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Internet Marketing > Weekly
Tips > SSWT 7/20/05
Google Adsense Tips
For
the last week or so, I have been putting a lot of thought into
Adsense - tracking my own results, reviewing various examples
on other sites and listening in on discussions on some of the
more popular discussion forums. I've come to some interesting
conclusions and found some really cool tips & twists... and
so this week's issue is dedicated to some notes about Adsense
that will really get you thinking!
A
quick sidebar before we dive in -
I've
added some new content to the Product
& Book Review sections on the SSWT site. I'd love to get
your feedback, and I'd also love to hear what you would like to
see reviews on next. Which products, programs or books would you
like to hear more about?
Let
me know! (Lynn@SelfStartersWeeklyTips.com)
Adsense - Is It Right For
YOUR Site?
Recently
I was analyzing one of my affiliate sites. This particular site
promotes physical products in a variety of niches - all which
fall under a broader niche.
In
addition to product listings, I added Adsense to the product pages.
The site is barely 7 months old now, but is receiving consistent
traffic & sales.
To
date, Adsense has accounted for approximately 23% of the total
revenue from this site. My primary affiliate program accounts
for around 61% of the revenue - with the remaining amount derived
from 3 other programs I promote on the site (2 of which are promoted
just as heavily as the primary program on the site).
The
primary program converts very well, and while I dont want to drop
the other programs (because they offer a lot of value to my visitors)...
I have been seriously questioning the use of Adsense on this website.
On
average, the CPM (cost per 1000 impressions) is relatively low
- but the CTR can get as high as 6-7% (with 2.6% being the average
click through rate). Basically, I dont like losing that traffic
for that low an amount of revenue... when my primary program converts
so well.
At
the same time, it's hard to say if those clickers were buyers
in the first place.
What
to do? TEST, TRACK, TWEAK
IDEA: Remove all of the Adsense blocks from your
pages, and then add in an SSI (server side includes) spot on your
template. You can then add Adsense, remove Adsense, replace Adsense
with a seasonal promotion, etc - just by editing the one file.
If
you aren't sure how to set up SSI, or have any other questions,
join us at the discussion
forum and ask!
Not all markets or niches will do well with Adsense. Some keywords
pay higher than others. My particular niche does not have an exceptional
payout... so if yours is like mine, then you want to make sure
you aren't LOSING money by displaying Adsense instead of focusing
on the products - or other offers that match your site theme.
Don't
get caught up trying to increase your CTR (click through rate)...
before you decide for sure that Adsense Revenue is the main objective
of your website. If it is, fine. If it isn't - then put your focus
back on your true main objective.
Adsense - Earning More
Per Click
There
are two common sense ways that anyone can earn more per click
with Adsense, so I'll list those first:
1) Relevancy
How
relevant your ads are to your content plays a part in what you
earn per click. Ads that are *very* specific to your content have
a higher payout than general ads on specific pages - or general
ads on general pages. How do you get the most relevant ads to
show on your page? Make sure your page is specific, and well optimized
for the specific topic or subject.
"On
the Page Optimization" is what you want to focus on here.
If you need some pointers on how to optimize a page, see this
recent issue of SSWT:
http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/archives/042005.htm
2) Keywords
Adsense
and Adwords go hand in hand. If the keywords you optimize your
web page for are very competitive on Adwords... you will earn
more per click. If your topic or keywords are NOT very competitive
on Adwords, then you will earn a lower amount.
While
it is not disclosed what the exact percentage is, your Adsense
earnings are directly related to what the Advertiser is paying
at Adwords for every click through. You are paid a certain percentage
of that click fee when you generate clicks to the Advertisers
site.
TIP:
Use your Adwords account (or open one) to find out how much Advertisers
are paying per click for any given keyword phrase.
That
second method is a hot topic lately. In fact, people are building
sites specifically for the purpose of earning Adsense revenue.
I've even seen a few products on that topic, lately - one of them
being SwapClix (mentioned
in a recent blog post)
Here's the concept:
Find
high paying keywords* and build a website around them, using Adsense
as your source of revenue. Some people are even creating one-pagers
(using reprinted material or free articles) that carry 3 Adsense
modules on the one page... and then advertising these pages on
Adwords (or other pay-per-click engines).
The
goal is to bid on less competitive keywords in the same niche
where you can get good placement for the minimum bid. You then
advertise your optimized page, which will hopefully display the
more competitive (expensive) ads. With this method, you stand
to earn way more than you spend...
*High Paying Keywords - this is actually an inaccurate way
to call it, though it's the popular phrase used in these discussions.
What you are looking for is Competitive keywords. Meaning that
the advertisers are paying higher bid prices for these words/phrases
because it is a very competitive market. The more they are paying,
the more you stand to earn ;)
Personally, I am not into building "junk pages"... but
anyone with a brain can certainly figure out some very useful
ways to put this theory into action - - while still providing
a great resource to their target market!
Adsense - Using Images To Improve Your CTR
I'm
not even going to detail this one out for you - I'll just send
you straight over to where I found this nugget myself. These folks
are incredibly creative & intelligent:
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=17104
The
Digital Point Forum ROCKS, by the way - have a look around while
you're there ;)
Adsense - Cool Discussions
& Free Tips Around The Net
High
Paying Keywords
Search
Maximum Bids & Listings on Overture
(Keep in mind that bids on Overture are rarely the same as
bids on Adwords... which is where Adsense ads are based)
Adsense
Forum at Digital Point
Adsense
Topics on AssociatePrograms (Allan Gardyne's forum)
Adsense
Forum at the ABestWeb Affiliate Marketing Forum
Who
the heck is paying $520.52 per click?
Free
Google Adsense Optimization Tips
15
Common Mistakes by Google Adsense Publishers
That Violate Terms of Service
Earn
High by Playing it Clean
REMEMBER...
don't
stop everything you are working on to do a complete make-over
on your website to take advantage of any of these Adsense tips.
Make sure Adsense is RIGHT for your site - and wont be a distraction,
a money leak, or taking the focus off of your true main objective.
If
you are just itching to take advantage of some of these neat tips
& tricks, but it doesn't make any sort of logical sense on
your current site(s)... then build a new one! :D