In the heart of Vietnam, where tradition meets modern technology, a story has emerged that will inspire many. Today, a publisher from Vietnam is here to share his journey of earning through movie websites. Cha Mi Li created a platform dedicated to cinema that features clips and information from popular films and series in English. His path was fraught with challenges, but these obstacles became valuable ideas for creating, optimizing, and monetizing a film website. Through innovative ad formats like MultiTag Banner and MultiTag In-Page from HilltopAds, Cha Mi Li has achieved total earnings of $38,298.41.
Read our case study and discover how to turn passion into a successful project!
Key points:
Publisher’s name: Cha Mi Li
Top GEO: US, CA, KR, AU, UK
Ad formats: MultiTag Banner and MultiTag In-Page from HilltopAds
Website category: Mainstream
Total Earnings: $38,298.41
A Closer Look at Monetizing Movie Websites
Let’s delve into the topic of earning revenue from movie traffic, specifically how one can profit from movie websites. The internet is flooded with such sites, The internet is packed with these kinds of sites, which generally fall into two main categories:
- Warez-type Sites: These sites consist of multiple webpages, each dedicated to a specific film. Their monetization typically comes from teaser advertisements, link sales, and file-sharing services. While these sites can attract a large number of visitors, their profits depend on frequent content updates and active promotion.
- Single-Film Websites: These sites are created around a film’s release, but traffic drops once the buzz fades. They earn through affiliate links, ads, and merchandise. Long-term success depends on smart marketing and keeping the audience engaged after the film’s release.
Monetizing a film website is not simply a function of having good content— it’s also understanding how to retain and attract your audience. Smart SEO, regular social media posting, and building up an authentic following around your site have an incredible impact, driving in larger volumes of visitors and growing your profits. Yes, the competition is fierce, but with the right approach and a bit of creativity, turning movie traffic into a solid income is absolutely possible.
The Publisher’s Journey
Cha Mi Li
HIlltopAds Publisher
Cha Mi Li grew up in a small town in Vietnam, where movies were more than just entertainment—they were a big part of his family’s life. From an early age, he was drawn to the magic of cinema, whether it was classic Vietnamese films or Hollywood blockbusters.
One day, while watching yet another film, an idea struck him: “Why not start my own movie website? It’s like selling popcorn at the theater — people will always want it!”. That moment of inspiration quickly turned into a realization—movies weren’t just his passion; they were also a promising way to build a successful business.
Inspired by the successes of other publishers, Cha Mi Li decided to change his life by creating a website dedicated to cinema, featuring clips from popular films and series. Understanding that users seek quality content, he began to add reviews, industry news, gossip, and articles about upcoming premieres to the site, as well as official trailers available on YouTube. The uniqueness of his website lies in its ability to provide multiple links to resources where users can watch popular films and series online in high quality. It is worth noting that Cha Mi Li actively researched the market and analyzed audience needs to create a platform capable of generating substantial international traffic.
As a result, he decided to focus on the English-speaking audience, targeting countries such as the USA, Canada, South Korea, Australia, and the UK. You might wonder why South Korea? It caught his attention as an Asian country where nearly everyone speaks English and has a strong interest in Western films and series. There is almost a cult of Western culture! This created a unique opportunity to offer content that would satisfy both Asian viewers and an international audience seeking quality entertainment.
Cha Mi Li isn’t in the business of streaming big-budget films that are protected by copyright. Instead, he’s found his own niche in news distribution. He deliberately steers clear of streaming movies without the proper licenses to avoid legal complications and has no intention of getting into the licensing game. That’s why, for him, the best approach was to create a movie website that provides links and information about films rather than hosting them directly.
Key metrics for the website
86.47% of his traffic comes from direct visits. Additionally, 9.28% of traffic originates from search engines, and 3.16% comes from referrals, reflecting a healthy diversity in traffic sources, which keeps his work dynamic and rewarding.
From a GEO point of view, his audience is predominantly in the US (64.33%), followed by Canada (16.18%) and South Korea (8.86%). These GEOs have favorable CPMs, and therefore, excellent prospects for better traffic monetization strategy and greater revenues.
Thanks to HilltopAds, I have found myself able to effectively monetize such traffic. Their ad tools and formats adapt to the behavior of my audience, optimizing their revenue and engagement. Having such figures made concrete by working with HilltopAds, I have confidence to take such campaigns to greater heights.
On average, the site attracts 4.1 million visits per month, with users viewing around 2.61 pages per session and spending an impressive 3 minutes and 12 seconds per visit. These engagement metrics prove that the content truly resonates with his audience, a bounce rate is 47.19%.
All of Cha Mi Li’s income depends on the advertising placed on his site, and this is where the advertising network HilltopAds comes into play. Let’s delve into this further.
Cinema is not just entertainment; it’s a business where anyone can become a star, even without acting talent!
— Cha Mi Li
Strategies and Innovative Ad Formats
In the early stages of his career, Cha Mi Li faced a number of challenges while working with various ad networks, including low rates and inadequate support. He was looking for more effective solutions and a good alternative to Google AdSense, ultimately discovering HilltopAds. After thoroughly analyzing the offerings of this network, he was impressed by the variety of ad formats and the high revenue potential they provided.
Cha Mi Li decided to go with MultiTag Banner and MultiTag In-Page to monetize website. These two formats are like the perfect pair — think of them as the left and right Twix bars of ad placements. MultiTag Banner handles Banners and Pops, while MultiTag In-Page takes care of In-Page ads. Together, they create a seamless, user-friendly experience. The ads are clean, non-intrusive, and let visitors decide whether to engage or move on. And that’s the magic behind a high click-through rate (CTR).
What’s even better? These formats are fully optimized for both desktop and mobile. That dual optimization is a game-changer, helping Cha Mi Li reach a wider audience without missing a beat.
The settings for displaying Pops are limited to once per hour per user, helping to avoid intrusiveness and increasing the likelihood of clicks. With an average traffic of 4 million visitors and a traffic source consisting of direct SEO visits, Cha Mi Li was able to significantly boost his income.
The key recommendation for website owners in the film industry is to avoid overloading their pages with ads. Placing 20 banners on a single page only creates clutter, mixing with the vibrant movie covers that naturally draw attention. Additionally, the types of ads should align 99% with what visitors expect to see on the site. For example, this could include offers related to antivirus software, VPNs, finance, iGaming and sports betting, lotteries, and dating.
As Cha Mi Li noted, “HilltopAds is now my sole source of online income, and it has proven to be the most reliable partner. My total income from movie websites over the past six months has amounted to approximately $38,298.41.”
SEO Strategies to Boost Your Film Website
Let’s be real—SEO is a massive topic, and we can’t cover everything in one go. But we’ll give you the key tips and insights you need to start driving more traffic to your site. Here’s the breakdown:
- Keywords: Do your homework. Find keywords that matter—think movie titles, genres, actors, and upcoming releases. Then, weave them naturally into your titles, meta descriptions, and content.
- Content Optimization: Don’t just slap something together. Write unique, high-quality stuff—reviews, news, deep dives into films and series. Use headings and subheadings to keep your content organized and easy to read.
- Meta Tags: Ensure that you fill out meta titles and meta descriptions for each page. They should be engaging and contain relevant keywords.
- Responsive Design: If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re already behind. Google loves sites that work seamlessly on phones and tablets, so make sure yours does.
- Loading Speed: Nobody likes a slow website. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to figure out where you’re lagging and fix it. Faster loading times mean happier visitors and better rankings
- Social Media: Don’t just sit on your content — share it! Post reviews, news, and articles on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to drive traffic back to your site.
- Video Content: People love videos. Add trailers, actor interviews, or behind-the-scenes clips. And don’t forget to optimize them with tags and descriptions.
- Regular Updates: Keep your site fresh. Post about new releases, industry events, and trending topics. It keeps users coming back and tells search engines your site is active.
- Competitor Analysis: Spy on your competition (in a good way). See what keywords they’re using, what content’s working for them, and learn from it.
- Local SEO: If you’re targeting a specific area, use local keywords and create content around regional film events or news.
Now, let’s pose a few questions to our publisher.
How did you find out about the HilltopAds ad network?
I learned of HilltopAds on affiliate marketing forums, where forum participants explained how to make money with websites. Others told their good stories and testimonials, and their stories interested me. After dealing with the frustrations of other ad networks — low payouts, lack of support, you name it — I was on the hunt for something better, a real alternative to Adsense. The recommendations I found on those forums gave me the confidence to add ads through HilltopAds, and it has proven to be a game-changer for my website.
How has HilltopAds contributed to monetizing your website traffic?
HilltopAds has been a crucial factor in sending my web traffic to a consistent source of revenue. Up to today, having begun cooperating with them in June 2024, my film portal earned a total of a remarkable $38,298.41 in six months, representing an average of approximately $6,383 per month. These amounts depict the quality of their ad solution and their ideal fit for my audience on-site.
The earnings statistics on my publisher dashboard point to consistent growth and the effects of HilltopAds’ competitive CPMs and custom ad types. The collaboration hasn’t only effectively monetized my traffic but also made sure that I am tapping on the right opportunities to bring out the true potential of my site.
Conclusion
As the film industry keeps changing, this case study shows just how important it is to stay flexible and think outside the box in such a competitive online world. By putting the user experience first and using smart SEO strategies, Cha Mi Li has built a platform that connects with viewers all over the globe. His story isn’t just about making money—it’s about inspiring others who want to make their mark in the fast-growing world of online entertainment.
Building a successful movie website is just the first step! There’s still plenty of work to do, but I’m excited to keep going. Every dollar I earn gets me closer to my dream of owning a home. So, if anyone asks me why I do all this, I’ll say: ‘So one day I can watch my favorite movies not just on a screen, but from the cozy chair in my own home!
— Cha Mi Li
Want to earn money from your Movie Website? Register with HilltopAds and create your own financial success story!
