Is PayPerPost the right choice for your blog?

Webtalks reader, Carl, who read my previous article about low adsense earnings of bloggers followed me up via Email for more information on PayPerPost and does his site really need it or not.

PayPerPost lets you do sponsored posts and then earn money at a decent price. A sponsored post will make you earn anywhere between 5 $ to 500 $ depending on the rating of your site. Its almost similar to ReviewMe but a bit more helpful for small bloggers because as it is small bloggers very rarely get an opportunity to get Blog Reviews. For PayPerPost, you need to have a PayPal account.

For a higher rating of your site in PayPerPost, you need to have a high PR and a low Alexa traffic rank. When you have registered your blog, you’ll start getting sponsored post opportunities. This is a terribly good opportunity for small bloggers who don’t make much out of Adsense. I was also planning to start sponsored posts {15 $ per post} in my blog, but when I read their Terms, my mind changed. Why?

• I have to add a new label call adverts, include all sponsored posts under that and then link to it through each post of my blog. Also, I will have to put a PayPerPost logo after each and every blog post of mine. Too much Self promotion!

• I have to post three articles per month. What if there is a week called oneweekblogsilence or something else. Currently I have only one guest blogger who will be posting when I’m on leave.

• Only 1% of my blog traffic will care to read the sponsored article. What if the site traffic ignores the un-sponsored post?

• Who will like to receive Ads in their Inbox? My RSS feed count will definitely decrease.

• I cannot play with my pagerank. Google says that a advertiser should always be linked with a NOFOLLOW attribute but the terms of PayPerPost are strictly against it.

But today almost each blogger wants to earn money by blogging. It can be argued that if the main aim of a blogger is to earn, then he shouldn’t worry about the above listed figures. A blogger will get money, what he requires and then more and more bloggers will be enrolling themselves in Sponsored Post sites like payperpost. Then it will be hard to distinguish between Sponsorsed and Orignal Post in the near future.

P.S. I back listed myself from PayPerPost

Related:Google Adsense Alternatives

View any XML feed inside your Gmail Inbox

A feed burner icon today is very common in sites with most of them being blogs.Some of the blogs offer subscription to blog's XML feed via Email.What about those who don't?
Many people, like me, are too lazy to check in their Google Reader everyday where I had subscribed the feeds of my dailies. How about a rotating headline right inside your G mail In box where you commonly see some sponsored links and some latest headlines from news blogs.
To customize your Web Clips..

1.Goto Settings

2.Click on Web Clips


3.Add your site's Xml(RSS) feed URL in the Search box


4.Wait for confirmation


5.Enjoy


I recommend that you do not use the feedburner feed url as it not always works

Technorati introduces Technorati advanced search

In a short period of time,Technorati have re-designed its website and added / removed some features.The new look has a bit of professional touch in it.Technorati now have added a new part in their family, Technorati Advanced Search


Technorati Search is an advanced version of their previous Technorati Search.What is a new cool feature added to this advanced search is their syndication options.For example, your looking for something about the New design of Analytics, simply advance search it and then subscribe it through your favourite bookmark option.If you are a webmaster, you can subscribe to the backlinks for your URL,so that you do not have to search daily.

Blog authority which gives a pleasant idea about the blog's placement in the blogosphere.They previously displayed a line "XXX links to this URL".Now they have removed it from normal search and have added to advanced search "XXX reactions to this blog"

Something strange I noticed is that when I searched for my back up wordpress domain via normal search, I ended up with a page which was still having the old design and was still displaing the blog rank.

This may be a bug in thier system after all Technorati have been facing many harmful bots in recent days and many publishers were attacked with Technorati Ghosts while sending pings.Technorati have still not removed blog ranks from their APIs

---

Update

Looks like Technorati is still experimenting with their layout and they have re-added the blog rank.Or maybe they might have read that people are not happy without the blog rank

Related:Technorati Blog Reactions not getting updated?

Wordpress like plugins for new blogger

A Webtalks reader asked me a simple question…Are there any widgets which are similar to wordpress plug-ins. The answer is yes .There are some widgets created by professionals which are almost similar to wordpress 2 plug-ins

Label Cloud widget: In wordpress, label is also known as category cloud. By default, the new blogger displays labels and a number just after it indicating the number of posts in the label. You can turn it into a label cloud with the broad label being of the biggest font size by simply copying this code from here .This is the one, I used..

Archive calendar widget : By default, the new blogger has three archive lists. Hierarchy, flat list and a dropdown. In contrast, wordpress has a calendar archive .Purplemoggy and phydeaux ,boh have created separate widgets for it. You can get them here and here


Recent posts widget: As I have explained in my previous article, for displaying a list of recent posts, you need to convert into java script. This can be done here. A maximum of 25 recent posts can be shown with a single feed. Just fillout the form there

and then paste the java script snippet in a HTML/ Javascript page element of your page layout. This method has a big disadvantage as the links are dynamic, so no search engine would be able to index the post links.Anyways, you can still have a ready made widget from here

Recent comments widget: Fillout the form. Remember, you need to be signed in to blogger to use it.

Summarised posts script:{Peek A boo posts}Often, wordpress posts are limited to a short summary of post on the main page of blog. Visitors have to click links like Read more/Continue Reading/more.. etc. to read the full entry or to comment.But blogger does not have any such feature,I would refer you too this hack by Hans.But don’t visit that blog if you are afraid of coding. I’m currently trying to build such a feature without the use of complex codes.

Top commentator widget: Currently, no coder has been able to develop top commenter widget. I am expecting it soon...

Top posts/Popularity widget: You can deep study your stats and have a separate link list for popular posts as it is summarized {Peek A Boo} posts don’t have any such feature yet for the new blogger

New Google Analytics Design open for all

Yesterday, I got a no-reply letter from Google Analytics team, that they have finally opened the new design for all users which they announced some days back.
On visiting, the first observation I made was that this is the beta version and the previous design is still available who are not comfortable with the new design.

This is the perfect guide/ tutorial for those who want to learn how to use the New Beta Google Analytics design

Still the graphics are awesome and are using the flash player, so it will still take time to load but the good thing is that not everything is in Flash.What I really like about the new design is this hover effect they have on their graphs


The Drag and Drop functionality of graphs is still enabled, something new is the visitor location map like that of Frappr Maps but a bit neat

Something more is traffic sources.I had to previoulsy visit MyBloglog tracker to see from where my visitors are coming.This time Analytics wins it as it is giving each and every real time referral source.And what ads shine to it is the Search Engine keywords that my visitors used.

Another cool feature is the option to add Reports of only one topic, say Keywords to your Dashboards so that it may display only Keyword Graphic and Analytics loads up much faster as you are not loading other graphics which are not useful for you


Adding to this is another tool through which you can customise your reports in customisable graphs.For Example if you want a Pie Chart of all your keywords, just click on the icon and enjoy!



This is not the end, a drop down menu that includes visitor Operating System,Resolution,Colors,Browser.... etc.


This has really takenover Statcounter,unless the visitors don't know how to use Analytics.

Overall Summary::It's going to "dominate" in future
Related:Which online tracker is the best?

Blog Reviews.. An innovative way of building backlinks

Ever since Dot com Mogul John Chow started is reviewing program and a free link exchange program,this system has attracting more and more bloggers per day.This time the victim is Darrin.Let us see what does he have in store for us...



Darin.CC is a blog about Search Engine Marketing. He is offering to link to your blog if you review his blog and you could win a Free Nintendo Wii in the process!

How I see it?

Though I find it somewhat similar to johnchow dot com, Darrin has his own taste for things.For I can say that yellow is his favorite color{Anyone could guess that:)}

Its not hosted on wordpress

It is top ranked in most popular blog directories and has a decent alexa rank

Adsense Tip::

Since you are using only one banner on each page, your CPM earnings wouldn't be that high.I recommend you insert adsense around each post so that you can earn through CPM as well and your high traffic doesn't goes a waste.

The second victim is Kevin and he has shown us that we can Win a mascot at Bloggingtips.com
Its not really review but still, Kevin a tip for you.Your black sidebar distracts me a bit from reading the post content.Rest is awesome

Bloggers are continously getting attracted towards the mascot including me, and the result, already about 800 links to his site and still 8 days left.

Enough!

This last one is not a prize winning one!

Have everything Related to Mobile

Have everything Related to Mobile is a blog which deals with Free Games, Softwares, Themes, and many more for ALL NOKIA PHONE 100% Free Mobile Stuff.

How I see it?
Well optimized blog on blog*spot getting decent traffic using the classic blogger three column template{not using XML template}

Suggestions
Only one

The bookmark option after each post title dose not suite you levels.You can have it below where you have quick search options in post footer.

Adsense Tip
You know I wanted this blog to be an example from where others can get a few ideas about ad positioning

Perfect blending and mixing of ads and Adsense referrals

P.S> the fellow hasn't paid me pore to make me say like this

Fix your blogger template sidebar Drops

When your site gets a visitor and finds that one of your sidebar has been pushed below the posts, he’ll consider your site of not a decent quality and you might lose a regular reader

The ready made templates which are available for Bloggers are from the side of some world class designers but when a blogger places an image, video etc. in the middle of the post and the width of the images/video is more than that space provided, in some versions of Web browser, the sidebar tends to drop ,ie, it slips down blog posts this is also known as float drops.

I had a similar problem when one of my friends said that the left sidebar is dropping for my Minima three column template in some old versions of Internet Explorer. My site is loaded with a lot of stuff and maybe in some web browser my sidebar falls. My site in short was looking a piece of crap without one sidebar.

A normal css definition for a sidebar looks like

#sidebar-wrapper

{

width: 240px;

float: right;

word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */

overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */

}

word-wrap:break-word property for fixing long floating text works only in Internet Explorer

Too make your sidebar fixed in one location, add these three CSS properties to the sidebar-wrapper property of your template

#sidebar-wrapper

{

positon:absolute;

magin-top:0px;

margin-left:0px;

}

So now the code looks like this

#sidebar-wrapper

{

positon:absolute;

magin-top:1px;

margin-left:1px;

width: 240px;

float: right;

word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */

overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */

}

This confirms to the Web Browser that the sidebar has to remain fixed at one place only in all versions of the Web Browser. The Sidebar will remain static and should not be affected by any long floating image/text/video.

Blog Review- Software Testing Zone

Software testing zone is dedicated towards extensive SOFTWARE QA and TESTING information - large FAQ, lists of resources, and listing of web site testing/management links and blogs by Debasis Pradhan

How I see it?

This blog is using a two column Denim based old blogger template

Suggestions:

The colour of your header blog description text{somewhat} mixes with its background[both of them].Change any of them.Make reading easy

Since your site is loaded with tons of stuff, I recommend you use a three column blogger layout which improves the visibility of the real contents of your site.You may also migrate to the new blogger which makes editing quick and easy



These two boxes annoy me as they are repeating after each post.You can put in your future third column.I'm sure it will attract people

Adsense Tip

The ads on the bottom of page can be aligned centrally

No use of referrals.why?

You can put another horizontal link unit on thee bottom of header.It can be useful

Google Testing its Design ... Again

Today might be another boring day in your life.Lets make it special.This time you can have a sneaky preview of the upcoming Design of the world's second most visited website{after microsoft.com} and most popular Search Engine.Google has been a bit naughty and was testing its new Layouts and designs in regional versions of their site.Some of them are below{Thanks to Ionut}







Today while surfing Google.co.in {I am a resident of India} , I noticed a major change.I quickly captured a shot and it is below



This may give you pleasant idea of what it may be.I liked this layout except the left navigation part.What about you?
P.S. if you hate those scroll boxes, leave back a comment.

Get connected using Fring

Today is the world of mobility.Everyone would like to be online wherever they go.
You may carry your Laptop along but what abut a Mobile connection that simply makes you connected to PC-based VoIP services such as Skype, MSN Messenger and Google Talk that too at no extra cost.Fring makes it possible


Some of its advantages::

talk and chat totally free over Wi-Fi
no wasted airtime or data charges in public hotspots.

eliminate air-time costs
when calling other fringsters through your data plan, you do not need to pay for voice-air-time.

ability to call landlines
call landlines (and regular GSM) using your SkypeOut minutes.

no need for credit card details with fring
you will NOT receive an invoice from us!

true mobility with multiple PC-based VoIP providers
use fring to keep in touch with your VoIP buddies wherever you go. Skype, MSN and Google Talk all work from your mobile handset.

with fring you don't wait for call-backs
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) just pick a contact and hit the green button.

no physical limitations with fring
when using your data plan, you do not need a PC or Wi-Fi access point.

Cool isn't it?
P.S. Happy mothers Day

Alexa traffic rankings losing its importance

Perhaps the truth. I did not check my alexa rank until I was applying blog reviews at reviewme. When I checked, it was saying some 2,148,879.I did not expect that. Fairly I get around 100 unique visitors a day. I was not surprised to find that almost 1,000,000 sites ranked above my site were a fraud and they were not near to get around 50 unique visitors.

The reason is simple.

Alexa is not giving due importance to sites ranked above 100,000. They just calculate it on the basis of visitors to that site who have alexa toolbar installed.

Alexa toolbar uses an ActiveX control which is not supported by Firefox. Its I think only supported by IE.

Only 50 % of current Net population use IE. Out of those I think around 10% -5% might have installed the Alexa toolbar{Or even low!}. Your site may hardly get a visitor with Alexa toolbar installed. So how would you get a low rank?

Now Webmasters are taking the advantage of it. They just install the toolbar or ask their friend/network and visit their own site daily. This results in a fair increase of their rankings

I tried it myself .My ranking increased from around 2,148,879 to 1,515,890 in just two days for about 5 pageloads of my site.

The picture above says that If I continue to visit my site like that, I'll get a rank of around 70,000{or even less ? :-)}

So you can increase your traffic rankings simply by visiting your own site and having the toolbar installed or ask your friend to do so. And interestingly this now has become a booming business. I saw a site which promised my Alexa traffic rank around 100,000 if I pay them 500$.I’m surely not going to do that.

I don’t think after this system has been discovered Alexa rankings should be given importance for ranking a site.

Now paid blog reviews

Due to heavy amount of free blog review applications I receive everyday and with the low quality of blogs that I receive, I have shifted my mind to paid blog reviews.
I am currently using reviewme for a decent price of 40 $

A link from Webtalks official blog is of due importance. Why?

Webtalks has a technorati ranking of around 40,000 out of 72.89 million and an authority of 100 .Link from here will boost your Authority and rank

As I have already proved, A link from Webtalks will fetch you a PR of 2

Webtalks is indexed by all search engines on top places and is visited by Google Crawlers daily. Thus a link from the top most post will index your site in all search engines within a fortnight

What about 100 unique visitors reading your blog’s description daily.. and what if they get interested?

If your economic status is very weak , you may leave back a comment. I’ll just think upon it
{ that does not mean I am golden hearted }

Integrating Emoticons/Smileys in Gmail chat and Google Talk

Emoticons/Smileys are a good source of entertainment while chatting

This is the list of emoticons/smileys that should work inside Gmail Chat.Unlike any other messenger,these graphics are animated out of simple text to make it attractive

Note::These graphics would be available only to the person who is chatting inside Gmail.Not for those using Google Talk

Emoticon	Key Combination
Heart!	<3
It's a monkey!	:(|)
Rock out.	\m/
Shout!	:-o
show your teeth	:D
Sadistic	:(
Crying	x-(
Cool	B-)
Tears	:'(
laughing	=D
tricky	;)
sorrow	:-|
smile	=)
teeth!	:-D
tip	;^)
tricky!?!	;-)
lol	:-)
about to..	:-/
small laugh	:P

But I tried out these in Google Talk.The result I saw was not an animated icon but a blue graphic for most of them.You can see in the picture below
P.S. Don't get confused... These emoticons/smileys are for chatting only and will not work when integrated inside a mail