Considering today is the first time I’ve submitted any new articles promoting any of my current websites since mid-March and that I haven’t added any new websites to my empire since then either (and only 1 site at that), I am optimistic.

I’d like to see my income increase without adding any additional sites if at all possible. The reason for that is because I would really rather make at least $1 to $2 per day for each site. I’ve put a lot more work into proper research for most of the new sites I’ve created and I’d love to see that pay off.

Currently, none of my sites are closer than the 2nd page for their keywords in the search engines. I will be adding some new content to the sites that appear to be on their way up in earnings, because it means the new content will have the best chance of making a difference.

Traditionally, my method was this: I’d brainstorm interesting domain names for topics I found interesting. Research? Nah. I preferred catchy domain names. ;) I have since learned that this doesn’t work well when you want a website to actually be financially self-sustaining. You need a site that is at a minimum going to earn back its domain cost and its share of hosting expenses. So, lesson learned.

Now, I find a keyword in a topic of interest to me (see how I still just do sites I find interesting?) and then I find a good domain name to go with it. This lets me get the best of both worlds. I get a site that I’m not going to be bored with (I hope) and a domain that makes it more likely my site will actually get traffic and be able to earn enough to stay online.

I am done with hanging on to domains that can’t even pay for their renewal costs. This is a drain on my energy and drain on my finances.

To summarize, I have 8 articles linking to 9 websites.

(Technically I have 11 websites I’ve created since January, but 1 of those was a personal political statement about healthcare reform, and the other was another personal site – no keyword research involved in the creation of either site.)

My goals for the coming weeks are to finish some sites I have in limbo. I bought a few domains that I haven’t built sites for yet. When those are complete, I will be focusing on promotional activities for a short while. I need to test some things and make some effort to get as many of my sites on page 1 as possible and as close to number 1 as possible.

From my work on an older site I have that is number 1 for several competitive terms, I realize you can’t rush rankings. So I will alternate between building new sites and working to grow and promote my existing sites. This way I can learn as I go.

And finally, I will be working to use my new knowledge about research to my advantage on a few older sites I have. They’ve been around for years and are ranked for several okay terms.

One site specifically is ranked #3 in Google for a term that has about 1,600 exact searches a month and about 1,070,000 results in quotes for the term. The site is nicely aged at about 5 years old and positioned well to branch into some other keyword phrases that get considerably more searches but have considerably fewer competing sites. I’m going to try my hand at spiffing up that site and see where it leads me.

Although I’m willing to create many sites to generate the income I would need to make this my full-time career/job, of course I would rather improve fewer properties to make more money per property if at all possible!

Now, I just have to get to work!

Website Empire Per Day Income Inching Up - Read more posts like this at Perpetualized

I might have been sucked into a scam, but I bought the product at $77. I really don’t know at this point if I’ve wasted my money or invested in my future, but you can be sure I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve followed the blueprint and tested the methods.

What sucked me in to buying Google Sniper?

I can’t do a lot of website updates and maintenance, not because I physically can’t or don’t have time. My problem is interest and stick-to-it-ness. I get bored with topics so quickly that it makes updating a nightmare of tediousness.

Now that I’m ready to try to generate some income from my websites and turn them into a real business that might someday replace my “day job” income, I was convinced it might not hurt to pick up some more skills in internet marketing to complement my web building skills.

I can’t wait forever, learning on my own. I’ve been doing affiliate stuff for years and had only limited success. Most of that is my fault, I know that. I abandon things too easily. Even when I start making money from a site, that isn’t usually enough to keep my interest high. I tend to build and move on.

The methods in Google Sniper seem to mesh exactly with the way I feel I’ll have to work to get anywhere. I’m not personally looking to make oodles of money per site, but I would like to make enough to replace said day-job’s income level. And since I work only part-time, I think if I’m not able to do that with Google Sniper then it’ll be a sure bet I got scammed with the product. :)

On the other hand, if all goes as promised, I’ll do just fine! Here’s hoping to my future success and Google Sniper’s ability to fulfill on its promises!

P.S. I’m not offering a link to the product because I can’t say if it’s worth a dime, much less the $77 I paid for it. :) If it turns out to work, I’ll be sure to put up a link for it somewhere on the site. ‘Til then, if you want it, you’ll have to Google it. And if Google Sniper sucks, I’ll be sure to let you know if the money-back-guarantee is honored.

Update: The Google Sniper program doesn’t appear to suck, but I was not interested in the program I got upsold on (yes, I’m a sucker!) so I have requested a refund of that particular product. As I told George Brown (Google Sniper creator), the program might work for some people very well, but it’s in an area I have no interest in whatsoever. I’ll let you know if/when I hear something…

Is Google Sniper a waste of money? - Read more posts like this at Perpetualized

So let’s call this a review where I’m not really doing any kind of review. Maybe you can call it commentary.

Yeah, that works. This is commentary.

I work and work and work, but I don’t get anything done. Am I lazy? Nah. I’m very misdirected though. However, I don’t think he’s wrong.

People will understand my argument – if you put more effort into something you earn greater rewards – yet will go back and spend their time on activities that have less impact because they are easier.

People…will understand how important…articles are, will learn all kinds of great marketing ideas, and will be inspired and energized…. Yet, even with this new awareness they will spend their time reading other blogs and websites, watching television and lamenting how much they hate their job.

These people, as much as they like to complain, have no one but themselves to blame for their current situation. How they currently live is a product of the choices they have made leading up to today….

He goes on to encourage action as the way to keep from becoming one of these people. Yaro Starak wrote this in his Blog Profits Blueprint, which is a great little ebook and something you should definitely read if you’re as addicted to websites as I am or if you’re interested in making some money from your website/blog. Click here to download the Blog Profits Blueprint.

This is a fundamental problem with me and my websites. I’ve discussed before how shallow I am about choosing domains and deciding on what I’ll make of a site (worded somewhat differently, but the meaning was there). I actually went looking for the post so I could link it, but the truth is, I couldn’t find it. So it’s either buried in this site somewhere, or it’s one of those posts I thought about writing but never did get around to getting it down on the computer. In case it’s the latter, I’ll say it here so you know what I’m talking about. I like to buy cool domain names—let’s not obsess over whose definition of cool I’m talking about here—and then never really do anything with the sites because I didn’t think that far ahead when I came up with that oh, so cool domain name.

I spend a lot of time reading about websites, thinking about websites, but not doing the kinds of things that really move things forward. I wouldn’t say I’m lazy, in the traditional sense of the word, because I work hard on my websites, just never on the things that matter for forward momentum and growth.

It’s a lot of hard work reading voraciously and learning about website creation and monetization, but I guess it must be even harder work to actually do something about it. You know…you actually have to make decisions.

That’s the kicker. The decision-making process uses skills most of us haven’t ever really developed that well. Making a decision, sticking to it, and then following up to make sure your progress stays aligned with the outcome you decided you wanted.

So yes, I am lazy, not with work but with decisions. I don’t want to make them, and I don’t want to stick with them. And that’s something I’m working frantically to change.

Most People are Lazy and I’m No Exception - Read more posts like this at Perpetualized