Wednesday, May 31, 2006

GOOGLE ADSENSE::On the map Down Under

Google Australia has officially come out of beta--we've recently launched our new Australian operation. While Google has had a presence Down Under since late 2002, we have only recently moved into our new digs, which have water views that are the envy of Googlers worldwide.


Read more at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/...

Thursday, May 25, 2006

What is AdSense?

What is AdSense?


AdSense is Google's program for placing its AdWords ads on non-Google websites such as this one.


AdSense lets website owners like you and me make money easily and fast without even selling anything. In fact you can often start earning in under 24 hours and when you get paid, it is Google that sends you a check!


You don't have to run a large site or have much traffic to make money and AdSense works for small enthusiast or hobby sites as well as larger operations.


AdSense is easy - but here's how to make real money


Some websites make a lot of money from AdSense (thousands of dollars a month!) whilst others make very little and there are many complex reasons why earnings differ.


I've been using AdSense since it was launched and am hugely enthusiastic about it. I've written a 5-day course about AdSense that explains



  • where the money comes from

  • what you have to do to start out fast

  • how much money you can make

  • what clicks are worth

  • how to put a rocket-engine behind your earnings

  • whether you can cheat

  • how to build a site for AdSense fast and easily

  • how to get going without spending any money


It's free and there's no obligation whatsoever.


To get the first installment in your in-tray in a few minutes just complete the form below.


I also discuss some unique and risky experiments I've done in my AdSense lab as I unpicked the AdSense system. (I was lucky not to get banned for doing some of these! Don't try them yourself. You can also read what Google had to say to me about them.)


Like a link to a presentation by Google about AdSense that few people know about? Written for advertisers, it explains Google's view on why AdSense is so useful for businesses. You can get it here too.



Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Is Google Entering Web 2.0?

Of the four new product announcements made at Google Press Day, Google Co-op looks to have the greatest potential impact. This service allows users to subscribe to the "bookmarks" of experts in hopes that the relevance of search results will be improved.

The product manager for Google Co-op, Shashi Seth, described Google Co-op as follows: " Anyone can contribute. We expect it to work in a three-part process. At the first stage, the contributor will ask users to subscribe with specific pieces, relying on user trust and desire to utilize their content. At the initial stage contributors will 'sell' the Co-op product on their own sites and bring their own audience. Then we will tally how often they are used and the level of interaction and whether to build a signal. As confidence increases, the contributor has a better chance of getting into the Google Co-op directory . Once they are in the directory, it will make it easier for others to subscribe. And finally, with more quality proven, the information may affect Google Search itself. "

Basically, Google Co-op allows web masters to improve search results in the topics they know best. Google Co-op creates a meta search engine, combining other specialized search engines that are created by its' users.

What Does this Mean for Us?

These developments have very exciting implications for web masters. The chance to influence Google rankings is always an exciting thought.

Google is entering into the world of communities by letting users contribute their knowledge and expertise to improve search results for everyone. This was confirmed by Shashi Seth , the lead product manager for Google Co-op who recently stated that Google Co-op is the search engine's push into community-based searches.

This service certainly seems similar to the many social bookmarking sites that have exploded on the internet in the past couple of years. Furl, Digg, del.icio.us , Scuttle, Yahoo! MyWeb 2.0, and others all offer ways for users to share information. Google entering into this giant arena may very well spark some additional growth of Web 2.0.

For the web developer and search engine optimizer, these developments are very enticing. Here's how you can take part.

How to Get Started

To build a topic, you must first decide on a set of labels and their presentation in the user interface. After that, you must annotate web pages to improve the search experience for yourself and for your subscribers. Depending on your topic you may want to label hundreds or even thousands of web sites or web pages.

To begin, simply go to Google.com/coop . Sign in and create a profile and a label. If you want to create a page about dog training, you might label it "dog training." Then, you could put all sorts of information in that page. Others can contribute to that page or subscribe. The more subscribers you get, the more relevant your page becomes.

For a complete tutorial on creating a topic, go to http://www.google.com/coop/docs/guide_topics.html .

Once you get started, you will be given a profile page. This is where users can learn about you and get more information about your contributions. Users can then decide whether or not they want to subscribe to your topic. Your profile page also includes:

  • Your recent contributions
  • what kind of labels you've added
  • Your subscribers and�
  • Links to your own web sites or blogs

You can allow people to subscribe to your topics by sending them to your public profile, enabling them to add your work to their search results.

However, the power of Google Co-op goes even further. To get the most benefit out of these new developments, you'll want to chëck out subscribed links.

Subscribed Links

Subscribed Links allow you to gain frëe promotion for your website by enabling you to add your services directly into Google search. This makes your links much more prominent for people who are subscribed to your content.

Google provides a number of special features, including currency conversion, movie showtimes, and stöck quotes. You can create your very own services as well by building subscribed links.

Other web sites have already begun offering these customized services.

OpenTable created a subscribe link that delivers real-time information about restaurant availability whenever they perform a restaurant search on Google. These specialized links lead to a web page that allows you to make reservations on OpenTable's website.

People Magazine built a subscribe link that gives users relevant celebrity info based on the queries they type into Google. When users subscribe to their content, they receive priority links at the top of Google search results that lead to more detailed celebrity info on the People Magazine site.

You can create similar applications and allow your users to add your subscriptions to their default Google search page. These results appear in the Google one box , a special text area with a light green background. So, if someone subscribes to your links, they will instantly see your website at the top of the results whenever they search for topics related to your expertise.

For a complete guide on creating subscribed links, go to http://www.google.com/coop/docs/guide_subscribed_links.html .

For webmasters, this is a very exciting development. Expect to see some "Subscribe to our Links!" buttons appearing on web sites very soon.

Ready to Get Started

Google Co-op is nöw in it's infancy stage, the perfect opportunïty for you to gain some ground early in the game. The Google Co-op directory is currently very small, with only a handful of topics being covered. By getting started nöw, you can gain an advantage on those who enter in later, much like those who have established their rankings early on within the Google search engine.

Monday, May 22, 2006

How To Protect Your Site From A Google PageRank Drop

For the uninitiated, Google ranks all pages on the web with a scale of PR0 to PR10 - higher is better. High PR sites or pages receive most of the traffïc for competitive keywords or phrases. Keywords are what surfers type into search engines to find what they're looking for on the web.

Ranking high in Google for popular keywords can prove very lucrative. It can make the difference whether your website is in the black and producing hourly profits, or a total worthless waste of pixel space. Having a high Google PR is equivalent to having monëy in the bank, it is that important.


Google is still the undisputed king of traffïc and, regardless of what's on the horizon, Google is the major deliverer of the web's traffïc. That's why losing your high Google PR ranking, sometimes overnight, can be so devastating for the struggling webmaster or marketer.


Read this article to discover how you as a webmaster can protect yourself from lost profits and traffïc, even if Google pulls the plug on your site or PR, while putting another one of their endless algorithms into place.


10 Ways to Outsmart Google's PageRank System


Here's a list of things you can do to lessen the impact of a sudden drop of the almighty Google PageRank:


Diversify your traffïc - make sure you cultivate other sources of traffïc other than the search engines. Förm partnerships and strategic links with other webmasters. Interact in forums and online communities.


Provide quality information and frëe products or services that get 'good word of mouth' recommendations from your visitors. Content will always be king - make sure it reigns supreme on your site.


Pick the right domain name. If you can, choose a short catchy keyword for your domain, one people will remember and would naturally type into a search engine or browser to find what they're looking for on the web. For example: www.hotels.com


� If you're having success with your site, (or/and especially if you're not) venture into off-line advertising and promotion. Use traditional promotional products, t-shirts, caps, bumper stickers, etc. to promote your URL. You can also try PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising to provide you with targeted traffïc and sidestep the search engines. Well sort of!


Try viral products like ebooks, reports and frëe software programs to get your links out into the marketplace. You can also try product or site testimonials which are another great source of targeted traffïc.


Be extremely careful of any out-going links from your site. Don't link to bad neighborhoods (link farms, banned sites, etc.) Google will penalize you for bad links so always chëck the PageRank of the sites you're linking to from your site. If you don't have the Google Bar - you can chëck any site's PageRank at: www.iwebtool.com.


Onsite SEO factors do have an influence on rankings - make sure your site is dressed to kill. Pay attention to keyword density, title descriptions, meta tags, alt tags and interior linking structure. If you can, optimize your site for all three major search engines: MSN, Yahoo and Google. But don't stop there, also submit your site to the countless other smaller search engines on the web. It's the old adage, don't put all your eggs into the ever-changing Google basket or you'll probably turn your site and yourself into one desperate basket case. Other search engines listed at: www.isedn.org.


� Along those same lines, have a large spread of keyword phrases that you're targeting with the content on your site. Don't go after extremely competitive keywords which have countless major players with deep pockets buying links, left right and center. Instead, pick a whole range of keyword phrases that have less or little competition. All these keyword phrases will add up to a flood of traffïc for your site. Phrases that for the most part won't be affected by a sudden drop in PageRank. One good site for finding these keywords is www.nichebot.com - it will give both the number of hits and the amount of competition for each keyword.


� There is one more strategy you must explore if you want to lessen the power and importance of your own site's PR. One strategy that will bring in tons of Google traffïc even if your PR is ZERO. You must utilize the PageRank of other sites on the web. Use off-page optimization for your major keywords. Build countless anchor text links through keyword rich articles, content related blogs and products that benefit from the high PR of other sites on the web.


Keyword rich articles are some of the best examples of this method, placing them on high PR sites will filter Google traffïc through these articles onto your site. It will also warm up these visitors before they reach your site and they will be more receptive to any of your site's offerings - nevër underestimate the power of the Pre-sell. Build enough of these links and a sudden drop in your own Google PR ranking won't drastically affect your bottom line or the amount of quality traffïc you are receiving.


What's even more satisfying, if you build these links, partnerships, and off-site optimization - your Google PageRank will probably go up. If it doesn't, who cares, for you will have Google-Proofed your site against any sudden drop in your site's PR rankings and broadened the reach of your site by using the high PR of other sites on the Web. In the process, you will have protected your site and yourself from the big bad Google PR wolf.


You don't have to conquer Google, you just have to outsmart it!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Official Google Blog: Instant gratification, Google Video style

Google Video style

Read more at googleblog.blogspot.com...

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Gmail New Features!

Gmail chat will play a little ping sound whenever someone sends you a new chat message

Gmail New Features!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Google Adsense

Google Adsense Tips and Tricks

How to Cheat Google AdSense
- by Fernando Hal

If you want to know how to cheat AdSense, here are the ways, focusing on the AdSense click-frauds. These covers from basic AdSense cheating techniques to the advanced class.

  1. Basic clicker cheat

    This is a noob. This guy knows almost nothing about web technology or network architecture. He clicks on his ads every time he has chance. It can be a few clicks to hundreds of clicks daily. Most likely he doesn’t even read the AdSense Program Policies and Terms and Conditions.

  2. Proxy clicker cheat

    She knows a thing or two about cookies and IP address. Or she doesn’t know, but somehow guessed that if she use the things called anonymizer, Google will not be able to trace her, because her identity is hidden. She may use anonymizer / proxy websites or specialized anonymous software like tor (The Onion Router).

  3. Multiple computer clicker cheat

    He knows that somehow Google will detect if the clicks are originated from his own computer. So he will try to even out origin of the clicks. He will recruit his friends, family members, relatives, neighbors, his cats, and his dogs on single mission: to click on the ads. He will also click on the AdSense ads when he is using the library computers, or his office workstation.

  4. Software clicker cheat

    Graduate to the next step is buyers of clickbots / click-bots. These are specialized robot software to click on AdSense ads. It will browse around your websites, clicking on the ads every few minutes. The more advanced ones will cloak the IP address too, so the website seems to be very popular worldwide. To cover the track, this clickbots will browse around the advertisers sites too while continuing its “click quest”.

  5. Paid-clickers cheat

    If you don’t like automated things, there is always other option for you. Just pay $50 dollars a month to the professional AdSense clickers. These are groups of highly specialized Internet surfers with office in the dark rooms in street corners of India, Pakistan, and China, helping AdSense account owner to earn good amounts of money – before the AdSense account is disabled, that is. They will browse around your websites, clicking on the ads every few minutes. Because they use human eyes, they know which ads worth more. And to be more convincing they can click a link or two, or sign up free offers / newsletters on the advertiser sites.

  6. Click-rings cheat

    Network is power. So says many business gurus. Instead of taking things to their own hand, this people realize that they can join hands with those with similar goals and distribute AdSense clicks among themselves, the so called AdSense click-rings. Joining this click-ring network means that your website address will be made known to members, who will regularly browse the website and click on your AdSense ads. In exchange, you will also browse other members’ sites and click on their AdSense ads. The medium used varies. Some click-ring groups use mail-list for communications. Some are using bulletin boards/forum, Yahoo groups, or Usenet. IRC is another popular way. Slightly more complicated is specialized AdSense exchange software for collecting members website address and displaying others’ websites for clicking.

  7. Other medium cheat

    I have tens of thousands email address on my newsletter subscriber list. If I include AdSense ads on my newsletters, with 5% CTR, I can get a thousand clicks per one email. Not bad. Or I can pay someone to write some useful/nice/funny/cute toolbars or firefox extensions or screensavers that people can download and use for free, and display my AdSense ads there.

  8. Visitor cheat

    Simply putting “Visit out sponsors” or “Check out the ads above” on your website is cheating. This might not be very clear-cut cheat to some. But Google AdSense program policies has stated clearly, the only text allowed are “Advertisements” or “Sponsored List”

  9. Spam cheat

    This is the highest level all click-frauds, the Maestro of Fraudsters. She spams millions of emails regularly, offering to “satisfy your inner needs if you can help me check on the links on my website”. Of course, email is not the only way. What IRC and instant messaging (IM) are for, after all. She will look for unsuspecting victims, offering something too-good-to-be-true “if only they will visit the website and click on the links”.

  10. Click-through-rate cheat

    Whichever method(s) above used, there is one limiting condition: the CTR(click-though-rate). Any CTR that exceeds certain percentage (probably around 10%) will raise red flag in Google AdSense back room. To lower the CTR, the professional cheaters will create some pages on the same domain that attracts very high traffic. Some interesting freebies will sure do the tricks. AdSense code is pasted there, thus creating a very high page impressions. Whether or not the the ads are clicked does not matter anyway, because they are targeting low paying keyword that does not have much competition. The fake clicks are, of course on the big money is, the low traffic pages that is stuffed with high-paying keywords.

Disclaimer: I am not saying that these will work. Most likely, you will get your AdSense account disabled - and you get banned from ever applying for AdSense account again – before you can even get your first paycheck. To see what other ways you can do to get banned, see How To Get Banned From Google AdSense.