Google AdSense
Tips and Tools!

My Google AdSense Story
From $0 to over $15,000/year

At 3k Associates/Business CyberLink, we created and run several websites; a couple commercial sites for our business, a couple public information sites, and a couple hobby sites.

The informational/public service sites weren't created to capitalize on anything, but over time the demands in time and effort to keep those sites up to date started to conflict with the demands of taking care of the (paying) job and family.

So, toward the end of 1994 I decided to experiment with placing some ads on our highest volume informational site; hoping it might bring in at least enough money to pay the hosting costs, and perhaps enough to inspire the time to give the site the overhaul it sorely needed! Google AdSense seemed to be the up-and-coming knight in shining armor, bringing publishing income to the publishing masses, so I quickly signed up ( ) and placed some ads on several of our most visited pages.

Initial results were somewhat less than overwhelming. The first month's income was a depressing $40. After a little tweaking, month two jumped to $47. Not bad considering the site hadn't made a cent since it was established in ~1994, but from everything I was reading, other sites were making LOTS of money from AdSense, and I was sure we could do much better.

So I did what any good net geek would do, I Google'd around for AdSense tips and techniques. It didn't take me long to come across "Dr. AdSense" - Joel Comm. I discovered his book on AdSense Secrets - it seemed to have some very enthusiastic reviews and testimonials, and the price was pretty reasonable. Up to this point I had never bought an e-book before, much less anything to do with "Internet Marketing" - a market you may have noticed seems to be flooded with the modern day equivalent of snake-oil salesman all promising that you'll get rich using AdSense and never need to work again.

I bought it just before Thanksgiving 2004 and printed out a copy to take with me when I visited my family for the holiday. I read the e-book over the holiday weekend and was so excited about the techniques I'd learned that I started work on redoing my AdSense ads the night I got back (after a 6+ hour drive no less!).

I eagerly watched my AdSense stats daily (you would be amazed at how narcotic it is watching your account numbers climb every few minutes!). By the time December 2004 was done, revenues were a respectable $202.83. About a 500% increase over my pre "AdSense Secrets" days! But I wasn't done. The bug had bitten me. I started adding new ads - both on other pages and multiple units on some popular pages. I expanded to some of our other sites.

By March 2005 we totaled $573.56. By April we passed the $750/month mark.

By September 2005 Google AdSense earnings were well over $1,000 per month, and have remained that way ever since!

Google paid us over $15,000 in 2006 alone! And all thanks to the inexpensive e-book I bought from Joel back in November 2004...

Keyword Tools and Page Generators

Now whether you're selling something, or just thinking of selling something - everyone will tell you that Google is "the game in town" for advertising; both via free listings (in their search engine) or via paid ads in the Adwords program. There is one highly recommended tool to help you decode the puzzling maze of keywords and their prices and values. Keyword Elite can help you pick out keywords if you're looking for a market to get into; or help you pick the BEST keywords if you already HAVE a product or service you're selling! Some of it's uses include:

Generate lists of more than 10,000 high-paying AdSense keywords
Uncover hidden niches and keywords by analyzing your PPC competition
AUTOMATICALLY create targeted AdSense webpages based on keywords you select
Analyze top-ranked websites keyword strengths and weaknesses

Find High Paying Adsense Keywords using Keyword Elite!

When it's time to setup that web page...

The first thing you need to do is reserve that domain name you just came up with! Back in the old days I used Network Solutions, like most everyone else (there wasn't much competition or choice back then). Nowadays there are dozens of domain registrars and you can afford to shop around a bit. Be careful though; there ARE times when you're going to need to get hold of a REAL person; especially if you intend to transfer domains from one registrar to another.

I tried www.GoDaddy.com a couple years ago, intrigued by their low prices (and you can't help but love their attitude!). Their signup process was simple; I was signed up and had ordered my new domains within minutes! The user interface for managing domains is MUCH easier and more straightforward that Network Solutions'.

I'd been used to dealing with "faceless" Internet companies for some time, so you can imagine my SHOCK when the next afternoon my phone rang! It was a www.GoDaddy.com rep CALLING ME ON THE PHONE to ask if I had any questions!!! The rep was polite, helpful, AND KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. I was IMPRESSED!

I ordered a few more domains a few weeks later. I got another call. Helpful as always. I even got a detailed tutorial on how to transfer my other domains, and a contact phone number I could call to access a "domain transfer concierge"!

I may be easy (I don't think so - it's probably just lots of unpleasant experiences in the past) but I was (and AM) impressed with www.GoDaddy.com . I even signed up as an affiliate for them. I don't often get to crow about "good service" on the Internet, but these folks deserve to do well!

Sure their ads are dot-com'ish - and I have to admit some of them made me wary of considering them as a serious business partner; but they excel. And I gotta admit that their new GoDaddy Girl - race car driver Danika Patrick is hot :-) See what I mean???

E-Books and Articles

Tracking your progress

You're going to realize pretty soon after starting with AdSense that you REALLY need to keep close track on your earnings - and specifically tracking specific ads and placements on your sites. Joel and other AdSense experts all harp on the fact that you MUST be able to test new layouts AND verify their success (or failure). Channel level controls in Google AdSense allow you to do this, but to really SEE how things are going, a graphical tool that will plot your daily, weekly, or monthly earnings - and break it down by website (URL), or specific AdSense channels is an INVALUABLE tool.

I learned about Metalgrass's AdSenseLog from Joel's AdSense Secrets book. I immediately downloaded a free demo of the package, and within a few hours was convinced that I needed this tool. It's been THE tool I use to track how my various ad placements are doing.

Check out some examples from my personal stats!

I've been in touch with Ron at Metalgrass Software several times over the past several years, asking questions about the product and suggesting enhancements for future versions. His technical support (both in quality and responsiveness) have been excellent, and I HIGHLY recommend his product. He even implemented several of the suggestions I've made over the years!

The product is dirt simple to install and setup, though you'll probably spend quite a while browsing through the various reports and charts (there are MANY). Chart your AdSense progress over time - monitor your impressions, earnings-per-click, click-through-ratio, total revenue (by URL, channel, or both) and even your referral and search revenues if you utilize them as well.

Download a free trial of AdSenseLog. Click, save, run. Give it your AdSense info and watch it go. It automatically downloads your stats as often as you like, and graphs, charts, and all kinds of great details are only a click away!

Buy a copy of AdSenseLog now!

If you're like me (and totally addicted to watching those AdSense revenues) you'll love the AdSenseLog taskbar where you simply "mouse over" the icon to get a popup of today and yesterday's total impressions, clicks, and revenue! A double click of the taskbar icon brings up the full product and whatever graph or report you left it at last. You can also (like me) have it email you a report as often as you like of your current progress as well! I've tried to cut back to one email every 24 hours, but I still can't resist mousing over that icon every hour or so as I work!

Gaming AdSense

You may not have heard about this technique, but a lot of smart people are starting to make good money from Google AdSense with a new technique called "AdSense Arbitrage". In a nutshell, you generate a web page targeted for a specific set of keywords and then "buy" clicks onto your page via a pay-per-click mechanism. By knowing what to target, and making sure that you're paying less per click than the revenue you get when the user clicks on YOUR ads, you can make a VERY handy profit in no time at all! The trick, of course, is in the details. This free e-book gives you all those lovely details and sets you on your way to instant arbitrage income! Download it now; no cost, no obligation!

AdSense Arbitrage - Download the free e-book here!

Google AdSense Tips and Tools!

My Google AdSense Story From $0 to over $15,000/year