorithm to manage ad placement and frequency to get the best results. However, you ultimately have complete control over ad placement on your site’s template and if you find that there are too many ads showing, you can always reduce them.
Do my AdSense ads run alongside Ezoic ads?
If you already have an AdSense account, you can choose in the Ezoic control panel what percentage of ads to display from Ezoic and AdSense. This is so you can run A/B testing to see which ads return the most revenue.
Personally, I run 5% of ads from AdSense and 95% from Ezoic, and this is also what Ezoic recommends. The reason is that if you no longer display any ads from AdSense, your AdSense account may be disabled for inactivity. For that reason, I strongly recommend displaying a small percentage of AdSense ads to keep a small amount of cash flow through your AdSense account in order to keep it active.
I don’t see any Ezoic ads running on freeforwptheme.com
Not all ads served by Ezoic will show the Ezoic logo beneath. You may see ads served by AdChoices or other ad networks, and while they are being served through Ezoic, the Ezoic logo may not always appear beneath.
I’m seeing duplicate ads on freeforwptheme.com side-by-side
If you see the same ads repeated side-by-side, this is because the advertiser has paid a premium to push these ads into as many ad slots as possible. While I agree it may look “spammy”, this is just how some advertisers maximize revenue and Ezoic has informed me that this is unavoidable at present.
Ezoic Review – Conclusion
Hopefully, this Ezoic review will allay any concerns you had about joining the platform. I was initially very skeptical about Ezoic’s claims and was wary about doing any sort of integration with them, but the results are promising and a 212% increase in revenue is game-changing for me. I have two more sites that I want to integrate so another Ezoic review shall be forthcoming.
For more in-depth information about Ezoic’s platform and how it all works, head over to their website.
Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below.
