Russ here. Here’s your first issue of the “Conquer The Net” ezine.

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

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Most of the Internet marketing community is at least somewhat familiar with Google Adsense at this point. Google Adsense can be a very lucrative venture, so having a better understanding of Adsense is definitely worthwhile.

Google Adsense are small contextual ads that are published on web sites with the consent of the web site’s owner. The ads are created by publishers that are selling products and/or creating brand awareness. The ads that are created are called Adwords and they are also a Google sponsored program.

To simplify: Adwords is paid for on a per-click basis by advertisers who write the ads. Adsense is linked to the “content network”. In other words, all the sites across the web whose owners signed up to allow Google to post suitable Adwords ads on their sites.

As you can see, Google Adwords and Adsense work hand in hand. Every time someone does a search on Google or one of their partner networks and clicks on one of the sponsored ads, the person who created that ad will pay Google a predetermined price.

This is where the term “pay per click” comes from. And this type of click is from the “search results pages” or serps, as opposed to the content network mentioned earlier.

Now, the beauty of Adsense is that the person who owns or hosts the website that the Adwords ads appear on will split the amount of money that Google receives from the
creator or publisher of the ad.

It’s a well guarded secret what the percentage of the split is, and it does vary, but for our purposes let’s say it’s 50%.

If a publisher is willing to pay 40 cents per click for their Adwords ad, then the host of the website owner can expect to see roughly 20 cents every time someone clicks on that ad that appears on their site.

The other 20 cents is kept by Google. So basically it is a partnership of sorts between Google and the website owners.

Adsense is shown in the most relevant way possible. What does this mean? Well, probably the best way to illustrate this would be through an example…

Let’s say Sarah had a website featuring women’s clothing.

If Sarah wanted to monetize her web site with Google Adsense, the ads that would be shown would all be related to clothing, and more precisely, women’s clothing.

If a page of her site was dedicated to shoes, then the Adsense ads appearing on that page would be for women’s shoes.

So how is the price per click determined?

This is where the Adwords side of the equation kicks in.

Adwords publishers bid on keywords. The more lucrative or popular a keyword is, the more the publisher will be willing to pay for each click. Keywords can range anywhere
from as little as a few cents to in excess of $10.00 per click.

It is not very hard to see how someone with a website that generates a decent amount of traffic can make some nice money by putting Google Adsense on their site.

With this in mind, you can see why many marketers create websites with specific content designed for the sole purpose of attracting high paying Adsense ads. This is a very profitable technique and top marketers can earn in excess of $30,000 a month with Adsense.

Now, not for one minute am I saying you will earn this much, but with so much money up for grabs I’m sure that with a little effort you could get at least a small piece of this pie.

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There’s no doubt that Search Engine traffic is one of THE best sources of traffic you can get. It’s highly targeted traffic searching for a product or service just like yours!

High search engine rankings for your chosen keywords = more dollars in YOUR pocket.

So to help you out with some high quality information on improving your chances with the Search Engines, here’s a special course for you called: “7 Days To Complete Search Engine Domination”, by super-successful marketer and SEO expert, Brad Callen.

Oh, did I mention it’s free? Just click the text link above and make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off, because you’ll need to request the course through the pop-up!

Don’t underestimate the quality simply because it’s a free course. Brad has always been very generous in sharing what he knows with other marketers and this is a prime example of that generosity.

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For your enjoyment (and information), here is this week’s quick trivia question…

The movie ‘The Return of the Jedi’ was at first going to be called something else, but George Lucas decided against the first title. What was it and why was it changed?

The answer can be found later in the newsletter.

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>>>>>>>> Featured Article <<<<<<<<
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5 Common Mistakes Affiliates Make

Avoiding some of the common mistakes made by affiliate marketers should quickly and easily improve your chances of making affiliate sales.

Here are five of the top mistakes:

Common Mistake #1:

Not researching the affiliate program before you start promoting it.

It really is amazing just how many affiliates grab the first affiliate program that comes along or sign-up simply because it has a high commission rate or promote it because every other marketer is promoting it.

If the program does not complement the overall theme of your site, you may find it difficult to convince your subscribers to purchase the product if it doesn’t have anything to do with the area you are targeting.

Common Mistake #2:

Not using your signature file correctly.

Many affiliates will add a signature file to all of their out-going email messages and message board posts that is totally inappropriate.

Twenty lines of text full of affiliate links, is not considered a signature file - it’s usually considered ’spam.’ Try keeping your signature file under five lines with an attention grabbing or intriguing first line.

Common Mistake #3:

Not writing your own ad copy.

There’s nothing worse than seeing the same advertisement all over the web or in an email message from ten different marketers.

How much perceived value will your message have when it arrives and the reader is seeing it for the tenth time?

Take the time to tweak the ad to match your target area and readership before sending it out. Personalize it and make the ad your own.

Common Mistake #4:

Not paying for your own domain name and hosting account.

Nobody wants to visit a site that looks like: www.somefreeserver.com/thisstreet/overhere/mysite.html with a contact email address of petesnetbiz@somefreeemail.com.

It’s very unprofessional and suggests to your subscribers that you haven’t made any money on-line because you don’t know what you’re doing and are too stingy to spend any
money on setting up your business properly.

At $8.95 a year for a domain name at NameCheap.com (I don’t suggest GoDaddy) and around $4 per month for a small hosting account won’t break the bank - and it may just help to add to the bank in the long run.

Common Mistake #5:

Not capturing your leads before you send them through to the affiliate product site.

If you can actually get someone to click on one of your affiliate links and they leave the product site without purchasing, what have you gained?

Nothing! Nothing that is, except the expense and/or time to get that one click-through in the first place.

Set up a squeeze page so you can capture your lead’s email address before you send them onto the product site. That way, if they don’t buy, you can follow up with them later and try again (and again and again and again). Priceless!

Remember, most of these concepts were discussed in depth during your two-week introductory training…

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>>>>> This Week’s Trivia Answer <<<<<
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Here’s the answer to the trivia question I asked earlier…

The movie ‘The Return of the Jedi’ was at first going to be called something else but George Lucas decided against the first title. What was it and why was it changed?

The original name of this movie was ‘Revenge of the Jedi’. However, a few weeks before the film’s premiere George Lucas changed the title, stating revenge could not be used because Jedi do not seek revenge.

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>>>>> Healthy Body… Healthy Mind <<<<<
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Why would I include something about health in this newsletter? Simple. There are many, many people (including me) who sit in front of their computer all day, every day.

Really not the most healthy thing to do - but we can offset all of that low-energy “sitting
on our duffs” by being mindful of our need to get some exercise - and the benefits it brings.

So, here goes…

What You Can Learn From ‘The Biggest Loser’

All over the world, night after night, millions of people are riveted to their TV sets - but not to watch the latest soap, or CSI. Not to watch Jay Leno or Sex in the City. Not
to see who outwits, outlasts and outplays others in Survivor.

No - they are spellbound by the efforts of a small band of obese people trying to overcome the effects of years of overeating and under-exercising.

It’s not surprising that for so many people this is compulsive viewing. Obesity is the new epidemic. Fat children lumber around school playgrounds while their overweight mothers fill shopping carts with wrong choices.

Then… they sit down at night to watch “The Biggest Loser”.

They see dramatic weight loss and startling new body shapes beginning to emerge. They want the same results - and they begin to think it might be possible.

But who has four or five hours a day to work out? Who can afford a personal trainer several times a week?

And who has the luxury of their own personal adviser on calorie content and smart food choices? The answer is: not many people.

But you have to remember that this is television: it’s a false situation. As the players keep reminding themselves and the viewers: “This is a GAME. You have to make the most of your time here - it’s going to be so much harder out in the real world.”

IS it harder in the real world? Absolutely. But you can take lessons away from watching this reality show. You can make it work for you, much the same as it does for the contestants.

Here are three practical and useful lessons you can put to use immediately.

1. Put Weight Loss First.

In “The Biggest Loser”, household WEIGHT LOSS COMES FIRST.

Make it come first in your household, too. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is. In fact, so simple that many people just overlook it. They try to fit exercise and meal planning
around everything else in their lives, instead of making it a priority.

Think: what is most important - getting the weight off, and becoming fit enough to put years on your life, or watching another TV show?

Sit down with a pen and paper and allot at least one hour a day to planning meals, recording what you eat, and doing some form of exercise. You’ve still got 23 hours left to do everything else!

2. E is for Exercise - and Enjoy!

What else do you notice in “The Biggest Loser” household? The more they exercise, the more they seem to enjoy it. Oh sure, they grunt and they groan; they sweat and they complain.

But as the weeks go on, you’ll hear them say things like: “I never thought I’d say that I look forward to working out - but now don’t feel right if a day goes past without
exercise!”

The secret to enjoying exercise is finding what’s right for YOU. If you don’t really enjoy the gym, look for other forms of exercise.

You need a mix of cardio and strength training - but it doesn’t have to be on machines.

Walk, swim, dance, climb hills, push a wheelbarrow in the garden… there are endless choices that can be fun for you.

Research what happens to various muscle groups - and to your heart - when you exercise, and pick activities that you will enjoy.

3. Identify the Triggers.

Emotions run high when the contestants have to face their demons. Weight gain is rarely from just a physical cause.

f you keep a food diary, and faithfully record not only what you eat but when (and why) you eat it, you’ll soon see a pattern of emotional eating.

What are YOUR triggers? Boredom? Tiredness? Family arguments?

Once you have identified these triggers, you can start working on strategies to defeat them.

This can be as simple as challenging yourself every time you want food. “Am I hungry - yes or no? If I’m not hungry, then why do I want to eat? Am I really just thirsty?

If I’m running to the fridge because I’m upset, is there something else I can do to feel better? Is there a long-term solution that will fix this forever?”, and so on.

If you’re not yet ready to deal with the root cause, then be prepared with food that won’t add to your problems with the resulting rolls of fat. Make sure that you have ‘good’ food at hand - but also food that you LIKE.

These are just three of the lessons that anyone can take away from watching “The Biggest Loser”. And you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did it all by yourself.

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>>>>> Do You Have Any Comments? <<<<<
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This is your chance to speak out.

Comment on articles I’ve run in the ezine, give me your thoughts on changes or your ad testing results or questions relating to your business, etc.

In other words, just talk to me about what you think I need to do to improve the ezine.

Be sure to include your website address too, because if I use your comments in a future issue of the newsletter, I’ll thank you by posting your address so that you can get additional free traffic to your site!

Simply click on the About Me link and a form will open that you can use to privately contact me.

Of course, if you don’t need privacy, you can also post your comments and questions right here on the blog, right below this issue.

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>>>>> That’s a Wrap for this Issue <<<<<
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That wraps up this issue of the ezine -I hope you enjoyed it.

Be sure to stop by frequently and also consider subscribing to my RSS feed (big orange button) so that you can keep up to date on all the latest happenings. Especially since email delivery rates continue to decline…

Be well,

Russ Guthrie
Gu3 Virtual Marketing
Publisher, “Conquer The Net” Ezine
http://russguthrie.com

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