Alternatives to Adsense: BidVertiser

 

If you’ve had the unfortunate experience of losing your AdSense account, you are probably wondering what alternatives to AdSense are available to make money on your blog.  Although AdSense may be the best known, there are other alternatives.

BidVertiser is an alternative to AdSense that provides contextual ads similar to AdSense. Like AdSense, BidVertiser allows you to create the look and feel you want in your ads by customizing the ad design and colors. Both graphic and text ads can be designed to meet your needs and standard sizes are available. BidVertiser also allows you to determine which ads will appear on your site by simply blocking ads you do not want to see.

By titling the ad block, you can easily track which ads perform best on your blog and make important decisions about ad placement and content.

Sign up is free and your first ads will appear within minutes. Payout for checks is $100, but is only $10 if you choose to use paypal. As an alternative to AdSense, BidVertiser provides a similar service that is quick and easy to use. I am currently trying BidVertiser. I am pleased with the look and feel of the ads and the find the site easy to navigate and understand. It is too early to tell how well the ads perform and the revenue they generate, but if you have lost your AdSense account (which seems to be a fairly common occurrence-- even when you have done nothing wrong) and are looking for an alternative, BidVertiser may provide the answer.

Increasing Traffic to Your Blog: Part Two: Promotion

If you have read Part One of Increasing Traffic to Your Blog you have already taken care of the basics of choosing an topic you are passionate about, selecting an attractive design and adding quality content--and are now ready to start promoting your blog.  Using effective promoting techniques to gain targeted traffic not only increases traffic, it builds repeat readers as well.

Increase Your Blog Traffic: Evaluate Your Audience

Before you can target your audience, you need to know who they are. If you haven't done so already, take the time to create a profile of your audience. Many new bloggers assume that the world is their audience and that a few well-placed links will draw in traffic. They are wrong. Your audience consists of those who want and need the service you provide. You answer their questions and solve their problems. Consider who these people are and where you will find them.

Increase Your Blog Traffic by Joining Online Communities

Join forums or communities where your readers socialize. Get involved, answer questions and offer assistance. Follow the rules of the community and avoid "selling your blog" to members. Add a link to your blog in the signature, if allowed, or add it to your profile.  When members see that you provide valuable information, they are likely to follow the link to your blog.

Increase Your Blog Traffic with Social Networking

Take advantage of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about your blog, but don't forget to interact with others as well. When readers see you as involved, they are more likely to follow your links and read your blog.

Add links to bookmarking sites with a thoughtful description of your blog.

Increase Your Blog Traffic by Answering Questions

Visit Yahoo Answers and provide detailed answers to user's questions and add your blog link for further information.

Increasing traffic to your blog takes work and patience. There is not magic bullet--although there are plenty of people out there who are eager to take your money in exchange for promises of unlimited traffic. Use caution and common sense. Choose a topic that others are interested in, provide quality content that solves problems and answers your readers questions, and follow good SEO techniques and your traffic will increase naturally.

Starting an Adsense Blog to Make Money Blogging Can be Profitable and Fun, Too!

Blogging isn't for everyone. It requires attention and the willingness to change directions, but you can make money blogging and blogging is a great way to build your writing skills in a "non-threatening environment" where you call the shots.

In the beginning, blogging can feel a bit like yelling at the moon and listening for your echo. You know your voice is out is out there, but you are the only one who can hear it. But, that is precisely when you need to cultivate patience and continue blogging whether you see immediate results or not. I think of my blogs as a garden. Planting the seeds is only the beginning. It may be exciting to see it as it begins to sprout and the first readers arrive, but without plenty of TLC, it will soon wither away.

By following a few simple techniques, you can build a solid reader base and healthy blog traffic.

Choosing Your Blog Topic

Choose your blog topic wisely before setting up a blog, especially if you intend to use adsense to monetize it to make money blogging. Although you may find rambling on about the escapades of Aunt Bertha entertaining, unless you are well known, its unlikely to attract the attention of a wide range of readers and may not attract the best ads from adsense. Choose a topic you are passionate about and can write about regularly.

Keyword Research when Setting Up a Blog

Before setting up a blog, research your intended blog topic to determine how many readers actually search for information similar to yours. The Google keyword adwords tool is quick and easy to use and returns valuable information about the popularity of your topic. See my post Finding Keywords for more information on using this tool.

SEO for Adsense Blogs

Optimizing your blog posts may seem counter intuitive—especially if you are looking for a place to simply write from the heart. But, if you want readers to find what you have written, using good SEO techniques is just as important on adsense blog as it is publishing on other sites.

Some bloggers are very successful by researching an assortment of keywords related to their blog topic and tailoring blog posts around those keywords. I personally prefer to research keywords once an idea strikes me.  Instead of looking for the high paying keywords, I use the keyword tool to find a variety of related words that have a good search volume to use in the content of my blog post. Because I’ve already researched the main topic of my blog, I already know what is likely to be successful. Using the keyword tool simply helps me refine my blog posts to appeal to a wide range of readers.

Setting up a Blog

The quality of your blog does matter and should be considered before setting up a blog. Choosing the first template you find and throwing a few words together in the hopes to make money from adsense isn’t enough. Take the time to consider your blog topic and choose a template that complements it. Adding content that directly relates to the blog topic may seem like a no brainer, but you might be surprised by the number of bloggers who jump on the “make money with adsense” band wagon thinking they will make money by slapping a blog together and targeting high paying keywords. It doesn’t work that way. I won’t bore you with the typical chastisements to use proper grammar and spelling as I’ve already covered that in Characteristics of Quality Writing.

Blog Posting

Online writers often ask, “How often do I need to post to my blog.” Although there are no hard and fast rules, most bloggers agree that regular blog posting keeps your readers coming back to see what you have to offer them. How often you post to your blog depends on your topic, reader expectations and your schedule—but three to four times a week appears to be the accepted norm. Some blogs require more frequent posts. My blog “In the Direction of Dreams” does best with daily posts, as it provides an inspirational quote, some reflection on the topic and expressions of gratitude. Other blogs may do well with several posts a week.

Blog Promotion

Don’t be afraid to promote your blog, but use caution. If others see you as simply trying to promote yourself without providing value, they will soon turn away. Join forums or communities centered around your topic. As you interact with members, provide a link to your blog, if it provides more information that may be of interest. Twitter, Facebook and other social promotion sites are a great way to get started, but shouldn’t be a substitute for promoting your blog to others who share your interests.

How to Make Money Writing Online

Nearly every beginning writer asks the question “How can I make money writing online?” and promptly grabs the first opportunity that comes along. Somehow, earning a small fee and seeing your writing in “print” makes it worth the effort. Many online writers continue to write for sites that pay them a minimal fee in hopes of suddenly producing that one article that will send them over the top. The thought that they too could make it big, clouds their vision keeping them in the same position for years.

Blogs and Teaser Sites

Some online writers make the mistake of creating blogs and teaser sites to redirect readers to their main body of work on a writing site, instead of concentrating their efforts on making money from their blog. Although this seems logical, writers are missing the real power of their own words. Putting your writing skills to work for you by creating your own blog with Google Adsense will earn more money over time than the small amount many writing sites pay their writers—but it will likely take more time.

Combining Writing Sites With Blogging

For that reason, successful online writers combine both, by writing for writing sites such as Yahoo! Contributor’s Network, Helium, List my Five and others while they develop a blog to feature their best writing. If you are in a position where you need to make money now from your writing, then by all means begin by signing up for a writing site and devote your time to building a solid base of articles to make money from your writing.

Choosing a Writing Site

The particular writing site you use depends on the type of writing you do and your personal preferences. Each offers benefits that the other may not. You can find information on specific writing sites in this list by freelance writer Linda Batey Top Five Writing Websites for Freelance Writers. You may also be interested in  Reasons to Write  for Associated Content and Benefits to Writing for Demand Media Studios.

Starting Your Blog

If you have the luxury of delaying earning money from your writing, starting a blog may be your best alternative. This allows you to take your time to develop your personal style as writer and to create an abundance of quality posts that provide what the readers in your niche really want and need.  I won’t bore you with my ramblings about selecting a writing niche. If you need further information --or just want a quick refresher course--on identifying a writing niche you can find that info in the post on How to Find Your Writing Niche

Monetizing Your Blog

Once you have identified your writing niche, have a supply of information for your posts and have gained a few readers, it is time to get serious about making money from your writing. Using Google’s Adsense program is quick and easy to install on many blogs, but you should always check with the blog site before you choose a host for your blog. Some free blog sites, such as Wordpress, do not allow you to monetize your blog.  Simply sign up for Google Adsense and follow Google’s simple instructions for adding it to your blog. Simply put, ads are generated to match the content of your blog and blog posts. The better you get at targeting specific ads, the more money you will make. For more information on how you can use keywords to draw in ads that will earn you money from your writing you can find that information in Lesson Two: Finding Keywords.

Going the Extra Step Allows You to Earn More from Writing Online

Writing for writing sites to make money from your writing is certainly an option. Many online writers earn a good living doing just that. But, if you are serious about earning money from your writing, go a step further and use your writing skills to create a blog that provides a service to your readers.

How Online Writers Make Money

If you are new to writing online you may find yourself navigating the various sites and wondering which one is the best to write for. That, of course, depends on you and your interests.

I often hear new writers ask which one makes the most money. Again that depends on you. But, we can address that later. Right now, the important thing for you to do is gain an understanding of your options for making money as an online writer.

Basically your options are: being paid for page impressions, which mean the site your write for pays you according to how many readers visit your work, by revenue from ads clicks, or outright payment. You may see terms like "unique visitors"--a fancy way to say that you won't be paid for every time aunt Betty visits if she chooses to read your article a 100 times a day, or Google Adsense and Google advertising programs--those little ads that show up beside your article.

My article The Top Five Ways Writers Make Money Online explains it all in more detail, so I won't repeat myself here. If you are serious about being a successful online writer and making money from your writing, this a good place to start.