ClickBank - Keyword Experimentation

As an internet writer, I am always looking for new ways to improve my internet writing, my blogs and my income. Because of this, I have tried all sorts of things. Some worked and some have failed miserably. That is why I say I have a "Ph.D from the School of Hard Knocks." I am currently doing some keyword experimentation now that may help and I wanted to share it with you.

As I hope you didn't notice, I have added ClickBank ads to Keyword Crazy. I had heard of it and even did a little research a while back, but never did anything with it. I revisited ClickBank and decided now was the time to give it a try. There are a few reasons I felt this was the best time for me to add ClickBank to my blogs:

• Keywords - I love that fact that ClickBank lets you select the keywords for your ads. Unlike other ad programs whose ads "follows" my readers, ClickBank has ads that are based on my keywords instead of the habits of my readers. It makes a great mix, in my opinion. I love that ads my readers are interested in will show up on my blogs and I also love that ads about what I am writing about also will appear on my blog. I truly believe by mixing those two ways of advertising, my earnings will increase.

• Easy to Add - Adding the ClickBank ads to my blogs was fairly easy. I didn't worry about colors or sizes when I created the ads on the Clickbank website. I copied and pasted the code "as is" directly to the blogs. I then tweaked the colors and sizes to match my blogs and the columns. I tried making the codes perfect on their website, but fixing them on my blogs was easier for me. Hey - whatever works for best the individual is the only way to go. I also "labeled" my ClickBank ads and made them appear different from the ads I have on my blogs That is due to the terms of service of the other ad programs I use.

• Earning Potential - From the information on ClickBank's website, the commission for a sale can be as high as 75%. That exact percentage will vary from product to product, but I like the idea of 75% being a possibility. I also love the "payment threshold." You can chose a payout amount that ranges from $10 to $1,000,000. Seeing I am new to this, I chose a lower payout amount. Once the money starts pouring in (the power of positive thinking), I will raise my payout amount. I would prefer ClickBank deposited my earnings directly into my PayPal account, but a check will work almost as well.

I am giving this new ad program a three to six month "trial period." That should be enough time for me to know if my readers are interested in the ClickBank ads and if the ad program is profitable for me. During this trial period, I will be "swapping out" old ads with new ads with different keywords and rearranging them on my page to match the post they are closest to.

We will see how this works. It sounds great to me, but shoulder pads in the 1980s sounded good as well. As with everything I do - if something better comes along, I will go with that. As much as I would love to find "the perfect formula" to monetizing blogs and websites that will make all of us the most amount of money, I don't know what that formula is or if it even exists. Should I ever find it, I will be sure to pass it on to you.

Best Way to Make Money as an Online Writer

Online writers are always asking me what I think is the best way to make money writing online. I have to go with blogging. Of course, if the question was about the fastest way to make money writing online, my answer would be completely different. However, there are many reasons I feel blogging is best the best way for online writers to make money with their online articles:

• Content Control - As a blogger, the online writer has complete control over the content of their blog. Online writers chose their topic and write. There are no editors to fuss with. No substandard online articles mixed with your online work.

• No Profit Sharing - As a blogger, you do not have to share your ad revenue with a writing website. Of course, the ad company you chose will take their cut, but a large portion of what you earn isn't given to another writing site.

• Total Responsibility - As a blogger, you are the only person responsible for the success or the failure of your blog. You can't blame others for rating your online articles poorly. You can't say that the website isn't promoting themselves properly. As an online writer, when you blog, it is up to you and no one else.

• Monetizing Options - As a blogger, you decide how you want to monetize your blog. You are not locked into the ad program that a writing site chooses for you. You look search for the ad and affiliate programs that work best for you and your online articles. You place the ads where you want them.

Blogging isn't the fastest way to make money as an online writer, but I feel it is the best way - when you are looking toward the future. When considering the long term, it is hard to beat the income you can earn with your online articles when you publish them on your blog.