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Review of Ranked Hard, the SEO Comic Strip

Jason Katzenback — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:57:19 +0000

When you think about Search Engine Optimization, you generally don’t think “that’s funny.” As any webmaster can tell you, trying to keep up with the changes in the algorithms Google uses for its searches is like trying to herd cats. SEO is more likely to lead to frustration than it is to laughter. Enter Ranked Hard

Ranked Hard is a monthly webcomic drawn by Kelly Ishikawa and written by the folks at Big Oak – an SEO company. These folks know the ins and the outs, the ups and downs of the SEO biz, and it shows. From their commentary on Black Hat SEO to their take on Google Adwords, the Big Oak folks take no prisoners, and leave you laughing all along the way.

Most of the time, the comic is so spot-on that you wonder where the fictional Ranked Hard SEO company and the real Big Oak begins. Such is the world of SEO.

One of the more compelling things about Ranked Hard, though, isn’t the comics themselves; it’s the discussions that the comics engender. It’s almost hilarious to watch people who obviously take themselves too seriously get worked up by a simple webcomic. Even some of the so-called “celebrity” SEO experts, lampooned in September’s comic, showed up to say exactly how hilarious they thought Ranked Hard was.
Ranked Hard is full of inside jokes. If you’re not intimately familiar with the SEO field, chances are you’re going to miss some of the major funny. On the other hand, Ranked Hard does sometimes provide sort of a meta-narrative by way of character discussions (See, for example, “Cutt Her Some Slack”) so you won’t always be completely lost if you’re an SEO neophyte.

My one complaint about Ranked Hard is its infrequency. A month is just too long to wait between installments. Here’s to hoping the Big Oak folks can find a way (or the time) to step up their production of Ranked Hard.

Check them out now at http://www.rankedhard.com/

Review of PublisherSpot

Jason Katzenback — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:12:21 +0000

If you’ve been trying to make money from your blog for any amount of time, you know it can be a challenge to wade through the mire of Internet ad network companies. You want to find the ad services and affiliate programs that are the most profitable, and you want to find the ones that are legitimate, too. Unfortunately, there are so many Internet ad network companies out there that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to week through them all.

Fortunately for all of us, there’s PublisherSpot.

PublishserSpot does all of our dirty work for us. These folks are experts at separating gold from the dross when it comes to Internet ad networks.

One of the neatest things about PublisherSpot is its ease of use. It’s friendly and accessible, whether you’re new to Internet ad networks, or whether you’ve been at it a long time. It even features a useful glossary to help you navigate through sometimes-confusing terms.

How does PublisherSpot do it?

They gather information for you, and provide you with detailed reviews of ad network packages. They let you know what form of payment each network accepts, whether or not they serve popups, which ones serve contextual ads, and even what their conversion rates are. Each review averages around 2,000 words, so you know you’re getting an in-depth analysis.

Not only does PublisherSpot offer you all of this information, it does so in a database format that is very search-friendly. You can search by just about any criteria you can think of, from conversion rates to whether the ads are allowed on forums.

Now, this information alone is worth taking a look at PubliserSpot’s service. However, it doesn’t stop there. PublisherSpot takes even more of the guesswork out of the ad network search by offering an Editor’s Choice. Editor’s Choice networks are those that have stood out, and proven themselves to be excellent choices.

If you don’t want to take the editors’ word for it, however, you can look at the “Top Networks” feature. These are networks voted on by registered members. A network that has received at least 10 ratings is eligible for the Top Network list, and many of the networks in that list have ratings by 50 or more users.

Give PublisherSpot a look today!

Review of T3leads.com

Jason Katzenback — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:01:20 +0000

One of the more interesting Pay Per Lead (PPL) affiliate programs I’ve seen in recent days is the program at T3leads. Pay Per Lead programs offer a viable alternative to Pay Per Click (PPC) programs, and T3leads is a solid choice.

While Pay Per Click programs typically pay just pennies for each click, Pay Per Lead programs like T3leads pay much more. Currently, the highest-paying product lead at T3leads pays you $45.45 every time someone clicks through from your site and fills out their lead form. Other product leads at T3leads pay an average of around $18 apiece.

T3leads works by paying you whenever a visitor to your site clicks through and provides lead information on relevant, qualified products and services. Currently, T3leads works with major banks, lenders, auto financing companies, and home improvement companies.

T3leads offers a sizeable amount of tools for you to use on your site to help promote their service. It is these tools, largely, that are responsible for their high conversion rates. T3leads has one of the highest conversion rates in the industry, ranging from 1:6 to 1:9.

Top affiliates at T3leads earn bonuses, as well. Some of the gifts they’ve given in the past include products from Sony, Geek Squad, Apple, and Bose. In addition, every affiliate who earns at least $300 will receive a free ePassporte card, which allows you to have immediate access to your T3leads payments.

The T3leads website also features a support forum, plenty of helpful articles, and a thorough FAQ section to help you make the most of the program. They also provide information about the products they are advertising on your site, so you never have to worry about having irrelevant ads that won’t convert.

If you’re looking for a solid, high-performance PPL program…

Click Here to check out T3leads now!