Recently, many friends have been asking me how my AdSense revenue skyrocketed from just $20 per month to a steady $15,000—and why it has remained so consistent.
To be honest, the core reason can be summed up in one word: globalization.
Since shifting my focus to the English-speaking market in 2020, I have gradually built and now operate a multi-language website network covering five different languages. Along the way, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I’ve also developed a relatively mature and proven methodology.
Today, I’m going to share this with you without holding anything back, in the hope that it will help more people secure their own share of the AdSense pie.
Why Build Multi-Language Websites?
Many people are still stuck in the “Chinese-site mindset,” thinking that simply targeting English content is already a big leap.
But in reality, the global internet market is far larger than most people imagine.
I still remember the first time I launched an English tech blog back in 2020. With the same content quality, the RPM (Revenue Per Mille) of the English site was 3–5 times higher than that of a Chinese site.
For example, one article about iPhone tips earned an RPM of only 0.8 RMB on the Chinese site—but the English version brought in $3.20 USD.
That huge gap made me realize just how much language choice can influence AdSense earnings.
Later, I expanded into Spanish, French, German, and Japanese sites. I discovered that each language opens the door to unique commercial opportunities:
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English Market – Massive traffic, highly competitive, but top-tier ad value.
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German Market – Users have strong purchasing power; tech content often earns RPMs above $10 USD.
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Japanese Market – High share of mobile traffic; gaming and anime topics monetize exceptionally well.
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Spanish Market – Rapidly growing audience with relatively low competition.
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French Market – Fashion and lifestyle niches perform remarkably well.
Today, my 12 AdSense websites span these five languages, generating a steady $15,000+ per month.
In my best month so far, I hit $18,000 USD in revenue.
Core Logic for Choosing Language Markets
Not every language is worth investing in.
My selection criteria are based mainly on three key factors:
1. Advertising Value Assessment
This is the most straightforward factor—look at the ad rates for that language market.
I use SEMrush and Ahrefs to analyze the CPC (Cost Per Click) data for the same keyword across different languages.
Generally, I target language markets where the CPC is above $2 USD.
For example, for the keyword “iPhone review”:
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English Market CPC: $3.20
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German Market CPC: $4.10
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Japanese Market CPC: $2.80
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Spanish Market CPC: $1.90
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French Market CPC: $2.30
Based on these numbers, I prioritize investment in German and English markets.
2. Competition Level Analysis
Markets with high ad value often have intense competition, so it’s important to balance the two.
I analyze the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for my target keywords, checking how many high-quality independent websites occupy the first page.
For example:
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The German market offers high ad value, but many keyword SERPs are dominated by authoritative media sites, making it hard for a new site to break in.
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By contrast, the Spanish market has slightly lower CPC, but the competition is much lighter, allowing new sites to rank more easily.
3. Content Production Cost
This is often overlooked but is extremely important.
The cost of creating content varies greatly by language:
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English – Abundant resources, excellent AI translation quality, lowest cost.
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German – Complex grammar, requires manual editing, higher cost.
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Japanese – Highly specialized language, strict localization standards, highest cost.
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Spanish – Relatively simple, AI translation + light editing is usually enough.
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French – Sits between English and German in complexity and cost.
My Current Strategy:
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English + Spanish as main traffic drivers (60% of total traffic).
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German + French as high-value supplements (30% of total traffic).
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Japanese for niche market breakthroughs (10% of total traffic).
Practical Methods for Multi-Language Content Production
Content production is the biggest challenge in running a multi-language website network.
After years of trial and error, I’ve developed an efficient workflow:
1. Create Core Content in English First
Regardless of the final publishing language, I always create the core content framework in English first.
Why?
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English has the richest source material—easy to find references.
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AI tools work best with English—better accuracy, more tool options.
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Translations from English to other languages maintain the highest quality.
For example:
If I’m writing an article about AI tools, I’ll first complete the outline and core paragraphs in English, and then translate it into other languages.
This ensures high content quality while improving production efficiency.
Step 2: AI Translation + Manual Editing Workflow
I primarily use ChatGPT and Google Gemini for translations, but I never rely on a simple “one-click” translation. Instead, I break the process into three distinct phases:
Phase 1: Language Style Adaptation
Prompt example for German:
Please translate the following English content into German, ensuring that:
Technical terms are accurately preserved.
Expressions follow common usage in Germany.
Sentence structures are adjusted to match German grammar.
The logical hierarchy of the original text is maintained.
Phase 2: Localization Adjustment
After translation, I optimize for local reading habits:
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Ensure the content matches German readers’ expectations.
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Replace technical terms with their local language equivalents.
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Localize examples (e.g., swap “American companies” with “German companies”).
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Adjust the tone to sound natural for native speakers.
Phase 3: SEO Optimization
Finally, I optimize for the local search market:
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Adjust keyword density and placement based on German SEO norms.
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Refine titles and subheadings for higher CTR.
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Ensure meta descriptions fit the local language style.
Step 3: Key Localization Details
Many overlook these, but they have a huge impact on user experience and SEO performance:
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Currency Conversion
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English site: “$299” → German site: “€279” (not a direct exchange rate—adjust for actual local market price).
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Date Format
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US:
MM/DD/YYYY
→ EU:DD/MM/YYYY
→ Japan:YYYY/MM/DD
.
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Measurement Units
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English: miles, Fahrenheit → Other languages: kilometers, Celsius.
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Cultural Sensitivity Check
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Some expressions common in the US may be inappropriate in other cultures; I actively review for these to avoid unintentional cultural conflicts.
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Technical Architecture for Multi-Language Websites
Operating a multi-language site is far more complex than a single-language one. I’ve made plenty of mistakes here and learned a lot.
1. Domain Strategy
I’ve tested three approaches:
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Subdomain Structure (
en.example.com
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✅ Easy to manage, low cost.
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❌ SEO authority diluted, localization less effective.
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Separate Domain (
example-de.com
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✅ Strong local SEO, domain authority focused per market.
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❌ Higher management complexity and costs.
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Subdirectory Structure (
example.com/de/
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✅ Shared domain authority, relatively easy to manage.
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❌ Technical implementation more error-prone.
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My choice now: Separate domains. More work, but the SEO and revenue stability are worth it.
2. CDN & Server Configuration
Multi-language sites must load fast globally. My setup:
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US West Coast – English site main server
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Frankfurt, Germany – German & French sites
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Tokyo, Japan – Japanese site
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São Paulo, Brazil – Spanish site
I use Cloudflare for global CDN acceleration, ensuring fast access from anywhere.
3. Hreflang Tag Configuration
This is critical for Google to detect language versions correctly. The proper setup is: