Tuesday, August 12, 2008

David vs. Googliath: Google 1, Jason 0 (so far)

So Google has decided, with no explanation, to deprive their advertisers a place on any of my three blogs. I apologize to the advertisers who would have soon found their inclusion lucrative, but such is life. I will continue to explore alternate revenue streams and let Google AdSense continue to rip off others.

Here, for your amusement, is Googliath's response to my appeal after they suspended by my AdSense account, stripped my ads, and pocketed my $40 in revenue (all with no explanation):

Re: [#316838311] Appeal Form Submitted

From: Google AdSense <adsense-adclicks@google.com>

Hello,

Thanks for providing us with additional information. However, after thoroughly reviewing your account data and taking your feedback into consideration, we've re-confirmed that your account poses a significant risk to our advertisers. For this reason, we're unable to reinstate your account. Thank you for your understanding.

As a reminder, if you have any questions about your account or the actions we've taken, please do not reply to this email. You can find more information by visiting

https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=57153.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

And that's that. Never again may I have Google Ads. Never again will I have "Lose 40 lbs. in 10 days" on Back to the Well. Never again will I have "Write a mystery -- in 2 weeks" on So Lonesome I Could Die: Hardboiled Mystery. And perhaps most upsetting is the fact that never again will I have links to "Hot Adult Blogs" on Blogging for Fun and Profit. Where oh where will I ever find such high-value, classy advertisers?

If you have suggestions for how to make money from these humble blogs, please post a comment. This is, after all, a grassroots e-commerce experiment, so all ideas, no matter how far-fetched or outlandish, will be considered.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Locked out of Google Ads: My first little stumbling block

It was all going according to plan. I was well on my way to a life of leisure and Web-fueled wealth. People were reading my blogs, enjoying the content, clicking on the ads. My site stats were up and accelerating. I had made nearly $40.

And then it happened. Google did the unthinkable. They disabled my Adsense account and pulled the ads from my sites. Suddenly, my Internet empire was crumbling into rubble at my feet.

So I went to the AdSense site. The problem is that they won't tell you anything about why your account was disabled. They let you appeal, but if they don't grant the appeal, you're done. No more Google ads. Ever.

At least I still have Amazon. So feel free to browse my recommendations and buy at will.

I'll keep you posted.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Spin-off: Making Money Making Blogs

This is a spin-off of my two other blogs (which were spin-offs of my dozen or so proto-blogs). The two current blogs are: Back to the Well, a diet and fitness chronical, and So Lonesome I Could Die, a blog about my life as a writer of hardboiled detective fiction.

What happened is this. I started adding ads and stuff in an effort to pull in a little extra beer money -- though it is doubtful I need any extra beer -- and I suddenly found myself excited by my grassroots e-commerce experiment. It is funny because I have always had a hand in e-commerce, especially since my days of working with ClientLogic, now Sitel, a business process outsourcer for companies like Microsoft, Hewlitt Packard, TiVo, Logitech, Gevalia, etc. We made millions working with these companies, but it wasn't until I earned a whopping $22.30 from people clicking on my Google ads that I realized the true thrill of making money from the Web.

Anyway, I started writing about it in my fitness blog, and the fitness readers said, "Hey, enough of the e-commerce crap, let's talk diet and exercise." And they're right. One main idea to each blog.

So I'll continue to rant and rave on my earnings and site visits and page impressions here, and I'll continue to lament about my hunger and meager weight loss and sore knees there.

Either way, please visit my sponsors by clicking on their ads. And order any of the books I recommend that appeal to you. And...well, enjoy the blogs, too.