Traffic for Adsense

If you’ve been running AdSense ads on your site for quite a while and you feel that you aren’t making as much cash as you could, in 99.99% of cases you’re right. Most people feel frustrated that they cannot generate the revenues they expected, and this is down to traffic levels as well as click through rates.

There are many ways to turn traffic into AdSense traffic and here is a short list of them with a description for each.

The first thing that you need to do is tune up your site’s contents. While for some people this isn’t an option (if you’re running a forum for example it’s a lot harder) most people can make their AdSense sites veritable cash cows.

To begin, you should find out what your site’s keywords are. This is a basic technique in SEO (search engine optimization) known as keyword density verification. A good tool for this job is SEO Density Analizer.

You should then take this list of words and search the Overture Search Inventory or Google AdWords Sandbox to find out what other words could be doing better then what you currently have.

From that point on try to keep your site focused on the things that appear mostly in the keyword suggestions you receive. Try to include those keywords, or at least some related keywords as often as you can in the links on your site.

Because of the way Google AdSense works this is a sure way to increase your earnings because you’ll get better ads in your AdSense banners, similar to how you would get a better Google PageRank

It’s also important that you continuously add new pages to your site. This is very important, as the more pages you have, the higher the chance is that you’ll get more hits on your ads.

It’s also very important that you choose the appropriate formats for your AdSense banners and the best locations for them. While this is a much wider subject you should generally know that the top three Google AdSense formats are: 336×280 large rectangle 300×250 medium rectangle and 160×600 skyscraper.

Make sure you choose the appropriate colors for the ads, as making them too different from your site’s content (or just different in a bad way) is sure to make visitors regard them as banners which have nothing to do with the site itself.

Make sure these ads are positioned where they’ll generate the highest amount of profit. Most times, that location is said to be right before the beginning of your site’s actual content.

On pages with a long text body, you might find skyscrapers to do better, simply because users get exposed to them for more time. Also, for sites with news or similar items, you might find a good position to be at the bottom of your content, because that’s when people are finished reading your story and are looking for something else to do.

You should use more AdSense units if you have a lot of text on your page. Just make sure not to overdo it because you might find that you will get a lot lower CTR and lower revenues then you were getting in the first place by employing this technique inappropriately. You can add as many as three units, so use them wisely.

There’s a Google AdSense Preview Tool that will let you visualize what ads would get served on your page and it can come in very handy as a testing mechanism.

Just make sure you respect the AdSense policy regarding click fraud. As a pointer you could place a picture next to your adds, just make sure to leave some room in between in order to make sure this isn’t regarded as encouraging visitors to click the link.

Of course there are more ways to increase AdSense traffic from your site, but these should serve as a good starting point for income maximization.

How to Measure a Blog’s Success?

Here are a few other measures of success that different bloggers might use to evaluate how their blogs are going. Some will be more or less relevant for different blogs and will depend upon the goals and objectives of the blogger:

1. Traffic - The most common ways that bloggers seem to evaluate a blog are the different measures of traffic. Different bloggers seem to have their own preferences for different aspects of traffic:

• Unique Visitors - individual IP addresses logged to a page
• Page Views - the total number of pages viewed (it’s useful to watch the ratio of pages viewed per visitor - the higher it is the stickier your site is)
• Hits - the number of requests sent for a file to the server

2. Length of Stay - I know some bloggers who watch the time that the average visitor stays on a blog as a measure of stickiness.

3. RSS Subscribers - RSS subscriber levels is increasingly coming into play for many blogs. While it varies greatly from blog to blog in terms to how many readers are utilizing it I’m finding it more and more common to find bloggers who have a pretty good grasp on the numbers of subscribers (something most of us had little idea on even a year ago). Services like Feedburner and Bloglines make it easier to keep an eye on these numbers.

4. Comment Numbers - We’ve already discussed this so I won’t go on about it except to say that it’s useful for engaging the level of interaction on your blog.

5. Comments Length - I tend not to focus so much on this but know of some bloggers that are incredibly proud of the effort that their readers go to in responding to their posts.

6. Comments Quality - This one is difficult to measure (it’s pretty subjective) but is worthwhile to consider in my opinion. I’d much rather 3 comments per post that add something to what I have to say (even if it’s disagreement) than 20 that say ‘nice post’. While the ‘nice post’ comments are welcome - my own goals in writing go beyond a need for admiration and are more about creating conversation that stimulates change in my readers and in myself through what they add to the dialogue.

7. Other Feedback from Readers - This is high on my list of things that give me an indication of the health of my blogs. Emails and Instant Messaging conversations are brilliant for gauging what people think of your blog and more importantly how they are using it. For example a couple of months ago I noticed that I had quite a few emails from readers of one of my blogs asking for information on exactly the same thing. The topic was one that I’d previously covered which told me that my design of that blog wasn’t really adequate as they were not finding what they wanted quickly.

8. Other Participation from Readers - There are many ways that readers can participate on a blog that go beyond comments and emails. One that I watch here at ProBlogger is the level of subscribers (and unsubscribers) to my newsletter. A sudden influx of subscribers is often an indication that I’ve written something that has hit home with readers (or an indication that I have a lot of first timer readers). Other participation might include response to polls, competitions and other calls to action.

9. Incoming Links and Trackbacks - The levels of incoming links to your blog can be an indicator of both how well or how badly you’re writing (depending upon the nature of the links). Incoming links are good for a blog in most cases because of the incoming traffic that follow them but also because they are a major factor in climbing the rankings in search engines. They can be monitored in a number of ways:

• Trackbacks - while some bloggers hate them most blogs utilize them to further conversations and as notification of what others are writing about you.
• Search Engines - type in ‘link:domainname’ into Google and you can get a good quick picture of the incoming links that that search engine has indexed for your blog (example for ProBlogger). A more automated way to monitor incoming links (backlinks) in the major search engines is to use digital point’s backlink checking tool.
• Blog Indexing Services - services like Technorati offer services to monitor what other bloggers are writing about you (example for ProBlogger)
• RSS Searches - I use the search function on Bloglines to monitor keywords such as ‘Problogger’ and ‘Darren Rowse’ to watch what others say about me (sounds paranoid but it’s a wonderful way to interact with different bloggers who are responding to your posts who you might have missed otherwise). In doing so you do pick up on some incoming links that trackbacks don’t pick up.
• Referral Stats - Most statistics packages offer the ability to track where your readers come from to get to your blog. This shows you the things they are searching search engines for but also the sites that are linking up.

A word of warning - while monitoring the above is useful some bloggers fall into the track of becoming quite addicted to checking these types of statistics and can become a pretty egotistical and unproductive exercise. I take note of these things personally but its only something I do every now and again unless there is some sort of breaking news or a crisis to manage.

10. Search Engine Rankings (SERPS) - how high your blog ranks in search engines for different keywords is something that some bloggers monitor carefully as an indicator of success. Services like digital point’s keyword tracker is a useful tool for monitoring this if you want a way to do it that is a little more automated than constantly surfing Google to monitor it manually.

11. ‘Top Blogs’ lists - There are numerous ‘top blog’ indexes going around. Many see these as pretty egotistical exercises, especially those which only link smaller numbers of bloggers but some can be more useful:

• Technorati have a ‘top 100‘ but also rank all blogs in their index
• Blog Pulse have a top 40 blogs list also and also have different ranks for all blogs
• Feedster has a top 500 list.
• Truth laid bear has a number of lists including their famous ecosystem (which indexes thousands of blogs), their traffic ranking list and a top post list.
• Bloglines has a top blogs list
• Daypop has a top Weblogs page

There are also many many other similar pages that attempt to index and rank blogs on different factors - some rank on a topic basis, other on a location basis etc. I personally don’t use these much as an indicator of how my blogs compare with other blogs but check one or two of the above over time to see if my blogs are on the improve or not in the scheme of things.

Another similar system that is not focused solely upon blogs is Alexa.com which has a traffic ranking system (example for ProBlogger).

12. Awards - Blog Awards are everywhere at this time of year and for some are highly important measures of success (although as my recent poll on the topic found - not important for the majority of bloggers).

13. Social Bookmarking - I’m finding in my interactions with bloggers that there is a growing desire to get linked to and ranked well on social bookmarking pages like del.icio.us and digg.com (to name just two). While I wouldn’t use this as a primary measure of success (I think it can become an obsession for some) it CAN be an indicator of success on a more micro level (ie on a post by post level) - although it’s definitely open to manipulation.

14. Frequency of Posts - One of the things that channel editors monitor over at b5media is the number of posts that our bloggers are writing per week and month. While we don’t come down too heavily if targets are not met it does give us an indication of how a blog is going that is often quite insightful on a number of levels. It is sometimes an indicator that something else is not quite right with the blog.

15. Income - IF your goals as a blogger are along the lines of earning an income from your blog - then a pretty obvious indicator of success is the bottom line. There are many ways of measuring income depending upon the income stream.

16. Blogger Profile - I was speaking with one blogger last week who has developed a business blog on his industry (a specialized and very small industry). His blog gets less than 100 visitors per day and earns no direct income - however it is a raging success in the eyes of it’s blogger because he is quickly becoming known as an expert in his industry. His blog will never appear on a ‘top 100 list’ but it’s led him to many opportunities i in his field and has been one of the most worthwhile things he’s ever done in his business.

17. Blogger Passion and Satisfaction - This is one of those that is difficult to measure - but one that I’d rate of great importance. When it comes down to it, if a blogger loses interest and energy for a blog then many of the other areas above are likely to suffer.

18. Other - This list could be many many points longer because for every blog and blogger there is a different set of goals and objectives and for every set of goals and objectives there will be a way of measuring success. I surveyed a couple of other bloggers while writing this post and their own indicators of success included things like:

• ‘Getting a Book Deal’
• ‘Picking up Chicks’
• ‘Getting customers for my business’
• ‘Having Fun’
• ‘Networking with Others in my Industry’
• ‘Learning about my topic of Interest’

16 Things You Need to Make it as a Successful Blogger

Take advantage of the tools money can't buy

Think anyone can blog? Think again! While it's true that anyone can start a blog and throw one into cyberspace, the fact is very few people can successfully pull it off. If you want to truly make it as a blogger, you need to have several things. I'm not talking laptops and software, indeed those are important. Most of what you need to become a successful blogger can't be found in stores, or even blogs about blogging.

2. Creativity

You're going to need to update your blog, at the very least, several times a week. A successful blogger is creative enough to come up with fresh, engaging content every time.

3. A Good Idea

Not the same idea as everyone else. Not a copycat of someone else's blog. But your own unique, good idea. If you want to make it as a blogger, you have to have great content and a fresh idea.

4. A Good Work Ethic

If you think blogging is just writing a quick five minute post and forgetting about it until next time, you couldn't be more wrong. You're going to spend hours on your blog designing it, writing it, promoting it and more. Most bloggers spend two to five hours on each blog every day.

5. The Ability to Work Alone

Most bloggers work alone. You have to be able to shut out all of the distractions of home or the coffee shop and concentrate on creating a good post.

6. A Notebook

You're going to come up with ideas at the oddest times. What if you're not close to your computer? It's helpful to have a notebook or PDA handy so you can jot down ideas.

7. A Thick Skin

You're going to be flamed, you're going to be trolled and people are going to pick your blog posts apart and call you names. You can let it get to you or you can develop a thick skin.

8. A Thriving Social Network

It helps to have people to talk to, network with, and shoot ideas off of. This will not only help to eliminate the loneliness some probloggers experiences, but by interacting with others you're sure to come up with fresh new ideas.

9. Motivation

What keeps you motivated? Passion for your topic? Advertising revenue? The adoration of your public? Whatever it is, channel it and use it to keep you driven.

10. Longevity

Blogging isn't a fly by night operation. If you want to succeed, if you want your readers to trust your name, you'll want your blogs to last through the ages. The most successful blogs have been around for a few years. It's the people who cut bait and run after two months of blogging that fail.

11. Long Term Vision

Do you have a plan? Where do you see your blog two years from now? Five years? Ten? A successful blogger has the ability to see into the future. I'm not saying you know exactly what you're going to blog about, but you'll need to think about how your blog is going to succeed for years to come.

12. The Ability to Work Odd Hours

Blogging isn't exactly a 9 to 5 gig. Ideas hit at any time. Many probloggers even work well into the night or the wake at the crack of dawn to fit blogging into a busy day.

13. A Willingness to Learn New Things

As a blogger you want to continue to feed your readers new information. This means you'll have to set a portion of your day aside to read other blogs, books, magazines and websites in your niche.

14. An Open Mind

Sometimes bloggers need to completely change their line of thinking. What might have worked a year ago, doesn't work now. Tools and techniques become obsolete. Keep an open mind, don't be afraid to admit defeat and always be on the lookout for new trends and ideas.

15. The Ability to Teach

Blogging isn't about talking about yourself. It's about sharing what you know with someone else. Many bloggers are teachers, not story tellers. Though the ability to tell a story is also something a successful blogger must possess.

16. Patience

It's been said here many times, patience pays off. Blogging isn't instant gratification. It takes time and patience to build up a successful blog. If you want an instant pay out, stick with copywriting.

First Media, the best choice Indonesia Internet Provider

Jakarta, August 30, 2007 – As the global chase for connectivity accelerates, Lippo Group is pumping US$650 million into First Media, the group’s broadband multimedia service provider. This announcement was made today at a press conference held in South Jakarta.

The significant investment over the next four years underlines the Group’s commitment to building and developing an integrated information, communications, and entertainment company. With its existing Hybrid Fiber Coaxial network, which is by far the largest and most diversed broadband network in Indonesia, the Group is continuously and rapidly expanding its connectivity to reach Indonesians at home, in their community, and at work.

The global entertainment and media industries will grow up to US$1.8 trillion in the next couple of years, and broadband will be the principal driver of access spending, reported the Global Entertainment Media Outlook 2005-2009 issued by an international consulting firm.

“It is a very exciting industry and First Media is building on this opportunity. We are positioning ourselves to capitalize on what we all familiarly call the “convergence” of different platforms for delivering information and new experiences to the people,” said First Media Chief Executive Officer Roberto F. Feliciano. “Our company’s gateway and entertainment infrastructure enables Indonesians to access and connect to global information and entertainment wherever and whenever they need or want it,” Feliciano added.

The company is aggressively expanding and upgrading its network to deliver reliable, unlimited access, and “always on” high speed internet services, as well as exciting yet informative and educational pay TV programs to over 1,000,000 homes by early 2009. Investments in content for both internet and cable TV, high definition TV (HDTV), bandwidth access solutions, shopping formats through media, wireless, data communications storage, and telephony systems are areas the company is working on. “We will either develop these services ourselves or together with global partners to provide the reliability and service quality levels demanded by today’s market to remain competitive and relevant. Indonesia’s huge, fast-growing yet untapped market for broadband access underscores First Media’s high potential value, particularly its digital Triple Play ready network,” Feliciano explained.

PT First Media Tbk is a public company listed on the Surabaya Stock Exchange and is Indonesia’s major provider of broadband internet and cable TV programs . Its current network covers Greater Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali.

The company operates under the brand name “First Media,” which creates a total brand experience for its residential customers, beginning with communications and entertainment. It sets the stage for a vibrant LIFESTYLE – globally connected, highly informed, and fast paced. First Media defines the 21st Century urbanite at home with technology – a branded vitality.

It is an idealistic step that a company is willing to give its commitment in developing Internet access and content or widely known as multimedia field. The US$650 million investment from First Media is hoped to immediately break through the underdevelopment of Indonesians into becoming advanced and prosperous people. Especially with the availability of Internet in every house in Indonesia. Our hope as the Indonesian Internet Provider Association is for the government’s support with policies that are conducive to support Internet development and also computer penetration throughout Indonesia. We would like to congratulate First Media and wish you all the best of luck, “said Sylvia Sumarlin, President of the Internet Association of Indonesia.

Economic observer Didik J. Rachbini said, “Investment on multimedia facilities and infrastructure is needed in Indonesia because they are very useful for everyone. This development is both instrumental and an opening to gain information on education and knowledge, including other social and political information. Entrepreneurs who invest in this sector have actually given large contributions to this nation.”

First Media will launch its new products on September 8. For product inquiries, please call our Call Center at 55 77 77 88 or visit www.firstmedia.com

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Link Market

Try ‘Linking’ With Reality by: Stephen Brennan

I have been using the services of a wonderful facility, which has taken almost all of the work out of my ‘Linking Program’ (if you have a website that relies on Search Engine traffic, I really do hope you have one!). The facility is named Linkmarket.com. Don’t worry, I am not affiliated in any way and I don’t get any type of reward for referrals, but I do refer people because it is really such a wonderful facility and it’s free, unless you choose to ‘upgrade’ to paid membership, which I am seriously considering doing, in light of the behavior I have observed recently. I know there have been a fair number of articles on the Internet and on this particular website regarding ‘linking’, it’s importance, how to do it and what not to do. This article is kind of a plea. I’m pleading with people who don’t realize that linking to every single website that’s willing to link back, can be a DISADVANTAGE rather than do them any good at all. Firstly, the way Linkmarket.com works is simple but, as I said, wonderful. You join (free at first, with some minor limitations). You supply your website details, including your category, site name and description and you are listed in their directory. You then have the ability to peruse their directory and select websites with which you would like to arrange a reciprocal link (if you’re a paid member, the Google PR and Alexa ranking are displayed – very handy!). It works like this: Your ‘request’ is popped off to them and they can respond with a YES or a NO (again, if they’re paid members, your PR and Alexa ranking are displayed in the request – very handy!). If it’s NO, nothing more occurs. If it’s YES, you get a reply asking you to place their link on your website (all supplied in a neat little box to copy & paste) and supply the URL location of the link. Linkmarket.com software confirms the link is in place and… Advises them and they, in turn, are given your link in the same format as you received theirs. They place your link and also advise the URL, which the software confirms. Easy as one, two, three. In fact, that’s what the process steps are called (1,2 3). No emails, no keeping track of with whom you’ve linked (that’s kept track of for you) and no feeling like a nuisance for sending emails to complete strangers because everyone is there for the same purpose, to exchange links. What’s not so nifty or wonderful, and it has nothing to do with Linkmarket.com, is the type of websites that you get requests to link with. I really think some of these people need to link with reality before they try linking with other websites. Of course, one of the features you get as a 'paid' member, is you can nominate the types of website that you wish to receive requests from. In addition to my Home Based Business websites, for which I have separate ‘accounts’, I have a website called ‘R.A.I.S.E’ (Rheumatoid Arthritis Information Support and Education). A non-profit website devoted to all things to do with this particular disease (from which I suffer). I cannot understand why I continually get multiple requests per day from totally unrelated websites, especially those dealing with gaming, travel and satellite dishes. I know that the majority of these websites are ‘affiliate’ type websites, in very competitive areas trying to expand their web presence and obtain a better search engine ranking. However, don’t these people realize that a link from a website dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis will not help them one iota. Nada, Zip, Zilch, Bupcus. In fact, they’ll be very lucky not to be penalized by the SE’s for such a ridiculous practice. Please people, understand that a link is only of any use to you if it is from a website with related subject matter. I will link with any website that has the same type of content and is in the same category, even those with low or no PR, as I feel that they won’t harm my ranking and I don’t mind helping a new website. But what makes this behavior more perplexing is that I recently changed my domain and have no PR, so these people must be linking to virtually everything in the directory! We all know that the practice of reciprocal linking has gotten way out of hand, what with people now actually asking for money to link to your lower PR website, but this indicates it has gone beyond the sublime and into the realm of the ridiculous. I'll say it again - some webmasters really do need a ‘link with reality’ rather than any more websites.