I have no idea if it’s the thin air up here or what, but I am both genius and not so much at times – remember all the belly-achin’ I was doing recently? How my Magic Submitter blast ousted my site from #1, and pushed it down to #10 for what used to be my winningest KW?
Well…wouldn’t ya know…Magic Sub-freaking-mitter managed to help my first lens earn $726 in sales and then some, by pushing it up the SERPs. I hand-crafted the lens, by the way – it wasn’t spun. But the 25 or so articles I sent through my magical friend did get spun (pretty well, they’re actually legible and have been syndicated: so my competitors are pushing my lens up even more)…
This is too rich. Basically, because this lens was written up nice, and tweaked, and added to – and because lenses can have more than 2 affiliate links: ka-ching!
“Oh, Boo Hoo, Snivel…waa…I’m not in #1 for this term…” Oh, wait…
I out ‘oogled Godzoogle.
Yeah. Go ahead, G-diggle. Push my site out of #1…but I still occupy well over half of the real estate on your front page!
(Here I am – talking smack to the search engine that’s responsible for paying my bills, how lame, but it’s cool to poke at Godzoogle, ain’t it?)
Pretending I’m gifted and coordinated here. Doing some fancy-pants “moves,” like Soul Train worthy…(yeah, riiiiiiiiight). Oh, I didn’t tell you? I just made another $163 sale.
Then I checked the stats and was surprised: my lens? Really? (The lens ranks oddly: some times it seems to disappear, though I haven’t really touched it – and it only shows 10 backlinks.)
Ten. For the record, when I blasted it with MS, all I did was the article directories (not WordPress – they weren’t a part of Magic Submitter then). I spun the URLs in my backlinks to hit multiple targets, so 10 sounds like it could be all there is out of that (I was targeting other EZA’s, I had about 5 targets, including my site).
Not complaining. It’s #1 for 2 terms that I lost #1 for in my main site – so the recent algo change really didn’t do much to me. Whew!
I just, for the record, want to say….something really articulate for once…
Booooooo YEAH!
I don’t know why I missed this good news other than maybe Godzoogle is playing with my emotions – she’s a fickle lizard.
But I am now #1 (lens), #4-8, #10-21…
Godzoogle’s algo change can kiss it. It actually DIDN’T affect me very much – because I have diversified web properties competing for my money terms.
I win.
I also want to note that I didn’t half-@$$ the Squidoo lens, I put effort into it, although I composed it from my memory of the first review I had done on the product.
I’m almost a grand richer for about an hour’s worth of work on that review. I’d say that any Web 2 property that can sell – even AdSense – is worth taking the time to hand-craft (especially with a direct aff link).
I’ll have to write more on this later – I just wanted to say that…
The SERPs Love Magic Submitter
I might need to just get back on with Magic Submitter and scrap UAW for now, I dunno. If money was no object, this wouldn’t be an issue for me. Hmm….Decisions, decisions.
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Dude, you are all over the place that it freaks me out. I’m trying to follow you and learn from you, but it’s tough to decipher what you are saying sometimes. :)
I mean that in a friendly way.
Anyways, so which is it: Article Marketing Robot, UAW, or Magic Submitter?
I want one of these tools to help me, but not sure which to get. Focus for a minute and give me your best advice.
Brad recently posted..Best Baby Monitor Under 50 – My Top 3
In this order:
Magic Submitter
Article Marketing Robot
UAW
Although I’d recommend ArticleRanks before UAW. I don’t believe in an either/or proposition, though, and don’t think just one tool does it all, unless it’s Magic Submitter (because frankly – it does it all!).
So you’re using Guthrie’s program for Amazon? That’s his template (I have it too, the template I mean). I like the idea for your review of baby monitors – the top three is a solid approach.
Not sure I like the template itself – but if it converts, who cares. How are you liking it?
Honestly, I’m not crazy about the template either. I’m testing it out to see how it goes. The conversion rate so far is about 1%, but the site is brand new. I want to get ranking for some more keywords and see what happens.
Brad recently posted..Best Baby Monitor Under 50 – My Top 3
Have you tried the free flexibility theme? Honestly, I don’t know if there’s an issue with the template, 1% conversion isn’t unheard of. Did you get his program as well, or just the theme?
Yes, I purchased the course. I’m trying this theme as well as plainscape. I haven’t tried the flexibility one yet, but I will.
Brad recently posted..Best Baby Monitor Under 50 – My Top 3
Has the course helped your conversions? Or is it too early to tell?
Well, this was my first venture into Amazon.
I built 2 sites with his theme. One of my sites best guitar strings (you can delete the link if you want) is on page 1 for the keyword “best guitar strings”. Even though Market Samurai says it doesn’t get that many searches, it actually does and I’m getting decent traffic and about a 1% conversion.
My baby monitor site is actually not on page 1 yet so I don’t know what’s going to happen.
I just built a third amazon site based on what Dave recommends (for free on his site) and to be honest I think the information there is just as good as Chris offers in his paid course. I really have high hopes for this one as it’s in the camera niche and I expect to spend a lot of time building it out.
Chris’s course is very thorough and covers everything a beginner would need to know. There are a few things in there that were helpful for someone like me who is not a beginner but certainly not a guru either. I have been impressed with his support as well. I can email him and he’ll go look at my site and make recommendations which has been helpful as well.
The biggest disappointment to me is that I was hoping to see more of his sites or at least a better one. The site he does a live case study of is very basic and while it’s helpful I really wanted to see his bigger money maker sites. Through some investigation and detective work, however, I think I found his 3 biggest sites and really understand why he’s making so much money from those sites.
One of the sites is ranked #1 for a search term that gets 27,000 exact searches a month. He also has a very active forum and is building a list by giving away a free buyers guide. I’m sure that is his money maker.
So the bottom line is the course helped me to get motivated but I felt like he was holding back a little and not giving the full picture because he didn’t want the extra competition. If I had it to do over again, I would probably not buy it and just read Dave’s site.
Brad recently posted..Best Baby Monitor Under 50 – My Top 3
So I guess today you are glad you targeted the same KWs with your secondary properties and happy you bombed them.
Carrie recently posted..Progress Update – 1 Site Focus – 5 weeks
No, not necessarily, since my site floats in a sea of my own articles, near 10-12 – BUT in my lameness I won a victory anyway!
I was happy that my lens is on top. Hopefully the articles don’t keep climbing (that’s high enough!).
I still wouldn’t recommend targeting your own KW’s in the content of the articles, just glad all wasn’t lost.
JamestheJust on Elance recently posted..Chicken Little and Godzoogle
Always good when lost money returns.
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET
Dave recently posted..Internet Marketing Sickness
Yeah, that is!
Dude – I’ve got some news, that I hope will prove awesome in the months to come.
You’ve inspired some changes…will share more later in a post.
I just wrote a massive comment and forgot to click the not a spammer thing. Bugger.
What I said was that I had a conversation with Guthrie about his free ebook as I didn’t like it all. All filler no killer. I wanted to thank Brad for his kind words and I am surprised that that was the theme that Guthrie offers. I was expecting something different.
I know I am down on ebooks and courses for this game but what does he earn? 5K a month? My Wife makes more than double that on Amazon now and then. And I don’t do too bad either.
And what is the secret?
Test a niche.
If it converts she builds SITES around it and writes keyword rich(ish) content and post titles.
Then backlinks it until it is number 1 for all the terms.
I really think that apart from having a site that looks nice and is relevant to the niche and putting totally brazen above the fold images with a call to action and backlinking until you rank the rest is just filler.
And I know I write plenty of that, no question about it. But I have not seen his paid course so I can’t comment on it.
But apart fro the above the rest is filler.
We can up the game with images of payment options, satisfaction guaranteed images, happy customer citations, nrelate plugins etc to make a site look more like Amazon and a store but a decent theme and a ton of backlinks will get you earning more than a full time wage if you simply find a niche that makes sales and you dedicate your time to it.
Sorry James, it was a massive comment but I can’t face writing it all out again.
Dave recently posted..Internet Marketing Sickness
How dare you.
:)
Dave – not your fault, I’m still testing some anti-spam things here and didn’t post about it like I should have.
But: if that was your “not long” comment – Crap. I missed out! This comment was p-h-a-t, thanks, mane!
Full of goodies, like a candy store. I’m still chewing on it:
1) Graphics
2) Call to action
3) Above the fold
4) Test a niche
5) Build a website on the goodies
6) Dominate the terms
Nothing new, but still good to hear – and you’re right about Guthrie, fine a fellow as he is: $60k a year is great, but not super status (no offense to Brad or Guthrie).
I was reading ProfitAddiction.com – you really should check them out, Dave, kids 13 years my junior and killing it online through PPC (I was going to email you the recent posts – he’s testing what works on Facebook, his newsletter is priceless!).
One month he made $125k. And he’s straight up telling it like it is, from my home state of Illinois.
Long live the Chi-town. (Shy town? Shai town? Chicago, darn it, Chicago!)
And Dave – yeah – that’s why we’re all over your blog. You got the sauce.
I buy a lot of courses and wso’s. I’m investing in my business as I see it. Like I said though, Dave’s post on making money on Amazon is all you really need. I just built my first site as close to Dave’s way as I could and I really like the look of the site better than what I’ve done with Chris’s theme. Keep up the good work guys!
Brad recently posted..Best Baby Monitor Under 50 – My Top 3
Definitely, to each his own (I wrote a couple of posts on the subject of ebooks, and use the Amazonian Profit Plan myself – taught me a lot: new approach to keyword research and competitive analysis, as well as optimizing your CTR on Amazon: totally works!).
But Dave’s post = the shizznit.
JamestheJust on Elance recently posted..How To Determine Market Value Online
Keeps big sign up: “Don’t poke the Godzoogle, it might bite back!”
By the way I am checking out Magic Submitter right now I want to see the cool (or not?) features it has, and if its to my liking I will get it.(after I activated the freaking 3D secure service for my credit card).
One more thing, where did you start in this marketing business? I am looking to learn more and I want to know a point from where to start.
Good luck with your lenses!
Alex recently posted..Imbraca pe Jessy
Alex -
Godzoogle does bite back (or plays nice, then eats you), but a little determination and work, you can out-smart the lizard.
“Where did you start in internet marketing?”
1) Micro Niche AdSense Master’s Course, by John XFactor. My first (of two) ebooks that I’ve read – taught me *everything* from building my first website to some solid SEO.
I got my hands on Micro Niche Finder, and it helped me find some great keywords when I didn’t know how to do it manually.
2) Elance: I’ve worked for some really, really sharp cookies and learned a ton from them. I began looking at what I was asked to do – and then asking why. Spinning my first article was due to an Elance job, and little light bulbs started going off as I put two and two together.
3) Somewhere along the way, I met Ruth from http://www.WebCareerGirl.com who told me about Mike Iser’s blog. Ruth also did my first Unique Article Wizard blast before I was a member.
4) I began reading Iser’s stuff pretty regularly, learning and wanting to clone his process – then found out I couldn’t keep up the pace (I had a full time job that was working me more than full time, and still doing Elance and trying to build my own websites – it was slow going).
5) After Google Mayday, I began re-thinking my business model (actually, MatthewDC and I debated at Noteworthytips.com, Sara’s blog – he was amongst the first to challenge my thinking on the XFactor business model, along with Lisa Parmley of InLineSEO.com).
6) I began reading the Affiliate Blog Online, Paula and Wanda’s Amazon blog – and got their ebook since I wanted to change business models (that’s the model I follow now).
The whole time, I’ve been doing gigs at Elance and privately, “off camera” so to speak. I’d read:
http://www.makingmoneyontheinternetfree.info
http://www.tracey-edwards.com
http://www.inlineseo.com
http://www.affiliateblogonline.com
http://leodimilo.com/internetmarketingblog
Wow, dude I didn’t expected this kind of answer :). I hope you won’t charge me money if I bookmark this page :D.
I will start reading the blogs you mentioned ASAP.
How did you find Article Wizard so far? Are you happy with it?
Thank you again for sharing all that information!
Btw, what’s with the like.php that your blog gives me to download ?
Also, you GASP is broken it should display a confirmation box when submitting a comment without checking the confirm you are NOT a spammer button
Alex recently posted..Dubita pe circuit
I’m not sure what’s going on with the like .php – that’s the first I’ve heard of it, to tell you the truth. I don’t have any downloads here (other than those in my sidebar, the PDF’s).
That’s weird.
Re: Article Wizard – do you mean Unique Article Wizard? It worked fine, I had a moment where I thought it wasn’t working for backlinks or had lost its efficacy, but it was Google and Yahoo! changing things around and my backlinks weren’t showing up.
I did find the links to have a moderate – high attrition rate, so I lost 50% of my links after 8 months, but that’s probably because of other issues: blogs dropping my articles, or shutting down/not renewing, that sort of thing.
I’m not sure if the links count once the page has become archived or not, but for the better part of a year – they’ve really helped my rankings.
I’m of the mind that you should use as many networks of that sort as you can manage to pay for – but only so far as you can still turn out a profit. Their best part was they give you the most control over your submissions than other networks, and you can load up a bunch and then walk away – just schedule the submission.
But, since there are other networks for cheaper, like ArticleRanks and Free Traffic System, etc. – it’s sort of a toss up: do you pay the more expensive network? Or use two similar services?
So for all that, I’d just say evaluate your business needs and realize that with UAW you won’t need to spin, just 3 re-writes, and you have a larger network. In other words: I like UAW, but you have plenty of options.
I’m not sure about GASP – it’s still new to me, but thanks for the head’s up!
JamestheJust on Elance recently posted..Happy Cow And Gettin Cheesy Widdit