Tag-Archive for » adsense «

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I couldn’t end this series without talking about making money with blogs.

Most bloggers start a blog with money as part of the equation. I did.

However, the truth about making money with a blog is often misleading.

Search online and you’ll find many sites, e-books, or “subscribe to this” that claim you can make big money, FAST, with a blog. It will only cost you $X.XX. Sign up, share your credit card number, and you can make thousands in a short time. It must be true. After all, they show a copy of a check(s), made out to themselves, for an astronomical amount of money.

Pictures don’t lie. Or do they?

When I started blogging, I plastered ads on my two blogs. I signed up for Google AdSense, LinkShare.com, Commission Junction and Amazon.

I then proceeded to spend countless hours adding ads, moving ads, changing ads, resizing ads, and then constantly checking the statistics to see how many hundreds I was making. HA! That was a joke. I wasn’t making anything. Months passed, some of the ads remained, but my pocketbook wasn’t any thicker.

I didn’t spend any money by joining these “companies”, but I did lose tons of time.

To recap where I am 13 months later, from Commission Junction I received a $17 check. Linkshare shows I have a $14.75 balance, but they don’t payout until you have accumulated $25.00. I haven’t seen any checks from Amazon either, although they say I’ve earned $12.39.

Google AdSense was a slow starter, but the pennies finally added up and I got my first check from them. (They payout at $100.00+). I should see my second check next month.

I was also blessed with a donation from Mark, at Creative Journey Cafe.

All in all, what I’ve “earned” (not received) has covered my overhead for my BlueHost account, domain names + renewals. By doing the math, I’m a little ahead of the “game” as long as I don’t put a value on the time I spend blogging. ((((laughs)))))

Interestingly, the money I have made was the result of my second blog. It’s a blog that receives nearly all of it’s traffic from search engines (organic traffic), and does not have a “community” of commenters. This tells me, if you can get your blog to receive organic traffic (by using SEO and keyword phrases, etc…), your chances of making money will increase.

The one problem with using keyword phrases (keywords), it forces you to change your writing style. In some ways, it can hinder your creativity.

So what have I learned?

I’ve learned, I don’t know how to make money blogging. LOL

Lesson Twelve: Money can be made with blogs. I believe search engine traffic is the key, and you need lots of it (thousands of visitors a day). Your subject matter must appeal either to the masses or to a specific niche of people (not bloggers).

At this point, the money I make is irrelevant, however, don’t tell my husband that. He believes this “hobby” of mine will pay for itself, and maybe than some. Let’s keep this just between us. :)

As for those pictures of the big checks, could they have been a Photoshop project? You decide.

Today’s Assignment:

Are you blogging for dollars? If so, is it working?

Have you discovered a great way to make money with a blog?

Or are you like me, and the money part of blogging has lost it appeal?


Photo Credit: d70focus’ photostream

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If you use Google AdSense, you may have noticed arrows on the ad unit.

Today’s Lesson

Just recently Google added two small arrows to their AdSense ads units.

What this does, is gives the potential ad clicker, more advertising options.

Whether a reader on a blog will notice these arrows is another question, so all may be for naught.

However if a visitor is looking closely at the AdSense ads, it could mean you’ll earn a few coins from a click.

I normally don’t use Google AdSense on this blog, so for those of you who don’t use AdSense, you can check out the arrow display on my Observation Mountain blog.

Today’s Assignment

If you use AdSense, had you noticed this arrow feature?

Do you think it could help to increase your AdSense earnings?

If you don’t use Google AdSense, will it convince to you start using it, knowing there are more ad options to generate revenue?

Photo Credit NOTICIAS-TIC’s photos

Many bloggers are being careful not to monetize their blogs too soon. Why? Because a few big name bloggers said you should wait to monetize your blog until you build up a loyal readership. Yes, that makes sense. After all, we don’t want other bloggers to think we’re only in it for the money.But…are we only writing for other bloggers? Or are we writing for the masses?

Should we wait, and then when we have a big readership, totally change the look of our blog by adding some AdSense or a few banner ads? That doesn’t make sense. Our loyal readers may think they’re on the wrong site and leave.

I say, if you want to monetize your blog, do it from the beginning. Readers come to your site for the content. As long as the content isn’t overpowered by advertisements, I don’t see how they would be offended. Plus, they might click on an ad or two.

Emulate a favorite website, and monetize your blog from the beginning.

It is written, act like…..and become like…

Learn from those who came before you…

If a blogger wants to make a few coins, is that so wrong?

Photo Credit fdecomite’s photos
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Today’s Lesson

To prove this point, I went on some big name websites. Here’s what I found:

On Oprah’s website, she has ads on every page. including her home page. Click on a link, and there is a full banner ad on the top of the page, and a skyscraper ad (rotating ads) down the side. They actually don’t look bad.

NBC’s Today Show website, has two rectangular ads. One is a picture ad, the other is verbiage.

Fox News follows the same format with ads in their sidebar, as well as at the bottom of their home page.

The Washington Post website has ads

So does target=”_blank”CNBC The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch ,About.com, ,Lost the TV series, and CSI Miami, a CBS primetime series.

The Whitehouse website does not have ads, nor do other governmental websites I have visited. (Maybe they should)

On none of these sites am I “put off” by the ads. They blend in, and the ads do not take away from the content.

You may ask, why would these big name websites have ads? For the money, of course. Granted, some of websites are being paid big bucks to display these ads, but even with the AdSense ads, these webmasters know incorporating advertisements, will help to subsidize their website costs.

Should we be any different?

In this world of millions of people searching, and millions of searchers not knowing the difference between a website and a blog, do you think an ad will distract them. Apparently not. They’re seeing them where ever they go.

So, what are we waiting for?

Today’s Assignment

Do you monetize your blog, or are you waiting until you build up readership?

Do you have a problem when you see ads on other blogs?

Have you seen blogs that over do it with advertising?

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