Archive for the 'Blogging' Category

New Video Feature

I invite you to check out the new video feature on DERRICH.com. It’s located over on the sidebar, and it includes the last 5 videos shown on the site. And given the frequency with which I’ve been posting lately, this is your key to entertainment when visiting the blog. If you have a video you think I should include, don’t hesitate to send it to me!

Popularity: 73% [?]

The New & Improved DERRICH.com

As you can see, DERRICH.com has undergone a facelift. It has been a long time coming, but I finally got around to it. And to do so, I summoned Nate Whitehill and the crew over at Unique Blog Designs. They are refreshingly flexible and accommodating.

The biggest hint of what my focus will be is the logo. It was designed by yours truly. I submitted my idea to Nate; he took it and ran. The final logo is a result of his mad PhotoShop skills. Embedded in the logo, you’ll see sports, pretty ladies, hot cars, the NASDAQ center in Times Square, and a BlackBerry. Embedded in each post…the usual DERRICH.com crude yet refined humor.

I hope you enjoy the new theme. There are still some minor changes to make, but I’d love to hear your feedback. Thank you, Nate and Unique Blog Designs!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Google Slap Heard ‘Round The World

The Google Bitch Slap lives! Last week while thumbing through Text-Link-Ads, I discovered that my “link popularity” (i.e. Google PageRank) had gone down from 5 to 3. I decided to check this against my SmartPageRank meter at the bottom of my page. Much to my chagrin, it read “2″. Hopped over to PayPerPost. Zero…which is where I currently sit.

Completely unaware of what was happening, I emailed Google to get to the bottom of this. That was a few days ago, and I haven’t received a response yet. But after digging around, I discovered that I’m not the only one.

My good friend, Michael Kwan, was recently bitch slapped by Google as well. Like Michael, I wonder why some of us were singled out, and others have retained their coveted PR.

It appears that Google has targeted blogs with paid links and sponsored posts. While Michael doesn’t fit this profile, most of the others effected do. Yaro Starak over at the Entrepreneur’s Journey was penlized by Google. And Yaro does sell text links on his PR6 blog. Because advertisers refer to PR to gauge pricing, this creates problems. Luckily (and so far I can only speak for myself), the PR of Derrich.com has been reinstated to a 5 on those services I do use until this is resolved.

Robert Clough at the Search Engine Guide decided it would be best to surrender to Google. A little hasty in my opinion. But probably the smart thing to do. This move by Google will definitely effect the smaller bloggers before it effects those with greater traffic (versus higher PR).

John Chow has quite the track record with Google…having been bullied before. While the bitch slap might effect Derrich.com, it probably won’t effect JohnChow.com. John has done an excellent job of monetizing his blog through readership and by selling his own sponsorships and advertising. John talks about this very topic and how some bloggers mentioned here surrender to Google. Since this isn’t his first rodeo so to speak, he has a more confident stance on this whole issue.

For me, surrendering to Google would cost way too much money. Sure, it will be nice to be ranked properly in their index but the traffic they would send wouldn’t come close to making up for the money lost. This is a business decision that each site will have to make on their own.

He’s right. Each blog will react differently after considering a number of variables. I’ll just sit back, and wait to hear from Google. Surely there’s a way for us bloggers to continue to monetize our blogs without being penalized by Google. I value the traffic I get from Google, but I don’t believe they are right to chastise me and the others. Derrich.com offers value to readers, and advertisements and paid reviews are pertinent to the rest of my content and to my blog’s purpose. C’mon, Google. Stop slapping me.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The Mystery That Is Google AdSense

For awhile, blogging took a backseat to my family and my bar, RETOX. So what does that have to do with Google AdSense? Well, as I’ve started posting more frequently, I’ve also noticed a resurgence in traffic.

Although I wasn’t posting for days on end, I was still receiving some respectable clickage on my AdSense ads. With yesterday’s scramble to find Kyla Ebbert Playboy photos, I pulled in gobs of additional traffic. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time…but how on Google Earth does AdSense record so few clicks while MyBlogLog records so many more.

I’m aware of all the nuances of the two services. There are countless blog posts that explain why. There are even those that show you how to capatilize on one by using the stats of the other. Great. I still think I’m getting shorted. See for yourself.

Over 28,000 page views. 2 clicks. Are you kidding me? I suppose MBL pulled “139″ out of its @$$. Some may argue that content might play a role in what ads are showing. Fair enough. But most of my ads have been the same for weeks…including the time I was on my hiatus. None of it makes sense regardless of how many posts I read about codes and fraudulent clicks…etc. By the way, as I write this post, I’m sitting at about 10,000 page views with 1 click. If anyone else wants to join my “boohoo” party, the invite is open.

Popularity: 5% [?]

iPhone Giveaway Results By Video

Back in July, Gary Lee announced an iPhone giveaway on his blog. But like me, he’s been rather swamped lately with work…and moving, and making videos with Ms. Danielle. Gary’s purpose for the video is more than just an announcement. He uses it as a “how to” tool to point out some key things that you should keep in mind when making a contest video. Gary and Danielle included Derrich.com in their thank you list, and I’d like to thank them for that…and say you’re welcome.

Click here to watch the video, and be sure to visit Gary and Danielle on their new website, Creative Traffic Builders [dot] com.

Buy a New Home w/ Flexible Payment Options - Quicken Loans®

Popularity: 5% [?]

Blog Money — August 2007

Can you believe it is already September? I think part of the reason this summer has been such a blur is all the rain we’ve had down here in San Antonio. August was also a busy month as my business partner and I engrossed ourselves with the planning of RETOX, which hit a few snags.

Despite the decrease in posts, blogging revenues remained relatively unchanged. Here are my blogging revenues for August 2007:

Google AdSense:	$47.09
Text Link Ads:	$21.57
PayPerPost:	$129.50
AuctionAds:	$0.04
AzoogleAds:	$0.00
Amazon Associates:	$5.58
TOTAL:	$203.78

So, a decrease from July 2007 blogging revenue, but expected. I only did four paid reviews through PayPerPost in August; PPP is clearly my biggest revenue generator. AdSense did increase by about a buck. I’m a little discouraged that I have not sold more Text Link Ads. I lost one advertiser, but quickly gained another. Credit Solutions provides debt consolidation services and a learning center to assist those concerned with managing their debt. Thanks to them for advertising on Derrich.com. I’ve also stopped advertising on Brohans.com. I don’t think they are updating anymore, so they’ve also stopped taking money out of my PayPal account. I did get a free link to Sweethacks.com. The blog has 8 free backlinks since I last checked. Wander over and grab a spot.

And big thanks to all of you that contribute your thoughts and comments. I just remembered halfway through the month that my Top Commenters counter is set to 7 days, which means it resets itself sooner than I thought. I’ve fixed that to go for the full month. Cheers to a successful month of blogging for everyone…and if you’re not a blogger, then cheers to your pursuit of success.

Popularity: 8% [?]

A Good Review Can Go A Long Way

Reviews on Derrich.com are primarily paid reviews. There’s no secret there. But sometimes, I feel the need to publish a review for an exciting new product or service that I’ve used. Before I make purchases, particularly of electronics, I always search for reviews by an end user. While it’s nice to read a review by an editor, or a manufacturer’s explanation of their product, reviews by consumers are first on my list. Recently, I wrote two reviews that have earned some noteworthy attention.

Infiniti G37 Coupe Review
I had the opportunity to test drive an Infiniti G37 Coupe about 2 weeks ago. I wrote all about the experience and included some pictures. Since then, my review has been linked on numerous G37 and Nissan forums. I have received a little over 1,000 hits (1,005 as of late last night) from Google searches on some variation of “Infiniti G37 Coupe”. Last I checked, my post was in the Top 10 search results for many of those variations…and #1 under “G37 test drive”.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Detailer
I have virtually zero bad things to say, if any, about Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Detailer since I wrote my review over a week ago. I snapped a couple of photos of its “Hydrophobic” effects on my car, which simulate the beading qualities of a fresh wax.

Shortly after I posted the review, I decided to forward the link to Meguiar’s. Within a day, I had received the following email:

Dear Derrich,
Let me be the first to thank you for taking the time to send in this link. That is a great write up, and if you do not mind I will be passing this on to other departments within Meguiar’s. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me anytime. Have a wonderful day!

Thank you very much,
Ash Erickson

Shortly after I replied with an email just short of “Heck, yes!”, I received an email from its public relations company, that also represents other auto-related manufacturers. To my surprise, I was congratulated with a good amount of sample products from Meguiar’s and a variety of other manufacturers. My camera is kaput and I’m in the middle of changing phones (more on that later), so I can’t offer you pictures of these items. But the moment an opportunity arises, I’ll get that up.

There are only a handful of bloggers that write thorough AND interesting reviews worth reading. I’d like to include myself in that category, but that’s for readers to decide. Whether or not the review is sponsored, a good review (in my opinion) includes photos for depth and focus on the main characteristics on the product or service…and how those features benefit the user. And don’t hesitate to point out any fallacies. Those are the things that help consumers decide whether a product is right for their needs.

Popularity: 7% [?]

BlogRoll

• Milk Was A Bad Choice
• CrackBerry.com
• Stock Trading 101
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• Project Spurs
• Busted Coverage
• WallStreetFighter

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