About
Welcome to The Average Genius, if you’re new here, thanks for dropping by. I’m +James Hussey, the blogger and editor-in-chief. You can read my story if you’d like, it tells the raw, hit-rock-bottom-too-many-times story of how and why I started to make money online.
If you want to read about what my blog is about, start here. In a nutshell, I started this blog as a means to document my trip to making a full-time income online.
I’ve surpassed the goal and make more than enough online in passive income (but don’t get me wrong, I still work at home and build my business).
Thriving on SEO Drove me To Write This Book
Because I have a heart for helping people, I wrote Duct Tape SEO.
Getting free traffic to quality websites sustains my entire family (I say “my entire family” because we have 7 children to feed, and my wife and I like to eat, too). ;)
Read my book if you want to learn how to drive free traffic to your sites without expensive tools needed – and I’m sure you’ll be happy to cash an extra check or two on the side from all that traffic.
My Tool Reviews
I’ve reviewed a few of the tools I use or have used, which aren’t “for everyone,” since I learned how to link build from my time at Elance. The methods I’ve used in times past have established my living online, if you want to learn about those tools then read the My Tools page.
I also do full reviews of products I enjoy in that section, so if you hover over the “Recommended Tools,” you’ll see the drop-down of those tools and services I’ve reviewed.
My Methods of Link Building and Affiliate Marketing Strategies
If you’d like to learn about affiliate marketing and building links using various tools and strategies, I talk about that frankly in my newsletter. You can sign up below and I’ll email you the details, bit by bit.
People I Recommend Highly
I don’t have all the answers, I’m just a student of some really great teachers. You can find my inspirational mentors and peers in the Blogroll or use the custom search bar in the sidebar.
My Favorite Posts
As you see in the sidebar, I have a widget for the most recent posts, but here are some of my personal favorites that I don’t want you to miss. Enjoy!
- Commission Junction Profit Plan
- Make Money Online Don’t Pay a Dime
- 13 Tips For Making Money By Making Time
- 5-Part Big Wins Strategy
- Playing For Keeps (My Wedding Anniversary Post)
- How My Newbie Wife Got 3k+ Visits From ONE Tweet
- Private Posts for Subscribers
That last link was simply to show you what the subscribers get access to, in addition to the emails. I’ll be adding to those posts and they’ll become PDF downloads shortly.
By far, the most popular post on the site is My Link Building and Ranking Guide, judging from the response I’ve received.
It details my own strategy (my most used strategy as I use a few methods) for ranking websites, and I hope it serves you just as well. To read it, simply use the form above or in the sidebar to become a subscriber.
My Books
I’ve written a handful of books, some free and for prior clients, some ghost-written and I can’t mention, but two of my books are premium. They’re fairly-priced, and I’ve written them mostly for helping others achieve success online.
They detail my process for attaining top search engine rankings, and for making money online.
Duct Tape SEO: WordPress SEO Done Dirt Cheap describes how I use free methods and WordPress to storm the top of Google, and hit my mark every single time (so far: knock on wood).
If you want effective and cheap (i.e. free) methods to get targeted traffic to your site, this is the book you want.
CJ Tactics: How to Succeed on CJ.com details how I’ve made my living for the past few years. This is the heart and soul of my passive income, and I’ve left nothing out.
In addition to the SEO methods in Duct Tape SEO, CJ Tactics also covers a traffic generation module, and link-building the most effective and efficient ways, updated and released for 2012.
If you get both books, you’re all caught up on what I’m doing mainly to score my passive income online. And I don’t need to keep publishing like bloggers talk about – this income model is very passive.
I spend most of my time now twiddling my thumbs, debating whether to work at all (no I’m not kidding).
And yes: it took work to get here, but it’s all in my books. So enjoy!
Thanks again for stopping by The Average Genius, I hope to see you around more often!
Get that UAW post up already! haha
Not sure how it’s possible since this is a WP site, but your feed isn’t working. If you are not in my reader I will forget all about you :)
Thanks, Carrie! I fixed it. Oh, wait…no, that was when I was dreaming I was a coder…
I have an email out to the Ukranian designer…not sure how that will go. Lots of .php, coupled with a past due project and doubled-down with a complete lack of any knowledge of anything CSS, PHP or rocket science…and I’ve just spent 3 hours thumbing this shotgun next to me, wondering if a little buckshot to the monitor would fix it?
((yeah. I don’t have a gun. yet.))
:(
Carrie -
The feed works. Used the “RSS Includes Pages” plugin. Love WP. Hate coding…
As a mom of one struggling to find time to do my internet marketing work, I can’t imagine what it must be trying to do this with eight kids! I’ve been a fan of your blog comments for a while on other IM’ers blogs, so I’m really looking forward to reading your personal blog, Mr. Genius. :)
Michelle -
Thank you so much, I very much appreciate the kudos. I’ve won the lottery so to speak: I have an a*m*a*z*i*n*g wife, so she’s the true secret to any sort of success I may have. The fact is that she has the hard task. I get to be online and type, and our kids are paired off in a way that makes it much easier to handle.
My family makes all of this possible, and right now it’s a sacrifice all around. It *is* as tough as it sounds right now (as I don’t have much of a network of passive income set up just yet, hence this blog).
I do want to be careful to note, however, that this is *much tougher* to do with a family, I can’t possibly do as much as someone like Mike or others, right now is a challenging transition period. Kelly, of KJFleming.com, had a recent post about the importance of family. I think her title to that post says it all.
Anyhow, thanks for your 2 cents! Made my morning.
My kids are all grown and I still have issues finding time for Marketing. Love your blog!!
This is my first time landing on your blog James, but I’ve got to say, you sound like a stand up guy. Congrats on your passive income, I’m sure it didn’t come easy. BTW, I’m an oDesk man myself ;)
Exactly why I read your stuff, James, and exactly why many others should.
I don’t look for “the economy” to heal itself any time soon. And for those much younger than me (I’m already inside the “retirement gate” so life is good), I don’t think much of your chances if your life plan is to work hard at a J*O*B, save money at 1% or less per year and then retire on a pension.
But I’m a very positive person, all those things I mentioned that sound negative can be very positive indeed. The younger you are, the more you need to empower yourself so that you (and your loved ones) can weather whatever storms may lie ahead.
I used to detest the idea of making money online and wouldn’t even think about reading or writing about it. Then I started doing it, instead of complaining about other folks who did.
Now, after a few short years I am already making more than my Social Security retirement payments (how many people have only that faint hope to cling to?) and as for the “bad economy”?
Ha, where is it? I’m already kicking myself for not making more clever tax avoidance plans this year, had no idea I’d make this much.
Just get busy and DO … stop analyzing and agonizing over which way is the only right way, and jump in. The water is fine.
Couldn’t have said it better, Dave – great way to end a comment! Glad you’re seeing fruit from your labors…now can you send me some of those green mangoes with the rock salt? They don’t seem to make ‘em that way here…
I’ll ask the UnofficalCook about that. Green Mangoes with rock salt? Hmm, sounds good to me, especially with some tequila .. salt seems to call for tequila
;-)
Dave Starr recently posted..Jingle Mail Philippines
All I can say is:
Show me the beef!
Internet fame is proof that the people are gullible!
Read my income reports from November through February – I think Feb 2011 I announced I was no longer comfortable announcing my income. It was then I surpassed $5k a month in passive income – I’d rather keep that private.
“Pleased to meet you”??
That was a great post – and not because you’re actually a real trackback but because you make me feel less lonely. :D