How Much is a Google Top Spot Worth?

It's an important metric for search marketers everywhere, as it's the single most important consumer behavior in our business. Aside from emerging trends in social media sharing, this single behavior surrounding the top spot of Google is the most monetized on the internet.

Just think what would happen to our industry if users did actually look beyond the first set of results? Yes, that's right, we'd all be librarians. Anyway, even if you have known that being number one is important, did you know *how* important it was?

Chitika decided to find out what it was worth to them by looking at a sample of traffic coming into its network from Google and broke it down by Google results placement. The top organic position drove 34.35% of all traffic in the sample, almost the combined total of positions 2 through 5 slots, and more than the combined total of traffic to longtail positions, 5 through 20 (the end of page 2).

"Obviously, everyone knows that the #1 spot on Google is where you want to be," says Chitika research director Daniel Ruby. "It's just kind of shocking to look at the numbers and see just how important it is, and how much of a jump there is from 2 to 1."

The largest behavioral jump, measured as a percentage-change, is from the top of page 2 to the bottom of page 1. Going from the 11th spot to 10th sees a 143% jump in traffic, proving that a very small percentage of users click through to the second page whilst searching online.

This research confirms what many search marketers know or suspected already from behavioral experiments on SERPs involving heatmaps and other research. Yet it's nice to see an independent study from the webmasters point of view. Let's hope other large networks in other industry niches conduct a similar experiment.

It proves, once again, that your website really needs to be on the first page of results to get any real chance of being seen. And to build a successful business online you really need to get your website into positions 1-4 for a variety of terms - those specific Google positions, combined, command a whopping 70% of all traffic to websites!

Newcastle no longer own St James’ Park.

Things never run smoothly at Newcastle do they? Come on, you can admit it, it’s ok. And some interesting revelations today have ensured that the tradition unfortunately continues.

The Guardian have managed to track down some of the inner workings of what is going on behind the iron curtain, with the focus yet again being on the financial side of the club.

In quite stunning fashion, The Guardian have revealed that Newcastle no longer own St James’ Park, or the training ground, or the youth academy. They have also revealed that all the money owed to us from the sale of players such as James Milner and Obafemi Martins has already been borrowed against and is due to be repaid as and when we recieve it.

I’m struggling to make sense of it all as the numbers just don’t add up. One side of me is wondering just how The Guardian managed to get hold of such figures, bearing in mind that the accounts for that period are yet to be filed. Whilst the other side of me thinks that there could be some truth in all of this as The Guardian, aside from one very serious recent slip up, is generally a paper that can be believed.

If you want to read the article yourself, then please do so here, or alternatively you can stick with me and I will try to rattle through it.

Basically, it all apparently stems from relegation. As of the 30th June 2009, Newcastle had an overdraft of £47.87 million, which is a staggering amount. Whilst this amount is deemed acceptable for a team that has a Premier League income, unfortunately that is something we couldn’t guarantee in the season just passed. As a result the bank decided that having such a sum unsecured was too much of a risk.

On the 1st July 2009, Barclays took steps to reduce the risk they faced by registering a mortgage on St James’ Park, the training ground, and the youth academy. Not only that, our brand name was also taken into consideration, aswell as any trade secrets, although god knows what they are! So from where I am sitting, and according to The Guardian, by having a mortgage it is actually Barclays bank that owns most our assets, including St James’ Park, although technically we don’t own the land, but the buildings on it we do…. or did.

It gets worse…

In October 2009, Newcastle acquired a secured loan based on the income of player sales that was yet to be paid. This includes payments for James Milner, Obafemi Martins that were due into the club and, I hoped, would have been money already earmarked for transfers. Apparently not…

As I said earlier, I really don’t know what to make of this, and the sums just don’t add up. Is it more press scare-mongering? Or is there actually some truth in these revelations? I think what this needs is some clarificati….. oh wait, we wont get that will we?

In all seriousness, if this is true then it is an awful blow on our return to the Premier League. I must stress though that there is nothing about this ‘mortgage’ on St James’ Park or the training ground being repaid. For all we know it may have already been paid, or there could be plans afoot to pay it back, or the story could be pure fabrication. Who knows?

Unfortunately, Mike Ashley has backed himself into a corner on this one. Something like this needs to be categorically denied as it has the risk to become a very serious issue with fans, very very quickly. And with the current “no comment” policy, I don’t expect a denial to be forthcoming.

Granted we have been told to ignore what is read in the papers, but when it is something as potentially serious as this then it has to be given the light of day. St James’ Park is a sacred place, and revelations like this will not sit well with the fans, unless they are nipped in the bud and denied quite quickly.

If this turns out to be true then you have to ask, where has all the money gone? I know relegation costs, but has it cost us the ultimate possesion? Managers and players come and go, St James’ Park doesn’t, it is THE constant.

If You are an Internet Worm Now You Can Learn How to Make Money on the Internet with DubLi

If You are an Internet Worm Now You Can Learn How to Make Money on the Internet with DubLi

There are endless opportunities available to you all over the world to make money online. It is totally up to that you take advantage of which one for you because there are many simple ways to earn money this way. I you consider internet to make quick and easy money that is true because internet is the best tool. There are varieties of options provided on the net for you to make money. Lets us have a look on some of the ways regarding how to make money on the Internet.

If you are not sure how to get started with an online business, Dubli can help. Here you will find that DubLi will do all the work for you and make it very easy. Dubli is a global trading platform that will do all the work for you.

You can sell on Amazon. In this, your items will be placed before a number of customers. They will be displayed at the side along those carried by Amazon. No fees will be acquired from you unless you sell any item. The procedure for selling your items is quite simple. Make a list of all your items, then get orders of it from the concerned customers, ship their particular orders and get paid for your services. You can sell books, music, videos, etc on it.

Then use the Associated Content that is an open content network. You can submit content on any subject in any format. Create your own content. Video, images, text, audio, or you can also select a particular assignment offered by them. This content will be viewed by a number of viewers every month. Even your content will get a chance to get distributed to their partner sites. You will be paid through the upfront payments or performance payments. But you may want to try Dubli because is such a superb way to start. At Dubli, you can market your product worldwide.

Blogging is yet another way to make money on the internet. You can start a blog and write the best contents for it consistently. You can easily make some money with good ad placements. Jigsaw is a system based on points wherein you can earn points for contributing to the databases they make. You, the more number of points and credits you will earn, will contribute the more data. If you have a Rolodex of good contact, it can be sold here.

PayPerPost is another marketplace that pays you to blog the products, services or the websites. You can easily earn an amount of about five hundred dollars every month. Surf junky is a website that pays a good amount to review software. You can get up to every hour for surfing through their sponsoring websites. It is like the more you surf, the more you will earn. The Surf Junky browser keeps on rotating automatically for you. You have to just select the site that you would like to see from the user control panel. So get paid for using your computer.

Google AdWords allow you to create simple text ads and select the keywords that show when they are displayed. A site s not required for this. You can advertise your business on Google. Do not worry about your budget. Just display your ads on Google or its advertising networks. You are supposed to pay only if people click your ad. It is a simple way of advertising and popularizing your business to increase your number of customers.

Are you interested in checking out the best online shopping site where we give you free credits to make bids on items at discounted prices? Have you been interested in starting a home based business? If so, go to the dubliofficialblog and opt in to the site to collect your free credits and valuable information.

These are some of the ways of how to make money on the internet.

Jason Switzer is a successful internet marketer, writer and nutrition expert. Visit his blogs at: http://www.paidtosurfgoldenpanda.com where you will discover how to increase visitors to your website and get paid to surf websites.

Fill Paid-Work Gaps with Your Own Projects

hat do you do when work’s thin on the ground? Finding work can be hard, and it takes time to get momentum going. Some days, you’ll have combed the job sites, contacted all your contacts, and attended to your daily promotional and client tasks before 10a.m. What’s next?

Searching fruitlessly for clients can be demoralizing. It’s rarely enjoyable, nor does it give many of us the chance to use what we see as our true talents. So, instead of worrying daily about the future, why not stop the paid-work gap with a project of your own?

Do Your Own Thing

If I have a quiet period, I usually divide my time between pursuing paid work and undertaking a project of my own. To some, spending my time on an unpaid project for my own gratification when I’ve got a mortgage demanding to be paid may seem crazy, but it offers valuable benefits.

Experimentation and Skill-building

Pursuing professional interests through your own projects inevitably allows you to exercise the creative muscle — to experiment and try out approaches and tactics for which commercial projects may not allow scope. This experimentation will likely broaden your experience, perspective, and skillset. In any case, it’s likely to be fun.

Pay or Promotion Potential

Pursuing your own professional interests through slow-period projects can develop your earning potential in a few ways. First, as I mentioned above, it can build salable skills. Second, your project may open unexpected new doors, spurring you to pursue, or giving you valuable exposure to new markets, clients, or industries. Finally, your project may, of course, focus on creating a product or service that you can sell, so although it may not pay while you’re building it, you may see a return once it’s complete and you begin to market it.

Talking Points

When you’re talking to contacts or potential clients, you may find you have little to relate if all you’re doing is looking for work. Working on your own projects ensures you’ll always have something exciting on the cards — something you’re eager to talk about and explain to others. Your contacts are bound to be intrigued, to ask questions, and to gather the perception that you’re innovative, motivated, and that you really love what you do.

Motivation

Dragging yourself out of bed each day to discover the inevitable — that there still aren’t any suitable projects for you to pitch on — can get a little tedious. Having your own project to work on once you finish the day’s prospecting activities can motivate you to get up, get out, and kick those goals as early and thoroughly as possible, so you can enjoy some guilt-free hours on your own project afterward.

I find that working on my own projects gives me a real sense of purpose and progress even in the quietest times. So much so that I try to always have at least one of my own projects on the go. What about you? When was the last time you did you own thing?

How to overcome your fear of writing

Wondering how to overcome your fear of writing? Don’t worry, even the greatest of writers throughout history have dreaded writing their first sentences of every book they wrote. Fear of writing is a very common fear and might be uncommonly called graphophobia or scriptophobia. Anyway, technicalities aside, fear of writing can stem out of:

• Fear of rejection
• Fear of ridicule
• Fear of exposure
• Even fear of success
• Lack of belief in oneself
• Persecution by the law (communists used to send their writers to concentration camps, perhaps to increase their concentration)
• A touch-triggered bomb attached to the writing device

OK, the last one is a bit exceptional case, but you may have different reasons for fearing writing.

How to overcome fear of writing

We fear doing things that can cause us harm, pain or discomfort. Decide what writing does to you. Is it painful? Does it bring up old, unpleasant memories or resurrects the buried demons? Do you think people will make fun of you when they read your writings or your vulnerabilities will be expose? Are you being forced to write at a gunpoint? Do you have to write but you don’t feel like writing?

Whatever is the reason, if you have to write, then you have to do it. To overcome your fear or block or whatever you want to call it, you can try the following:

• Accept your fear. When we accept situations and mental states, our emotions are no longer resisting, and we tend to become comfortable around their presence. The same is true with fear. Recognize it and accept it. Once you accept it you’re in a better position to tackle it.
• Create a pleasant ambiance. You feel good working in blue light, or maybe red? What about playing your favorite music in the background (make sure you don’t know the lyrics if you play songs)? You can also use aromatic oils and essence sticks if you get a mood boost with pleasant smell. Make yourself as comfortable as possible and try to make it a pleasant experience.
• Try using different writing devices. Do you find tapping on your keyboard boring? Then use a pen and a paper notepad. Sometimes writing the old fashion is a good way of reigniting your muse. Just make sure you don’t waste much paper.
• Read badly-written literature. There’s a well-known writer who used to read badly-written literature to feel encouraged. He used to comment, “If these guys can get published, why not I?” But the key here is, you must know that they are bad writers.
• Start with gibberish. Don’t wait for a sentence that’s going to change the world history. Write whatever comes to your mind. It doesn’t even have to be full sentences and you don’t even have to write words that makes sense. Just start typing and keep typing. Gradually, it’ll all start making sense.
• Imagine you are enjoying it. It’s like the placebo effect. Imagine that you’re really looking forward to your writing time and it’s the best time of the day. Look at yourself in the mirror and give a big smile to yourself. Laugh out loud if possible.
• Focus on the objective. Why are you writing? You must be writing to achieve something. The end-goal sometimes can be a great driving force and can dismantle your wall of fear immediately. If you are writing for your client, think about the benefit it can bring both to you and your client.
• Focus on the Karma not the result. This is the total opposite of what I wrote above. The ancient wisdom of Geeta says we should focus on the Karma (the deed) rather than what we’re going to get out of it. Writing is a creation, so enjoy creating.
• Create an outline. Use small words and sentences to create an outline. Normally, the ideas are there, you feel difficult expressing them. So just jot them down. A good thing about using a word processor is that you can keep adding, removing and modifying text to your heart’s content. Create different sections using heading, subheadings and bulleted lists and you can add more text later on.
• Use a mind mapping tool. Mind mapping tools are a great way of organizing your thoughts. You can try out various mind mapping software by searching on Google. For starters you can try out http://thoughtmuse.com
• Record you thoughts. If writing is a problem initially you can start collecting your thoughts by recording them. If you use a portable recording device the good thing is you can do it anywhere, even while walking around.
• Practice writing. This is something long-term. Writing is a talent but more than that it’s a skill, and you can hone a skill by practicing regularly. Don’t just write when there is pressing need, or when you are going to be paid for it. Start a blog or something and write daily. Learn new words and phrases as a daily exercise. This way you’ll get used to people reading your writing and reacting to it.

American Airlines flight attendants authorize strike

Flight attendants at American Airlines have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if it comes to that, the union said.

American called the vote "not unexpected and a common part of the bargaining process." It also noted that the National Mediation Board hasn't decided to let members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants go on strike.

APFA president Laura Glading said the union will continue to push the mediation board to release it into a 30-day cooling off period if there's no "framework" for a deal by the end of the week.

The two sides resumed talks Tuesday with a new federal mediator assigned to the talks after the previous mediator left for a new job.

The union said that 96.8 percent of members who voted cast ballots in favor of authorizing a strike. It said 90 percent of eligible voters participated.

Said Glading:

"This shows that flight attendants are strong, unified, and willing to do what is necessary to achieve an agreement that significantly improves our pay, benefits and work rules.

"If we do not have the framework for a tentative agreement at the end of this week, we will continue to push the National for a 30-day cooling off period at the end of which we can engage in a strike or other forms of self-help.

"We know the outlook for American is bright and it's our turn now to get back the sacrifices - more than $2 billion to date -- flight attendants have made to bail-out American Airlines.

"The middle class needs to get its fair share again after years of a national culture of corporate greed that is highlighted by the million dollar executive bonuses at American even as the airline lost money."

The APFA in March asked the NMB to release it from mediation and start a 30-day cooling-off period that could end in a strike. The NMB in April told the APFA and the Transport Workers Union, which made the same request, to keep negotiating.

Here's the complete statement from Missy Latham, American spokeswoman:

"APFA's announcement today is not unexpected and is a common part of the bargaining process. It's important to remember that we are not at a point in the negotiations process with the APFA where a strike could occur, and that even the threat of a strike is not in the best interests of our Flight Attendants, the APFA, or the company.

"It is unfortunate the APFA chose to make this announcement while we are in mediated sessions this week. Our team remains steadfastly focused on negotiations, presenting thoughtful proposals and coming to agreement on the items important to our flight attendants and the company.

"As we've said since we began negotiations, the company is ready to move ahead with any proposal that makes good economic and operational sense."

paid to click

GENERAL NOTE: I’m not paid by anyone to write this article. It’s my way of promoting myself and the paid-to-click sites. It started out as an entry about my experience, but as I went along it somehow became a tutorial. If I made grave mistakes/misconceptions, please remember that I’m writing about what I see, think, and feel. And I’m putting this on my personal blog, not on a new techie blog since I want to promote my personal blog for the meantime. I may consider transferring to a new blog if I gain enough traffic, articles, and confidence to open up a techie blog.

Okay, I’m getting all hyped up with my new “project,” which is about paid-to-click websites. I’m looking for alternative ways to earn money, even a small amount. And no, my purpose isn’t mainly about earning tons of money, it’s about the “how to.” I’ve always wanted to try stuff like these (for years), but I never really got serious about it so my previous earnings were lost. And now I’m hoping I could really stick to this project and prove that bloggers can really earn EXTRA cash.

I’m not expecting these paid-to-click sites to pay for my shopping expenses whatsoever, so you shouldn’t either. But hey, trying these doesn’t really hurt; they just require TIME from you to check out their ads. I admit it’s a slow process for me, but I’m willing to wait it out. If you’re not the patient type of person (like me), maybe you can learn how to be one through paid-to-click sites.

So let me introduce the basic concept of paid-to-click websites.

1. You sign up (preferably under a friend or someone—-hopefully that one’s me!) on the website, then activate your account (most websites require you to verify your email and stuff).

2. Check the “Browse / View Ads” section. This is where you can find the ads you’re allowed to click.

3. A new tab/window opens for the ad you click. You just WAIT it out. Some ads require you to wait for at least 15 to 30 seconds.

4. When the timer’s up, some sites will require you to click on a link (or a box) to confirm that you finished viewing the ad. Others automatically credit your earnings to your account.

5. Do the same thing for the other ads that’s available on the “Browse/View Ads” section.

And done! That’s how paid-to-clicks are done. And to save time, I open up all my paid-to-click accounts and open one ad from each while doing something else (either work or surf the net) so I don’t get bored while waiting. Done that way, I don’t even feel like I’m wasting my time looking through the ads! I do look at some ads, just to check what they’re about, but usually they’re mostly offers targeted to the US market. I do paid-to-clicks to relax, to enjoy a break from work (I’m not saying you should do paid-to-clicks while at work. If it’s not part of your job to do paid-to-clicks in the office, don’t do it there. I do mine at home, where I’m more comfortable).

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Now I’ll talk about how you really earn from paid-to-clicks. Please do note that I haven’t cashed out (meaning get paid by the company running the paid-to-click websites) YET. I plan to do so when I’ve reached the minimum amoount. I actually I planned to write this article AFTER I’ve cashed out, but I figured time is of the essence. I thought maybe more people would be inclined to ask about the paid-to-click scheme before and after the cashout procedure. So, in a sense, this post is a short tutorial about it. I’m learning what I can about it, and if anyone’s interested in joining me, perhaps I could assist them on how to do it.

1. You earn cash (in US dollar currency) by clicking and viewing ads. Each ad will earn you $ 0.005 up to $ 0.01. It’s pretty small, but can definitely add up if you click EVERYDAY. It’s been almost a month since I joined, and I’m nearing the one US dollar mark.

2. You earn cash when you refer your friends and family. This one I haven’t really tried since I’m waiting for my cashout before I do all-out advertising for the paid-to-click. If you’ll sign up under me, you’ll be helping me prove that this strategy works.

If you’re still not convinced why you should try signing up under me, then I’ll tell you why. I’ve realized that unreferred members are BOUGHT or RENTED by paying or upgraded members. It means that if you sign up without a referral ID or number, the paid-to-click system can use YOU to earn more money for those who rent or buy referrals. It’s not that it’s bad or anything, it’s just that if you compare referral-buying (renting) to direct referrals, the latter can help people earn more. I haven’t done thorough research on it (yet), but if I have spare time, I’ll try to analyze if this is true or not. Bottomline is, if you know a friend who is a member of paid-to-click sites, ask them if you could sign up under them. I’m sure they’d be very grateful to you, and in return they can tutor you on how you can earn.

3. You earn cash when you buy or rent referrals. This is what I was talking about earlier. It’s slightly more complicated to explain so I’ll tell you how I understand this system. If it’s still confusing for you, feel free to leave a message/comment and I’ll try to explain it further.

As a member of the paid-to-click sites, there’s an option of buying or renting referrals. “Buying” or “renting” basically means the same thing: you’re paying the site/system to help you earn more money. It’s ironic that you have to pay in order to earn, right? You pay the system to earn clicks (cash) from unreferred members (and I’m one of those unreferred members, since I found the paid-to-click websites through search engines). The cost of buying/renting referrals vary according to the paid-to-click sites, and what they earn you varies as well. I haven’t tried this as well, since my Paypal account is still unverified, so I can’t try it on one of the paid-to-click sites even though I want to. =(

If I do get to try this part, I might try to do an article about it.

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If you didn’t read my lengthy explanation above and you simply skipped to this part, I suggest you read why you should sign up under someone (if you won’t sign up under me). If you’re lazy to scroll up, I’ll tell you the shortcut version here: I’d be very grateful if you can help me in this personal project. A little too shameless in plugging, but hey what I said is true. In return, I’d be glad to answer your questions about the paid-to-click scheme—if I do know the answers, that is! I sometimes check the websites’ FAQ’s, but I think having someone who’s tried the system to answer basic questions about it would be good. It’s a win-win situation for you and me, since we get to learn together. ^_^ Everything I know about paid-to-click websites came from personal experience and (somewhat extensive) research.

I won’t write the pro’s and cons of these paid-to-click websites right now (maybe some other time, along with the scam sites I’ve signed up with before), but I’ll just promote the sites I’ve tried and tested to be earning me decent US cents.

Oops. I just remembered that I can’t promote one other site at the moment. My referral banner isn’t available at this moment. Hehe.