Call me a traitor or whatever you want, I'm an affiliate marketer but honestly, my first profits came from Google AdSense.
I can't release detailed figures because it is against Google's policy, but I can tell you this – that first check brought the biggest smile to my face.
It was the first money I'd ever made while I wasn't actually working – so believe me, I was ecstatic. But it didn't happen over night. So please, don't expect to make money immediately.
In fact, don't even check your AdSense reports until your blog or site has been up and running for at least 30 days. Yeah, right, I know you're going to be impatiently checking your account – I couldn't wait either. Every day I was like a kid waiting for that secret decoder ring I'd sent off … that seemed like … it … would … never come! But when it finally came, nothing could match that feeling.
Don't get me wrong – you have got to put some pre-work in for Google AdSense to work for you. You can't just set up a blank blog page or website and fill it up with Google AdSense and expect to make some money. Google's policy doesn't allow this and whether it's allowed or not – no one – I repeat, no one wants to spend a nanosecond of their time on a site with no content. You've got to have some valuable information there. Think about how quickly you hit the “back” button when you reach a site that has no nutritional value whatsoever. You don't go forward and click anything – no ads – no links – nothing!
You can't make money when your visitors are immediately hitting the “back” button. So you're going to have to produce something that will keep them there. Luckily you have some options. You can either:
- Write an abundance of quality content for your site. Although, if you've ever maintained a blog or a website, you come to realize that this is actually one of the most time consuming and difficult tasks. Writing articles requires all of your attention – and you need at least 30 minutes of quiet time to compose and then revise articles for your website. But not just any articles – attention grabbing articles that will pull people to your site and get them clicking on things. You'll need to generate 3 – 4 new articles a week to keep things going. The more pages you have, the more Google AdSense ads you'll have spread throughout your website or blog. The more content, the more pages, the more ads, the more chances someone will click on an those ads.
- Consult ezines and article directories for content for your site. There are tons of article directories that allow you to republish articles so long as you adhere to their guidelines and be sure to give full credit to the author and not try to pawn it off as your own. The downside to this, however, is that if the article can be found somewhere else – and most likely a site with far more traffic than yours – why would a visitor choose your site over theirs? People are looking for something new, not the same old, same old. But republishing an article is a viable start.
- Hire a freelance writer. Paying someone for something you can do yourself is not the most appealing option. However, we pay people to do things we can do for ourselves all the time. We hire maids, pay for valet parking, take our clothes to the cleaners, pay grocery stores to grow vegetables we could grow in our own backyard… I could go on (but I'll spare you). We do it because we realize that time is more valuable than money – we pay people to do things for us so that we can free up more time to do the things we enjoy. So why not hire someone to produce quality articles for your site? Your first Google check might put things into perspective.
I suggest that you first attempt to do as much as you can yourself – whether you realize it or not, your unique perspective on your topic of expertize may lead you to discover things others have overlooked or ignored. Writing your own articles ensures your blog or site contains original articles that no other site does. If you find then that you can't keep up, hire someone to write quality original articles for you. Hiring a freelance writer is more affordable than you think (check these rates). Whatever you do – don't give up, even if you can't find the right affiliate marketing niche, you can still earn with Google.
