Steve Wagenheim’s Home Business Blog

There is no doubt that Google is really dropping the hammer on AdWords users. It’s all about the end user experience, as it should be. So what’s ultimately happened is that PPC users have found that their squeeze pages have been getting bitch slapped all over the place. Surprise, surprise. Anyway, this prompts the question, “Are squeeze pages for AdWords a dead duck?” The simple answer is, yes, they are. Kiss them goodbye. If you use them, you will get slapped into last century. Question number two is a little more complicated to answer. If this IS the case, what do we do about it? Keep reading to find out. You’re NOT going to like the answer.

Ultimately, Google has decided that it’s sick and tired of Internet marketers who slap together these crappy sites and call them content. Squeeze pages are now looked at as nothing more than email collectors. And they want nothing to do with them. Think I’m kidding? Go put up a squeeze page and see how long it takes before it’s pounded into dust. Google wants content, plain and simple. REAL content.

So, if you want to compete in the AdWords game, this is what you are now going to have to do. You’re going to have to build something very close to an authority site on your subject. You’re going to need a home page, a page with content, a contact page, and maybe even an FAQ page. Anything you can think of to add to the site to make it look like the big boys…do it. Okay, great, but then how do you get your opt ins if that’s ultimately what you’re after?

Well, you’re going to have to do what I do with my sites. At the end of your articles, or whatever content you offer your target market, you’re going to have to have some kind of resource box or blurb that says something like, “If you’d like more information, go to…” and then give them the URL of your squeeze page which MUST be different from the main domain you’re using. This way Google will be content with the end user experience that you’re giving your visitors.

Will this lower your opt in rate? Yes. Will this make your AdWords campaign more costly? Yes. Will this make using AdWords less desirable? God I hope so. See, the truth is, you don’t need Google to make money. PPC costs are insane as it is. And with Google putting down the hammer on just everything that actually WORKS for Internet marketers, it almost makes no sense TO use them. But by all means, knock yourself out if that’s what you want.

There ARE better ways.

To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim

Sick and tired of getting slapped by Google? Want a better way to promote your affiliate products or even your own products? Get a hold of my Affiliate Assassin at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/affiliateassassin/index.html, promote your products at absolutely NO cost, and tell Google to kiss your backside.

I cannot believe the amount of misinformation that gets passed around in regard to PPC advertising. Just recently, somebody started a thread on PPC claiming that direct linking was not dead because on their first day, they made about $200 and change. Well, I have a news flash for your PPC folks…enjoy it while it lasts because it’s not going to last long. I’ll bet my whole bank account on it. This article is going to explain why.

Let’s start off with explaining just what direct linking is for those who aren’t sure. Direct linking is sending a prospect directly to the merchant’s sales page whether it be via an affiliate link (this is really a no-no) or by a redirect domain. Don’t think that because you’re buying a domain and forwarding it to the sales page that you’re fooling Google. You will for a day or so, but that’s about it.

It was mentioned that this person started off with a quality score of 7/10. Well guess what? That’s the default for a human review. Once a Google rep actually looks to see what you’re doing, that quality score is going to go down fast, and with it, your profit as your CPC is going to go through the roof. At that point in time when it happens, and it WILL happen, you can say goodbye to direct linking.

You’re probably asking, “What’s the alternative?” The alternative is to stop trying to game the system and add something of value to the Internet. I’m personally sick and tired of lazy marketers. So how about trying this on for size?

Get yourself a domain and put up a blog with a review of the product that you’re selling. Make sure the header of the blog matches the ad that you’re using to send traffic. When a person gets to your blog, they want to know IMMEDIATELY that they are in the right place.

Make the review of the product as thorough as possible. And, what you might want to do, in order to distinguish yourself from all other affiliates, is offer a bonus that will greatly enhance the product. If this is something that nobody else is offering, you will get more than your share of sales.

Direct linking may work for a day or so, but trust me…once a human being gets a hold of your campaign, you are going to find that your income dries up pretty quickly.

And you can take that to the bank.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Sick and tired of spinning your wheels trying to make a buck online? Visit the products page of my blog at http://stevewagenheim.com/blog/products and get a 6 figure education for pennies.

In case you haven’t heard, Google has thrown the hammer down on affiliate marketers who use PPC advertising yet again. If you’re an affiliate marketer who uses AdWords, you probably already know this. What you may not know is how to get around this problem. Well, it is going to take some work, but if you follow this blueprint, you should have no trouble at all.

For those that don’t know, Google has essentially lowered the quality score of blogs with affiliate links on them. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How can I do affiliate marketing without an affiliate link? And the really bad part is, blogs with really good content are getting slammed too. It doesn’t matter how good the blog is. If there is an affiliate link on it…you’re toast. So, how do we fix this problem? The fix, is really a very simple one. Let me explain.

What you need to do is not sell to prospects directly off your blog. At least not the affiliate product. There are two ways of getting around this. The first way is to, instead of giving them a link to the product, giving them a link to your autoresponder series and have them opt in. This way, you get them as a subscriber and have multiple chances to pitch to them instead of just the one. You will have to offer up some kind of free report on the subject or newsletter to get them to opt in. This shouldn’t be a problem.

Another alternative is to sell your own product on the subject. Yes, this is going to take some work on your part, but it doesn’t have to be a full blown product. It can be a short report that you sell for $7. Your conversion rate on this should be very good. Then, inside the short report, you include your affiliate link to the main product.

Of course, you can combine the two methods above…get them to opt in, sell them a short report to start with, in order to get them into your sales funnel and then pitch them the affiliate product and other products down the road. As long as you’re providing them value along the way, this method should work very well.

Bottom line is this. If you’ve been hit by the latest Google slap, this should solve the problem nicely.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of being an affiliate failure? Want to turn yourself into an affiliate assassin like I am? Want to land in the top 20 of every affiliate promotion you tackle just like I do? Check out my site at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/affiliateassassin/index.html and start earning a solid income as an affiliate marketer.