Struggling to make money online? Target these 4 niches ONLY
I wrote some pretty random stuff when I was starting out as an online writer.
My content output was like a firehose, and I pointed it in just about every direction.
Ice hockey, Brazilian elections, alcoholism, entrepreneurship … you name it, I wrote about it.
But as I moved through this trial-and-error process, some obvious patterns emerged around what people did and didn’t want to see from me — and what they wanted to see in general.
Nothing can replace the very personal journey toward finding your niche and your voice as a writer.
But if you want to skip at least a bit of that early legwork, I have some ideas for where you should start if you actually want to make money in the content game.
In fact, I’ve gone ahead and quantified exactly which online niches are the most profitable overall, including what you can expect to make with an independent blog or YouTube channel.
Yes, you can absolutely go ahead and write Pokemon fan fiction if you find that fulfilling.
Not all writing has to be about making money, and I don’t expect every article I write to take off.
But if you are here to make money in addition to plumbing the depths of your psyche, allow me to suggest four niches you should focus your efforts on.
The most profitable online niches: process
Now I could go on all day talking about my own personal experience re: what works and what doesn’t, but I was interested in finding a way to quantify it.
I did some internet searches and some reading to get a general idea, and then I turned to a tool that can aggregate info a lot faster and better than me: Artificial Intelligence.
I asked 3 AIs — Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Meta AI — for not only the “Top 5 most profitable content niches” but also for the average CPM (or how much advertisers pay per 1,000 views) for each.
I then did my own aggregating to come up with the ultimate list.
So … here it is.
The top online niches
If you were new to this site, you might get the impression that “writing online” is among the most profitable niches.
And you would, in fact, be wrong.
I can tell you that from personal experience.
Although there’s a small handful of people thriving in that space, it’s also oversaturated and offers a pretty small audience.
Now, the larger “make money online” niche?
That’s huge, it pays handsomely, and it figures prominently on our list.
4. Health ($5.75 average CPM): The health niche is the least profitable option on our list, but don’t dismiss it. I’ll let you in on a little secret — the CPM may be low, but the audience is massive and can more than make up for it. I make most of my money writing on health topics.
3. Tech reviews ($7.37 average CPM): These are profitable because a) they can be evergreen and b) you’re catering to an audience that’s ready to buy something. Just check out the MKBHT YouTube channel. Its creator, Marques Brownlee, is almost certainly a multimillionaire.
2. Finance ($9.33 average CPM): Whether it’s personal finance or investing, this niche is loaded with potential and lands at №2 on our list. AI is lowballing the CPM here based on my experience, and online creators like Josh Mayo do absolutely ludicrous numbers.
Make money online ($11.51 average CPM): AI is way lowballing the CPM in this cash-printing niche. My CPM for make money online vids is around $25, and that’s just scratching the surface. YouTuber Shelby Church, for example, has made close to $90,000 for this 1 video about Amazon FBA:
How to break into a niche
Here’s a secret tip: the best way to break into the major niches — which are loaded with competition — is to sneak in the back door with a strong sub-niche.
I got my YouTube channel monetized by focusing on online writing (make money online niche), and I became a top general health writer here by documenting my own struggles with alcohol first.
If you can find a super engaged sub-niche audience in one of these four areas and can build off that, you’ll be well on your way to making decent money before long.
Which niche interests you the most?
What has your own research turned up?
Let me know in the comments!
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