I'm Still Making Money Online

Even though it is easy to get discouraged with the recent algorithm change at Google and the impact that it has had on my HubPages traffic, I am still making money online.  I really don't think that AdSense has been impacted all that much.  Plus, eHow earnings have been very solid and are even a little bit better since the change.

There are other sources of potential income that have been added to my portfolio as well.  I was able to join the HubPages Ad Program which pays based upon the number of impressions.  So for those Hubs which didn't convert a lot of AdSense ads, this will just simply add to my revenue totals.  I have also started my own website which is slowly growing with additional content and traffic.  I am please with the progress so far this month and will likely report on it in a future post.

I just went back to look at a Hub I wrote about compounding passive income online.  When I look at the table that I posted which would enable me to earn $1000 monthly within 6 years, I find that by July of 2011 I only need to be making $53.87 per month in order to remain on target.  I have exceeded that total for each of the first 3 months of this year.

In fact, I have earned more than I did last month already and could likely surpass January's total.  The HubPages Ad Program has helped in this regard but even without it I would still be on target for making $1000 monthly within 6 years.  I know that it sounds like a long time, but I don't consider it that big a deal for a part-time gig.  The skills that I am learning could easily be used to supplement a retirement income someday.

Anyway, I just wanted to offer some encouragement and hope to those who might be feeling discouraged.  I know that I have felt that way at times this month watching the traffic fall by the wayside.  Even with this minor setback, I don't think it is the end of the world.  I still have the ability to make money online and am doing so.  I can still write Hubs and make some money from the views.  Plus I now have a website that I can grow and earn from as well.  I hope everyone else has been able to bounce back from the rough month.  Here is to a good summer.  Can't wait for the warmer weather.  I plan on doing some golfing soon!

Plans and Goals for OptionsDude.com

Well, I am sure that many of you have had a chance to go and visit my new site which was finally put into being as a result of the most recent Google Update.  I felt that it was important to get my own content on my own domain and begin to develop an authority site on a topic which I thoroughly enjoy and for which I have quite a passion.

I have enjoyed working on the site and have published 11 static pages with articles explaining such things as covered calls, puts, and collars.  I have also begun a forum which doesn't have any members other than myself and a blog with 2 posts which will serve as a more active portion of the site allowing me to explain some of my trades and comment on the current state of the market.

I would like to take this post and lay out my plans for the site between now and the end of the year.  This serves two main purposes.  First, it forces me to sit down and write out what I plan to accomplish.  Second, it lays it out there for all to see and provides a measure of accountability that will force me to act in order to avoid embarrassment publicly.  So let's get started:

• I plan on having about 100 pages of static content with articles explaining various aspects of trading options.  I will be able to get several more articles on covered calls and puts.  I will be able to write about the various types of spreads and explain some of the nuances of options pricing.  I could easily come up with about 50 article topics in the next 20 minutes.  My goal is to get these posted by the end of the year.  90 articles in 9 months is 10 per month or about 3 per week.  This would fit with my earlier goal for HubPages of publishing one during the week and one each on Saturday and Sunday.
• I would like to add a section on book reviews.  I will first start through my library and write reviews on the books I have already read.  I will probably re-read several of them and offer some useful tidbits on what I find in the book and make a recommendation on whether to buy, buy cheap, borrow or don't bother.
• I will continue to post to the blog section approximately once per week on average.  I will likely have more to say at certain times than others.  I got commentluv working so when I go to comment on other blogs, the most recent post from my blog at optionsdude.com will appear.  I have also placed the posts at the uppermost part of the sidebar on this blog so if any of you have interest in options, you can link to them here.

Ultimately, as a result of this content generation and developing links, I would like to actually begin to get some search engine traffic and earn my first income from the site in the next few months.  I would like to see the Alexa ranking in the top 500,000 by the end of the year with some steady daily traffic.  I would like to have a vibrant discussion on options and options trading with several members on the forum and through blog comments.

I know that some effort will be required, and I expect that.  I am looking forward to it.  I enjoy taking the topics that seem confusing to others and explaining them in such a way that anyone can understand.  I think options trading can be one of those topics.  I believe I can offer an everyday individual's insight into this aspect of investing and am looking forward to the challenge.

Photo credit: Keith Williamson

Introducing My New (and First) Website!

It turns out that the Google algorithm change was just the kick in the pants that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and start my own website, although using the interface at Weebly is not that uncomfortable.  For this lack of having to deal with uploading various parts of a site to a hosting service, I do have to share AdSense income 50-50 with Weebly, but it is worth it to me.

The interface has become fairly easy for me to use and navigate in under a week's time.  In that time, I have published 7 pages of content most of which are between 400 and 500 words.  The best part is that 5 of those content pages have been indexed by Google!  The site is only 10 days old.  Plus the home page, about page, policy page, and the 2 article content pages have been indexed.  Only my 2 most recent articles have yet to appear.

I was able to use one of the themes on the site and modify the picture to some that are appropriate for my topic.  It is an informational site colored by my personal experience in options trading.  It is monetized with AdSense on the left and an Amazon capsule at the bottom of each page.  I like the layout but would appreciate any comments or suggestions as this is my first attempt.

Like I've mentioned before, my new website is not the greatest site out there, but it is mine!  I have purchased the domain for the next year and am able to publish my articles quickly with the push of one button.  It is very easy, and I am enjoying it.  The total direct cost for this service to me was $40 which I paid using PayPal.  My main goal would be to make my money back over the next year and get on the first page of Google with a keyword or two.

So, without further delay here is the site:  optionsdude.com!  I hope you enjoy it, but mostly I hope that it is informative and educational and even profitable for anyone who visits.

Felicia at No Job For Mom posted about Decision Makers.  I am not sure where the last 10 days have fit for me, but I do seem to enjoy the direction I am heading.  Between the improved eHow earnings, the new HubPages ad program, and getting started on my own site, I have a positive outlook on the future.

Movicon credit: Alfredjulius

My Best Week Ever at eHow

Following the Google Farmer update, I have been absolutely amazed at the impact on my personal repertoire of articles at the various sites.  The main bulk of my activity has been at HubPages.  You may know from my circling the wagons post that my Google traffic was down 50-60%.  It bounced back a little but still is down about 30-40%.  Despite that and the usual slump of weekend traffic that I constantly see, I had a really good weekend.  This goes to show that it is simply impossible to predict what might happen, and the only thing that I can be doing is writing and publishing.

Furthermore since the Google update, it has been stated that eHow was somehow unaffected.  I have several thoughts about why this might be and published those in my latest Hub on 3 reasons I think eHow might prosper.  I would suggest that you read this and offer some input as well either here or at my Hub.  Evidence that this might be true is the fact that this most recent 7 day stretch has been my best ever at eHow.  If the pace continues, I will surpass my best earnings month for that site.  I can't believe that it is coincidence but am pleased that it is picking up the slack.

Speaking of slack, HubPages has added a new revenue model of which I am pleased to be one of the early invitees.  It seems that they have gone out and secured advertisers on their own and are paying on an impression model.  Just another reason you should be reading all of my Hubs and sending them out to your friends (LOL!).  I think that this new model may help take the sting out of the recent changes.  I will post on my early impressions after I have a few more days under my belt. 

I want to save my next post for introducing my new website which was launched as a direct counter-attack to Google's offensive on content farms.  I am seeking to create a fairly large informational site on trading options which is a passion of mine so it should be easy to get motivated.

So, how is everyone else fairing following the Google Update?  It seems like those with their own sites have seen little negative impact which is a good thing.  That makes me hopeful that building my own is the right path to take.

I'm Not Going to Wait

Not 12 hours after saying I was going to wait and see what happened with Google's Farmer update, I decided to take matters into my own hand.  I started my own website and have published 5 pages of content on it this week.

I know that some of my regular internet marketing readers will be somewhat disappointed, but I decided to go with Weebly for my site.  I did purchase my own domain name but I know that some will bristle at the 50-50 split with AdSense.  But listen to my rationale first before throwing stones.

First of all, I don't feel as if I have a complete understanding of setting up my own site.  I know that I could stumble my way through it, but I wanted to get something up on the net and quick before I got totally discouraged and lost momentum.  I wanted to be able to focus on content.

Secondly, cost was a factor.  Since this is a great unknown for me, I decided the cost of getting a domain name at $10 plus hosting at a cheap $8 per month is $106 for a year.  I would have to make that amount back before profit began.  My cost for a year of hosting at Weebly plus my own domain was $40.  With a 50-50 split, I only have to make back $80.

With this arrangement, I am able to avoid the frustration of dealing with building my own site and getting frustrated.  I can instead focus on content.  I am getting more valuable use of my time.  Plus the hurdle to make back my costs is much lower.  For me, it was a win-win.  Not to mention the fact that I was able to pay with PayPal which only had $50 in it.  That was money that I had earned on eHow.  So my "hobby" still hasn't cost me anything other than time.

Finally, I want to say how excited I am to report that one of my content pages has been indexed.  The home page, about page, and privacy policy page had been indexed within 72 hours, but last night my first content page showed up.  It wasn't the first that I wrote, but I am ecstatic nonetheless and am looking forward to seeing others show up in the next few days.

I have noticed that many people don't share the name of their other sites.  I am not sure why that is, but I am tempted to share and post a few links once I get up to 10 pages of content.  Please provide some comments and guidance as to why it may or may not be a good idea to share the site name.