Before I get into this month’s issue, a quick update: Pubconnections is introducing a new Publisher Directory this month, giving publishers a place to discover, compare, and review detailed company profiles before booking a sales call. It’s designed to make it simpler and more transparent to find partners that match your needs.

Now, onto this month’s issue. We’ve got a look at how diversification and stronger reader relationships can help publishers grow revenue, a practical guide for anyone who’s been denied AdX, a spotlight on free tools many publishers already have access to, and why you should be split testing your ad partner before Q4.

The old formula—grow traffic, add ads, repeat—is no longer enough. Search referrals are shrinking, social platforms are limiting organic reach, and publishers that rely too heavily on programmatic advertising are increasingly exposed. The publishers in the strongest position are building multiple revenue streams, including direct sales, subscriptions, paywalls, newsletters, and advertising.

The key is not adding every channel at once. It is building a stronger relationship with readers, understanding how they engage, and testing one new revenue opportunity at a time. Publishers that start diversifying now will be better prepared for the next decline in traffic, ad demand, or platform reach.

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AdX approval can help, but it is not the only path to stronger monetization. Publishers can often improve revenue by increasing demand competition, refining ad placements, improving viewability, and speeding up their sites. In many cases, these fundamentals have a bigger impact than access to any single platform.

An AdX rejection can also be a useful signal to review content quality, traffic, compliance, and user experience. While working toward a future application, publishers can diversify with affiliate revenue, newsletter sponsorships, sponsored content, and direct advertising—building a stronger business that does not depend on one revenue source.

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This month, we’re stepping outside our usual partner rotation to spotlight three free tools every publisher should be using: Google Analytics, Core Web Vitals, and PageSpeed Insights. They won’t sell your inventory, but they can reveal where site performance, user behavior, and technical issues may be costing you traffic, engagement, and revenue.

If you haven’t reviewed your Core Web Vitals recently, now is a good time. Slow load times and poor page performance can quietly reduce engagement and revenue long before the impact becomes obvious in your monthly reporting.

👉 Google Analytics
👉 Core Web Vitals
👉 PageSpeed Insights

Most publishers choose an ad partner and rarely revisit the decision, but “good enough” may still mean missed revenue. A properly structured split test lets publishers compare two partners under the same conditions and identify where performance differences come from, including CPM, fill rate, latency, and viewability.

Mid-to-late summer is an ideal testing window because demand is typically calmer and there is still time to act before Q4. Run a true 50/50 test, keep traffic and page conditions consistent, and allow at least 30 days for the new partner to calibrate. Even when the current partner wins, the test confirms that your setup is still earning its place.

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Want your company featured in the Publisher Directory? Reach out to me at [email protected]

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