Associate Programs Newsletter #227

For some web site owners, AdSense is like the heady days of the dot-com boom.

Are you jumping aboard this gold rush?

CONTENTS:

1. Help yourselves to the new affiliate forum
2. Why we've displayed over 25,000 AdSense ad panels
3. How AdSense simplifies earning money on the Internet
4. AdSense reminds me of the dot-com boom days
5. Feedback on AdSense: Most dramatic week in 5 years
6. A site rejected by AdSense
7. Misconceptions about AdSense
8. 33 ways to generate revenue from blogs
9. We have a new web host
10. Thought for today: Boldness and genius

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1. Help yourselves to the new affiliate forum
=============================================

"Your new Forum looks great!"

That's one of the comments we've received about our new forum for affiliates.

Well, some folk say the forum looks a bit tame. Obviously, we can't please everyone. Anyway, it's the CONTENT that matters, right?

The new affiliate forum has all sorts of state-of-the-art features.

* You can still post messages as an anonymous guest without
registering if you wish.

* If you log in, you can choose to monitor discussions that
interest you and receive an email each time someone adds
to that conversation.

* You can also send private messages to other forum
participants.

* You can do a bit of subtle promotion by posting your profile
for others to see.

* There's a section where you can post blatant ads.

* You can see at a glance which posts are attracting the most
clicks. (It's a good place to test your heading-writing
skills.)

Right now, the most popular discussion is "Help - Site update gives more visitors but lesser sales" in which several affiliates give advice on ways to improve an affiliate's commissions.

Have a look. I hope you'll find the new forum useful.

What future direction will it take? That's up to you.

Post a tip or ask a question.

Help yourselves...

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/index.php

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2. Why we've displayed over 25,000 AdSense ad panels
======================================================

In five years, this is the most frustrating article I've ever written for this newsletter.

I want to tell you all about AdSense - in detail. I want to tell you what we've found works and what doesn't, both from our own experiments and from the feedback of affiliates who have been
kind enough to share their knowledge with us.

If you're ignoring AdSense, you're missing a golden opportunity.

I wish I could back up that statement with statistics, but Google insists on controlling what I am allowed to tell you. The AdSense rules say I'm not allowed to share the useful information I've
collected.

Believe me, I have plenty of stats. Quite a few fingers have slipped on keyboards and people have accidentally copied their AdSense stats into emails they've been writing to me.

So I can say with confidence that some web site owners have excellent reasons to be thrilled with the revenue they're getting from AdSense.

Over the past two weeks we've been cautiously extending our own AdSense experiments.

We're now using it on five web sites, we've delivered more than AdSense 25,000 impressions, and for the last three days we've averaged more than $140 a day in AdSense earnings. (Sorry I can't
be more precise than that.)

Such results are bad news for second-rate affiliate merchants and big ad networks, but excellent news for affiliates and web site publishers who aren't very good at selling.

Now you can earn money without making a single sale. All you have to do is get the click.

In fact, if you build boring pages you're likely to earn MORE money, because your visitors are more likely to click on the more appealing AdSense links.

It's a whole new way of looking at marketing.

However, don't make your pages TOO boring. In the long run, you still need good, information-rich pages, because that's what search engines are constantly striving to deliver.

(In case you're just catching up with this topic, here's how AdSense works. You place Google AdWords on your site, people click on the links, and you get paid. Here's my previous article
on it: How Google's AdSense will shake things up.

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==============================================
3. How AdSense simplifies earning money on the Internet
==============================================

Suddenly, because of AdSense, earning money on the Internet is a whole lot simpler.

Here's what you do:

* Do some research for profitable keywords. I describe six ways
to do keyword research for AdSense pages here:
How to boost your AdSense revenue

* Write at least 20 good, useful articles containing those
keywords - one topic per page.

* Put them in a simple web site and get it online.

* Apply to AdSense and post your AdSense code into your pages.
Here's an example:
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/computer-speakers.html

* Bank the checks.

The trouble is, one important step is missing from the above.

So far all you have is the equivalent of a billboard in the middle of a desert.

You also have to optimize your site for search engines and attract a large number of visitors.

That sad thing is that although AdSense has made things so much easier, many web site owners are still going to fail because they haven't learned how to optimize a site for search engines.

The best shortcut I know of is to use Site Build It - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/buildit - the all-in-one web hosting, site promoting and site optimizing tool.

We use it and love it, because it works superbly. There's nothing else on the market that comes anywhere close to matching it.

If you already have a high-traffic web site, I urge you to try a little test with AdSense on a few of your pages that aren't achieving good sales.

You won't get wonderful results with every keyword because some keywords can still be bought on Google's AdWords for as little as 5 cents per click. Your share of that wouldn't be much.

However, if you do your keywords homework, payouts of 30 cents, 40 cents, 50 cents and even as high as $2 per click are possible. If you keep your pages simple and display the AdSense panel
prominently, click-through rates of 10% or 15% can definitely be achieved.

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4. AdSense reminds me of the dot-com boom days
==================================

AdSense reminds me of the dot-com boom days when multi-million-dollar crazies were spending money like water on banner advertising.

It also reminds me of the heady early days of affiliate programs when many companies paid per click instead of per sale.

So what could ruin this new gold rush?

WE could.

If we build garbage sites and do tricky things to try to deceive Google, we'll quickly kill the golden goose that's laying all these golden eggs.

If we act irresponsibly, advertisers will opt out. They don't want their ads on junky sites. If advertisers opt out, the prices per click will plummet and we'll all earn much less. Advertisers will demand improvements, including ways to select sites where they don't want their ads to appear.

Already, I've seen stupid sites that say "Click on my ads" (breaking an AdSense rule) and I've seen a site that had two AdSense panels on a page - another rule broken.

[UPDATE: This rule was changed.]

I foresee click-the-link fraud rings, probably based in poor countries. Let's hope Google's sophisticated anti-fraud technology can eradicate them. If not, there will be disappointed advertisers who get clicks but no sales.

I've already seen anecdotal evidence which suggests that clicks from the AdSense network are worth only a tiny fraction of the value of clicks from AdWords on the Google search engine.

If that spreads, we'll see outrage by advertisers demanding that badly performing web sites be kicked out of the advertising pool.

Can a selfish, thoughtless minority ruin things for the rest of us? It happened with pay-per-click affiliate programs. I hope it doesn't happen with AdSense.

Here's another, brighter scenario - and I reckon there's a good chance it's the right one...

Just think of all those "Ads by Google" links on AdSense panels on millions of web sites.

That's incredible free advertising for Google, AdWords and AdSense.

It's a bit like the viral marketing that made Hotmail such a huge success.

AdSense is already spreading like wildfire and it's inevitably going to spread a whole lot faster.

Not only will there be more AdSense ads, there will also be hordes of new advertisers who are attracted to AdWords by all the inescapable buzz.

Catch this wave now while it lasts.

If you're good at building web sites and optimizing them for search engine traffic, do it your way.

If not, I strongly recommend you use Site Build It! to give yourself a fast start.

Build information-rich, keyword rich sites that rank high in search engines.

Here's the tool we use and recommend...

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/buildit

This way, you can concentrate on providing good, keyword-rich content without being distracted by techie stuff.

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5. Feedback on AdSense: Most dramatic week in 5 years
================================

Here's a sampling of the excited responses I received to my article, How Google's AdSense will shake things up.

"Have you done a comparison of EPC (earnings per click) results
between Google's AdSense and Commission Junction?" asks Bryce
Hall of http://www.maintour.com .

"I have and all I'll say is I'm racing as fast as I can to delete
all CJ ads and replace them with AdSense (see my example at
http://www.maintour.com/socal/slopismo.htm )."

Bryce says that the one most amazing thing about AdSense is that all of the publishers on the Internet - formerly highly independent - are forming a giant partnership /union / monopoly
where now they can all demand top dollar to run the advertisement for your product.

"In five years of running a travel product affiliate web site (and reading your newsletter), this has been my most dramatic week for revenue share increase!"

Kristjan Gudna writes:

"You are totally right... beginners can put up a web site and
focus all their energy on building content, not thinking about
selling or preselling.

"There is only one problem with your article, Allan. The time
here in Iceland is now 1am and my head is spinning about all the
ways I can put the AdSense into practise. Probably won't sleep at
all tonight."

Wayne Porter of AffTrack.com comments:

"I agree 100% with your assessment about it impacting affiliate
marketing. We are already seeing some of the more progressive
AffTrack clients shifting in this direction.

"In many ways Google is fulfilling the unfulfilled promises that
networks have always made about contextual commerce. Google is
now providing them substantive revenue with risk that is more
evenly shared between publisher and advertiser."

One theory put to me is that Google is paying an artificially high percentage rate now to encourage people like me to get excited about AdSense and help spread the word fast.

Perhaps it is, but I don't think Google needs to do that.

People pay huge prices per click at Overture and AdWords. For example, I checked "financial services" on Overture today and someone is willing to pay $9 per click.

The top three bids for "buy viagra online" at Overture are all over $7.40 per click.

For "pay per click advertising" the top three bids are over $2.

The top three bids for "affiliate programs" are over $2.40. If it's the same price on AdWords and if Google pays, let's say, 50% commission, that's a very useful $1.20 payout per click.

If Google is cleverly automating much of its site checking, as it appears to be, it can save money by doing so, while increasing its income exponentially from all the ads on small sites.

Naturally, there's a lot of curiosity right now and it seems inevitable that click-through rates will decline from the high figures we're seeing.

However, payouts could decline a long way and still be very lucrative.

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6. A site rejected by AdSense
=============================================

Chris Morris is upset because he owns a small site which has been rejected by AdSense.

He's bravely allowed me to tell you the URL, in the hope that his experience will help other web site owners.

The site is http://www.camping-tent-guide.com

When he applied, his site was only two weeks old, not yet indexed by Google, the Home page was thick with affiliate links, and the site didn't have much content.

AdSense says it doesn't want sites which have "excessive advertising".

However, Chris says he knows of other sites which are similar that have been accepted by AdSense. Perhaps his was borderline.

You could use it as a yardstick. If you want your site accepted, do better than this.

I suggested to Chris he could try adding more articles and get good links to the site before requesting another review by AdSense.

(I see that in two days he has removed many of the affiliate links. Already, it's looking like a site likely to be approved.)

===============================================
7. Misconceptions about AdSense
===============================================

Some of the AdSense rules aren't worded very clearly, and Google has updated them several times. Here's my attempt at breaking through a bit of the fog surrounding AdSense:

* You CAN have other text ads on a page.

When questioned, Google says it doesn't want ads that "mimic
the look and feel" of AdSense. Text affiliate links are OK.
Just don't overdo them.

* You don't have to remove your existing affiliate links.
However, you'll probably want to remove poorly performing
affiliate links. We're testing AdSense on Rupert's
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com and on
http://www.dj-tips-and-tricks.com , both of which have lots
of affiliate links.

* Google rejects advertising for alcohol or tobacco, you may
have heard. Well, sort of.

You CAN use AdSense for a page about "wine" but not about
"beer". Figure that one out, if you can.

It's absolutely essential that you do your keyword research
before you start anything else. This article describes how:
How to boost your AdSense revenue

* You CAN have separate accounts for separate sites. We have.

On this topic, Google itself seems more than a little confused.
This week, its Standard Terms and Conditions were saying:
"Multiple accounts held by the same individual or entity are
subject to immediate termination."

However, its FAQ was saying: "... publishers may create
multiple accounts if they manage sites that require separate
payments."

OF COURSE you want a different account for each of your sites!
You want to know how each site performs, don't you? Heck, you
want to know how each PAGE performs.

No doubt Google will keep making improvements as it responds to
feedback from thousands of web site owners.

Don't worry about the fact that this is a highly fluid situation.
My strong advice is to jump in and grab this opportunity while it
exists.

I'm not suggesting you scrap all affiliate programs. That would
be crazy. Just scrap the duds. Plonk AdSense on the pages that
aren't achieving sales.

Figure out your CPM. I describe how to do that here -
How to boost your AdSense revenue
some keyword research and get started on increasing your income.

I'd love to hear about your results.

[UPDATE: AdSense has changed the rules since this was written.]

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8. 33 ways to generate revenue from blogs
===============================================

Blogging is hot, and it's going to be wildly profitable, says heart surgeon, entrepreneur and online marketer Dr Mani Sivasubramanian.

Mani has come up with an original idea. He's written a "book on blogs that's ITSELF a blog". It's all about how to generate revenue from blogs (web logs).

This isn't one of Mani's regular step-by-step in-depth tutorials. It's a concise compilation of 33 punchy, short tips to set you thinking about creating a profitable blog.

Because the book is also a blog, you can contribute your own ideas, expanding on Mani's tips.

Many people are eager to share - or show off - their knowledge, so I'm sure Mani's blog will quickly expand into an amazingly powerful resource on how to make money with blogs.

I couldn't resist adding a couple of tips of my own to the blog.

Mani is one of the good guys. In fact, he's an exceptionally good guy. He works incredibly long hours so that he can help other people.

In typical Mani style, a large part of the money you give him will be used to support children with heart birth defects through his CHD Foundation.

Check out his blog book and help some poor kids at the same time...

[UPDATE: No longer available.]

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pay-per-click can cost you plenty. That's why I'm releasing
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telling the truth, and who isn't? This comprehensive report will
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earlybird@page-zero.com you'll be eligible for the early bird
discount price of $77, exclusive to readers of Allan Gardyne's
newsletter. Affiliate inquiries welcome!
___________________________________________________________

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9. We have a new web host
===============================================

We've switched AssociatePrograms.com to a new web host. It was a big hassle switching over the affiliate directory database, but I'm sure it's going to be worth it.

It was a really tough decision to make. That's why I delayed it for so long. I've enjoyed Rob Marlbrough's friendly, helpful service, and I've appreciated all the time he's put into answering my questions.

However, I finally ran out of patience.

I became tired of reading his explanations about why things were going wrong at WebWizards.net - hard drive failures, upgrading servers, hackers, tech staff errors - and his statements about how things would be wonderful from now on.

Perhaps WebWizards.net really IS on the brink of a grand new future. We'll see. We still have LifetimeCommissions.com hosted there. A few months from now, I've love to be able to tell you
that the problems have been sorted out.

[UPDATE 2011: We stuck with Rob for the hosting of LifetimeCommissions.com and he's given us about a decade of really good service, with incredibly helpful support.]

My heartfelt apologies to everyone who has found the AssociatePrograms.com directory and message board inaccessible. I know how frustrating that is.

Our new host, http://www.pair.com , has an excellent record for reliability. So far, the service has been top-notch.

Check out our new affiliate forum.

See how fast it loads...

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/discus/index.php

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10. Thought for today: Boldness and genius
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"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." - Goethe.

All the best

Allan Gardyne