Mediavine Requirements 2024 (+6 Tips For Getting Accepted!)
For many bloggers, getting into Mediavine is basically a dream come true.
I know it was my dream when I started blogging back in 2018. I read plenty of Mediavine reviews and income reports, and it seemed like Mediavine had the power to change people's lives.
Fast forward to today, and I've been with Mediavine for over 2 years. And because of Mediavine, WebMonkey made $92,000 in 2021.
This premium ad network also let me quit my job and blog full-time.
But, reaching Mediavine requirements can seem like a monumental task for new bloggers.
Additionally, there have been some changes to Mediavine requirements in the last year that are crucial to know.
That's why this post is covering the Mediavine requirements for bloggers as well as the strategies I used to reach Mediavine's traffic requirement.
Let's get to it!
Mediavine Requirements For 2024
Many bloggers think Mediavine's only requirement is how large your site is and how much traffic you get per month. However, Mediavine is a premium advertising network that is very selective with the publishers it accepts.
In reality, there are numerous Mediavine requirements bloggers need to know about if they want to join this leading blogging advertising network.
Mediavine Traffic Requirements
Mediavine requires 50,000 sessions within the last 30 days to get into its advertising network. This is an increase from Mediavine's previous traffic requirements of 25,000 sessions within the last 30 days.
Here's the difference:
- Sessions: A session occurs when one single user visits your website.
- Pageviews: A pageview occurs whenever someone views a page on your blog. A single session can have multiple pageviews, but multiple pageviews are still one session.
In other words, 50,000 sessions for Mediavine is probably around 60,000 to 70,000 pageviews depending on how many pageviews you get per session.
Note: Mediavine counts the last 30 days, not monthly sessions, for its traffic requirement.
Content Quality
Another main Mediavine requirement is to have high-quality, original content on your blog.
You can join Mediavine with any blogging niche, and it's a misconception that you can only join Mediavine if you're a food or lifestyle blogger.
In fact, Mediavine accepts blogs from plenty of niches, including:
- Entertainment
- Finance
- Fitness
- Lifestyle
- Parenting
- Technology
However, you need to have high-quality content regardless of your niche to pass Mediavine requirements.
This means you can't just spin content from other bloggers and expect to get in; you need original, well-researched content that actually adds value to your readers.
Good Standing With Google
One absolutely critical Mediavine requirement is for your website to be in good standing with Google.
This means your website can't be blacklisted by Google or have a Google AdSense ban.
And this is the case for your domain, not just your blog, so you need to ensure your domain name doesn't have a shady history and is a nasty surprise waiting to happen.
Here are some official tips from Google on how to keep your blog in good standing:
- Don't click on your own Google AdSense ads
- Don't send bot traffic or fraudulent traffic to your site
- Follow Google Webmaster best-practices
- Don't ask people to click on your ads
- Don't try to trick users into clicking on ads
- Make sure your privacy policy is accessible and up to date
In short, if you're not doing anything to game the system, your blog should be in good standing with Google, so you're in the clear for this Mediavine requirement.
Long-Form And Engaging Content
One Mediavine requirement that's also crucial for blogging success is to create long-form, engaging content.
There are a few reasons this is so important, so it's honestly a good Mediavine requirement to stick to even after you're in this ad network.
For starters, long-form content usually adds more value to readers and better satisfy user intent than very short content.
This isn't always true, and you shouldn't write fluff just to expand articles. But you should write informative content and the best content on the web if you want to get into Mediavine.
Secondly, longer content that's engaging keeps readers on your page for longer.
In turn, this helps your website rank slightly better and also helps you make more money with Mediavine ads (or any other blogging ad network for that matter.)
Stable Traffic Sources
While this isn't an explicit Mediavine requirement from the company, you need relatively stable monthly traffic to get into Mediavine.
In other words, if your site explodes in popularity because of a viral Pin or post on Reddit but then drops right back down, Mediavine is less likely to accept you.
Generally, Mediavine accepts high-quality sites that get a mix of blogging traffic, including:
- Organic traffic
- Social media traffic
- Email marketing traffic
I've chatted with Mediavine about this question and have heard this from other bloggers as well, and it's basically an unofficial requirement.
In 2018, I did email Mediavine asking about running Facebook and Google Ads to help bolster traffic, and a very helpful Mediavine representative basically said some paid traffic is okay but it has to be very targeted.
So, don't go experimenting and buy cheap traffic sources or bots to try and meet Mediavine's traffic requirement.
Ideally, focus on Google organic traffic spread across a healthy number of articles.
This last point is important too: another loose Mediavine requirement is to have a decent spread of traffic across your articles.
In other words, if a single blog post gets all your monthly traffic, this hurts your application chances.
Website Age
One final Mediavine requirement to note is that your domain name needs a bit of site history to get accepted.
Now, I have friends who have gotten blogs into Mediavine within 8 months or so.
But if you start a new blog and blast it with traffic from social media or paid ads, it's probably not going to get in because there's not enough time to prove your traffic is stable.
Plus, brand new sites can't really get organic traffic too easily, which is important for getting into Mediavine.
Tips For Meeting Mediavine Requirements
Now that you know the different Mediavine requirements for 2022, I want to cover a few of the tips I used to get my blog into Mediavine and to grow it to 400,000 monthly readers.
1. Focus On SEO Content
I know lots of bloggers who got into Mediavine by using Pinterest traffic or a large social media following to get 50,000 sessions.
However, my advice is to focus on writing content that targets low-competition keywords you can rank for on Google.
There are two main reasons for this:
- Value: Organic traffic is usually more valuable than social traffic because it's comprised of readers who are looking for a specific answer to their question (and therefore are more engaged and have higher-levels of purchase intent.)
- Volatility: Social media platforms like Pinterest have been nightmares for bloggers, and traffic can disappear from these platforms overnight. In contrast, while organic traffic can be volatile due to Google updates, it's typically not as much of a roller coaster.
Plus, building this sort of organic traffic is very formulaic and steady. This is one reason I prefer blogging over YouTube.
Just take a look at how WebMonkey's traffic has grown over time by targeting low-competition keywords to rank for on Google:
However, since you need long-form and original content anyway to meet Mediavine requirements, you might as well focus on SEO at the same time.
Plus, you can use tools like SEMRush to make the process so much easier.
My greatest blogging mistake was honestly not investing in keyword research tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs sooner.
I use SEMRush to find all my low-competition keywords, and most of my top posts have come from the keyword research I do with this tool.
This sounds shady, but I'm being honest here: people poach keywords from other bloggers all the time, but as long as you're doing your own research and writing better content and not paraphrasing, there's nothing wrong with doing this.
SEO is insanely competitive after all, so I think the amount of data you unlock with tools like SEMRush really helps you stay competitive with other bloggers in your niche.
If you want to learn more about SEMRush or try out the software, you can try SEMRush with my link to help support the blog! 🙂
2. Write Consistently
Another tip to meet Mediavine requirements is to write more content.
This sounds obvious, but it's much easier said than done.
But by pumping out more content that targets low-competition keywords, you're building up your traffic base more quickly so you can meet the 50,000 session requirement.
Plus, publishing more content gives you more content to promote on social media and in email blasts (more on this later.)
When I was near Mediavine's traffic requirement a few years ago, I dedicated an entire month to blogging every night after work.
This was one of the longest and toughest months ever, but writing tens of thousands of words in content and new posts provided the boost I needed to get into Mediavine.
3. Update Old Blog Posts
One of my favorite tips for getting into Mediavine more quickly is to update your best old blog posts.
Updating blog posts is actually an official recommendation from Mediavine to make more money.
This is because “freshness” is a ranking factor on Google, so keeping your content up to date helps it rank higher over the competition.
This makes sense. After all, fresh content probably includes important information about updates that benefit readers more than old, out-dated content.
So, my advice is to look at your Google Analytics and Search Console data to find your best posts that have dropped off in ranking in recent months.
Here's an example from my own Search Console dashboard for my post on the best gig apps:
As you can see, the post used to get around 50 clicks per day, so I updated it.
After the update, the article got 100+ clicks per day until falling off over the next few months. But another freshness update has helped the ranking return again.
All of these updates took 15 minutes as well, so it's a low-effort way to get more blog traffic.
I try to update two blog posts per week, but I know bloggers who spend most of their time updating once they have a large enough base of hundreds of articles.
4. Leverage Email Marketing
Email marketing can be extremely powerful for driving more traffic to help you reach Mediavine requirements.
And, email marketing is also one thing I'm very bad at.
But if you can convert your readers into email subscribers and get them to consistently visit your blog, you don't need to do as much heavy lifting on Google to get 50,000 sessions.
My advice here is to build a simple and free email lead magnet like an eBook for your niche.
Next, you can use email marketing providers like ConvertKit and MailerLite to build email automation flows that send your best content to new subscribers.
I'm finally doing this, so new subscribers now get a series of content-based emails that share my best blog posts.
This might not accomplish much if you have a very small email list, but hey, every bit counts when working towards Mediavine requirements.
5. Use Social Media The Right Way
One common mistake I see bloggers make when trying to get into Mediavine is to spend too much time on social media.
Don't get me wrong: social media is a great traffic source, and viral posts can help you reach 50,000 sessions.
But again, Mediavine cares about stable traffic and really likes organic traffic.
Plus, a lot of bloggers who were relying on Tailwind and Pinterest traffic have found they can't get any traffic anymore, so they're now starting from square one after years of work.
My advice is to still focus on organic traffic but to use sources like Reddit, Quora, and niche Facebook groups to boost your traffic when you're close to Mediavine.
Here's an example for another blog I own where I'm trying to meet Mediavine's requirements.
It's these sorts of social media tricks that can really help you get towards Mediavine's traffic requirement, and this doesn't take much time at all!
6. Ask Other Bloggers For Help
One final tip for reaching Mediavine's requirement is to ask your fellow bloggers for help.
Blogging is competitive, but I think networking with bloggers and making friends is important for long-term success.
I did this back in the day, and some blogging friends shared my content on social media and even in one email blast.
Just make sure you return the favor here somehow or pay it forward to more beginner bloggers!
How Do You Apply To Mediavine?
If you've reached Mediavine's requirements or are very close to the 50,000 session requirement, you're ready to apply to the best ad network out there.
And yes: you can be close to the 50,000 session requirement and potentially get in, especially if your site is super high quality and is trending upwards.
Here's how you apply to Mediavine:
- Go to Mediavine's ad management page
- Click “Apply Now”
- Complete a Google Form with your name, email, site URL, monthly sessions, CMS, and if you've worked with Mediavine or any competing ad networks before (like Ezoic and Monumetric.)
- Wait for an email confirmation from Mediavine Publisher Support that you've been accepted into Mediavine
If everything goes well and you get that acceptance email, the next step involves sharing some Google Analytics access with Mediavine so their tech team can check behind the scenes.
From there, you basically pick a launch date for your Mediavine ads, and you're off to the races!
Note: Some ad networks require giving them 30 days or more notice if you're leaving.
This happened to me when I switched from Monumetric to Mediavine, so make sure you're following the rules or you might have some ad revenue withheld from your previous ad network partner (although this doesn't really matter if you're currently making peanuts!)
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Mediavine Requirements For A Second Site?
Mediavine used to have a lower traffic requirement for your second site if you were already in its network. However, new sites now have identical Mediavine requirements to your original site. Furthermore, if you purchase a Mediavine site from another blogger, you have to resubmit it for review because it's under new ownership.
How Long Does It Take To Get Into Mediavine?
How long it takes to complete Mediavine requirements and get 50,000 sessions depends on your skills, niche, effort, and some luck. Many bloggers I know get into Mediavine within 1 to 2 years, but it's easier if you know SEO already and have blogging experience.
Once you're approved for Mediavine, it generally takes around 30 days for ads to go live on your blog.
How Much Does Mediavine Cost?
Mediavine doesn't cost any money to join, and you don't pay an installation fee either like you do with some ad networks.
This is because Mediavine makes money by using a revenue-share model that splits ad revenue with its publishers. You keep 75% to 90% of Mediavine ad revenue depending on how much traffic your website gets per month and how long you've been with the network.
How Much Can You Make With Mediavine?
How much money you make with Mediavine depends on your niche and blogging traffic. Personally, I make about $10,000 to $12,000 per month thanks to Mediavine ads.
However, I know some bloggers making much more than this, while many brand-new Mediavine bloggers usually make around $50 per day or maybe a bit less.
Ultimately, there's no limit to how much money you make with Mediavine. And in my opinion, Mediavine is the best ad network for bloggers because of its awesome support team, tech, and the high RPMs you usually get.
Extra Reading – The Best Passive Income Side Hustles.
Final Thoughts
I hope my ultimate guide on Mediavine requirements and tips for getting into this ad network helps you get your blog to the next level.
Honestly, Mediavine has changed my life, and I think it's the best ad network you can ever work with.
Yes, reaching Mediavine's traffic requirement is tricky. But with hard work, SEO knowledge, tools like SEMRush, and patience, it's definitely possible.
Plus there are other ways to make money online and earn passive income with your blog in the meantime, like affiliate marketing, that you can explore.
In any case, best of luck on your quest to reach Mediavine's requirements!
Looking for more ways to make extra money? Checkout:
- How To Make Money With Creative Writing.
- How To Make Money With Freelance Writing.
- Podcast vs Blogging – Which Option Is Best?
