All I have is 4 articles linked to the site so far and am getting only about 2 clicks a day. I am looking forward to writing a lot more and watch my earnings rise.

You countered the first argument on you can’t get 100 visitors by saying you need to target high traffic niches. But, we all know that the high traffic niches are the most competitive. Do you really think you can get page one results for niches like mortgages or weight loss? Is it with a 5 page website? If you do, can you prove it?

The second argument about low CPC you countered by saying the website is smart priced. I disagree. I have a site I launched in 2004 that is lucky to get $0.10 per click. Even my best Adsense website which earns close to $2,000 a month gets only $0.20 CPC.

Honestly, I think if you are getting 100 visitors to a 5 page website and getting $0.55 you are in a rare find of niche. If that is the case, then question becomes exactly how did you find that niche? How about I’ll show you my website making $2,000 a month and you show me your 5 page website getting 100 visitors and $0.55 CPC? I earn more so you should be willing to participate.

I still have that as a goal, and have hired some help to get the sites up. The sites that are up indicate that I should be able to hit my target.

So — project is still “incomplete but promising.”

I am interested… It is now almost MAY!

Have you had 5+ Months @ 5K?

Thanks alot
Karl Hall

These are all EXCELLENT points. Let me take them 1 by 1.

1. This is absolutely correct. Not only do they take time, your time is worth money. When you get to the point of having some success, or when you have some money to spend, I would definately recommend outsourcing writing. You can get a 300 word article written for between $1 and $15 depending on the size of your order and the quality you want. If you have a site that will make $100/month once mature, it is easy to justify investing $100 in articles to get it started.

2. Again, your time is worth money. You can outsource. But, once a site is making money, you can often leave it alone. I have a good friend that has a 5 page site that he built 2 years ago. He has not touched it in a year. It has 6 pages and make $200/month in AdSense revenue. He spends zero hours per month.

3. You have to select niches with high paying keywords. Examples are weight loss, travel, acne, legal advice, etc. You must not build sites with low CPC — like “sports socks” or “free cheese”. (I am being silly, but you get the idea.)

You can screen your niche ideas for CPC using a tool like the one at SpyFu.com. To see how crazy the CPC can get, check out this list of high paying keywords. http://www.spyfu.com/TopList.aspx?listId=3

Now, you are correct that you will not get paid the AdWords CPC. When estimating AdSense earnings, I assume that Google will keep 50% and the content network will result in a 60% reduction from that. So, I assume that I can get a CPC of 20% of the AdWords cost. That is a rough estimate. It means that if someone is paying $5 for a click, I will get to keep a dollar.

If you are getting $0.01 for clicks, you are either targeting a low-paying niche or your account is “smart priced” due to low conversions or low CTR.

Hope that helps.

I’m doing the same from last 1 yr 2 months. It’s easy to say than doing all this. Here I prove:

1. In order to bring traffic from articles, you need to write them (time consuming activity).
2. One hr. per month is really not enough in order to promote your site for regular 100 visits traffic (link promotion, writing fresh content, publish it, ping it, social book mark it etc.)
3. On content network, adsense is paying very less money like 0.01 or 0.05 etc. so how you can make 6$ per day.

Waiting for logical answers…

I use Micro Niche Finder and use it a lot.

Garry Conn will tell you correctly that you can get all the information you need for free from the Google AdWords tool.

In fact, Garry just released a eBook/report on niche sites. I have not read it yet, but I like Garry and you cannot argue with the results. He makes a TON of money with AdSense alone.

Firepow is very cool indeed.

Regards,
Mark

I have to admit the numbers are pretty daunting. I have several sites that have lots of good content but no where near 100 visitors a day. I think its my keyword selection. I still don’t quite have the keyword research part completely down. I’m considering getting Micro Niche Finder and see if they helps me get over some of my deficiencies. Between Gary Conn and yourself it seems like a great tool.

I’d also love to check out firepow.. I just need to get the site income improved to be able to afford it.

Thanks again!
Joe

Thanks,
Mark

I have some AdSense optimized themes for wordpress that have CTR between 40 – 60% … maybe I should make a product out of them

/Patrik Berggren

I think you are providing value in the process you are teaching… but, I thought I would point out that $0.55 per click at 8 clicks per day is only $4.40 per day… not, $5.60.

I think you were looking at your spreadsheet for the total, but you used 10 clicks per day, instead of 8.

Please take this as only a point of reference that you may want to correct for your readers… like I said, I think the process you are teaching people is valid and good for people to follow. Just would hate to see someone hit your typed metrics and end up a thousand dollars short at the end of the month and not understand why.

Nice blog and content. Keep up the good work!

@Joe — thanks. That is a neat idea for a widget. I do have a subscription-based course planned based on my 30 blog experience. Stay tuned.

@gWallet — Thanks. Stay tuned for updates. All 30 blogs are up and running (but mostly empty) at this moment. Woo hoo!

Perhaps you could put a widget or something in the sidebar column of this blog that gives your readers a current up-to-date dollar amount of how much you have made on your blogs.

Your blog income widget would be a good marketing tool as well. When people see it they can click on it and you can take them through the post above and or offer them to signup for a seperate newsletter series where you teach them how to do it. Then perhaps offer them the full version of the course in an eBook or something for a small price.

Good luck Mark,
Joe