Link Wheels and How to NOT Get Your Site Sandboxed

This is part 2 of a two-part series. In the first part of the series, I talked about Understanding Link Wheels (and Avoiding Sandboxes): The Beginner’s Guide. I highly recommend that you check part 1 out first if you haven’t already done so.

In the last part of this series, I defined link wheels and talked about how to use them in a way that would increase search engine traffic. I also gave you an example of a link wheel that I personally use for my own niche sites.

Well, now in this post I’m going to share with you all of the benefits and drawbacks of link wheel building, how to create a link wheel that works for you, and how to use link wheels without sinking your site into the deadly sandbox, another way to get backlisted by Google. And if you don’t know what a link wheel is, I strongly suggest reading my article Understanding Link Wheels before moving on.

Ready to dive in? I knew you would be. Let’s get started…

Benefits and Drawbacks of Link Wheels

As you might have guessed, there are many advantages to using a link wheel (why else would people use them?). But, while there might be many more benefits than drawbacks, you simply can’t rule out the disadvantages.

And if you are thinking about creating your own link wheel, it’s important that you’re aware of the potential obstacles you might face in the process – particularly how much time you’ll need to devote to your link wheel and why link wheels have such a negative denotation.

So, without further ado, let’s get our hands dirty! (more…)

Do You Read Like an Encyclopedia? What You’re Forgetting and How to Fix It

I originally had another post planned for today, but I decided against publishing for now because something seriously important came up that I thought would be worth mentioning. And without it, your blog is pretty much doomed to failure.

Photo by Andrey (flickr)

Did I get your attention? Good. Because this just might be the very wake-up call you need.

Just this morning I was making my daily blog rounds, reading blog posts and giving everyone my two cents. But today, something happened in the midst of things (a light bulb moment, if you will) that really got me to think about where this so called blogging venture is headed and why, at the rate that blogs are created today, do most blogs slowly die off and fade into dust.

In fact, according to Marcus Sheridan in his guest post over at Blogging Bookshelf, less than 10% of all blogs live to see their first birthday.

Really? Incredible, isn’t it?

And it only gets better. According to Candace Lombardi, staff writer of CNET News, a blog is born every half second. Get that? TWO new blogs are born EVERY SECOND! That means that 7,200 blogs are created every hour.

Going by these statistics and if what Marcus says is true, only 720 blogs out of the 7,200 ocean of blogs per hour ever see the light of day and a whopping 6,480 die before their first birthday! (more…)

Understanding Link Wheels (and Avoiding Sandboxes): The Beginner’s Guide

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Next week on Wednesday, I’ll publish part 2 in the series – Link Wheels and How to NOT Get Your Site Sandboxed. Stay tuned!

The dreaded sandbox is every blogger’s worst nightmare – that is, if you’re making a living primarily by creating and monetizing niche sites. But don’t worry; I have a way you can put those fears to rest – and it starts with understanding link wheels.

Now, I’m sure some of you are staring at this with wide eyes and opened mouths thinking, “But I loved playing in the sandbox when I was younger! So why should Internet marketers fear boxes of sand?”

Well, just read on.

Boxes of Sand

Think Back to When You Were a Child.

Do you remember going to the beach? Maybe you had your very own sandbox. Like many children, you probably enjoyed building castles in the sand, which really looked like giant ant hills (but nobody ever told you that).

When someone else knocks your cherished castle over and it’s permitted to fall back into a sand mound, you can’t help but cover yourself in it – admire the way each grain of rock works together to hide your little body, as you gather bunches of sand and fling it across your legs.

First you bury your toes, then you bury your thighs, then your stomach, and lastly your shoulders – laughing giddily while your mother tries to find you. Eyes squeezed shut, your high-pitched squeals give yourself away entirely; but you don’t know it, and your mother is more than happy to play along. (more…)

8 Ways to Make Your Office Workspace More Organized

This is a guest post by James Adams. If you struggle with staying organized, have heaps of papers on your desk, or you’re simply looking for another way to increase productivity, this article is a must read!

Photo by Niels Heidenreich (flickr)

In the office, organization can mean the difference between a wasted day and a productive one. If you spend an hour or so on really working to organize your workspace, then your initial time investment will reap large dividends in the future as you save a few minutes here and there for weeks to come. These minutes add up, and you’ll eventually find yourself with a lot of extra time on your hands, as well as a newfound efficiency in the office.

Here we’re going to take a look at eight important ways that you can combat clutter and inefficiency in the office. (more…)

Goals and Achievements – March 2011

Well everyone, it’s time for the monthly income report. If you’re new here, here’s how these posts work: At the start of every month, I look at the goals I accomplished the previous month and analyze my progress. Then, I give a detailed breakdown of the income earned from the month before, followed by the goals I’ll be working towards as the month rolls on and how I intend to accomplish them.

Goal planning is something I always enjoyed doing. The reason why I write these posts is not to satisfy my ego (rather, the opposite). Instead, these posts are meant to:

• Keep track of my monthly income.
• Plan out my goals (and have them all in one place to refer back to throughout the month).
• Hold myself accountable for my goals (to increase my chances of completing them).
• Celebrate new milestones.
• Acknowledge where I came short, learn from my mistakes, and strive to do better.
• Offer encouragement.
• Inspire others to set their own goals, work towards their dreams, and improve their lifestyles.
• Stay on track so that I avoid doing tasks that offer no (or barely any) value.

(more…)

eHow Experiment 08: Income Increased by 64%

When I wrote my last update over a month ago, I estimated that I would earn at least $412.92 for the month of January. If I met this goal, I would surpass my overall goal of earning $3 per article in any given month (or $339 a month – though one of my articles was removed, reducing my goal to $336 a month).

Well, as it turns out, my estimations were more than correct.

In January I earned a total of $420.29, which is about $3.75 per article a month and $13.56 a day. And, so far in February, I earned $368.44 (earnings were last updated Wednesday), which is about $4 per article and $16.02 a day. If this keeps up, I should make an all-time high of about $449 by the end of the month (and there’s only 28 days as opposed to 30 or 31)! Not bad for doing very little work as far as backlinking is concerned.

I’m also happy to see that my earnings are continuing to grow. If you remember, last year saw 3 months (Oct, Nov, and Dec) where my eHow earnings sort of leveled out and didn’t increase by much. That was when I started giving a few of my highest earning articles backlinks from content written on other Web 2.0 sites. If you compare now (or my estimated total income for the month) to my earnings in December 2010, my earnings increased by 64%. (more…)

Goals and Achievements – February 2011

First of all – sorry for the late income report. I just got back from vacation the night before yesterday, so I’m still getting everything settled. I’m also pretty behind in comments and email. So if you commented on a post or sent me an email while I was away and I didn’t respond, don’t worry. I’m not ignoring you. I just haven’t gotten to it yet – but I will! Over the next few days I’ll be setting aside several hours to answer comments and email, so check your inbox for that.

Second of all, I’m really excited to tell you that I achieved a major milestone last month. But before we get into that, I’m going to talk about my major accomplishments last month, any mistakes I’ve made, and what I’ve learned from them. Then I’ll get into the income report and my goals for February.

Photo by Eric Danley (flickr)

Also, before I forget, you can still join in the Do Something Remarkable Contest for a chance to win Rework by Jason Fried & David Hansson and a $30-60 Amazon gift card. For those of you who are a little late, the rules are simple. Do something that will help better your life by March 27th (my 21st birthday!) and tell me about it. It’s a win/win in my book. You win because you’ll be furthering your career and meeting new milestones (while you compete for a free book and cash prize), and I win because it makes me feel good to motivate you and watch your progress. After all, that’s what this blog is for – to help you grow as a writer and entrepreneur. (more…)

Stop Lurking in the Shadows: Discover a Safe Way to Take Risks

This is a guest post by Stuart Mills and, let me say, when Stuart first submitted this guest post to read – I was so amazed at the depth and insight that went into crafting this article. If you find yourself struggling with taking risks, this post is a must read. And thanks, Stu, for the wonderful contribution.

It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.
- Seneca

Photo by Shayan (flickr)

Who here can say that they’ve found themselves in a predicament where they felt at risk?

Of course you have – everyone has. I once heard that the only people who have no risks or worries are dead.

The truth is that we always have risks in our lives, whether we want them or not. In your job, for example, you take risks if you don’t perform up to standards; you might get demoted or, God forbid, get struck off completely. With the economy as it currently is, the level of risks are great.

And even in the things we love, we find risks, more than the usual level that’s in our work.

But why? Why do we find more challenges and risks in that which we pursue with our hearts? Well, it’s partly because we’re paying more attention, so we see more risks. It’s also partly because there’s always more risks involved when we push ourselves further towards our destiny; it’s only natural. (more…)