Why I Think Text Link Ads IS Better Than Google AdSense

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.

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