How do I know my site's ready to monetize?

How do I know my site's ready to monetize?

Q: When should I add ads or affiliate links without looking desperate?

A: Short answer: when you have traffic AND trust, not before. Longer answer, my readiness checklist:

— You're getting 10k+ sessions/month from search (ad networks like Mediavine want this anyway).
— You have 25-40 solid posts, so the site doesn't look like a thin ad-trap.
— You know which 5 posts drive most traffic — those get monetized first and carefully.
— Affiliate links go on "best/review/comparison" intent pages, not informational ones.
— Ad density: start light. One in-content unit, test bounce rate, then add.

Monetizing a 6-post site just trains visitors to bounce. Build the audience first.

Anyone want me to go deeper on this? React 👍