Many web site owners are getting their Google Adsense account terminated when they have done nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. Considering the money that they are getting from Adsense, they would certainly want to get back into it.
Considering the money to be made with Adsense, it is no wonder that they would want to get back into it.
It is that same consideration why the Google Adsense click fraud is thought of and why many people are getting into it.
Click fraud is the act of clicking on ads for the purpose of costing the advertiser money. It is simply the same as paying out cash for false leads. Many people website owners are aware of this fraud and are sharing the same sentiment that this is the one big problem that Adsense is facing.
How do you prevent being involved in this fraud?
Majority of web hosts are offering access logs. Once this is offered to you, it is necessary that you hand it over to Google as well. This allows them to look for any suspicious activity on your site. Problems like this are very serious and giving it to them is saying that you would want to help them in any way you can in solving the problem.
It can also help if you have a click monitoring software. If you do not have one yet, you should try and get one. There is absolutely no major factor preventing you from having one because most of this software is free.
As usual, all the information you have received should be turned over to Google. This is showing Google that you too are fighting against click frauds and is in no way a part of it.
Study your server logs and watch for any activity that seems suspicious. Report anything that you may find odd, may it big or small thing.
You may want to consider disabling ads for your own IP address and local geographic area. This will certainly prevent accidents and will not make Google mistake another user as you. You can do through a htaccess file. This will avoid Google mistaking as clicking on your own ads and be kicked out because of it.
Keep your Adsense off on pop ups and pop unders. Your ads should not be displayed on content sites that promote illegal activity or tampering of the legal rights of other people or business. Included in this are the content that is considered adult and gambling ones. If you think that you may be breaking this rule, immediately remove your content or Adsense from the web page.
Be truthful and confess up to Google about times when you might have clicked on your own as, whether accidentally or intentionally. Or the times when you have done something that is against the Terms of Service that they are implementing. Be honest about anything that you may have done that is wrong. Confessing is way better than Google learning about it eventually. It would mean eventual termination and no getting back what you have worked so hard for.
Do not tell your family or friends about Adsense on your website. Chances are they may start clicking on them to help you make money without you knowing it. They may be doing more harm to you than help by trying it in the first place.
If ever someone you know chanced upon your Adsense, make sure they understand that they cannot click on your ads under any circumstances. It would be wise to brief them on important things about Adsense and what not to do with them.
Most pay per click networks have different measures in hand to protect website owners against click frauds. Other search engines can track more than 50 data points, IP address, browser’s information, user’s session info and pattern recognition. They also have “systems” available that detects fraud. Not to mention the specialized teams monitoring how things are going and helping advertisers stop click frauds.
Google offers suggestion on how to avoid click fraud. Using “negative keywords” can be used to keep your Adsense showing on products and services that are in no way related to yours. Adding tracking URLs to your links so you can track the traffic coming from Google.
Do not be caught in the Google click fraud. Be aware and be wary.
Kamis, 21 Agustus 2008
24 Ways to Make and Save Money With Your Computer
If you’re reading this, chances are good that you have regular access to a computer and an Internet connection. You probably rely on your computer to accomplish a lot of things (and waste some time), but do you realize that computers and the Internet are some of the most powerful tools you can have in your financial toolbox? There are many ways that your computer can help you make and save money that weren’t available just a few years ago. From helping you track your finances to creating additional income streams, your computer can make your financial life easier and better. Below are twenty-four ways that your computer can make and save you money.
Participate in “Get Paid To” Sites
There are a number of sites that will allow you to earn some extra money. These sites reward you for reading emails, shopping, doing surveys, or participating in special offers. Don’t expect to make huge amounts of money, but the reputable sites do pay out and you can redeem points for gift cards, cash or PayPal at many sites.
Blog or write articles for money
Sites like PayPerPost, Associated Content, and Constant Content pay you to write or blog about issues of interest to you. Most pay on a per page view basis so the better you write and the more popular your topic, the more you stand to make. If you already have a blog, you can add Google’s Adsense to your blog and get paid each time someone clicks on an ad posted on your site.
Open an online savings account
These pay much higher interest rates than most local banks, so you can greatly increase your interest earnings by moving your funds from your local bank to an online bank. Some to consider: ING, HSCB, and Emigrant Direct. Additionally, the money is harder to access, making it more difficult to spend in a moment of weakness and you may even get a bonus for opening an account.
Enroll in online bill pay
Every bill you pay online saves you postage, envelope, and check costs. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about checks or statements getting lost in the mail and the subsequent late fees that pile up when the payment is late.
Use VoIP for phone service
If you have a high speed Internet connection, look into Voice Over IP (VoIP) for your phone service. VoIP uses your computer’s Internet connection to make calls and the costs are minimal compared to traditional phone service.
Sell your junk
If you have stuff you don’t want anymore, sell it on sites such as eBay, Amazon.com, or Half.com. Many times you can get more for your stuff on the web than you would get at a yard sale, particularly if your items are in good condition or are collectible.
Sell your creations
If you have a crafting or building hobby, Etsy.com is a great place to sell your creations. Etsy provides a dedicated site for creators to sell their handmade items and you may find you can make more there than through other venues. This is also not a bad way to launch a business based on your creations (see number 13).
Comparison shop
The Internet provides a great way to shop for the best price on the item you want without leaving home, saving you gas money and ensuring you get the best price. In addition to visiting each retailers’ site, you can go to sites like MySimon, NexTag, or PriceGrabber and see several stores’ prices listed in one place.
Save on travel expenses
It is much cheaper (in most instances) to purchase travel arrangements on the Internet than through a travel agent these days. All the major travel providers have their own websites or you can use aggregate sellers like Expedia or Travelocity. There are also travel auction sites like Priceline and Hotwire where you can score deals on unsold inventory. Many providers offer coupons, early booking discounts, or other incentives to get you to use their online programs. It’s cheaper for them and for you.
Print coupons
There are many sites on the web that offer printable coupons, either for general use or for use at specific stores. Before going on a printing spree, check to make sure that the store where you plan to shop accepts printed coupons. Some don’t, or limit what they will accept, due to fraud.
Find online coupons
If you’re shopping or booking travel online, take a minute and Google the retailer to see if there are any coupons available. Sites like RetailMeNot.com are good places to find coupons for many retailers in one place. I almost always find a discount when shopping online, whether it’s money off or free shipping.
Do paid surveys
Similar to GPT sites, there are many sites on the Internet that pay you to do surveys. If you enjoy this sort of thing, you can make a little extra spending money. SurveyPolice.com is a good place to check up on sites and learn which are reputable and reliably pay out.
Start a business
This one’s not easy, but the computer and Internet make it much easier to start a business using your skills. It levels the playing field, enabling you to compete with much larger organizations. Think about what you like to do and do well and then figure out how you can turn that into income. You’ll need to figure out how to market your business, what to charge, and attract clients (I said it wasn’t easy), but the rewards of doing your own thing far outweigh the difficulties.
Learn new skills
Whether you start your own business or remain with your employer, the computer can increase your skill set for minimal investment. There are lots of online classes for everything from single subjects like accounting to full blown degree programs. You can buy software you need to learn and learn it on your own time at home. You can learn a new language through online courses or software programs. Every skill you learn or improve makes you more marketable and increases your earning potential.
Find cheap gas
Gasbuddy.com is a great way to find out which station in your area has the lowest price. Stop driving around looking for the cheapest station. There are also desktop Widgets available that provide this information.
Check store inventories before wasting a trip out
Many retailers now offer the option to check whether the product you want is available in a store near you. With gas prices rising, this is a valuable tool that keeps you from driving from store to store looking for an item. Just look it up online and head to the store that has the item in stock.
Find stuff for free
Craigslist.com is a great place to find stuff in your local area that others are giving away for free or very low cost.
Find stuff for cheap
The Internet is a great place to find used items, or to participate in swaps. Sites such as SwapaDVD.com or PaperbackSwap.com are great places to trade books and DVD’s for no more than the cost of postage. Plenty of sites sell used items including Amazon.com, SecondSpin.com, Half.com, Abebooks.com, eBay.com, and Craigslist.com. Chances are whatever you’re looking for can be found used or traded in a swap.
Sign up for deals and coupons
Sign up with your favorite retailers and travel sites for special deals and coupons only available to those on the mailing list. You’ll probably get email offers for use online as well as offers good in the physical store.
Research products, vendors, and service people before committing money
If you’re looking to purchase a big ticket item or hire a specialist, do some research before you plonk down the money. The Better Business Bureau (BBB.org) is a good place to start when dealing with contractors or businesses to see if they have complaints lodged against them. For products, read customer reviews at sites such as Amazon.com or Epinions.com to see if others have had trouble with the item. A simple Google search will also turn up any problems you should be aware of. The research you do will save you money in the long run if you avoid lemons and shoddy workmanship.
Check your credit reports
You’re entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the three credit agencies through AnnualCreditReport.com. Checking your credit report regularly and clearing up any errors can save you big money when it’s time to get a loan and can catch identity theft in its earliest stages.
Shop Online
There’s almost nothing you can’t find online these days and shopping online can be a great way to save money. Many online retailers offer lower prices than their physical counterparts due to low overhead. In addition, you can find coupons for many retailers that are good for use online, but not in the physical store. Many stores offer free or discounted shipping if you purchase a certain dollar amount. If a store doesn’t have a physical presence in your state, you might not have to pay sales tax. Shopping online saves you money on the price of the item, plus the gas required to get to the store.
Manage your accounts online
Most banks now offer online access to your accounts, allowing you to see transactions at any time, rather than waiting for the statement. This enables you to catch possible problems such as unauthorized charges or possible overdrafts before they become huge problems. There are also lots of software applications such as Quicken and Money that help you with budgeting, expense tracking, and tax record keeping, all of which saves you money by improving your financial picture.
Change your entertainment options
Rather than buying a whole CD to get the one good song, download that song from iTunes for $.99. Listen to free streaming radio. Join an online movie rental program like Netflix and avoid late fees and save the gas needed to get to the rental store. Watch TV programs online on network websites and get rid of your cable or satellite subscription. Play free online games rather than buying PC games. Your computer opens up a lot of new entertainment choices. Just never use your computer to download pirated software, music, or movies. It’s illegal.
One final word of advice…
As with anything related to your money, be on guard for scams. While many things on the Internet are legitimate, there are a fair number of things that are not. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Any site promising quick money with no effort on your part (or that asks you to pony up money up front), is something to be leery of. If you get into selling or buying on eBay or Craigslist, be aware that not all sellers and buyers are honest and take steps to protect yourself. Make certain you only deal with secure, legitimate websites when entering personal information. When it comes to your money and the Internet, it pays to look twice at any opportunity or website and make certain you understand exactly what or who you are dealing with.
Despite the need for caution, it’s well worth it to take the time to learn the applications, websites, and computer skills that help you save and earn money. There are many more money saving and earning opportunities available to those who are computer savvy than to those who are not. If you need to improve your computer skills or learn how to use some of these websites, there are many books, online help resources, websites, and message boards available to help you. The savvier you become, the more money you can earn and save.
Participate in “Get Paid To” Sites
There are a number of sites that will allow you to earn some extra money. These sites reward you for reading emails, shopping, doing surveys, or participating in special offers. Don’t expect to make huge amounts of money, but the reputable sites do pay out and you can redeem points for gift cards, cash or PayPal at many sites.
Blog or write articles for money
Sites like PayPerPost, Associated Content, and Constant Content pay you to write or blog about issues of interest to you. Most pay on a per page view basis so the better you write and the more popular your topic, the more you stand to make. If you already have a blog, you can add Google’s Adsense to your blog and get paid each time someone clicks on an ad posted on your site.
Open an online savings account
These pay much higher interest rates than most local banks, so you can greatly increase your interest earnings by moving your funds from your local bank to an online bank. Some to consider: ING, HSCB, and Emigrant Direct. Additionally, the money is harder to access, making it more difficult to spend in a moment of weakness and you may even get a bonus for opening an account.
Enroll in online bill pay
Every bill you pay online saves you postage, envelope, and check costs. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about checks or statements getting lost in the mail and the subsequent late fees that pile up when the payment is late.
Use VoIP for phone service
If you have a high speed Internet connection, look into Voice Over IP (VoIP) for your phone service. VoIP uses your computer’s Internet connection to make calls and the costs are minimal compared to traditional phone service.
Sell your junk
If you have stuff you don’t want anymore, sell it on sites such as eBay, Amazon.com, or Half.com. Many times you can get more for your stuff on the web than you would get at a yard sale, particularly if your items are in good condition or are collectible.
Sell your creations
If you have a crafting or building hobby, Etsy.com is a great place to sell your creations. Etsy provides a dedicated site for creators to sell their handmade items and you may find you can make more there than through other venues. This is also not a bad way to launch a business based on your creations (see number 13).
Comparison shop
The Internet provides a great way to shop for the best price on the item you want without leaving home, saving you gas money and ensuring you get the best price. In addition to visiting each retailers’ site, you can go to sites like MySimon, NexTag, or PriceGrabber and see several stores’ prices listed in one place.
Save on travel expenses
It is much cheaper (in most instances) to purchase travel arrangements on the Internet than through a travel agent these days. All the major travel providers have their own websites or you can use aggregate sellers like Expedia or Travelocity. There are also travel auction sites like Priceline and Hotwire where you can score deals on unsold inventory. Many providers offer coupons, early booking discounts, or other incentives to get you to use their online programs. It’s cheaper for them and for you.
Print coupons
There are many sites on the web that offer printable coupons, either for general use or for use at specific stores. Before going on a printing spree, check to make sure that the store where you plan to shop accepts printed coupons. Some don’t, or limit what they will accept, due to fraud.
Find online coupons
If you’re shopping or booking travel online, take a minute and Google the retailer to see if there are any coupons available. Sites like RetailMeNot.com are good places to find coupons for many retailers in one place. I almost always find a discount when shopping online, whether it’s money off or free shipping.
Do paid surveys
Similar to GPT sites, there are many sites on the Internet that pay you to do surveys. If you enjoy this sort of thing, you can make a little extra spending money. SurveyPolice.com is a good place to check up on sites and learn which are reputable and reliably pay out.
Start a business
This one’s not easy, but the computer and Internet make it much easier to start a business using your skills. It levels the playing field, enabling you to compete with much larger organizations. Think about what you like to do and do well and then figure out how you can turn that into income. You’ll need to figure out how to market your business, what to charge, and attract clients (I said it wasn’t easy), but the rewards of doing your own thing far outweigh the difficulties.
Learn new skills
Whether you start your own business or remain with your employer, the computer can increase your skill set for minimal investment. There are lots of online classes for everything from single subjects like accounting to full blown degree programs. You can buy software you need to learn and learn it on your own time at home. You can learn a new language through online courses or software programs. Every skill you learn or improve makes you more marketable and increases your earning potential.
Find cheap gas
Gasbuddy.com is a great way to find out which station in your area has the lowest price. Stop driving around looking for the cheapest station. There are also desktop Widgets available that provide this information.
Check store inventories before wasting a trip out
Many retailers now offer the option to check whether the product you want is available in a store near you. With gas prices rising, this is a valuable tool that keeps you from driving from store to store looking for an item. Just look it up online and head to the store that has the item in stock.
Find stuff for free
Craigslist.com is a great place to find stuff in your local area that others are giving away for free or very low cost.
Find stuff for cheap
The Internet is a great place to find used items, or to participate in swaps. Sites such as SwapaDVD.com or PaperbackSwap.com are great places to trade books and DVD’s for no more than the cost of postage. Plenty of sites sell used items including Amazon.com, SecondSpin.com, Half.com, Abebooks.com, eBay.com, and Craigslist.com. Chances are whatever you’re looking for can be found used or traded in a swap.
Sign up for deals and coupons
Sign up with your favorite retailers and travel sites for special deals and coupons only available to those on the mailing list. You’ll probably get email offers for use online as well as offers good in the physical store.
Research products, vendors, and service people before committing money
If you’re looking to purchase a big ticket item or hire a specialist, do some research before you plonk down the money. The Better Business Bureau (BBB.org) is a good place to start when dealing with contractors or businesses to see if they have complaints lodged against them. For products, read customer reviews at sites such as Amazon.com or Epinions.com to see if others have had trouble with the item. A simple Google search will also turn up any problems you should be aware of. The research you do will save you money in the long run if you avoid lemons and shoddy workmanship.
Check your credit reports
You’re entitled to one free credit report each year from each of the three credit agencies through AnnualCreditReport.com. Checking your credit report regularly and clearing up any errors can save you big money when it’s time to get a loan and can catch identity theft in its earliest stages.
Shop Online
There’s almost nothing you can’t find online these days and shopping online can be a great way to save money. Many online retailers offer lower prices than their physical counterparts due to low overhead. In addition, you can find coupons for many retailers that are good for use online, but not in the physical store. Many stores offer free or discounted shipping if you purchase a certain dollar amount. If a store doesn’t have a physical presence in your state, you might not have to pay sales tax. Shopping online saves you money on the price of the item, plus the gas required to get to the store.
Manage your accounts online
Most banks now offer online access to your accounts, allowing you to see transactions at any time, rather than waiting for the statement. This enables you to catch possible problems such as unauthorized charges or possible overdrafts before they become huge problems. There are also lots of software applications such as Quicken and Money that help you with budgeting, expense tracking, and tax record keeping, all of which saves you money by improving your financial picture.
Change your entertainment options
Rather than buying a whole CD to get the one good song, download that song from iTunes for $.99. Listen to free streaming radio. Join an online movie rental program like Netflix and avoid late fees and save the gas needed to get to the rental store. Watch TV programs online on network websites and get rid of your cable or satellite subscription. Play free online games rather than buying PC games. Your computer opens up a lot of new entertainment choices. Just never use your computer to download pirated software, music, or movies. It’s illegal.
One final word of advice…
As with anything related to your money, be on guard for scams. While many things on the Internet are legitimate, there are a fair number of things that are not. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Any site promising quick money with no effort on your part (or that asks you to pony up money up front), is something to be leery of. If you get into selling or buying on eBay or Craigslist, be aware that not all sellers and buyers are honest and take steps to protect yourself. Make certain you only deal with secure, legitimate websites when entering personal information. When it comes to your money and the Internet, it pays to look twice at any opportunity or website and make certain you understand exactly what or who you are dealing with.
Despite the need for caution, it’s well worth it to take the time to learn the applications, websites, and computer skills that help you save and earn money. There are many more money saving and earning opportunities available to those who are computer savvy than to those who are not. If you need to improve your computer skills or learn how to use some of these websites, there are many books, online help resources, websites, and message boards available to help you. The savvier you become, the more money you can earn and save.
Selasa, 19 Agustus 2008
8 Ways To Make Money Online
(TechwebNews.com Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Metacafe's top earner, Kip Kedersha (a.k.a. Kipkay) has made more than $110,000 posting how-to videos on the site, ranging from geeky cool (how to make spy sunglasses) to highly practical (how to double your gas mileage.) He spends very little on production costs.
"I don't need a cast or crew," says Kedersha, who now makes his living producing how-to videos for Metacafe, Howcast, and several other Web sites."It's pretty much been me and the cats and the dining room table."
Kedersha's most popular video, which teaches viewers how to turn a Minimag flashlight into a laser pointer, has earned him $10,460 and counting. "People just like to burn stuff," Kedersha says.
Sites that host how-to videos include:
MetacafeHowcastInstructablesYouTube
2. Create An Instructional Blog
Of course, video isn't for everyone. If your how-to know-how lends itself to text and pictures, you can attract a steady and determined audience -- the type who are likely to click on ads -- with an instructional blog. The quirkier the topic, the better.
Mei Mei Yap, a freelance copywriter in Kuala Lumpur, sees about 8,000 hits per day on her blog Ikeahacker (ikeahacker.blogspot.com), which is dedicated to unique uses for furniture from the popular Scandinavian furniture chain. (One entry details how a reader turned a bookshelf into a degu cage [a degu is a type of rodent]). Yap updates the site at least semiweekly, often using tips from loyal readers.
Within a month of launching, traffic doubled on the niche site singleservecoffee.com.
Networking with likeminded bloggers is the best way to attract initial viewers, Yap says. "When I first started, I wrote to other IKEA fan sites such as Positivefanatics.com and ikeafans.com to tell them about my site and they were so kind as to let their readers know," says Yap. "I also participated in other DIY (do-it-yourself) forums and home decor sites, commenting and contributing towards them." Now, Yap says, she pulls in about $1,000 per month on Google Adsense revenue, in addition to revenue from advertisers who seek out her site.
Of course, in order to create a how-to blog, you have to know how to create a blog in the first place. Fortunately, several Web sites offer both easy blog creation tools and blog-hosting services.
Blogging beginners should try Blogger or TypePad.
Blog To A Specific Niche
In the spring of 2004, Jay Brewer launched a blog dedicated to an extremely specific subject: coffee makers that make only one cup of coffee at a time. Within a month, traffic doubled. Within two, it doubled again, and companies were asking to advertise on the site. The advertisers knew what Brewer had suspected: Readers who care enough to read about a very particular topic are likely to click on ads about that topic.
"Blogs that are about specific topics generate traffic from people who are either really interested in the topic or doing research," says Jay Brewer, CEO of Blogpire (www.blogpire.com), which operates subject-specific blogs on topics such as shaving equipment and GPS receivers, in addition to the aforementioned single-serve coffee makers.
Some of the sites on blogpire have advertising and affiliate click through rates of up to ten percent, he says. Furthermore, the more specific the subject, the less competition it will face from other Web sites. A Google search for "dogs" yields about 278 million results. A Google search for "grooming products for Golden Retrievers" yields one result.
To bolster the revenue you receive from general advertising and affiliate programs, you can seek out individual advertisers whose products you might be featuring on your blog. While giant corporations aren't likely to advertise on your little Web site, their partners might. "Find the PR person's name and send them a note," Brewer says. "And don't dream too big. You don't have to have Philips or Sony as an advertiser. You can have an online site that sells products from Philips and Sony."
3. Now Sell Your Blog
After several months of daily blogging, you may develop a case of blogger's fatigue and decide you have nothing more to say about the subject at hand. In that case, don't abandon your blog. Sell it. The Sitepoint Marketplace hosts hundreds of listings of Web sites and domain names for sale via online auctions.
Recent Web site auction sales included a blog about traveling in Cyprus, which sold for $850; a site dedicated to Secure Digital camcorders, which sold for $150; and a site called puppiesforsale.org, which sold for $10,000. Sitepoint offers several sales tips on its own site. To wit: "More traffic = more money. It's that simple."
4. Stay In The Knol
If you know enough about a topic to write an encyclopedia entry, but you don't have the time to blog about it every day, consider creating a Knol. A Knol is "an authoritative article about a specific topic," according to search giant Google Inc., which launched the Knol project in July.
The concept is similar to that of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, in that all the content is created and dynamically edited by the site's users. But there's a key difference: The first person who creates a Knol is considered the "owner," a title that comes with the rights to feature Google ads and collect Google Adsense revenue from that Knol, if they so choose.
7. Dive Into The Ring Tone Business
Once you're selling songs online, you can bolster your music sales revenue by entering the cell phone ring tone business. Sites such as Myxer and Phone Sherpa include tools that help even the most technophobe musicians create ring tones and post them for sale. (Ring tones are sent directly to a customer's Web-enabled phone.)
"Honestly, it's probably the most user-friendly site I've ever been to," says Otero.
The downside of selling ring tones, compared with selling songs, is that the cell phone carrier receives 50 percent of each ring tone sale, which can be initially frustrating.
"When people started downloading my ring tones, I was wondering where the rest of the money was," Otero says.
But even if ring tones don't make a ton of cash for the artist, they can be valuable marketing tools. A customer who hears a thirty-second snippet of a song on someone's cell phone might be tempted to buy the whole song online.
"I often tell [artists] to use ring tones as a promotional item to push digital downloads of full tracks," says Travis Acker, an artist and marketing relations director at Myxer.
"Anything to get your stuff any extra exposure is a good thing," says John Griffin, a country music artist in Nashville, who developed an innovative ring tone business of his own. Which brings us to
Personalize Your Content
Griffin is attracting customers and fans with personalized ring tones. On his Web site YourNameRingtone, he has posted hundreds of ring tones based on a catchy tune with these lyrics: "Hey, [YOUR NAME HERE], your phone is ringin'; c'mon and answer it, see who it is."
Available names range from Aalyiah to Zane, and if viewers can't find their name on the site, they can request it. People like to hear their own names, so it's not surprising that the site has garnered nearly 500,000 downloads since its launch in March.
Griffin offers the downloads for free, reaping revenue from the Google Adsense program instead. He's putting that money toward his next CD project, and "The goal is to use the name ring tones for a talking point when I go to radio stations to promote it."
Griffin doesn't mind if you make personalized ring tones with your own music. "I don't think it's a patentable idea," he says.
8. Just Ask
In June 2002, a TV producer named Karyn Bosnak set up a Web site asking strangers to donate money so she could pay off her credit card debt. "My name is Karyn, I'm really nice, and I'm asking for your help," she wrote on her site. "You see, I have this huge credit card debt and I need $20,000 to pay it off." She set up payment accounts through Paypal and Amazon.com, and she waited.
Lo and behold, the public responded. Bosnak got the money, not to mention a book deal. Since then, several so-called "cyberbegging" sites have popped up on the Web. Some work better than others.
Should you decide to make money through donations, make sure you follow a few key rules: Express humility, and state a specific financial goal so as not to appear infinitely greedy. And make the donation process as easy as possible by letting viewers pay either by PayPal or by snail mail.
5. Sell Your Vacation Photos
If photography is your passion, you may be sitting on a pile of uncashed checks. When publishers and advertising agencies need background art for brochures, books, or billboards, they often purchase generic or "stock" photographs from a stock photo agency.
Traditionally, stock photography agencies have charged hundreds to thousands of dollars for such photographs, and only very experienced photographers have been able to sell their photos to these agencies. But the industry has changed recently. In the past decade, the Web has seen the birth of several "microstock" agencies, which are online retailers that sell royalty-free stock photographs for as little as one dollar.
If you have a digital camera and a good eye, that's where you come in. Many of the photographers who contribute pictures to microstock agencies are amateurs and hobbyists, meaning you don't have to be Annie Liebowitz to make a few bucks with your photographs.
As with most online sales, microstock photographers generally are paid on commission: 25 cents to a few dollars each time one of their photos is downloaded from the agency site. Most agencies highlight their top-selling photos on their sites, which should give you a good idea of what to submit. Black and white photographs of business people tend to sell well, as do crisp still shots that leave some white space for text, according to a microstock photographer from Slovenia who was recently in Boston, taking the opportunity to shoot the city's skyline during a family vacation.
Many agencies sell stock video and audio footage, too.
Here are a few reputable microstock agencies and their payment policies:
Istockphoto pays a base royalty rate of 20 percent for the sale of each downloaded file, and up to 40 percent for exclusive contributors.
Shutterstock pays 25 cents per download, increasing the rate to 30 cents once a photographer earns more than $500.
Bigstockphoto generally pays 50 cents to $3 per download, depending on the size of the file.
6. Become A Music Producer
In the days before the Web, hopeful musicians had two basic career choices: sign with a major record label, or go broke trying. These days, though, anyone with a microphone, a PC, and a modicum of musical talent has a shot at selling songs through a slew of online music stores and distributors that cater to independent artists.
"Everything is digital now," says David Otero, an independent Reggaeton musician from Miami. "Nobody's selling just CDs."
Among the most popular and user-friendly stores and distributors is CD Baby. When a musician sends five self-produced CDs and a $35 starter fee to the CD Baby, the company digitizes the CD, creates a Web page dedicated to that musician's music, encodes the music digitally, and distributes it to popular music download sites such as Apple iTunes and Rhapsody. Musicians set their own prices for songs and CDs. CD Baby keeps $4 of each CD sold and a mere 9 percent from the sale of each digital song download.
Indy artists also favor a service from Snocap Inc., which allows musicians to sell songs directly from their Myspace pages; Myspace.com is the most popular social networking site among musicians. Setting up a store is free for unsigned artists, who can post up to one thousand songs to sell. Snocap keeps 39 cents of every download; musicians generally charge 99 cents per song.
There was a time when it seemed like anyone with a wacky idea and a PowerPoint presentation could make millions with an Internet business. (Our favorite example was a start-up called Digiscents and its "ismell" appliance, which delivered odors over the Web.) Well, the dot-com boom went bust quite a while ago, but there are still plenty of legal and viable ways to earn some extra cash online.
Kip Kedersha has made more than $110,000 posting how-to videos on Metacafe.
Before you begin, it's important to three basic concepts about about online advertising, which is key to online revenue.
1. Contextual advertising programs automatically post targeted advertisements on a Web site, based on the daily content of that site. The best known of these programs is Google Adsense, which pays Webmasters a small fee every time a viewer clicks on an ad.
Google recently opened AdSense to third-party ads, which means a larger advertising inventory and the potential to earn more money through the placement of those ads.
2. Affiliate marketing programs provide monetary rewards for driving Web traffic to their sites. Amazon.com has a popular affiliate program. Many others can be found here.
3. Search engine optimization is the key to making money online. If the search engines can't find you; you're sunk. Dig into SEO and learn as much as you can -- the more you understand the better your chances for generating cash.
Got it? Without further ado, here are eight ways to make money online.
1. Produce & Star In How-to Videos
Got know-how? Of the many thousands of mini-movies available on the Web, few are more popular than the instructional video, according to officials at Metacafe, a videohosting site that sees 30 million unique viewers each month. Of the top ten successful contributors in Metacafe's Producer Rewards program, seven produce how-to videos. (Topics include how to make a tomato glow and how to turn a laptop computer into a popcorn maker.)
Video contributors earn $5 for every 1,000 times that someone watches their video. Average contributors make between $250 and $500 per month, while above-average earners make upwards of $2,000 per month, according to officials at Metacafe.
Instructional videos tend to have more staying power than entertainment videos because those who use them are likely to refer to them repeatedly. "A video on how to change a diaper will hold its value longer than a comedy skit," says Jason Liebman, CEO of Howcast.com, a new how-to video site that pays freelance producers $50 per video up front, plus a 50/50 revenue share after the video crosses 40,000 views.
"I don't need a cast or crew," says Kedersha, who now makes his living producing how-to videos for Metacafe, Howcast, and several other Web sites."It's pretty much been me and the cats and the dining room table."
Kedersha's most popular video, which teaches viewers how to turn a Minimag flashlight into a laser pointer, has earned him $10,460 and counting. "People just like to burn stuff," Kedersha says.
Sites that host how-to videos include:
MetacafeHowcastInstructablesYouTube
2. Create An Instructional Blog
Of course, video isn't for everyone. If your how-to know-how lends itself to text and pictures, you can attract a steady and determined audience -- the type who are likely to click on ads -- with an instructional blog. The quirkier the topic, the better.
Mei Mei Yap, a freelance copywriter in Kuala Lumpur, sees about 8,000 hits per day on her blog Ikeahacker (ikeahacker.blogspot.com), which is dedicated to unique uses for furniture from the popular Scandinavian furniture chain. (One entry details how a reader turned a bookshelf into a degu cage [a degu is a type of rodent]). Yap updates the site at least semiweekly, often using tips from loyal readers.
Within a month of launching, traffic doubled on the niche site singleservecoffee.com.
Networking with likeminded bloggers is the best way to attract initial viewers, Yap says. "When I first started, I wrote to other IKEA fan sites such as Positivefanatics.com and ikeafans.com to tell them about my site and they were so kind as to let their readers know," says Yap. "I also participated in other DIY (do-it-yourself) forums and home decor sites, commenting and contributing towards them." Now, Yap says, she pulls in about $1,000 per month on Google Adsense revenue, in addition to revenue from advertisers who seek out her site.
Of course, in order to create a how-to blog, you have to know how to create a blog in the first place. Fortunately, several Web sites offer both easy blog creation tools and blog-hosting services.
Blogging beginners should try Blogger or TypePad.
Blog To A Specific Niche
In the spring of 2004, Jay Brewer launched a blog dedicated to an extremely specific subject: coffee makers that make only one cup of coffee at a time. Within a month, traffic doubled. Within two, it doubled again, and companies were asking to advertise on the site. The advertisers knew what Brewer had suspected: Readers who care enough to read about a very particular topic are likely to click on ads about that topic.
"Blogs that are about specific topics generate traffic from people who are either really interested in the topic or doing research," says Jay Brewer, CEO of Blogpire (www.blogpire.com), which operates subject-specific blogs on topics such as shaving equipment and GPS receivers, in addition to the aforementioned single-serve coffee makers.
Some of the sites on blogpire have advertising and affiliate click through rates of up to ten percent, he says. Furthermore, the more specific the subject, the less competition it will face from other Web sites. A Google search for "dogs" yields about 278 million results. A Google search for "grooming products for Golden Retrievers" yields one result.
To bolster the revenue you receive from general advertising and affiliate programs, you can seek out individual advertisers whose products you might be featuring on your blog. While giant corporations aren't likely to advertise on your little Web site, their partners might. "Find the PR person's name and send them a note," Brewer says. "And don't dream too big. You don't have to have Philips or Sony as an advertiser. You can have an online site that sells products from Philips and Sony."
3. Now Sell Your Blog
After several months of daily blogging, you may develop a case of blogger's fatigue and decide you have nothing more to say about the subject at hand. In that case, don't abandon your blog. Sell it. The Sitepoint Marketplace hosts hundreds of listings of Web sites and domain names for sale via online auctions.
Recent Web site auction sales included a blog about traveling in Cyprus, which sold for $850; a site dedicated to Secure Digital camcorders, which sold for $150; and a site called puppiesforsale.org, which sold for $10,000. Sitepoint offers several sales tips on its own site. To wit: "More traffic = more money. It's that simple."
4. Stay In The Knol
If you know enough about a topic to write an encyclopedia entry, but you don't have the time to blog about it every day, consider creating a Knol. A Knol is "an authoritative article about a specific topic," according to search giant Google Inc., which launched the Knol project in July.
The concept is similar to that of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, in that all the content is created and dynamically edited by the site's users. But there's a key difference: The first person who creates a Knol is considered the "owner," a title that comes with the rights to feature Google ads and collect Google Adsense revenue from that Knol, if they so choose.
7. Dive Into The Ring Tone Business
Once you're selling songs online, you can bolster your music sales revenue by entering the cell phone ring tone business. Sites such as Myxer and Phone Sherpa include tools that help even the most technophobe musicians create ring tones and post them for sale. (Ring tones are sent directly to a customer's Web-enabled phone.)
"Honestly, it's probably the most user-friendly site I've ever been to," says Otero.
The downside of selling ring tones, compared with selling songs, is that the cell phone carrier receives 50 percent of each ring tone sale, which can be initially frustrating.
"When people started downloading my ring tones, I was wondering where the rest of the money was," Otero says.
But even if ring tones don't make a ton of cash for the artist, they can be valuable marketing tools. A customer who hears a thirty-second snippet of a song on someone's cell phone might be tempted to buy the whole song online.
"I often tell [artists] to use ring tones as a promotional item to push digital downloads of full tracks," says Travis Acker, an artist and marketing relations director at Myxer.
"Anything to get your stuff any extra exposure is a good thing," says John Griffin, a country music artist in Nashville, who developed an innovative ring tone business of his own. Which brings us to
Personalize Your Content
Griffin is attracting customers and fans with personalized ring tones. On his Web site YourNameRingtone, he has posted hundreds of ring tones based on a catchy tune with these lyrics: "Hey, [YOUR NAME HERE], your phone is ringin'; c'mon and answer it, see who it is."
Available names range from Aalyiah to Zane, and if viewers can't find their name on the site, they can request it. People like to hear their own names, so it's not surprising that the site has garnered nearly 500,000 downloads since its launch in March.
Griffin offers the downloads for free, reaping revenue from the Google Adsense program instead. He's putting that money toward his next CD project, and "The goal is to use the name ring tones for a talking point when I go to radio stations to promote it."
Griffin doesn't mind if you make personalized ring tones with your own music. "I don't think it's a patentable idea," he says.
8. Just Ask
In June 2002, a TV producer named Karyn Bosnak set up a Web site asking strangers to donate money so she could pay off her credit card debt. "My name is Karyn, I'm really nice, and I'm asking for your help," she wrote on her site. "You see, I have this huge credit card debt and I need $20,000 to pay it off." She set up payment accounts through Paypal and Amazon.com, and she waited.
Lo and behold, the public responded. Bosnak got the money, not to mention a book deal. Since then, several so-called "cyberbegging" sites have popped up on the Web. Some work better than others.
Should you decide to make money through donations, make sure you follow a few key rules: Express humility, and state a specific financial goal so as not to appear infinitely greedy. And make the donation process as easy as possible by letting viewers pay either by PayPal or by snail mail.
5. Sell Your Vacation Photos
If photography is your passion, you may be sitting on a pile of uncashed checks. When publishers and advertising agencies need background art for brochures, books, or billboards, they often purchase generic or "stock" photographs from a stock photo agency.
Traditionally, stock photography agencies have charged hundreds to thousands of dollars for such photographs, and only very experienced photographers have been able to sell their photos to these agencies. But the industry has changed recently. In the past decade, the Web has seen the birth of several "microstock" agencies, which are online retailers that sell royalty-free stock photographs for as little as one dollar.
If you have a digital camera and a good eye, that's where you come in. Many of the photographers who contribute pictures to microstock agencies are amateurs and hobbyists, meaning you don't have to be Annie Liebowitz to make a few bucks with your photographs.
As with most online sales, microstock photographers generally are paid on commission: 25 cents to a few dollars each time one of their photos is downloaded from the agency site. Most agencies highlight their top-selling photos on their sites, which should give you a good idea of what to submit. Black and white photographs of business people tend to sell well, as do crisp still shots that leave some white space for text, according to a microstock photographer from Slovenia who was recently in Boston, taking the opportunity to shoot the city's skyline during a family vacation.
Many agencies sell stock video and audio footage, too.
Here are a few reputable microstock agencies and their payment policies:
Istockphoto pays a base royalty rate of 20 percent for the sale of each downloaded file, and up to 40 percent for exclusive contributors.
Shutterstock pays 25 cents per download, increasing the rate to 30 cents once a photographer earns more than $500.
Bigstockphoto generally pays 50 cents to $3 per download, depending on the size of the file.
6. Become A Music Producer
In the days before the Web, hopeful musicians had two basic career choices: sign with a major record label, or go broke trying. These days, though, anyone with a microphone, a PC, and a modicum of musical talent has a shot at selling songs through a slew of online music stores and distributors that cater to independent artists.
"Everything is digital now," says David Otero, an independent Reggaeton musician from Miami. "Nobody's selling just CDs."
Among the most popular and user-friendly stores and distributors is CD Baby. When a musician sends five self-produced CDs and a $35 starter fee to the CD Baby, the company digitizes the CD, creates a Web page dedicated to that musician's music, encodes the music digitally, and distributes it to popular music download sites such as Apple iTunes and Rhapsody. Musicians set their own prices for songs and CDs. CD Baby keeps $4 of each CD sold and a mere 9 percent from the sale of each digital song download.
Indy artists also favor a service from Snocap Inc., which allows musicians to sell songs directly from their Myspace pages; Myspace.com is the most popular social networking site among musicians. Setting up a store is free for unsigned artists, who can post up to one thousand songs to sell. Snocap keeps 39 cents of every download; musicians generally charge 99 cents per song.
There was a time when it seemed like anyone with a wacky idea and a PowerPoint presentation could make millions with an Internet business. (Our favorite example was a start-up called Digiscents and its "ismell" appliance, which delivered odors over the Web.) Well, the dot-com boom went bust quite a while ago, but there are still plenty of legal and viable ways to earn some extra cash online.
Kip Kedersha has made more than $110,000 posting how-to videos on Metacafe.
Before you begin, it's important to three basic concepts about about online advertising, which is key to online revenue.
1. Contextual advertising programs automatically post targeted advertisements on a Web site, based on the daily content of that site. The best known of these programs is Google Adsense, which pays Webmasters a small fee every time a viewer clicks on an ad.
Google recently opened AdSense to third-party ads, which means a larger advertising inventory and the potential to earn more money through the placement of those ads.
2. Affiliate marketing programs provide monetary rewards for driving Web traffic to their sites. Amazon.com has a popular affiliate program. Many others can be found here.
3. Search engine optimization is the key to making money online. If the search engines can't find you; you're sunk. Dig into SEO and learn as much as you can -- the more you understand the better your chances for generating cash.
Got it? Without further ado, here are eight ways to make money online.
1. Produce & Star In How-to Videos
Got know-how? Of the many thousands of mini-movies available on the Web, few are more popular than the instructional video, according to officials at Metacafe, a videohosting site that sees 30 million unique viewers each month. Of the top ten successful contributors in Metacafe's Producer Rewards program, seven produce how-to videos. (Topics include how to make a tomato glow and how to turn a laptop computer into a popcorn maker.)
Video contributors earn $5 for every 1,000 times that someone watches their video. Average contributors make between $250 and $500 per month, while above-average earners make upwards of $2,000 per month, according to officials at Metacafe.
Instructional videos tend to have more staying power than entertainment videos because those who use them are likely to refer to them repeatedly. "A video on how to change a diaper will hold its value longer than a comedy skit," says Jason Liebman, CEO of Howcast.com, a new how-to video site that pays freelance producers $50 per video up front, plus a 50/50 revenue share after the video crosses 40,000 views.
Yahoo Buzz Sets The Bee Free Tonight
Yahoo's Digg-like service, Buzz, will be opening up to public contributors as of 7 p.m. PDT tonight. Since the service's launch in February, only a select 400 publishers could add new links to Buzz.
With so many submitting and rating sites out there, including the mighty Digg, Yahoo Buzz has a few advantages up its sleeve. Besides using the links submitted by contributors, Buzz's algorithms take into account search engine popularity, feeding the most popular stories to Yahoo's home page.
Making it to Yahoo's home page and getting server-melting traffic will likely create a new frenzy among Web traffic manipulators who are already pushing their luck with Digg and AOL's Propeller. Buzz wants to avoid this kind of exploitation by adding editorial discretion when determining headlines.
Another interesting feature that Yahoo brings is the possibility of adding any type of Web page to Buzz. This basically means that pages that aren't in a news or blog format could be submitted as new links on Buzz. Buzz pages could soon offer such diverse links as museum sites, Twitter messages and patent fillings alongside the select publishers' articles Yahoo favors today.
Shortly after Buzz's initial launch in February, the new service managed to overtake Digg in traffic scores, attracting nearly 7 million unique U.S. visitors. What's more, 51 percent were women, compared to Digg's 39 percent female users.
It is not clear how "clean" Yahoo is playing when bringing massive amounts of traffic to sites like Salon.com and GigaOm. It is said that Yahoo asked its select few publishers to join the company's Publishers Network, dropping their AdSense agreements with Google in exchange to buzzing-up to Yahoo's home page. It is not yet known if this rule is still applicable for the new publishers joining Buzz.
Yahoo's Buzz submit page will go live tonight. Meanwhile, you can get ready by adding the service's buttons to your site.
With so many submitting and rating sites out there, including the mighty Digg, Yahoo Buzz has a few advantages up its sleeve. Besides using the links submitted by contributors, Buzz's algorithms take into account search engine popularity, feeding the most popular stories to Yahoo's home page.
Making it to Yahoo's home page and getting server-melting traffic will likely create a new frenzy among Web traffic manipulators who are already pushing their luck with Digg and AOL's Propeller. Buzz wants to avoid this kind of exploitation by adding editorial discretion when determining headlines.
Another interesting feature that Yahoo brings is the possibility of adding any type of Web page to Buzz. This basically means that pages that aren't in a news or blog format could be submitted as new links on Buzz. Buzz pages could soon offer such diverse links as museum sites, Twitter messages and patent fillings alongside the select publishers' articles Yahoo favors today.
Shortly after Buzz's initial launch in February, the new service managed to overtake Digg in traffic scores, attracting nearly 7 million unique U.S. visitors. What's more, 51 percent were women, compared to Digg's 39 percent female users.
It is not clear how "clean" Yahoo is playing when bringing massive amounts of traffic to sites like Salon.com and GigaOm. It is said that Yahoo asked its select few publishers to join the company's Publishers Network, dropping their AdSense agreements with Google in exchange to buzzing-up to Yahoo's home page. It is not yet known if this rule is still applicable for the new publishers joining Buzz.
Yahoo's Buzz submit page will go live tonight. Meanwhile, you can get ready by adding the service's buttons to your site.
Google AdSense Tips
Google AdSense program is a popular web advertising program which provides a good income source for many websites. There are well defined terms of service to strictly adhere to when participating in the program.
On my visit through sites and forums, I daily notice several instances of misuse of AdSense ads. So here a few helpful Google AdSense tips, probably many you already know, and few you might gain by knowing now. These AdSense faq are all picked from the Program Policies, Terms and Conditions and FAQ itself and presented in a simplified manner.
1. Never click your own AdSense ads or get them clicked for whatever reason. You know this one very well. This is a surefire way to close you AdSense account. Never tell your office associates or friends to click on them. Keep a check if your family or children are busy increasing your income by clicking your ads and indirectly trying to stop your income. Don’t even think of offering incentives for clicks, using automated clicking tools, or other deceptive software. AdSense is very smart to detect fraudulent clicks. Check the ads which appear on your pages by the Google Preview tool if required.
2. Never change the AdSense code. There are enough means of AdSense optimization & customizations available to change the colour, background or border to suit your needs. Do whatever you want to do outside the code, never fiddle within the ad or the search code. They know it when you do. The search code has more limitations to colour and placement, but you should adhere to the rules. The code may stop working and violates the TOS.
3. Do not place more than 3 ad units and 3 ad links or 2 AdSense search boxes on any web page. Anyway, ads will not appear in those units even if you place more ad units. But this is the limit they set, so it is better to stick to it.
4. Do not run competitive contextual text ad or search services on the same site which offer Google AdSense competition in their field. Never try to create link structures resembling the AdSense ads. Never use other competitive search tools on the same pages which have AdSense powered Google search. They do allow affiliate or limited-text links. Update: Google has allowed you to run contextual advertising like Yahoo ads, Chitika etc provided the ads do not resemble AdSense ads.
5. Do not disclose confidential information about your account like the CTR, CPM and income derived via individual ad units or any other confidential information they may reveal to you. However, you may reveal the total money you make as per recent updates to the TOS.
6. Label headings as “sponsored links” or “advertisements” only. Other labels are not allowed. I have seen many sites label ads with other titles. Dont make your site a target in a few seconds gaze.
7. Never launch a New Page for clicked ads by default. AdSense ads should open on the same page. You may be using a base target tag to open all links in a new window or frame by default. Correct it now as they do not want new pages opening from clicked ads.
8. One Account suffices for multiple websites. You do not need to create 5 accounts for 5 different websites. One account will do. If you live in the fears that if one account is closed down for violation of TOS, believe me they will close all accounts when they find out. You can keep track of clicks by using channels with real time statistics. They will automatically detect the new site and display relevant ads.
9. Place ads only on Content Pages. Advertisers pay only for content based ads. Content drives relevant ads. Although you might manage some clicks from error, login, registration, “thank you” or welcome pages, parking pages or pop ups, it will get you out of the program.
10. Do not mask ad elements. Alteration of colours and border is a facility to blend or contrast ads as per your site requirements. I have seen many sites where the url part is of the same colour as the background. While blending the ad with your site is a good idea, hiding relevant components of the ads is not allowed. Also do not block the visibility of ads by overlapping images, pop ups, tables etc.
11. Do not send your ads by email. Html formatted emails look good and allow placement of these javascript ads. But it is not allowed as per TOS. You do not want impressions registering on their logs from any email even once. They are watching!
12. Keep track of your content. So AdSense is not allowed on several non content pages. But it is also not allowed on several content pages too. Do not add it on web pages with MP3, Video, News Groups, and Image Results. Also exclude any pornographic, hate-related, violent, or illegal content.
13. Do not alter the results after ad clicks or searches - Ensure you are not in any way altering the site which the user reaches to after clicking the ads. Do not frame, minimize, remove, redirect or otherwise inhibit the full and complete display of any Advertiser Page or Search Results Page after the user clicks on any Ad or Search results.
14. Avoid excessive advertising and keyword stuffing - Although the definition of ‘excessive’ is a gray area and is subject to discretion, yet Google AdSense with correct placement, focused content and high traffic will get you much more income than other programs, so excessive advertising is not required. Keyword stuffing does target better focused ads, but overdoing it is not required.
15. Ensure you Language is Supported - AdSense supports “Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Danish, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, English, Polish, Finnish, Portuguese, French, Russian, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Swedish, Italian and Turkish. In addition, AdSense for search is available in Czech, Slovak, and Traditional Chinese. If your web pages language is not supported, do not use the code on such pages.
16. Maximum 2 referral button per product per page - With the launch of the Google AdSense referral program, you are allowed to put only 2 referral buttons for AdSense referral, AdWords referral, Google pack and Firefox with Google toolbar referral.
17. Do not specify Google ads as your alternate ads. - Several services like Chitika eminimalls allow you to place alternate urls, when a targeted paying ad cannot be displayed. This involved creating an simple html page and putting the ad to be displayed instead. Even AdSense allows an alternate url feature instead of displaying public service ads. But never use AdSense ads as alternate urls.
18. Do not confuse with adjacent images - It was a common policy to increase CTR by placing same number of images as the number of text ads, which falsely gave the impression that the text ads represented an explanation to these images. Inserting a small space or a line between the images and ads is not allowed. Make sure that the ads and images are not arranged in a way that could easily mislead or confuse your visitors.
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips & hints, Points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques & insights pertaining to Google AdSense, Do please browse for more information at our website :-
http://www.thegooglefund.com
http://www.google-atm-machine.com
donichinamu.cn
www.suukousai.cn
www.zyukyouke.cn
On my visit through sites and forums, I daily notice several instances of misuse of AdSense ads. So here a few helpful Google AdSense tips, probably many you already know, and few you might gain by knowing now. These AdSense faq are all picked from the Program Policies, Terms and Conditions and FAQ itself and presented in a simplified manner.
1. Never click your own AdSense ads or get them clicked for whatever reason. You know this one very well. This is a surefire way to close you AdSense account. Never tell your office associates or friends to click on them. Keep a check if your family or children are busy increasing your income by clicking your ads and indirectly trying to stop your income. Don’t even think of offering incentives for clicks, using automated clicking tools, or other deceptive software. AdSense is very smart to detect fraudulent clicks. Check the ads which appear on your pages by the Google Preview tool if required.
2. Never change the AdSense code. There are enough means of AdSense optimization & customizations available to change the colour, background or border to suit your needs. Do whatever you want to do outside the code, never fiddle within the ad or the search code. They know it when you do. The search code has more limitations to colour and placement, but you should adhere to the rules. The code may stop working and violates the TOS.
3. Do not place more than 3 ad units and 3 ad links or 2 AdSense search boxes on any web page. Anyway, ads will not appear in those units even if you place more ad units. But this is the limit they set, so it is better to stick to it.
4. Do not run competitive contextual text ad or search services on the same site which offer Google AdSense competition in their field. Never try to create link structures resembling the AdSense ads. Never use other competitive search tools on the same pages which have AdSense powered Google search. They do allow affiliate or limited-text links. Update: Google has allowed you to run contextual advertising like Yahoo ads, Chitika etc provided the ads do not resemble AdSense ads.
5. Do not disclose confidential information about your account like the CTR, CPM and income derived via individual ad units or any other confidential information they may reveal to you. However, you may reveal the total money you make as per recent updates to the TOS.
6. Label headings as “sponsored links” or “advertisements” only. Other labels are not allowed. I have seen many sites label ads with other titles. Dont make your site a target in a few seconds gaze.
7. Never launch a New Page for clicked ads by default. AdSense ads should open on the same page. You may be using a base target tag to open all links in a new window or frame by default. Correct it now as they do not want new pages opening from clicked ads.
8. One Account suffices for multiple websites. You do not need to create 5 accounts for 5 different websites. One account will do. If you live in the fears that if one account is closed down for violation of TOS, believe me they will close all accounts when they find out. You can keep track of clicks by using channels with real time statistics. They will automatically detect the new site and display relevant ads.
9. Place ads only on Content Pages. Advertisers pay only for content based ads. Content drives relevant ads. Although you might manage some clicks from error, login, registration, “thank you” or welcome pages, parking pages or pop ups, it will get you out of the program.
10. Do not mask ad elements. Alteration of colours and border is a facility to blend or contrast ads as per your site requirements. I have seen many sites where the url part is of the same colour as the background. While blending the ad with your site is a good idea, hiding relevant components of the ads is not allowed. Also do not block the visibility of ads by overlapping images, pop ups, tables etc.
11. Do not send your ads by email. Html formatted emails look good and allow placement of these javascript ads. But it is not allowed as per TOS. You do not want impressions registering on their logs from any email even once. They are watching!
12. Keep track of your content. So AdSense is not allowed on several non content pages. But it is also not allowed on several content pages too. Do not add it on web pages with MP3, Video, News Groups, and Image Results. Also exclude any pornographic, hate-related, violent, or illegal content.
13. Do not alter the results after ad clicks or searches - Ensure you are not in any way altering the site which the user reaches to after clicking the ads. Do not frame, minimize, remove, redirect or otherwise inhibit the full and complete display of any Advertiser Page or Search Results Page after the user clicks on any Ad or Search results.
14. Avoid excessive advertising and keyword stuffing - Although the definition of ‘excessive’ is a gray area and is subject to discretion, yet Google AdSense with correct placement, focused content and high traffic will get you much more income than other programs, so excessive advertising is not required. Keyword stuffing does target better focused ads, but overdoing it is not required.
15. Ensure you Language is Supported - AdSense supports “Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Danish, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, English, Polish, Finnish, Portuguese, French, Russian, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Swedish, Italian and Turkish. In addition, AdSense for search is available in Czech, Slovak, and Traditional Chinese. If your web pages language is not supported, do not use the code on such pages.
16. Maximum 2 referral button per product per page - With the launch of the Google AdSense referral program, you are allowed to put only 2 referral buttons for AdSense referral, AdWords referral, Google pack and Firefox with Google toolbar referral.
17. Do not specify Google ads as your alternate ads. - Several services like Chitika eminimalls allow you to place alternate urls, when a targeted paying ad cannot be displayed. This involved creating an simple html page and putting the ad to be displayed instead. Even AdSense allows an alternate url feature instead of displaying public service ads. But never use AdSense ads as alternate urls.
18. Do not confuse with adjacent images - It was a common policy to increase CTR by placing same number of images as the number of text ads, which falsely gave the impression that the text ads represented an explanation to these images. Inserting a small space or a line between the images and ads is not allowed. Make sure that the ads and images are not arranged in a way that could easily mislead or confuse your visitors.
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips & hints, Points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques & insights pertaining to Google AdSense, Do please browse for more information at our website :-
http://www.thegooglefund.com
http://www.google-atm-machine.com
donichinamu.cn
www.suukousai.cn
www.zyukyouke.cn
Senin, 18 Agustus 2008
Maximize Your Google AdSense Earnings
Do you ever feel like you know just enough about AdSense Earnings to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from AdSense Earnings experts.
Many webmasters are making good money of Google AdSense. But chance are high that they are not using the best possible setup to maximize their earnings.
I am not talking about on page optimization of the ad placements. I am assuming that you have identified the best possible spots for your ads already. However - here is an easy way to improve your AdSense earnings by 10%-20% - maybe even more.
Key is to know that the very first Google AdSense block on your page carries the more expensive ads. These are the ads that earn you the most money when a visitor clicks them. To make most out of your AdSense ads, these are the ads you want to have in the best spot on the page in question.
You will need to identify which AdSense ad block is the one with the highest paying ads and which ad unit is receiving the best click-thru rate. If the two are the same, you are already set and can work on other pieces. But chances are high that they might not necessarily be the same and that's where you make adjustments without much work.
Let's get started. Use different channels in Google AdSense and monitor them for a few days to have solid data to work with. If you are already maxed out with your AdSense channels, swap some around. You will only need those additional channels for maybe a week.
Now that we've covered those aspects of AdSense Earnings, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.
With the data on your hand, you might see that that ad unit #1 is the one receiving the best CTR (Click Thru Rate) and ad unit #2 is the one with highest paying ads.
Make sure to compare the CTR to make an informed decision. Let's assume that your current setup matches our example. Now you will want to make changes to your page or template to make sure that ad unit #1 is loaded first when the page is visited.
Again - it is very important to know that Google distributes ads on a first come, first serve basis. So the AdSense block that the Google AdSense bot (Mediapartner) sees first in your page, is the one that will show the more expensive AdSense ads.
If you know html and CSS you probably know that this is not necessarily the ad up on top of the page in your browser (depending on your page layout). Review your code if needed and make the adjustments. CSS can be a good way to shuffle things around so that the most popular ad unit also carries the most expensive ads.
In one case where I finally got of my lazy butt and did the research described above I was able to improve AdSense earnings by ~15%. The work involved was less than 30 minutes. Easy money.
The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about AdSense Earnings.
Many webmasters are making good money of Google AdSense. But chance are high that they are not using the best possible setup to maximize their earnings.
I am not talking about on page optimization of the ad placements. I am assuming that you have identified the best possible spots for your ads already. However - here is an easy way to improve your AdSense earnings by 10%-20% - maybe even more.
Key is to know that the very first Google AdSense block on your page carries the more expensive ads. These are the ads that earn you the most money when a visitor clicks them. To make most out of your AdSense ads, these are the ads you want to have in the best spot on the page in question.
You will need to identify which AdSense ad block is the one with the highest paying ads and which ad unit is receiving the best click-thru rate. If the two are the same, you are already set and can work on other pieces. But chances are high that they might not necessarily be the same and that's where you make adjustments without much work.
Let's get started. Use different channels in Google AdSense and monitor them for a few days to have solid data to work with. If you are already maxed out with your AdSense channels, swap some around. You will only need those additional channels for maybe a week.
Now that we've covered those aspects of AdSense Earnings, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.
With the data on your hand, you might see that that ad unit #1 is the one receiving the best CTR (Click Thru Rate) and ad unit #2 is the one with highest paying ads.
Make sure to compare the CTR to make an informed decision. Let's assume that your current setup matches our example. Now you will want to make changes to your page or template to make sure that ad unit #1 is loaded first when the page is visited.
Again - it is very important to know that Google distributes ads on a first come, first serve basis. So the AdSense block that the Google AdSense bot (Mediapartner) sees first in your page, is the one that will show the more expensive AdSense ads.
If you know html and CSS you probably know that this is not necessarily the ad up on top of the page in your browser (depending on your page layout). Review your code if needed and make the adjustments. CSS can be a good way to shuffle things around so that the most popular ad unit also carries the most expensive ads.
In one case where I finally got of my lazy butt and did the research described above I was able to improve AdSense earnings by ~15%. The work involved was less than 30 minutes. Easy money.
The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about AdSense Earnings.
Minggu, 17 Agustus 2008
Tips On Using Google Adsense
Here are some tips that can boost your income earning through Google AdSense.
Just like anything else, you'll get out of Google Adsense what you put into it. There are some optimization tips can help you grow your Google Adsense dollars. These are as follows:-
Make sure that you write interesting content and write it every day.
Make sure that you have more than one site. The more and more sites you have, the more ads have the potential to get clicked while boosting your income.
Make sure that you set up channels and monitor your statistics across all sites. If one site is performing poorly, consider changing the content or the ad layout. Just Experiment!
Try to change the ad layout and notice which layout works the best for you. There are
various layout options and there's no way you can know which one will perform the best.
If you're blogging on your blog, www.writingup.com has a list of profitable topics. They state that you don't have to write on those topics but you might give it a try or at least plug
some of them in to the search engines.
Google different key words and phrases and notice how much and what kinds of content and ads you see.
Just like anything else, you'll get out of Google Adsense what you put into it. There are some optimization tips can help you grow your Google Adsense dollars. These are as follows:-
Make sure that you write interesting content and write it every day.
Make sure that you have more than one site. The more and more sites you have, the more ads have the potential to get clicked while boosting your income.
Make sure that you set up channels and monitor your statistics across all sites. If one site is performing poorly, consider changing the content or the ad layout. Just Experiment!
Try to change the ad layout and notice which layout works the best for you. There are
various layout options and there's no way you can know which one will perform the best.
If you're blogging on your blog, www.writingup.com has a list of profitable topics. They state that you don't have to write on those topics but you might give it a try or at least plug
some of them in to the search engines.
Google different key words and phrases and notice how much and what kinds of content and ads you see.
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