Regular visitors may have noticed a small difference to the site lately – I’ve gone and removed the Google Adsense ads!!!

I’d spent some time reviewing the ad revenues from the different ad formats across the site, not that there are that may, and noticed that Adsense wasn’t performing well at all.

Given that it was being placed in prime position, not only on the front page of the site but on each post page, I had expected a much better return.  Obviously you, the loyal visitor, were trying to tell me something…  It was time to retire Adsense.

At first I was surprised by the actual levels of income over the last few months, especially as Adsense is my favourite ad platform, but the numbers simply do not lie. The income it generates on other sites I own is quite good, in fact I’d go as far as to say that it is one of top income earners overall – but the click through rate for this site is extremely low it became obvious that perhaps it simply wasn’t the ad platform for this site after all!

Hopefully, as a result, the user experience will be better as your not having ads rammed down your throat.  I’m not immediately looking to replace Adsense here, but if anyone has any suggestions for alternatives then please drop a comment below.

The following is a guest post by Dr Huria Abdulkadir from moneymakingcow.com.

Blogging has become quite popular over the last decade. There are many different varieties of blogs from personal blogs to business blogs. Blogs are very user friendly and you can make money blogging on your favourite subjects. There are many ways to monetize your blog to earn extra money or build up your blog presence and make a full-time living.

Advertising Programs

One of the initial ways to monetize your blog is to use advertising programs. The most common advertising program is Google Adsense. These are ads that are relevant to the site content and placed throughout the site. Blog owners get paid each time a visitor clicks on the ads.

Another type of advertising program is text ads. These are hyperlinked ads using different words within the body of your blog posts. The words are highlighted much like a hyperlink, but the link sends a reader to an ad. Again bloggers get paid each time an ad is clicked through a text link. The most popular text ad programs are Chitika, AdBrite and MSN Ad center.

Affiliate Programs

An increasing number of blogs use affiliate programs to monetize and make money blogging. Clickbank, Commission Junction and Amazon are affiliate marketing mega-store with thousands of products to offer on your blog. Many of the affiliate products have banners and links that you can place on your blog for added visual effect. Most affiliate programs pay a commission based on sales, however some do pay for specific actions taken by your visitors. Adding affiliate ads to your blog can be lucrative, but you also don’t want to distract people away from your blog. Use affiliate programs with care and do not over crowd your blog with ads.

Sell Ad Space

If you have a popular blog that has a steady flow of daily traffic, you can sell ad space to advertisers in your niche. Advertisers pay a monthly fee to be able to place their ads on your blog. Unlike affiliate programs, you set a specific price of how much you think the ad space is worth. Advertisers are always looking for an opportunity to further promote their product or service. A high traffic blog is prime real estate for high profile advertisers.

Write For Other Blogs

Another good way to make money blogging is to offer your services to other bloggers within your subject. Although it may be difficult to write for some of the higher PR blogs, there are plenty of bloggers willing to pay other bloggers to write for them. This can actually benefit you in two ways. First you get paid to write a blog post and secondly you may even get to place your by-line on the post with a link back to your blog. Not only do you get paid but you get additional traffic as well.

Donations

Many people are placing donation or tip buttons on their blogs as a way to earn a little extra cash. Places like Paypal offer buttons that you can place on your site that people can click on to send you random amounts of money. Most often people write up a small post such as “If you found the information useful, won’t you please support us with a donation” and then add the donation button. You will not get rich off a donation button but it is a cool way to gain a little extra gas money.

Flipping Blogs

Yet another way to earn money blogging on a popular blog is to sell the blog. There are many people that have lucrative businesses doing nothing more than creating popular high traffic blogs and flipping them for profit. Business owner purchase high traffic blogs in their niches to boost sales. There is a lot of work that goes into building and flipping high traffic blogs, but the end result can be extremely lucrative.

There are many ways to make money blogging both directly on the blog and off the blog. Any blog can be monetized to make money with a little research. The key to successful monetization is to keep ads that are relevant to your topic. For off site opportunities, develop a network of associates within the blogging community to find guest posting spots. With a little work you can turn your blog experience into a lucrative and fun way to earn money.

Dr Huria Abdulkadir is the owner of www.moneymakingcow.com, a blog which offers her experience in different legitimate paid jobs from home, and making money from home both online and offline.

The following is a guest post by Lloyd who publishes a leading office desk furniture review website.

Although you sit for 8 or more hours in your office most days of the week, do you really like your office space and more importantly does it work for you? If the answer is no, then it’s time to change it. Im not talking about redecorating your office, I’m talking about Feng Shui. These ancient Chinese principles enable you to manage the flow of energy and invite the ‘right’ kinds of energy into your office. This can create huge improvements in your working life leading to less stress, more money and above all, more enjoyment of your working life. What can you do to start reaping the benefits of feng shui? It starts with these 5 easy steps.

1. Take control of your desk the Feng Shui way – Your desk’s position can influence your life

In Feng Shui where your desk is placed is just as important as what kind of desk you have. Putting your desk in the spot furthest away from the entrance is the way to take command, but wait, there’s more. In Feng Shui, the mountain is the symbol of supportive energy and it should always behind you. If your desk is against the corner, that’s perfect. However if its not, you can create your own mountain with a large plant, piece of sculpture or picture of a mountain. Which ever you choose, it needs to large and behind you. Although you want your desk with a ‘mountain’ behind you, you should still be facing the entrance. This is where business comes in. You want to be able to welcome it rather then turn your back on it. You also need the right desk. The right desk is a desk that works with your own unique energy. A traditional executive office desk means power, while a light and airy desk means flow. If your desk does not truly reflect you or the way you work, change it.

2. De-cluttering your office the Feng Shui way – Clutter is not your friend

Now, you’ve heard you need to keep your office clutter free and in Feng shui, it’s even more important. This is because clutter will trap the energy needed to accomplish tasks. When you de-clutter, the energy becomes un-trapped and flows to you, where it is needed most. Even the neatest of people have an area where clutter happens. This area is the computer area. Don’t let it fool you, that long tangle of intertwining cords will trap the energy that should be going to you. Since we need those cords, the best choice is to hide them. Run them against a wall or under a carpet. (You could buy a carpet just for that.) It’s hard to put away open projects, because they are still open. However, even the greatest multi tasker can’t work on 20 at once. So instead just create easy accessible storage for the other 19. The top of your desk is most certainly not storage. You need a desk with enough options for storage. You can always add more storage later, providing that the storage containers themselves don’t become the new clutter. If you’re not a neat person, then you will need to start somewhere. The perfect place to start is with the top of your desk. Clean it off and find a better home for those papers and other ‘stuff’. Once all the stuff is off your desk, breathe deeply. Do you feel the feng shui energy flowing? If you can’t find homes for all that stuff on your own, it may be time to call in the expert. The organization expert that is. However, now that your desk is clean, you might just be able to find those solutions on your own with your new peace of mind.

3. Accepting Help the Feng Shui way – Welcome these people in your life

At work, you want to have good relationships with clients, co-workers and mentors. There are certain positions in Feng shui that will accomplish this. The two spots in Feng shui that are the most influential in these relationships are the back corner and the corner to the close right of the door. (Both of these spots are assuming you’re coming into the room, not sitting at your desk.) It is in these two corners you should place either the symbols or the colors of earth energy. This will foster the both the strength and stability you seek in these relationships. Symbols of earth energy include geodes, stone pots or sand sculptures. The colors of Earth energy are traditionally beige, sand and pale yellow.

4. Letting Cash Flow the Feng Shui way – Money runs like a river, but not uphill

Money, like everything else in Feng shui, has its own energy and it is similar to that of water. Since both energies are so similar, one can be used to encourage the other. Since money, like water, doesn’t run uphill, you need to make it easy for the money to find you. The back left corner as you enter is your ‘money area’. In traditional Feng shui, adding a water feature of kind to this area will encourage money to flow to it. Water features include small fountains; aquariums, (think beta fish) or even a picture of water will help the money flow. Just to be on the safe side a small piece of wood (but never larger then the water feature) should also go in this area. In Feng shui, wood balances out the problems that come with too much wealth.

5. Begin Your Journey the Feng Shui way – Embracing your future

Don’t forget about the area right in front of the door. In Feng shui, this is the part that influences your life’s journey. Each time you enter, you are taking another step on it. This area needs to be filled with good, welcoming intentions. A welcome mat would work nicely here, but so would something less tangible like the right music. Whatever you choose, you want it to have the right influence over your future. The most important thing to remember about this area is not put anything there that would block the way. (Like a desk.) In essence, you would be blocking your future. It’s also not a good idea to leave this space empty, or your future will also be empty.

Conclusion

Now that you know the secrets of office Feng Shui, don’t delay, apply these simple strategies to make your office a more productive and healthier place to work.

About the Author:

Former accountant and auditor in the City of London, Lloyd Burrell has worked in an office all his working life. Lloyd now put’s this experience to good use and publishes the leading office desk furniture review website officedeskreviews.com . Through Feng shui and the right desk, he has discovered you can not only work in an office, but thrive. Currently, he lives near Bordeaux, in a lovely French coastal village in the Charente Maritime with his beautiful wife, 2 kids and cat.

The following is a guest post by Kyle who writes for Medical Coding Certification.

Writing can be both difficult and rewarding.  It is certainly a creative outlet, but there is also a technical aspect involved in any linguistic pursuit.  So it takes a particular type of mind to really make a career out of writing.  It can bring about feelings of euphoria (when you’re on a roll) or total depression (as the nefarious writer’s block strikes at random), but it is almost never boring.  However, freelance writing, in particular, has its own special challenges and benefits.  So before you leap at the chance to be your own boss (to an extent), examine some of the pros and cons associated with becoming a writer for hire.

1. Work from home.  PRO:  The major benefit of contract writing is that you can do it from the comfort of your cozy office.  You can formulate a routine that works with your lifestyle and avoid the constant interruptions inherent in an office setting.  Bonus: appropriate attire includes pajamas and you’ll avoid the morning commute!  CON:  You will literally have only your cat for companionship.  Freelance writers can become very isolated if they don’t make an effort to get out of the house once in awhile.  You also face constant distractions like pets that need attention, a house that could stand a little cleaning, and your evil arch-nemesis, daytime television.
2. Set your own schedule.  PRO: If you want to go to lunch with friends, sneak in some time at the gym, or take in an afternoon movie, there is absolutely no reason you can’t schedule it in.  The flexibility is what draws most people to at-home work.  CON: You are solely responsible for how your time is allocated.  That means you have to be diligent when it comes to setting work hours and sticking to them.  If you thought you could earn a living by rising at the crack of noon and working for a couple of hours in the afternoon, you were dreaming.  And there is no one to blame but yourself if you can’t pay the bills.
3. Variety.  PRO:  The great thing about freelance writing (as opposed to other types) is that you will enjoy a constantly changing palette of subject matter.  This means that you will most likely be learning new things all the time and you can avoid the boredom of expounding upon the same topics all the time.  CON:  Freelance writing requires you to be a sort of pen-slinging jack of all trades since at any given time you might have to tackle a vast array of topics from computer technology to nursing degrees to eco-friendly home-building to shopping for wedding dresses.  It all depends on the work that comes your way.  For an individual who is not comfortable with research or has a hard time elucidating subjects on which they lack expert knowledge, this can be an extremely challenging and stressful aspect of the job.
4. Multiple clients.  PRO:  Since you are basically your own boss, you can take on as few or as many clients as you wish, and only accept repeat business from the ones you like, ensuring less stress and good working relationships.  CON:  One problem with taking on several clients is that you are bound to get some bad apples.  You will have to deal with people who are demanding, irrational, and disrespectful, and you must remain professional throughout if you don’t want to risk a negative review.
5. Freedom.  PRO:  This is the absolute best reason to pursue a career in freelance writing.  If you want to work 20 hours a week you are free to do so.  Planning a vacation does not require anyone’s consent or the rearranging of a schedule.  And once you are established, you can virtually pick and choose which jobs to take.  In essence, you are in full control of your life and your time.  CON:  As much as this can be a blessing, it can also be a curse.  Freedom, in many cases, equates to personal responsibility, so if you find yourself spending all day at the beach only to realize that you’ve missed a deadline, you may not have self-discipline required to make a living as a freelance writer.

Kyle Simpson writes for Medical Coding Certification where you can find more information about a career and training in the medical field.

The following is a guest post by Jelena from Associated Content.