My friend Eva Rosenberg writes a great blog at http://www.taxmama.blogspot.com. This week she wrote an open letter to President Bush. Doesn’t matter what she said (I’m not about to play politics), the point is Google didn’t know what to do when it came to finding an appropriate ad to put on that page. So they chose a non-profit ad for some group that had a lot of initials and I didn’t bother to see what they were about.
So here’s the point.
If you are blogging for dollars (and who isn’t?) you need to get real ads on your blog, not these woosy public service announcements that don’t generate cash.
So I thought a bit.
That means if you want ads to appear, you have to have content that relates to real products and services. For some dumb reason, Google seems to put a lot of ads for freelance writers on my blog. That’s not okay for two reasons: 1. My content doesn’t appeal to freelance writers. 2 Freelance writers are pretty industrious so they probably won’t feel the need to buy anything from companies that want to sell them anything. So it is a waste for me, the reader and the advertiser.
So I thought a bit more.
How about writing about topics that relate to products, services that people want to buy? I could offer my opinions on the new iPod, for example.
So I thought a bit more.
How about writing about topics that generate lots of traffic? Like politics, or celebrities, or popular culture (TV, movies, music, etc.)
Hmmm.
Would that generate more traffic, as well as more targeted ads? More plus more equals much more. (I like that! I’m trademarking it. Don’t steal it. I’ll show you where you can by the T-shirt and bumper sticker soon!)
Hmmm again.
What about writing articles with liberal name dropping of highly searched terms, like Michael Jackson or whoever is popular or unpopular today.
I might add that I was one of the early predictors of “contextual commerce” as the killer app on the web. I did an extensive media tour on this topic more than 5 years ago. It is finally catching on!
I’ll share the results of this test over the next few weeks.
Save time
Hey Dan,
Now, if that isn’t the most left-handed compliment I’ve ever received!
But that that’s an excellent point. If you want your blog to generate revenue, attract ads that will enhance your readers’ experience.
Last year, during our tax appointment, I nagged and nudged one of my clients to add Adsense to his site. He resisted – and, being a total Yenta, I persisted.
He wrote to me almost immediately after he added it and said, “Wow, the ads are totally relevant to the content. People are clicking on them.” That was his first reaction.
This year, he was just here and told me that he’s earning thousands each month. For 2005 it will double his previous income.
So, yes, Dan – excellent point. Focus your words and content to generate appropriate ads.