Free money
Not long after Head Rambles was launched, I signed up with Google Adsense.
It seemed like a fair way of covering expenses, and I had heard good [and bad] reports about them.
Before long, I discovered that the only way to make significant gains was to make the ads the primary function of the site, with the content running second.
I hate sites where I have to pick my way carefully around banners and Google links. It’s irritating in the extreme and gives the strong impression that the site owner is more interested in making money than in imparting information.
After running Google Adsense for a couple of years, I have decided it just isn’t worth it. Taking into account the irritation they cause to readers and the server overheads slowing down the site, and balancing that against the pittance that was being earned, I decided to strip them off the site as soon as the payment level was reached.
I reached that level a couple of weeks ago, and the cheque should be in the post shortly. As soon as I hit the magic mark, I removed all traces of Google Adsense from the site. Plugins were removed and all coding in the template was erased. Good riddance.
What is very strange though is that I’m still earning. Within the last two weeks or so, my earnings have continued to grow at their customary snails-pace.
I like that.
Good on ya, Google!
After a almost a year I have finally almost reached my payment level. Revenue from ads are a most curious and inconsistent thing. Traffic levels on my three sites remain consistent each day but yesterday I didn’t get a single click but the day before I got an unprecedented 10!
After two years, I received one cheque, and there is another due now. I once earned $10 in a single day, but would frequently go for two or three weeks with nothing. It just isn’t worth the hassle.
I was thinking about it, just for a little ‘extra’ income but I agree, it’s very distracting on a web page. Is it worth the returns? I mean if it’s just a couple of hundred a year, I wouldn’t botther but . . .
I’ve had them for about two and a half years across several different sites I’ve run.
I’m still only halfway there…
What? You mean you can make money doin this stuff?
On another note, I bought the book this evening. It took a place of pride in the local bookshop (for me anyway), in the Irish setion right beside my favourite short story writer, Frank O’Connor. Hope it’s going well for you. Looking forward to bedding down with it later.
Oh, and I purposely didn’t comment on Headrambles about it. didn’t want GD gettin too big for his boots. After all, it’s your name that’s on it. 😉
AdSense off my blog for awhile now. 2 years of having it on there and I just reached the halfway point to my first check.
Still, it seems like sort of a tradition and all to have it. We’ll see what happens in 2011. I should reach the payoff point by them I figure.
So what happened to the “I’ve been thinking of…” part of the first sentence of my previous comment? Do we have a comment form black hole here or what?
Baino – A couple of hundred a year? You might make that, but….
It actually took me 27 months (I started in November 2006] to make a grand total of $209. In theory it pays for the hosting, but it’s not worth the mess, in my book.
Jack – You are bedding my book. That is kinky!!
Kirk M – I don’t know what happened to your comment. Do you have a black holein your keyboard?