Why I think Text Link Ads and is better than Google AdSense. The differences between the two advertising streams expressed in a comparative table.
How Google AdSense Earnings Compare With Text-Link Ads
Google AdSense
I use Google AdSense on four sites: Thesis Theme HQ, Timberwolf HQ, Beyond 2012 HQ and Tranquility HQ.
I started up with Google AdSense in April 2009 and it took about 7 months to finally make $150 to get paid.
- My ad revenue has increased from a few cents a month to about $30 a month.
- My ad revenue increases about $5 each month.
Text Link Ads
I use Text Link Ads on the same four sites, but have only just recently added it to Beyond 2012 HQ and as yet (after about a week) haven’t sold any ads – but it will happen.
I chanced across a Text Link Ads banner on another site and thought I would give it a go.
I had earned a few dollars with Google AdSense and was looking at additional advertising that was a bit more subtle.
I started with Text Link Ads in June 2009 and I get paid every month like clockwork, even if I only make a few dollars a month.
- My ad revenue has increased from a few dollars a month to more than $70 a month.
- My ad revenue increases about 30-100% each month.
- I’m on track to make a total of $142 by the end of December 2009 after just 7 months…and
- …with the rate of monthly increase in ad revenue – with $71.66 attributable to Dec 09 – I could be making $150 every 2-3 months instead of $150 every 6-9 months with Google AdSense.
- See the screenshots below the table for more information.
- Four (4) links on Thesis Theme HQ this month (Dec 09) will pay $49.50
Why I Think Text Link Ads Is Better Than Google AdSense
| Elements | Text Link Ads | Google AdSense |
| Payout minimum | No minimum. Even if you only make a few dollars you get paid evry month you earn $. | Your choice but a minimum $150. You might have to wait a very long time between payments. |
| Pay day | The first couple of days after the end of the month. | About 3 or 4 weeks after the end of the previous month. |
| Ad placement | You can select in text or use a sidebar widget. It can be on specific pages or sitewide. You have control where it goes. |
Anywhere you put the code, for example in a single post or sitewide. |
| Ad selection | You can choose text link ads to be automatically approved or you can manually approve ads. | Google AdSense gives you what they want to. You don’t have much say at all. |
| Money making potential | I make more than $70 a month across three main sites. Monthly ad revenue increases each month. | I make about $30 a month across four sites. Monthly ad revenue hasn’t really increased in the last 12 months. |
| Ease of installation | Go to Text Link Ads and register. Approval is very quick. Download a plugin from the Text Link Ads site. Upload the plugin to your server and activate. Ads will automatically appear if you set them to automatic approval or shortly after you approving them by visiting the Text Link Ads site and clicking approve. |
Apply to register with Google AdSense and wait for their answer. You must have an established site and meet their criteria (whatever that is), before they will admit you to their program. Do not be surprised if you get refused the first time if your site is less than 6 months old and you have not written many posts. |
Screenshots of the Text Link Ads Dashboard Area
Payouts
Monthly Earnings for Each Site
Individual Site Advertising Details for Thesis Theme HQ (Dec 09)
Subtle Site-Wide Text Links in Sidebar
Just one place you can have them. These 4 links return $49.50 for the month.
Subtle In Text Links
On Tranquility HQ.com, I have Text Link Ads on a page instead of site wide – even more subtle. For example, I make nearly $11 a month by having a text link on the word flowers on a post about Japanese Gardens.
- Here’s an extract from the Text Link Ads dashboard with a screenshot that relates to it – the text link ad is in blue – my default for links on the site.
Monthly Price: $10.63
Charged Period: 2009-12-01 – 2009-12-31
Post URL: http://tranquilityhq.com/japanese-garden-2/
Post Link: flowers (http://www.findaflorist.com/florists/california-ca/san-diego/florists.aspx)
I recommend Text Link Ads if you want to try something in addition or instead of Google AdSense. If you are patient for a few months until your site starts to sell some ads, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
- I’ll update this post with results from Dec 2009, Jan 2010…, etc.
* * UPDATE * *
BEWARE USING TEXT LINK ADS MAY DAMAGE YOUR GOOGLE TRAFFIC
- Following several comments suggesting that TLA is a risky proposition, especially a comment from Sanjeev, I researched it a bit more.
- I first saw advertising for Text Link Ads at Problogger, Darren advertises their banners quite heavily, so I thought it should be okay.
- However, I don’t like to take too many risks so I just did some extra research. Problogger actually had his PR penalized and had to really fight to get it back.
- I read Selling Text Links Ads And Google Penalization: What You Need To Know @ Master New Media.
- This article spooked me. It has very good reasons why it is too risky to use TLA. This article is written in 2007, but it spells out nicely what a lot of other sites with more recent articles are getting at.
- See also No More Text Link Ads at Daily Blog Tips, Paid Text Links Cause of Huge Google PageRank Penalties @ Quick Online Tips.
- In the time I spent looking I couldn’t find articles with suitable authority providing evidence that Google is OK with TLA.
So until I find clear evidence that it is not so risky I’m going to play it safe and remove Text Link Advertising from my sites.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I noticed that your site has a high PR. I know that’s a factor that people look for in buying ads on TLA. Maybe I’ll give it a shot in addition to AdSense once my site has more time to develop. Right now I have more traffic than link juice.
Hi Somone, this was an interesting read for4 me. I guess it boils down to what your targets and goals are.
.-= George Serradinho´s last blog ..Serious Monday Roundup #22 =-.
I think i need to consider this seriously, adsense is not doing well, I am looking for the best alternatives…
.-= Rajesh Kanuri @ TechCats´s last blog ..How To Solve Missed Schedule Error In Wordpress 2.9 =-.
Text Link Ads are a good alternative to AdSense and in some cases, a blogger could use both.
The biggest problem is that for most bloggers, TLA isn’t really an option since many blogs won’t get approved. Glad it’s working out for you though!
I’m curious how could you earn so well with Text Link Ads, at the same time you can have high pagerank for your site. I’ve tried TLA before, I earned few dollars but I ditched it after Google penalized my pagerank from PR2 to PR0.
Or Google doesn’t care or bother about TLA right now anymore?
Regards,
Lee
Lee @ I had PR4 before joining TLA and they use a plugin which is just like most other plugins. I’ve never had any problems with Google or TLA.
I tried TLA too. But the plugin seem not working on my site. Removed it after that since Google does not like webmaster to sell links.
.-= Jayce´s last blog ..How to hack Facebook account profile =-.
I think Google doesn’t notice about that, or they don’t care about this anymore. But I’m still afraid to try as I don’t want to lose my PR3 right now because all the text links are irrelevant with your site and they are dofollow.
Anyway, congrats and wish you luck Somone! :)
Cheers,
Lee
Really good I think I should give TLA a try after reading this post………….. :)
I’m registering with TLA right now..
Thanks for a great share!
.-= snoring products´s last blog ..Stop Snoring Products – Remedies For Snoring Or Scams? =-.
I will say that is depends on your readers. How often do you click an add on others blog? If your targeted readers are bloggers then your earning will be less
Ricky @ With TLA I get paid if nobody ever clicks on the links. It is up to advertisers to decide if they will continue with a particular site. Many of my ads are renewed month after month, price is dependent upon traffic I think.
Lee @ I’m carefully watching the reaction by Google and so far there is nothing to speak of. I will rip TLA off the second there is a problem.
Jayce @ If you are having problems with the plugin, shoot the guys at TLA an email. Brock and others are super fast in assisting you getting your plugin to work.
Overall, even though the links aren’t always relevant, I share enough link love to other sites that are relevant to make irrelevant links barely show up. You can disapprove links that you don’t want to have and remove them at any time. Your earnings are calculated daily so if you stop an ad you just stop getting paid from that day forth.
I will work harder to get a PR5 next year or if the opportunity suddenly reveals itself. For now I am happy establishing a number of sites and sticking with my Year 2 strategy for Thesis Theme HQ of content and community; Year 1 was content and design and Year 3 will probably be content and competition when I really ramp it up.
That said, I bought myself a Christmas present – a subscription to the Wealthy Affiliate University – and so far I am so impressed that the competition goal will probably enter into my Year 2 strategy. More on the Wealthy Affiliate University in future posts.
I would like to try TLA. But i haven’t get the approval from them. Hopefully i can get approved as soon as possible.
.-= Kok Siong Chen´s last blog ..Autosomal Aneuploidy – Cytogenetic Abnormalities =-.
Hi Somone,
Thanks a lot for sharing this info with screenshot of your dashboard area. But I would recommend to use Adsense seriously as that is having so much potential. It takes time but once you will start making money thru that, none of these can stand against that (but that is my personal feeling). It took more than a year for me to get a respectable income thru Adsense but now I am feeling comfortable with that. Text Link Ads are bit risky in terms of Google PR and since I am getting more than 60% of traffic thru Google, can’t take a chance.
Anyway, thanks for sharing this detailed info and earning data and Congratulation for positive results thru text Link Ads.
.-= Sanjeev´s last blog ..Microsoft Courier – Another Innovation on its Way =-.
Sanjeev – I’ve updated this post based on your comment and some further research since. Your comment was a tipping point for me. Thank you.
I was about to warn you and then I read your update at the end. I for one have tried using TLA in one of my blogspot blogs and it made sure that I was PR0 (from a solid PR4) within 4 months. And the worst part? I had just placed the TLA script and yet to get the first deal/ad from them. It has been almost 2 years and even after 2-3 reconsideration requests, the PR stays at the ZERO :(
.-= TechChunks´s last blog ..Get the Free Preview of World of Warcraft Magazine Here =-.
Thanks a lot! ;)
Thank you very much :*:)
.-= John´s last blog ..THE WOLF AND THE LAMB =-.
It almost dosn’t make sense to do the pay per click. In a lot of different industries because you spend more than you make.
I didn’t know about TLA before. I’ll try it. Thanks :)
Thank you so much for giving this valuable info….
Excellent article and good to see that you took the time to research and test the earnings. I have found placing different types of adsense banners within the article and on the menu can have a drastic impact on earnings and CTR.
Yep its a tough decision but if you took time to focus on adsense earnings and continue to create new content around topics that earn you money ive had constant growth from my earnings.
I wouldn’t be in a rush to sacrifice my growing adsense revenue/organic traffic to sell a few links.
Is TLA that risky.
Then how does it really work.
Its like selling your own pagerank for money.
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Thanks for the article. I have used Google adsense many times before, but havent really tried other methods to promote products and try to make money. But i do like what you are saying. I have had some issues where I just havent liked what adsense does and it doesnt always get that great of a conversion at all. I might just have to switch over and see if this is any different. Thanks again!
Thanks for the advice about page rank i just signed up but doubt i will use text link ads now
Nice Blog!
I understand what to buy cheap keywords, thus making the traffic.
So glad I saw this. I have 3 blogs, this and 2 others on a separate id. this blog is too new so doesn’t have a page rank, my other 2 do, one is 5 the other 3. Adsense is bringing in pennies so thought I would search on how to make more and came upon this article. Was about to check on the textlink ads until I saw your update.
thanks for letting us know.
back to square one.
thanks for the nice share, i am running a entertainment site, would this be good than adsense? visit my site