Google AdWhat? Making Sense of Google Adsense

Surfing the web lately, you've probably seen "Ads by Gooooooogle" on many of the websites that you've visited. Every day, more and more website owners are discovering exactly how to make money out of Google, so much so, that many web publishers are actually making a full time income just from having Google adverts on their websites. So, what exactly is Google Adsense?

You've noticed on many websites, those "ads by Goooooogle", followed by a number of adverts. Well visit Google themselves and you'll see on the right, and sometimes near the top of search result pages, "Sponsored Links". These are like the classified adverts that you see in your daily newspaper. Companies are paying to have their advert to be featured in this space, depending on the search phrases that you are typing in to the Google search box. Rather than a fixed price though, advertisers bid against each other to have their advert featured, with the highest bidder, getting the number 1 slot. This program is called "Google Adwords".

While that proved a great success, the advertisers were limited to have their adverts only seen on Google. Then Google came up with the idea of paying website owners a percentage of the fee they get paid by the advertisers, for featuring the adverts on their own sites. This became the "Google AdSense" program.

Free to join, this program has become a popular way of adding a new income stream, but more than that, some website publishers started to build websites specifically for this Google program. Working out which adverts the advertisers were paying most for (so the percentage commissions are the highest), website publishers are building sites specifically targeting these high paying advert commissions – earning a living from sending people away from their sites!

As I say, the program is free to join, with an application to fill out, but Google must approve you before you can get started. The good news is that once you have been approved for your first website, you don't need to apply again for any additional websites.

But before applying, you need to have a website which needs to be complete. The site must also contain what Google considers valuable content. This is the first step to making those profits. But before you think about designing your website, it is vitally important to choose a popular topic, with preferably high paying commissions – after all, you won't profit from anything without any website visitors, no matter how good your site looks!

There are various tools on the web that you can use to check the popularity of keywords:

www.wordtracker.com has a valuable free report that you can download, as well as a free trial of their keyword monitoring service.

Overture.com is a company that competes with Google for placing adverts, and has a keyword research tool that also gives you the number of searches each term has had over the last month. You can find their tool here:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

Google also has a keyword research tool for their advertisers here:
https://adwords.google.com/select/main?cmd=KeywordSandbox

Once you have identified your topic, and you know the keywords that you will target throughout the content on your website, you are ready to build your site.

The design can be straightforward – in fact, do NOT go for some overly complex site design. You want your pages to appear fast; with the visitor seeing your content and those all important Google Adsense adverts.

You also want to make sure that you have optimized your pages for the search terms you have identified. One way, is to use already published articles (on the topic in question) with reprint rights, but add an introduction, which uses the keywords/keyword phrases in explaining to the reader what the article is about.

For example, for this very article, if you were targeting the keyword phrases "Google Adsense" and "Website Publishers" you could have written:

Many web publishers are discovering the profits to be made using Google Adsense.

Vic Carrara of onlyforprofit.com gives an introduction to what Google Adsense is, and how website publishers can build income from sending people away from their websites.

- And, for emphasis, put the first line in H1 tags, with the second in H2 tags -

When your site is complete with a good range of articles on your chosen topic, it's time to apply for a Google AdSense account. You can find the application form at http://www.google.com/services/adsense_tour/

It should only take a few days for Google to approve (or reject) your website. If, unfortunately you are rejected, simply follow Google's advice and make the necessary changes to your site, then apply again. Reading through the information on Google's AdSense website will help you to avoid mistakes that may get you rejected. Once approved, you will want to have a good look round all the facilities you have available, and customize your Google AdSense ads to fit in with your own website's style and feel.

Once that is done, you can start to put Google AdSense search boxes on every page of your website, but make sure that you've read the terms and conditions at Google first. For instance, if you have a thank you page that visitors arrive at after signing up for a newsletter, Google AdSense ads are not to be used on that page!

You are allowed to have two ad units on each page, as well as a Google Search Box. Make use of this, using perhaps a skyscraper on either the left or right hand side of the page. Google AdSense profits experts agree that the right hand side of the page gets the most clicks. Put an additional ad unit either at the top or the bottom of each page, using the rectangle ad units.

Sidebar: There are various forums on the internet that focus on the techniques of using Google Adsense profitably. Here are a few of the more popular ones:
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum89/
http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/forumdisplay.php?f=30
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27

Put the ads on every page that you can on your website. This includes adding the Google AdSense ads to your blogs and your forums. It may take up to twenty four hours for relevant ads to start appearing on your website pages. Until then, you will probably have a public service notice.

Once your ads appear, make sure that they are relevant to the content on your pages. If they aren't, make changes to the pages. You might need to change the names of the HTML files, using your keywords. Adjust the keywords in your Meta tags, as well as the keywords and keyword density throughout the page content. Change the text in the title tag, and/or change t=the text of your H1 and H2 headings. Upload the new pages, and see if the ads that are appearing are more relevant. Keep working at it until they are – this is important if you want to maximize your revenue.

Sounds like hard work?
Well yes, it is while you're learning.
But once you've got the hang of it, realize that you're creating 'hands free' income.

Once your site is as good as it can be, and the ads that are appearing are relevant, it is time to start marketing the website. This can include a variety of current popular methods such as: pay-per-click advertising, forum marketing, article marketing, distributing newsletters to your opt-in list, participating in newsgroups and email discussion lists, using a signature file … and so on. The more traffic you can get to your site, the more clicks you will get on your Google AdSense ads.

Then what? Keep updating your website, keep marketing the site, and you will soon see Google AdSense Profits. As you learn, and as you develop an understanding on how it's all done, you'll probably want to create a number of sites on different topics to realize even more Google AdSense profits!

Best of luck!

Vic Carrara
www.onlyforprofit.com
© Vic Carrara 2005

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American Standards and European Culture: How to Avoid a Disappointing Vacation Experience While Traveling in Europe

Planning a vacation to Europe? No doubt you have certain expectations about your upcoming journey.

Perhaps you're the kind of person who expects to spend your days admiring amazing architecture and prowling world-famous museums for masterpieces. Or maybe you're going to Europe to meet interesting people, relax on the beach until the sun goes down, and dance the night away in a local club. Regardless of your European vacation priorities, you certainly expect it to be wonderful!

But stop a moment. Have you thought about your cultural expectations?

Many European vacationers plan their activities and accommodations with the assumption that everything else will be "like America." If so, think again! Just as Europe and the US are different in landscape, weather, and history, they are also very different culturally. Europeans and Americans have different ideas about manners, time, personal space, personal property maintenance, and language.

So for anyone planning a vacation to Europe, here are a few "cross cultural conflict" areas that Americans traveling in Europe often encounter. Making yourself aware of these differences can help you have a fun, enjoyable, and even educational European vacation that is free of cultural misunderstandings!

Personal Space

Take a glance at a map of the world. Which is smaller: the US or Europe? That's right-- Europe. But there are still a lot of people there, which means they've gotten used to smaller spaces!

American standards of living are very high. We're used to king size beds and bathrooms that can accommodate several people at a time.

But unless you're staying in a massive French chateau or Italian villa, be prepared for spaces to be smaller than you're used to. Bedrooms and bathrooms will be more compact, as will bed sizes. Single and double beds alike will be narrower. Kitchens won't be able to accommodate your entire family!

So consider this an opportunity to get closer to your traveling companions. Think of sharing a bathroom in Italy as an exercise in cooperation. Get cozy with your spouse in that French double bed. Be willing to laugh as you adjust. Get creative and have fun!

Manners

A common misperception of Europeans is that they are "rude." Of course, they think the same thing about us!

Remember when you're traveling in Europe that rudeness is largely a cultural perception. Someone who seems blunt and nosey may be expressing friendship and concern for your well-being. A waiter who tells you what to order may be trying to help, since you are unfamiliar with the language. Differences in "personal space" mean that someone who cuts in front of you may not even understand that you were in line!

Also, subjects which are taboo in your community may be freely discussed elsewhere, and vice versa. In the US, we consider it incredibly rude to comment on a person's weight. This isn't true everywhere in the world!

So, when traveling in Europe, keep a firm grip on your temper. A good way to achieve this is to give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. Just make the choice not to get angry. If you can roll with the punches, you'll enjoy your vacation more-- and you'll be a better traveling companion.

Time

I have to admit that I get impatient if I have to wait longer than fifteen minutes at a restaurant in the US. After the food comes, I can be out the door in half an hour!

In Italy, however, a dinner filled with conversation, laughter, and great food can last two hours! I smile when I hear other Americans asking why the food hasn't arrived yet. Unbeknownst to them, the waiters are offering them the opportunity to savor the meal.

Likewise, shops and businesses in Spain close for an afternoon siesta. In the UK, the handyman may want to chat with you before repairing that pipe.

Most Europeans do not share the American compulsion to "save time" by doing everything quickly. So when you vacation in Europe, leave your watch behind. After all, this is a vacation!

Quality

I often hear complaints, especially from those who rent a villa or apartment, about the quality of the furnishings and amenities in Europe. I'd be a millionaire if I had a dime for every time I heard someone say "The furniture was old!" or "The bathroom pipes need to be replaced."

In today's society, we expect things to look like new, feel like new, and behave like new. If it doesn't, we throw it away.

But think of anyone who grew up during the depression. My grandfather kept rows of old coffee cans filled with spare nails and bits of wire. He sat in the same chair every night until he died. Nothing was wasted, and nothing was thrown away if it could be fixed.

So if the furniture looks a little worn, or if the sink clogs, think before you complain. Is the quality due to neglect and disrepair, or is it the result of a careful, conscientious effort not to put anything to waste?

Treat this as an educational experience; you might even learn from a more conservative lifestyle.

Language

As an American, I am often jealous of Europeans who pick up languages like you'd pick up a bottle of milk at the store. For me, it's an uphill battle all the way!

Since learning three or four languages is neither a cultural necessity nor a scholastic requirement in our country, many Americans feel like me. And yet some Americans still assume that everyone in Europe should speak English!

In the same way that you or I would resent a French tourist who expected everyone in the US to speak French, Europeans are often annoyed by Americans who have this mentality.

While you probably can't learn a new language before your vacation, you can learn some helpful phrases. This is considered courteous, and is guaranteed to get more friendly responses. When you try to use their language, Italians or French who might have feigned ignorance will usually help you with your pronunciation-- and then converse with you in English!

The Right Attitude

Lastly, remember that the standards and the customs you find while traveling in Europe are not wrong. They're just different. If you travel with the right attitude, you will have a richer, more authentic, and even eye-opening experience. Who knows? Your European vacation may change the way you see the world.

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What is basic SEO and how does one go about it?

SEO is the short way to say Search Engine Optimization. It is the practice of trying to get better rankings in Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Those three are known as the 'big three' because nearly all searchers use one of them, so it is the most profitable for you to try to optimize for them.

Americans conducted 7.4 billion searches online in May, up 12 percent from April. Google Sites registered the most search queries performed with 3.3 billion, followed by Yahoo! Sites (2.1 billion), MSN-Microsoft (963 million) - Comscore

Search engines take into account many things in your website, optimizing those is called on-page optimization, everything that isn't your website is off-page optimization. Now, while the exact ranking formulae are secret, this is what is widely believed as 'simple SEO'.

First, we want to improve on-page optimization. So we have to pick keywords. There are a variety of tools you can search for which will give you lists of keywords that are usable.

Now you have your keywords. So you now have to see what the top 10 people are doing for them (warning: basic html and math needed ahead). Go to the top person on the most important keyword you have, on google. As an example, we'll use the keywords 'free downloads', and I'll do the math with you.

The number one website is download.com, so let's analyze this top website.

Keyword density is the measure of how many times a keyword appears compared to the rest of the text in that area. The areas include: title, meta keywords, meta description, plain content (text), h1, h2, h3, bold, italics, underlined and domain name.

Let's do some of the math for download.com… Their title is: "Reviews and free downloads at download.com" First we ignore any 'common' word, like 'and, the, at' etc. So we have: "Reviews free downloads download.com" So, 'free downloads' takes up 14 characters out of 35, or 40%. In the meta description tag, it's 14/272 = 5.14%, so go on and on through the list, keeping it in an excel. After you've done the top 10 in google, go to the top 10 in yahoo and msn, ignoring the repeats and do it again. Now, take the average. For the title, let's say my average was 15%. I wanna try to have a percentage close to that. Too much, and I might get penalized, too little and It wont help That's the basic on-site SEO. Matching keyword density on the site. Off-site seo is everything that is not on your site, mainly getting links for the beginner. The kind of links you want are links from a relevant website that has few other links to other sites. Ways to get these: Submit to directories and reciprocal linking. Submit your site to directories. You can find many lists of them on google. Reciprocal linking is trading links, or in effect, 'I'll link to you if you link to me'. The best way to get one is to go to a person who's site is close in topic with yours, find their email and send a personal one.

_______________
Dear (contact info, or Webmaster)
I was looking at your site and I really liked (thing on their site) about it. (comment about site). I have placed a link to you at (URL of link you place to them) and would appreciate if you'd link back.

Regards,
(name)
(your site url)
_______________
Yes, you have to do this manually, yes, it will help you, and yes, you have to link first. You're the one asking for a link, so you have to show them you mean it.

Do that for all the top websites in your keywords, and keep doing it. The more you get links, the higher you'll be in the rankings. You can find the number your competitors have by going to MSN search and typing in 'Link:download.com' for my example. It showed that there were 692,811 links to download.com… Better get to work.

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SIP - Systematic Investment Plan

There are very few points that everybody in this world agrees upon. And the stock market unpredictability is undoubtedly one of them. Even people with several years of experience are not always able to track the stock market dynamics, thus falling prey to faulty decisions. Watertight stock market investing strategy is something that people consider to be elusive. It is something that can be chased, but probably can never be achieved.

But is it a correct notion? Are things like fate, luck, chance, etc., are the only deciding factors in the stock market investments? Or is there any way to approach the stock market in a speculative manner?

The answer to the above question probably lies in the Systematic Investment Plan or SIP (a.k.a. "Periodic Payment Plan" or "Contractual Plan").

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) Unlike the one-time investment plans, SIP entails regular payments for a fixed period. It allows investors to garner shares of a mutual fund by contributing a fixed (which is often small) amount of money on a regular basis. And it offers the following advantages readily attractive to any investor.

Reduced pressure on your purse – Through SIP you can enter the stock market even with a paltry investment. Your inability to invest a more-or-less fat amount might have kept you away from investing in the stock market. SIP is an ideal solution for your problem.

Building for the future – We have certain needs that can be addressed only through long-term investments. Such needs include children's education, buying a house of your own, post-retirement emergencies, etc. And SIP offers precious help in this regard. It helps you to save a small amount on a regular basis. And in due time it turns into a substantial amount.

Compounds returns – SIP not only helps you reach a substantial amount after a certain period of time. Rather it helps you to reach that amount at an early age, depending when you start investing. You can amass a notable amount at 70 if you start investing at 35. An earlier start at 25 can enable you achieve the same amount by 60.

Lowering the average cost – In SIP you experience low average cost, courtesy dollar-cost average. You invest the same fixed dollar amount in the same investment at regular intervals over an extended period of time. You are buying more shares of an investment when the share price is low. And you are buying fewer shares when the share price is high. And it may result in you paying a lower average price per share. The dollar-cost averaging strategy does not try to time the market. Rather it reduces the risk of investing a larger amount in an investment at a wrong time. And it does the same by spreading your investments out over a period of months, years, or even decades.

Market timing irrelevance – The previous two paragraphs tell you that SIP makes the market timing irrelevant for you. The stock market unpredictability and volatility often play a deterrent for wannabe investors like you. In SIP, you are completely free from this problem of wrong timing.

The SIP's mode of function

A typical SIP entails monthly investments over a period of 10, 15 or 25 years. You are generally allowed to start your investment with a modest sum.

You do not have direct ownership of the funds. Rather you own an interest in the plan trust. The plan trust invests the investor's regular payments, after deducting applicable fees, in shares of a mutual fund.

Things that you should make clear before investing in an SIP

You should make certain things clear to yourself before going for an SIP investment. They include the following –
a. You should be confident about continuing to make payments for the term of the plan. Withdrawal in the mid way will almost certainly make you lose your money unless you are eligible for a full refund.

b. Check the fees charged by the plan. Also check the circumstances under which the plan waives or reduces certain fees.
c. Study the plan's investment objectives. Take a note of the risks of investing in the plan. And check whether you are comfortable with them.
d. Check your statutory rights to a refund in case you cancel your plan.

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6 Internet Marketing Myths

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6 Internet Marketing Myths - By: goalsetter

Every day thousands of people go online to make money but most of them fail miserably because they either truly believe one of the 6 Internet Marketing Myths or or all of them. You can read them below and discover the grain of salt in all of them.

Myth #1: Internet Marketing is EASY

This is probably the biggest myth of all, and let me tell you Internet marketing is hard, takes time, effort not mention money and anyone who suggests otherwise is trying to sell you a bunch of horse hockey. Granted that it's comparatively easier to brick and mortar in that there's no inventory to carry, no shipping of goods no sales staff and virtually no overhead, but a lot of work is still involved.

Myth #2: ANYONE Can Make Money Online

Folks, this is simply not true. Unless someone gets off their lazy boy recliner and download/read everything they can about internet marketing, and put an action plan in motion, they will never make a dime on the internet. DO NOTHING, MAKE NOTHING.

Myth #3: You Can "GET RICH QUICK" On the Net!

This is the trap that a lot of newbie internet marketers falls into including myself when I first started, why? because scammers make it sounds so easy and let me tell you, chasing "get rich quick scheme" is a WASTE OF TIME!, money and energy. It just won't happen overnight, instead do some research and find out what people really want and need then give it to them especially a sense of reality.

Myth #4: It's FREE to Do Business Online

This is one of my favorite myths because I believed it during my first year of internet marketing and it just wasn't true then, it isn't true today. Compared to opening your first coffee shop or gift shop in downtown Los Angeles, internet business start-up cost and maintenance cost is pretty low. Once you have your domain set up, you only pay for internet connection, advertising and ongoing educations, that's it. You can't expect to make money selling free stuff and ask others to do the same. Folks! it takes money to

Myth #5: It's TOO LATE to Start an Internet Business

Most internet marketers would love to hear people say "It's too late now, too many competitions, I should just pack my bags and go home, the internet is too complicated, etc...". You know why? the less people they have to compete with the better which in turn will make them more money.

The fact is, it's never ever too late to start anything and that includes internet business. I firmly believe that the internet is not going anywhere and you should too. Every year the stats will show you the number of people shopping
online are increasing, their spending dollars are growing and the number of people going online is increasing also.

Myth #6: The BIG Money Talk is JUST HYPE

As I've told you before, "it takes money to make money?" Well it's true, although you will be hard pressed to find experienced internet marketers to tell how much they spend on promoting and advertising. Sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper to find the truth in every hype you read. It's a fact that the people that makes alot of money online also spends alot of money on advertising, tools, resources and know how to get the job done.

If you are willing to take the necessary action to make 'big money' happen for you - it will. It takes time. You can criticize, be skeptical and sure that 'big money' can't happen for you - and it won't. Sit down and write a financial and a sound business plan. Local Chamber of Commerce can give all the info you need to get started.

If you believe that you will succeed you're right, if you believe that it won't work, you're right also.

To summarize, you have heard people's story how they're making a fortune on the internet and how easy it is but the reality is some stories are NOT out of this world or unrealistic but it just doesn't happen overnight. You just
have to apply a bit of common sense into it, find what you love to do, have a game plan, stay focus and you my friend might find the right opportunity to make all your dreams come true.

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