| When we began updating our company's Internet | | | | losing my focus on what's already working. I |
| marketing strategy, we figured - based on all | | | | deleted the email and put this guy on my junk |
| the hype, that we should consider integrating | | | | mail filter's list. |
| Google's AdSense contextual advertising into | | | | |
| it. After all we've got a lot of original | | | | So be smart, don't you get on the "make a |
| content, some of which has been getting a | | | | fortune with AdSense" bandwagon. You won't |
| fair amount or traffic since 1999. Would | | | | make a fortune and you'll undermine |
| AdSense help us further monitize that? | | | | everything else you're doing. |
| | | | |
| We are business coaches and consultants with | | | | I am not saying that AdSense is a bad thing. |
| over a century of experience helping business | | | | We now have AdSense code on 3,000 pages of |
| owners redesign their companies for the | | | | stories, articles, and resources for business |
| future. Our web site was established to help | | | | owners and professionals - it's free money |
| us do that and it has been advertiser | | | | from people we are never going to do business |
| supported since it was launched in 1999. | | | | with anyway. But it is not our focus. If you |
| | | | visit our web site you'll see how we |
| What we heard about AdSense made it sound | | | | integrate it, hopefully making it attractive |
| like the perfect solution for us. The ads | | | | to the people who are not our ideal |
| displayed are supposed to be relevant to the | | | | prospects. |
| content on the page. We swap in the code - | | | | |
| they do the rest, sell the ads, collect the | | | | We created and continually develop our web |
| money and send us a check. What could be | | | | site with the primary objective of connecting |
| better than that? | | | | with people who'll contact us about our |
| | | | services. Everything we do is to cast our net |
| There was a catch however. In order to learn | | | | in a wider and wider circle to connect with |
| about AdSense, more than the bare bones | | | | people who have never heard of us, so they'll |
| explanation available on Google, we had to do | | | | contact us when they are ready to buy our |
| online research, which connected us to the | | | | services. |
| AdSense Internet marketers selling every sort | | | | |
| of secret process and system anyone could | | | | If, after seeing what we're offering, they |
| imagine. The results were overwhelming. | | | | don't want to contact us - well they're going |
| | | | to leave and go somewhere else. What AdSense |
| Once I clicked on a link for more information | | | | does is create a logical place for them to go |
| - it all goes back to that single click, I | | | | next, and we get paid for it. |
| was bombarded by the "make a fortune", | | | | |
| "generate massive traffic", "explode your | | | | It's like getting all the people who don't |
| AdSense revenue", "capture high paying | | | | buy from us to pay us. Now that's profit! The |
| keywords", and the rest of the "unlimited | | | | better job we do with all the search engine |
| profit from AdSense" brigade. What a bunch of | | | | stuff the more relevant the AdSense adds are |
| baloney! | | | | so not only do the right people (potentially) |
| | | | visit our web site to do business with us AND |
| What I found out, with that first click, was | | | | the more likely the other are to leave via an |
| if you request information from one of the | | | | AdSense ad when they don't think we have what |
| AdSense "make a fortune" people, you end up | | | | they are looking for. Last month we had a |
| getting email from them 24/7/365 and from all | | | | click through rate of 8.53%. We'd have been |
| of their joint venture partners as well. If | | | | nuts to overlook AdSense. |
| the get out the vote people were as effective | | | | |
| as these marketers we'd have a 90% turnout at | | | | Just don't be seduced down the hype-filled |
| the polls. But I digress. | | | | path toward disillusionment. Focus your |
| | | | efforts on building your business, not the |
| During the six months or so that we went | | | | business of the Internet marketers who want |
| through this I spoke to numerous business | | | | to sell you their so-called "insider |
| coaches and others who have been seduced by | | | | secrets". |
| the hype and wasted their time optimizing | | | | |
| their web sites for Google's AdSense, which | | | | When you do sign up for AdSense and this is a |
| only served to get people they wanted to do | | | | must, use it wisely - to get paid by the |
| business with to leave them for their | | | | people who will never be your customers |
| competitors. They were optimizing their web | | | | anyway. You won't make a zillion dollars in |
| sites so that people who would otherwise pay | | | | AdSense riches like the hucksters say you |
| them hundreds or thousands of dollars in | | | | will, but that would never have happened |
| fees, would click on a well placed AdSense | | | | anyway. |
| link and they'd receive thirty cents instead. | | | | |
| | | | However, your total revenues will grow as |
| Last night, when I was thinking about this | | | | your Internet marketing strategy becomes more |
| article, I received another seductive AdSense | | | | effective. |
| guru's email. I found myself rethinking what | | | | |
| we are doing - that is working very well than | | | | And you'll have put a turnstile on the door |
| you very much, listening and watching the | | | | many of your non-prospects will be using when |
| video he sent and saying to myself, "Hey, | | | | they leave your site forever. Those people |
| it's only a hundred and thirty seven bucks, | | | | you were never going to meet or do business |
| what if it works?" | | | | with will be dropping those nickels, dimes, |
| | | | quarters, and dollars in your pocket as they |
| Fortunately the ball game came on before I | | | | leave. A perfect strategy! |
| could buy it, which would have resulted in me | | | | |