CONTEXTUAL ADVERTISING: Internet Marketing & Diarrhea

Contextual Advertising

Contextual Advertising is a relatively new form of advertising on the web that will consider the context of the site, a page or a search query, to display ads from advertisers that correspond to the topic. Its usual form is text-based, using regular hyperlinks, sometimes small graphics and brief descriptions to attract users that may be interested. It is usually highly targetted and is better accepted by users because it is less obstrusive, less bandwith hungry and more relevant than the classic graphical banners. For example, a web page about photography will automatically draw advertisers selling cameras and other photo related accessories. It also has the benefits of making the job of a web publisher easier to find sponsors, as the contextual advertising company acts as an automatic middle man between publishers and advertisers, who bid for specific keywords using an auction system. The same can be said for advertisers, since they now have access to thousands of possible web sites to automatically advertise on. It usually works as Pay per Click, meaning the publisher only generate revenues when a user actively click on an ad, as opposed to Pay per Impressions, an older system that generates revenue based on the number of time the ad is displayed.

Google was on the forefront of this innovation when they created Google Adsense, the first major contextual advertising program. In the beginning, these new ads appeared with their search engine, but they soon expanded it to include webmasters and their web sites, which they named their "Content Network". Using a few ligns of Javascript code, publishers could insert Adsense on their web pages and it would then automatically serve relevant ads using Google's search algorithm. Google also considers other factors such as the geographical location of visitors and their languages, so ads can actually be different for each visitor. Other companies followed with similar programs, but they lacked the sophistication of Adsense since they demanded specific keywords from webmasters instead of detecting them on their pages. Other big players on the web are now slowly embracing this terrific new marketing technology, such as the Yahoo! Publisher Network and MSN adCenter. Contextual Advertising is making it now possible for smaller webmasters and publishers who own small hobby sites to monetize their efforts without spending all their time dealing with appropriate sponsors that may not necessarly be interested with smaller sites when taken on an individual level.

Contextual advertising programs and Google Adsense Alternatives

Here we list companies that offer this marketing solution to webmasters. Google Adsense is often considered the prime choice, but they do have restrictions and some people may be refused to their program.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Internet Marketing & Diarrhea

It was the end of 2006 and with all the Internet marketing industry material on the web I found myself overwhelmed with this business; I caught a bad case of online marketing diarrhea. I’m sharing this story because I know so many of you are going through the same issue and cant find the pepto bismol for your own marketing dilemma.

Obviously this was a horrible feeling but I knew what it was - I could center why I was feeling this way I and I did something about it. I was so excited about making money online that I failed to understand this concept. I spent time browsing through the forums looking for ideas and I was obviously all over the place - had no clue what to write about, spent time on these forums writing absolute garbage to increase my post count (Which by the way is a complete no no).

I figured that it was time to get to the nits and grits of the solution - the reason why I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated was related to one common mistake we all make - lack of focus and direction. Its much easier to become an expert in one specific area of your niche than two, three or four areas.

I was faced with a choice among 1,000 choices; this industry can be broken apart into a million categories - now which one do I choose. I chose none - see its not about choosing and following something someone has already done. Its about looking at whats out there and seeing how you can do it with your own twist [be original].

How can you be creatively independent on the web; what will differentiate you from the rest?

When you think of Real Estate what names come to mind; Donald Trump.
When you think of computers, what names come to mind; Bill Gates
When you think of Stocks, what names come to mind; Warren Buffet.

Do you notice a pattern with the guys above? I hope you do but if you dont, no biggy (I’ll try to explain). These guys are making a gazillion dollars because they became experts in their niche. You cant be a “jack of all trades” this is the primary reason why most folks fail - focus, drill down, what are you doing and how can you do it beter?

My internet marketing question of the day is: What do you focus on specifically?

If you’re answer is many things, then this is your main problem and I can bet a cow that you’re in a state of discombobulation. Why don’t you to take the time to figure out what it is you like to do and become an expert in an area of that niche. What do you like to do? Is it worth becoming an expert in that area? use your common wits and actually pursue something that is going to be profitable for your pocket because at the end of the day this is why you’re doing it, no?.

I recommend that you visit high-paying-keywords

The seo keyword tool above will help you to determine if your passion actually pays well. Look at the dollar numbers that folks are investing in a particular keyword within your niche and then look at your options and figure out for yourself if you feel that is profitable enough for you. [don't forget you're in business for yourself, so think: ethical profits].

If you find there is a profitable market out there, the next step is to figure out how your going to take advantage of that market for yourself. Can you write an e-book targeted to that market? If the answer is no then you need to change your options because you need to focus and remember what I said above - [Become an Expert]. Find your expertise, figure out the market profitability and if positive, your in good business.

You dont want to waste time and fall in a rut because if you do you will be in it for the next 15 miles. You Don’t want to make the same mistakes so many of us made. I’ll say it again in case you skimmed over the post -Spend your valuable million dollar time focusing on one topic within your niche.

Don’t stres if your not an expert yet, its evident that it will take time, however, after you learn what you need to learn and you offer up your knowledge the dollars will start to flow.

Focus if you care about success. A perfect example lies on the idea of list building.

When building a list in that niche remember to stay on track with the whole focus topic you just read, because if you promise people apples and you give them pineapples they are going to another fruit stand and they will tell their friends not to shop at your place. [do you want that?]

Advice: [learn what the market wants and provide to them what they are asking for!] - its simple.

Did you know this is why you were frustrated? What is your next step?