Google Slap
Google has taken the turn.
The “100 PHDs in white lab coats” have been replaced by cheap, outsourced ESL labor.
I have no problem with ESLers - I do have a problem with them making decisions for my business based on a clear lack of understanding of MY business and their attempts to interpret Google’s rules. Don’t tell me “Google Slap” will improve my ROI - people click on my ads and always have. People take the actions I want them to take at my site. I have tracked and tested this for years and I do what I do because it is PROVEN TO WORK.
In short, X is feeling the pain of being Google slapped after years of running my business the way I want to run it and Google should mind it’s own damn business.
While Google KNOWS NOTHING about actually selling a tangible good online - just scraping other people’s content and selling ads on it - they think they know what’s best for my ROI. You know what Google? You might know algorithms, but you don’t know crap about my ROI - I wouldn’t do what I do if my ROI wasn’t great.
Since Google is and has been an important source of traffic I have to adapt to what the system will give me, just like everyone else. Failure to do so is stupid. What this means in my case is something inevitably devious - a way to work the system. And you better believe I’m ready to work their system and give them the finger - nobody beats X when it matters. That includes Google.
What have I changed about my approach (that I’m willing to share now - and unfortunately I can’t share much anymore without some wannabe “Rockstar” or tag-along X ripping it off and putting it in “their” ebook. Just wait and watch after I unleash my next offer - there will be a ton of new copycat products soon to follow. To be honest with you, this has pissed me off to the extent that I was going to leave this niche until John Hostler reminded me “This niche really needs some people who care about producing good value for the customer.” I agree.)First, Google does like blogs. I have been converting all of my sites over to blogs anyway and the same basic setup I use has gone from poor quality scores to great quality scores.
The lesson? Just like in the days when I was heavy into page generator sites, you want to make “things” appear to be something other than what they are. To be somewhat more clear, when I did page generator sites the scraped content was the first thing read by the spiders but what the human eye saw was a relevant and targeted article on a page that looked great (most of these sites ARE STILL ranked and ranked well). The human eye really didn’t NOTICE the scraped content on the page - it wasn’t the focal point of the page.
NOTE: Once a domain has been slapped it’s all but dead with Google. Build your new campaign on a new domain name.
Second, my theory is that Google is pushing advertisers towards the content network. Traffic to the search engine is finite and they’ve probably grown the majority of what they can - traffic to the rest of the Internet has far greater potential. So far it seems anything goes on the content network and I’m making that traffic work just as well as Adwords search network did a year or two back. In other words, with the right approach it works great.
If you want to hear more about what I’m up to and what’s working for me, plan on attending the Internet Marketing Super Conference June 19-22 in Las Vegas. I’ll also share one of my recent “Smack me in the side of the head” revelations about where the BEST affiliate programs to promote can be found. I can’t believe I didn’t realize this years ago but it’s the one thing every super-producing affiliate campaign I’ve ever run over a long period of time has in common.
The Affiliate Black Book
I’ve written a ton of material that could end up in the Affiliate Black Book - now the challenge is to whittle it down.
Tentatively here’s a peek inside:
1. Dirty Little Secrets for Using OPP as Your Front End
2. The Unappointed Affiliate Manager
3. The Appointed Affiliate Manager
4. How to Have Affiliates Send You Traffic Even When You Have No Product
5. The Sneaky Ad***** Trick
6. Top-Secret Tricks and Little-Known Tools
Basically, the point of this book is how to take advantage of affiliate marketing beyond just making a few bucks here and there on commissions.
If that’s the only thing you’re using affiliate marketing for then you’re really missing the big picture (at least that I see).
I’m also working on a membership site project with a mega-geek programmer from Microsoft. I mean “mega-geek” in the nicest way.
I’m motivated to get both of these projects out by June 1 . . .
X
Godin Tells Google About Adwords
Interesting presentation by Seth Godin to Google about why he thinks Adwords works.
Raw X Having Bitch Slappin’ Fun
I have a bunch of video piling up from presentations I’ve done - lots of great unreleased material. I’m kicking around the idea of releasing a DVD mini-set - or putting the video up in a membership site.
This material isn’t as pretty and polished as the Black Book DVDs but it’s like getting some killer basement recordings from the Beattles that nobody’s ever heard. Some of the material is redundant, but every presentation I’ve ever done has been totally unique - no “Hey, this presentation raked in back of the room sales so I’m going to do it every time I get in front of a group” crap. That’s not why I do presentations - I actually want to give people material they can use.
One of these videos was recorded yesterday. It was meant to be an “Adwords Basics” for a local group of IMers and ended up going in all kinds of crazy directions.
I decided to do a “basics training” because even though there’s a glut of Adwords beginner info available - even Google’s own training - there’s “something” too many people aren’t getting. This is literally true to the point of me giving people keyword phrases, telling “go run this ad on these terms” and they’re not getting the results I get promoting on the EXACT same terms.
So that video is an introduction to Adwords from the perspective of an advanced Adwords guy. I mean really, you don’t show a guy a few basic moves and then throw him in with the wolves. You need to know what the wolves are thinking and how they approach the game or you’re going to get killed.
DON’T GET CUTE WITH X - I WILL DESTROY YOU
The best part of the whole presentation was discovering a competitor getting cute, running an ad on my turf. Real time, in front of this group, I bitch slapped this fool. I can’t wait until he sees how I’ve replaced his ad, using his URL and planted a major facial on him in the process.
Let’s be clear on one thing - X has been quiet on the teaching front for a while. We’ve seen a lot of Adwords “gurus” pop up since I came out with the Adwords Black Book and a lot of them have tried to emulate my style, stole my material and generally disrespected The Master.
Well, The Master has taken notes and I’m here to say - loudly and publicly - any mother fucker who wants to take me on in the Adwords game better come ready and fully loaded. I’ll take on anyone, anywhere, anytime - and I will destroy their ass.
Rant aside, brothers and sisters, break out your Adwords Black Book - break out your DVDs and go pick a fight.
“How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?” - Tyler Durden
The way you get REAL good at anything is to call out the best of the best and to see what you’ve got. If you win - then you know what you’ve got. And if you lose, you learn something and you don’t make the same mistakes again.
X
Ad Writing Tips And Shortcuts
Don’t Miss Out on This
“Are You Freakin’ for Real?!” Offer
. . . Really, Click This Link
The Copy Cat Approach
Because I have the mad skills to write a great ad I don’t do this for the reason others do it.
Marketing is a game of mental warfare. Remember that. It’s a game of influence. It’s a game of attention. It’s a game of planting the seeds of ideas until those ideas add up to something powerful enough that another human MUST take action.
So here’s why I copy ads - I love getting in my competition’s head and nothing pisses an Adwords marketer off more than having their ad copied (and it’s totally legally – and, like, I’m totally not a lawyer, you know).
The Adsense Site Approach
I advise building “Adsense sites” around the successful PPC terms you use. Sure, you can make a little change with Adsense (and you can smoke crack too).
But, I like building these sites and using tracking software like Adsense Detective that tells me who’s ads are producing clicks in the world on content network advertising.
You and I can GUESS which ads do well; seeing actual click data, however, is a crafty trick you’ll only learn from a world class asshole like me.
If All Else Fails, People Love to Have Their Fears, Doubts and Suspicions Aroused.
Life sucks, everyone’s a cheating, thieving whore. The government’s corrupt, athletes are juiced up freaks of nature, and that Paris Hilton . . .
Misery, my friends, loves company. Don’t underestimate just how miserable 90% of the population is.
But I hope I’ve made the point this can either be well done or butchered beyond belief.
Don’t Lose Sight of Your Objective
I have observed that most people write ads without giving much thought (MUCH? Come on - they aren’t giving a fucking ounce of thought to it) to the objective of the ad. Is it to generate clicks (and spend as much money as possible)? Is it to sell a product? Is it to sell a free download? Is it to gain a subscriber?
The answer may seem so obvious it’s stupid to even waste space with such an asinine question.
Think again hotshot.
The objective of your ads is to get THE RIGHT people from point A to point B – from Google to your site – who will take the next action you wan them to take.
For X, the next action is usually to optin. No selling, no attempt at the exchange of money, occurs until AFTER that event. If I’ve attracted THE RIGHT PEOPLE then once we’ve established a relationship I show them the goods.
If you ain’t clear, you gonna get rung.
I see too many people jump on the latest scheme like “Is This a Scam” (a weak knockoff of my “Don’t buy until after you read this revealing review” approach) and while that probably used to generate some clicks, what frame of mind is that person in when they click?
Oh, shocker, I’m on a hyped-up-to-hell sales page wondering if this is a scam or not.
Yeah, brilliant.
Oh, Some Basic Stuff
You have four parts to an ad and each can be utilized to PUSH THE SEARCH TOWARDS ACTION.
First of all, you must understand the frame of mind a searcher is in when they do a search. A search is the desire for information pushed forward by some degree of pain and discomfort.
I think I’ve shared this somewhere before: entertainment - ALL ENTERTAINMENT - is an escape from reality. Really - who wants to watch TV when they could be in a state of orgasm? They don’t. They watch TV to get away from the misery and boredom of current reality. And they search for much the same reasons.
So . . . you have two things to consider. One, people search because they have questions and they want answers. What is Internet marketing? Do people really make money doing this? If they do make money, what are the best programs for teaching how to do that? OK . . . everyone seems to like this program, what’s the best deal I can get on it?
Do you know the questions in the mind of your targets? You better.
The second part of this equation is entertainment. Your job is to answer questions and to do it in an entertaining manner. If you had all of the answers and you were on fire about what’s sitting on your plate right now, would you be reading this blog? If you had a super-hot member of the sex you get revved up about getting nasty with ripping at your clothes right now, would you be reading this blog?
Sometimes you want to go right to the point - and sometimes you want to take people on a detour from reality. Because people don’t buy products - they buy illusions they hope become realities.
OK . . . back to the basics of ad writing.
Headlines best practice (but not the only) -
Your search terms with a question mark . . .
Internet Marketing?
Description best practice -
Do a search on “adult dvds” for great examples. State your USP whenever possible. Get to the point. Tell people what they want to know, need to know, that answers the questions you’ve identified in their head.
They’re looking for something and if you are not getting clicks then what you’re saying isn’t what they’re looking for (or you have failed to create a new question in their head).
Remember - a click on a link means “I have a question and I want an answer”. Fail to hit on the question they have, they couldn’t care less about your answer (another term for this is, uh, relevance).
Destination URL best practice -
This is highly underutilized real estate. I went crazy on this in the Black Book DVDs. There’s still tons of www-keyword.com real estate available out there. It works. .org is also a good route - people trust .org and .org is almost always available.
Content Network
I was going to stop but I can’t - not yet.
I’ve been addicted to content network advertising lately. It’s a different beast. Using the Adwords 180 approach (think page targeting instead of site targeting) I’m running ads on pages that promote competitor products. A good idea, you know.
But being the insidious bastard that I am, I don’t just write a standard ad. No. I’m on a page written by an affiliate promoting another product right? And the poor damn schmuck, he puts Adsense on the page because he thinks he’s going to make a few extra bucks.
So here’s what I do . . . with his glowing testimonial in hand, I write my ad -
I Recommend This Highly -
Product Y Is Good, but Product X is
Better for WHATEVER THEIR ISSUE.
www-mysite.com
Now, after the reader has read how great Product Y is, on behalf of the author I’m telling the reader “Here’s something even better”.
I don’t think “evil” is the word. No.
OK - I’ve given you more than enough to get jacked up about for one day. Now get to work (or give an IM guru the finger, eat a scone . . . and then get to work).
X
PS - Don’t forget about the Black Book DVDs offer. Get em now, pay for them later and save a ton. Quanties? They’re more limited than you know and I’m not duping ANY MORE. NEVER.
Adwords 180
This isn’t a new product and I came close to some of what it teaches in the Black Book DVDs.
The basic concept is that instead of site targeting - you can PAGE target. This gives YOU much greater control over where your ad appears and you can write your ads specifically for the page.
Although the price on Adwords 180 might be a bit high for what you’re getting - this is an info-product that could be boiled down to about 20 pages - I appreciate high quality information being limited by asking a higher price (see my own products).
Now - while Adwords 180 is a great idea, to really take it from a “good idea” to a feasible strategy, you also want to pickup Adwords 180 Scanner. Basically this software, created by Anthony Stai, finds all of the pages for a specific keyword phrase that have Adsense on them. Without this software, the job of finding this pages is too tedious for me - with it, it’s a lot of fun (and I’ve been able to easily teach my outsourced help how to do the work for me).
A key tip - since I use the CPM model - is to only select the sites with ads ABOVE the fold - ie, ads are visible on the page without the visitor scrolling.
To take this approach to an “X” level, I’ve been targeting pages specifically promoting my competitors products and then clearly stating my USP in the ads. In other words, people are finding pages about my competitors product and I’m creating enough doubt in their mind with my ad that they HAVE TO check out my product - it’s classic “Don’t Buy XYZ Until After You Try This Free Demo”.
I have not tried image ads yet, but that’s the next step.
Man . . . it feels good to do some real marketing where I get to kick someone’s ass (and make money doing it).
X
Speed Ppc
This Thursday, I think, Speed PPC is launching.
If you haven’t heard of Speed PPC, it sounds like some wicked cool software - the idea is that you can put together hundreds, even thousands of Adwords campaigns in minutes.
Let me tell you about my biggest current problem: time to try everything that I get exposed to.
Really, it’d be damn easy for me to write up a promo, send it out touting Speed PPC as the greatest thing I’ve seen to date and collect a fat commission check.
Truth is, I haven’t had time to install it, learn how to use, set up Adwords campaigns and test them to the point of saying “Buy this, it works” - and I doubt seriously anyone else has either.
Here’s my initial take on Speed PPC - it reminds me a helluva lot, in concept, of Article Bot.
Although I’m pretty damn anti-Adsense at this date in history, there was a time I LOVED Article Bot - not because it made money for me (it didn’t), but because I saw so much potential I was never quite able to realize.
What’s Article Bot? It’s the original page spinning software - and SO MUCH more. In essence, it makes short work of creating thousands of pages along the lines of “Houston Dentist” . . . “Los Angeles Orthondontist” . . . “Denver Dental Work” - in other words, you enter in two sets of word phrases - like a list of cities, and a list of terms used for “dentist”. Click a button and Article Bot spins out unique and unlimited variations.
The problem with Article Bot was
a) it could so damn much it wasn’t funny
b) it had a STEEP learning curve and
c) it essentially created junk pages (though it could create some really high quality stuff too).
We can also add d) While creator Don Harrold is one of the most brilliant minds I’ve met in IM, he’s also a tad bit erratic. (I’m selling it, I’m not selling it, I’m selling it for a lot . . . no I’m doing cheap monthly payments . . . no, I’m not offering it all anymore . . . no, now it’s freeware . . . nevermind, it’s only $39 a month now - seriously, this is how it played out and if it weren’t so damned nuts I’d swear he was a brilliant marketer)
What does this have to do with Speed PPC? I’m thinking “Article Bot streamlined and designed for PPC” - it’s the same basic concept (in my head), only made for PPC. It has the same tantalizing potential with the same pitfalls (though let’s hope Jay Stockwell, Speed PPC creator, is a little more stable).
Bottom line: This can be a great tool for someone who’s focused and advanced. If you’re new to the PPC game, I strongly recommend you stay away from this candy.
Again, I’ve only read the documentation - I haven’t had time to put it in action and if you’ve got some money to blow on a new toy, I think you’ll probably have fun with this - and I hope you make some good money while you’re at it because I think the potential is there.
X
Google Cash Detective
First off, I have seen no more of Google Cash Detective than you.
I can’t give you a review.
What I can say is the following:
1. Chris Carpenter is one guy I’ve never slammed, anywhere.
We’re chummy buddies? Nope.
I just think Chris does things as close to “right” as anyone - he takes care of his people.
2. Tools
There are tools I can’t live without, and there are tools that make life easier (but I could live without).
Let’s be straight on one thing - I’ve been successful WITHOUT tools and I think you need that experience FIRST.
Don’t buy anything with the idea it’s going to magically make you money - it’s probably not.
If you’re already making money, a great tool (which we appear to have with GC Detective) will help you make more.
If you’re not already making money, there’s a lot to the game you need to learn - and it’s very possible to make a GREAT living when those basics click.
If you want to take a ride on GC Detective, I encourage you do so - the more exposure you get to these principles, the greater your odds of success. And I have no doubt Chris will over deliver - he has with every experience I have with him as CUSTOMER.
Now, I’m going to share two secrets with you - these were my secrets and now a lot of shit balls are selling these concepts in various forms.
First - keywords.
Software like Keyword Xray and what you’ll find in GCD, I imagine, will help you determine which keyword phrases are producing for you - and which aren’t.
That’s great information to have - those tools will tell you more than I can. BUT - I can predict with a high degree of accuracy what those words will be, with a few surprises pointed out by the software.
I drill this into the heads of my students -
STOP THINKING QUANTITY - ALWAYS THINK QUALITY.
People love the idea of BIG TRAFFIC. The gurus know this - people buy “traffic” products, they don’t buy “conversion” products.
It’s easier to fall in love with “1,000,000 visitors per month” than it is to fall in love with “almost guaranteed conversion rate of 5%”.
And this is why so many people lose, and make no money (and, in fact, burn through piles of it and declare ‘Adwords doesn’t work’!”
Bull shit it doesn’t work - everything I do STILL pays $3 to 4 for every dollar I spend.
How can this be?
Simple - I promote lots of products using VERY FEW keyword phrases.
80/20 the 80/20 and then 80/20 it again.
I promote, almost exclusively, using brand name terms - trademarked terms - long-tail terms . . . whatever you want to call them.
If I’m promoting “Google Cash Detective”, then I use a keyword list that includes on “Google Cash Detective” and variations thereof. Am I running ads under “google adwords”?
Hell no.
Now, those phrases are increasingly competitive - especially in this niche, and that’s why “Bitch Slap Techniques” are necessary (as taught in the Black Book DVDs) and other techniques that are basically just SMART MARKETING (and most people in this game are not marketing . . . in a very sophisticated way, should we say - yet many are still able to make money and you can KILL them).
If you cannot convert with trademarked, brand name, long-tail terms - move on. Adding more general keywords at cheaper cost per clicks is the magic formula of doom (and a management headache).
Only AFTER you have achieved excellent conversion rates with the spot on terms do you expand (’they’ don’t tell you that and ‘they’ don’t tell you expansion requires a different approach)
How to find product?
Again, these tools can offer you a shortcut - they can point out the obvious and they can help you cover TONS more ground than you can on your own.
But, “they point out the obvious”. When you see something that looks good, you need to dig deeper on your own.
Just because an affiliate is making money - it doesn’t mean you’ll make money and it doesn’t mean there aren’t better options in the marketplace.
The key is to study results consistently over a period of time - you will learn tons about a market by doing this legwork. Often you’ll discover better products to promote in the niche - things other affiliates ARE NOT PROMOTING.
I was reading Jay Abraham’s “Mr. X” book last night and dug out two gems that apply here.
1. You must identify the gaps in the market - right now, I have a new product that’s taken off like a rocket because I identified a gap within a niche, CRAFTED A KILLER USP, and that’s clearly communicated in my ad. If you cannot communicate a USP in your ad, you have a HUGE problem.
2. Most of us think we’re in business to make money. We’re not - if that’s your sole purpose, you won’t stick around long. That’s the business panhandlers are in - “Please sir, can you spare a buck or two? No, I don’t have anything of value to offer you in return.”
We are in business to help our customers speed their growth.
It doesn’t matter what the customer wants to “grow” - if you can help him/her grow their body, their sex life, their hair, their ding-a-ling, their bank account, their time off, their pile of crap to keep up the Jones’, then you’ve done your J-O-B.
OK - enough for now. Go do something you like doing - or do whatever the hell you like.
Google Ads For Free?
I bought this yesterday, expecting the worst.
The title might be deceptive, depending on perspective - Google isn’t giving you free ads, you have other’s footing the bill - but the author doesn’t say Google is giving free ads (and this is also not Google arbitrage, though something in the same ballpark - it has NOTHING to do with Adsense).
This is a very viable concept and the tag of “scam” is inaccurate.
The concept isn’t new - it’s a spin on something people have done in every angle of business for countless years - but it is new to Adwords IMO.
What you need to know in considering this as an educational investment is that it’s a different approach to doing the
advertising you may already be doing; for some people, it’s a fit - for other’s it will not be.
Don’t think “I’ll do what I’m doing now and get my ads for free from Google” - not the case, and it’s not the claim.
Sorry to be cryptic - I’m not going to give away the guy’s “secret”.
I read a lot of crap - and this is neither crap, nor a scam (just marketing pushed to the edge that plays on people’s
perceptions - what they want to believe as true.)
But that doesn’t make it a scam - and no, I don’t know the author, never heard of him or from him. I’m interested in the
truth and have an increasing dislike for sheeple and their herders.
.X.
Adcenter Black Book
Is the world full of liars, thief’s and scam artists?
I’ve dealt with more than my share of these people this year, but here takes the cake.
First, DO NOT BUY THE ADCENTER BLACK BOOK.
This is not my product - it’s a ripoff of my product. It’s a violation of copyright law. And it’s a violation of the customers who’ve bought my material in good faith.
I’ve been dealing with a scam artist for nearly a year . . .
This involves a customer who thought an Adcenter Black Book was a good idea. Originally I agreed, but after playing with Adcenter I found little I like.
Time went by and while I’m busy with other projects, the customer decides to proceed with the project; he re-writes my book and creates a sales letter. He does a pre-launch sale and this is when the first red flag appears . . .
People start writing me and saying “When am I going to get my Adcenter Black Book”
HUH?
I contact this guy and he plays it off as “I wrote you and never heard back, so I decided to move the project forward myself - here’s the product, what do you think? Can we get this on track?”
OK, trust shattered but I give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I actually try to work something out - he’s obviously put a lot of work into this. Did I fail to come through on my end?
No.
After continued discussions with this guy, I am clear the Adcenter Black Book is not a match for me and it’s not the right thing to do by my customers.
No - I’m out. I tell him “Do not use my material, do not use my sales letter, do not use my customer’s testimonials - remove it all IMMEDIATELY.”
Yesterday . . .
People begin writing me after reading in Chris Carpenter’s report.
What’s up with the Adcenter Black Book? Is this really your product?
What the hell is going on?
I spend the day trying to hunt down Chris - tough guy to reach.
Last night, Chris calls me from Mexico. He’s as perplexed as me . . . “haven’t we been exchanging emails for months?”
No, we have not.
This guy hasn’t just represented himself as “X” - or as a rep of “X” - he’s represented himself as “me” - if you know my name, you know this just got a whole lot more bizarre.
Chris wants to put the Black Book DVDs in his report, but “I” say “No - put the Adcenter Black Book in - it will be much bigger.”
Chris reluctantly agrees, thinking this is a little weird - but I am a little weird, so this slips under the radar.
Who this guy really is, who knows?
What he is, is clear - and after months of lacking that clarity, the only thing good about this situation that I see right now is that finally “I know”.
If you’re contacted by “me” or anyone claiming to be “me”, don’t believe them unless you get an email from my email address.
This chap is Irish - may he drown his miserable ass in a barrel of Guinness. I love the Irish, so that makes this a particularly sad chain of events.
Don’t believe everything you read from anyone who writes it (on the subject of lying liars, see also Rosalind Gardner - may the truth get out on that one too).
.X.
