Resolute!
Dec 29, 2008 Blog General
As New Year’s day approaches, two things come to mind.
The first one is a U2 song…
And the second is the usual attempts at making a series of “resolutions” to change yourself and/or the world for the better. All of which end up in a miserable series of FAIL.
So this year, I’m trimming the fluff. I’m not going to list the annoying “I resolve to…” or “my resolution is to…” goals.
Instead I’m choosing to stand resolute.
Even though resolute is the root of “resolution”, it is a much more powerful word on its own. It means to have a purpose, a strong focus, to stand firm in something. It is something declared with conviction and firmness.
In 2009, I will be resolute towards one goal: to publish a website that makes serious profit.
[note: this will be in two parts, as my employer is making a serious website publishing play in 2009 as well]
The 6 Most Important Feeds You Are Ignoring
Dec 27, 2008 Business & Marketing, Search and SEO
It is difficult to be involved online as a marketer without being brainf*cked with too much data and information.
But if you only had 6 feeds to follow in the IM world, I’d recommend the ones below. You simply *cannot* exist online without Google (unless you are John Chow). So, unless you plan on riding the Cuil wave to your internet millions, I recommend you stop resisting and join the BORG by subscribing to the central nervous system directly.
I have placed these 6 blogs at the top of my netvibes page and I strongly suggest you do the same:
1 – The Official Google Blog (RSS)
How many times have you followed a link from another article to the OGB? Why not just hear everything from the horse’s mouth first? It’s not all business either, they often are finding fun ways to use Google products. For example, during the holidays you could track Santa or build a gingerbread house. Cool!
2 – Inside Adwords (RSS)
Let me ask you this, if you operated a store in a mall and the property owner came and told you a way that you could piggyback off their efforts and improve traffic by 1% or reduce operating costs by 1%, would you jump on that? Any business owner would. So if you are spending your dollars advertising within Google’s mega-opoly, wouldn’t you want to know of any tools or features that can bump your performance in one direction or the other? I sure would. This is why this blog is so close to the top of my list.
3 – Google Website Optimizer Blog (RSS)
Next on my list is another gem that MOST advertisers are simply not taking advantage of, and that’s Google Website Optimizer. Not only is Google’s Website Optimizer one of the simplest and easiest ways to setup split testing for your traffic, it also seamlessly integrates within Adwords and Analytics. Oh, and it’s free. Do it, do it, do it!
4 – Google Analytics Blog (RSS)
A lot of webmasters use Google Analytics because it is simple to integrate. But what a lot of webmasters don’t realize is how much depth Analytics data can go into. The GAB (Google Analytics Blog) is one of the best places for tips and tricks on how to utilize all that data. Plus any updates or new features and they’ll get full coverage here.
5 – Inside AdSense (RSS)
Hundreds of thousands of publishers rely on AdSense revenue to bring home the bacon. Therefore, the Inside AdSense blog is crucial for anyone making money from Google. Not only will you get updates on features and changes to policies, but you’ll also get some great tips on how to use AdSense more effectively. Keep in mind, Google is also trying to help you place ads that convert. By doing so, it keeps the advertisers happy, and it keeps your users happy. It’s a win-win (or as Michael Scott would say, a “win-win-win!”).
6 – AdWords Agency Blog (RSS)
And finally, the Adwords Agency Blog. I listed this one last not because it was the least important but because it fits the least amount of people. However, if you are an agency who has AdWords running for several clients, your situation among Google Advertisers is unique and this content is geared directly at you. This reading is pure gold! Even if you are just an advertiser without an agency, you’ll gain some perspective and a few hints from time by time by reading this blog.
By stopping the ignorance and tuning into the Googleplex University, you will soon be on your way to a Utopian marketer lifestyle. There are several other blogs that Google publishes, and if you wish to study those I’ve created a public page at Netvibes where you can one day earn your Google MBA (we wish, right?).
Tags: adsense, adwords, analytics, blog, google, rss, rss feed, website optimizer
Epiphany in C Minor
Dec 27, 2008 Affiliate Marketing, Business & Marketing, Search and SEO, Wordpress
Brilliance can be a commodity. Even idiots are allotted a few moments of brilliance in their lifetimes. I’ve had my share (well, at least two). And the gods saw fit that I have one more.
Yes, I had an epiphany and I’m not ashamed of it. Like the epiphanies before, this gem was so obvious it was stupidly beautiful (or beautifully stupid).
I don’t know if I have the ability to describe the full diorama of the idea, but I’ll try. Lately I’ve been registering domains like a fool. Any niche or meme that I feel like I can one day profit off of, I think “Hey I need 10 domains for that!” and hastily buy them, then just let them sit and park (much to Google’s content). Many many domains sitting unused. No traffic, therefore no revenue. And I’ve been getting more and more niche ideas lately. So my dilemma was: lots of ideas * lots of ideas = almost zero revenue – lots of costs. So basically I’ve been losing a lot of money on parked domains. Yet I still want to play and get more.
So the epiphany I had isn’t new to most people, just me. It’s simply this: you don’t need a damn domain for every niche play you enter! Get a wordpress, tumblr, google pages, blogger, or whatever free site/hosting account, build up your content there, drive some traffic, and THEN when something starts to stick grab a domain and start point links to it from all your free pages. OR, and this is where it comes in handy for me, create that page of content for your new niche on an existing domain that ALREADY has the trust and age going for it. You’ll be able to rank faster and longer. (that’s what she said! hehehe).