#google seo for amazon products | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mostlysignssomeportents · 23 days

Text

Even if you think AI search could be good, it won’t be good

TONIGHT (May 15), I'm in NORTH HOLLYWOOD for a screening of STEPHANIE KELTON'S FINDING THE MONEY; FRIDAY (May 17), I'm at the INTERNET ARCHIVE in SAN FRANCISCO to keynote the 10th anniversary of the AUTHORS ALLIANCE.

The big news in search this week is that Google is continuing its transition to "AI search" – instead of typing in search terms and getting links to websites, you'll ask Google a question and an AI will compose an answer based on things it finds on the web:

https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/

Google bills this as "let Google do the googling for you." Rather than searching the web yourself, you'll delegate this task to Google. Hidden in this pitch is a tacit admission that Google is no longer a convenient or reliable way to retrieve information, drowning as it is in AI-generated spam, poorly labeled ads, and SEO garbage:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/03/keyword-swarming/#site-reputation-abuse

Googling used to be easy: type in a query, get back a screen of highly relevant results. Today, clicking the top links will take you to sites that paid for placement at the top of the screen (rather than the sites that best match your query). Clicking further down will get you scams, AI slop, or bulk-produced SEO nonsense.

AI-powered search promises to fix this, not by making Google search results better, but by having a bot sort through the search results and discard the nonsense that Google will continue to serve up, and summarize the high quality results.

Now, there are plenty of obvious objections to this plan. For starters, why wouldn't Google just make its search results better? Rather than building a LLM for the sole purpose of sorting through the garbage Google is either paid or tricked into serving up, why not just stop serving up garbage? We know that's possible, because other search engines serve really good results by paying for access to Google's back-end and then filtering the results:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/04/teach-me-how-to-shruggie/#kagi

Another obvious objection: why would anyone write the web if the only purpose for doing so is to feed a bot that will summarize what you've written without sending anyone to your webpage? Whether you're a commercial publisher hoping to make money from advertising or subscriptions, or – like me – an open access publisher hoping to change people's minds, why would you invite Google to summarize your work without ever showing it to internet users? Nevermind how unfair that is, think about how implausible it is: if this is the way Google will work in the future, why wouldn't every publisher just block Google's crawler?

A third obvious objection: AI is bad. Not morally bad (though maybe morally bad, too!), but technically bad. It "hallucinates" nonsense answers, including dangerous nonsense. It's a supremely confident liar that can get you killed:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/01/mushroom-pickers-urged-to-avoid-foraging-books-on-amazon-that-appear-to-be-written-by-ai

The promises of AI are grossly oversold, including the promises Google makes, like its claim that its AI had discovered millions of useful new materials. In reality, the number of useful new materials Deepmind had discovered was zero:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/23/maximal-plausibility/#reverse-centaurs

This is true of all of AI's most impressive demos. Often, "AI" turns out to be low-waged human workers in a distant call-center pretending to be robots:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/31/neural-interface-beta-tester/#tailfins

Sometimes, the AI robot dancing on stage turns out to literally be just a person in a robot suit pretending to be a robot:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/29/pay-no-attention/#to-the-little-man-behind-the-curtain

The AI video demos that represent "an existential threat to Hollywood filmmaking" turn out to be so cumbersome as to be practically useless (and vastly inferior to existing production techniques):

https://www.wheresyoured.at/expectations-versus-reality/

But let's take Google at its word. Let's stipulate that:

a) It can't fix search, only add a slop-filtering AI layer on top of it; and

b) The rest of the world will continue to let Google index its pages even if they derive no benefit from doing so; and

c) Google will shortly fix its AI, and all the lies about AI capabilities will be revealed to be premature truths that are finally realized.

AI search is still a bad idea. Because beyond all the obvious reasons that AI search is a terrible idea, there's a subtle – and incurable – defect in this plan: AI search – even excellent AI search – makes it far too easy for Google to cheat us, and Google can't stop cheating us.

Remember: enshittification isn't the result of worse people running tech companies today than in the years when tech services were good and useful. Rather, enshittification is rooted in the collapse of constraints that used to prevent those same people from making their services worse in service to increasing their profit margins:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/26/glitchbread/#electronic-shelf-tags

These companies always had the capacity to siphon value away from business customers (like publishers) and end-users (like searchers). That comes with the territory: digital businesses can alter their "business logic" from instant to instant, and for each user, allowing them to change payouts, prices and ranking. I call this "twiddling": turning the knobs on the system's back-end to make sure the house always wins:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

What changed wasn't the character of the leaders of these businesses, nor their capacity to cheat us. What changed was the consequences for cheating. When the tech companies merged to monopoly, they ceased to fear losing your business to a competitor.

Google's 90% search market share was attained by bribing everyone who operates a service or platform where you might encounter a search box to connect that box to Google. Spending tens of billions of dollars every year to make sure no one ever encounters a non-Google search is a cheaper way to retain your business than making sure Google is the very best search engine:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task

Competition was once a threat to Google; for years, its mantra was "competition is a click away." Today, competition is all but nonexistent.

Then the surveillance business consolidated into a small number of firms. Two companies dominate the commercial surveillance industry: Google and Meta, and they collude to rig the market:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_Blue

That consolidation inevitably leads to regulatory capture: shorn of competitive pressure, the companies that dominate the sector can converge on a single message to policymakers and use their monopoly profits to turn that message into policy:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/05/regulatory-capture/

This is why Google doesn't have to worry about privacy laws. They've successfully prevented the passage of a US federal consumer privacy law. The last time the US passed a federal consumer privacy law was in 1988. It's a law that bans video store clerks from telling the newspapers which VHS cassettes you rented:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act

In Europe, Google's vast profits lets it fly an Irish flag of convenience, thus taking advantage of Ireland's tolerance for tax evasion and violations of European privacy law:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/15/finnegans-snooze/#dirty-old-town

Google doesn't fear competition, it doesn't fear regulation, and it also doesn't fear rival technologies. Google and its fellow Big Tech cartel members have expanded IP law to allow it to prevent third parties from reverse-engineer, hacking, or scraping its services. Google doesn't have to worry about ad-blocking, tracker blocking, or scrapers that filter out Google's lucrative, low-quality results:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

Google doesn't fear competition, it doesn't fear regulation, it doesn't fear rival technology and it doesn't fear its workers. Google's workforce once enjoyed enormous sway over the company's direction, thanks to their scarcity and market power. But Google has outgrown its dependence on its workers, and lays them off in vast numbers, even as it increases its profits and pisses away tens of billions on stock buybacks:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/25/moral-injury/#enshittification

Google is fearless. It doesn't fear losing your business, or being punished by regulators, or being mired in guerrilla warfare with rival engineers. It certainly doesn't fear its workers.

Making search worse is good for Google. Reducing search quality increases the number of queries, and thus ads, that each user must make to find their answers:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/24/naming-names/#prabhakar-raghavan

If Google can make things worse for searchers without losing their business, it can make more money for itself. Without the discipline of markets, regulators, tech or workers, it has no impediment to transferring value from searchers and publishers to itself.

Which brings me back to AI search. When Google substitutes its own summaries for links to pages, it creates innumerable opportunities to charge publishers for preferential placement in those summaries.

This is true of any algorithmic feed: while such feeds are important – even vital – for making sense of huge amounts of information, they can also be used to play a high-speed shell-game that makes suckers out of the rest of us:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/11/for-you/#the-algorithm-tm

When you trust someone to summarize the truth for you, you become terribly vulnerable to their self-serving lies. In an ideal world, these intermediaries would be "fiduciaries," with a solemn (and legally binding) duty to put your interests ahead of their own:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/07/treacherous-computing/#rewilding-the-internet

But Google is clear that its first duty is to its shareholders: not to publishers, not to searchers, not to "partners" or employees.

AI search makes cheating so easy, and Google cheats so much. Indeed, the defects in AI give Google a readymade excuse for any apparent self-dealing: "we didn't tell you a lie because someone paid us to (for example, to recommend a product, or a hotel room, or a political point of view). Sure, they did pay us, but that was just an AI 'hallucination.'"

The existence of well-known AI hallucinations creates a zone of plausible deniability for even more enshittification of Google search. As Madeleine Clare Elish writes, AI serves as a "moral crumple zone":

https://estsjournal.org/index.php/ests/article/view/260

That's why, even if you're willing to believe that Google could make a great AI-based search, we can nevertheless be certain that they won't.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/15/they-trust-me-dumb-fucks/#ai-search

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

djhughman https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Modular_synthesizer_-_%22Control_Voltage%22_electronic_music_shop_in_Portland_OR_-_School_Photos_PCC_%282015-05-23_12.43.01_by_djhughman%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #twiddling #ai #ai search #enshittification #discipline #google #search #monopolies #moral crumple zones #plausible deniability #algorithmic feeds

1K notes · View notes

blubberquark · 3 months

Text

Auto-Generated Junk Web Sites

I don't know if you heard the complaints about Google getting worse since 2018, or about Amazon getting worse. Some people think Google got worse at search. I think Google got worse because the web got worse. Amazon got worse because the supply side on Amazon got worse, but ultimately Amazon is to blame for incentivising the sale of more and cheaper products on its platform.

In any case, if you search something on Google, you get a lot of junk, and if you search for a specific product on Amazon, you get a lot of junk, even though the process that led to the junk is very different.

I don't subscribe to the "Dead Internet Theory", the idea that most online content is social media and that most social media is bots. I think Google search has gotten worse because a lot of content from as recently as 2018 got deleted, and a lot of web 1.0 and the blogosphere got deleted, comment sections got deleted, and content in the style of web 1.0 and the blogosphere is no longer produced. Furthermore, many links are now broken because they don't directly link to web pages, but to social media accounts and tweets that used to aggregate links.

I don't think going back to web 1.0 will help discoverability, and it probably won't be as profitable or even monetiseable to maintain a useful web 1.0 page compared to an entertaining but ephemeral YouTube channel. Going back to Web 1.0 means more long-term after-hours labour of love site maintenance, and less social media posting as a career.

Anyway, Google has gotten noticeably worse since GPT-3 and ChatGPT were made available to the general public, and many people blame content farms with language models and image synthesis for this. I am not sure. If Google had started to show users meaningless AI generated content from large content farms, that means Google has finally lost the SEO war, and Google is worse at AI/language models than fly-by-night operations whose whole business model is skimming clicks off Google.

I just don't think that's true. I think the reality is worse.

Real web sites run by real people are getting overrun by AI-generated junk, and human editors can't stop it. Real people whose job it is to generate content are increasingly turning in AI junk at their jobs.

Furthermore, even people who are setting up a web site for a local business or an online presence for their personal brand/CV are using auto-generated text.

I have seen at least two different TV commercials by web hosting and web design companies that promoted this. Are you starting your own business? Do you run a small business? A business needs a web site. With our AI-powered tools, you don't have to worry about the content of your web site. We generate it for you.

There are companies out there today, selling something that's probably a re-labelled ChatGPT or LLaMA plus Stable Diffusion to somebody who is just setting up a bicycle repair shop. All the pictures and written copy on the web presence for that repair shop will be automatically generated.

We would be living in a much better world if there was a small number of large content farms and bot operators poisoning our search results. Instead, we are living in a world where many real people are individually doing their part.

#dead internet theory #small web #large language models #search engine optimisation

158 notes · View notes

learnfromkarl · 1 year

Text

Hey there, my fellow entrepreneurs! Are you tired of spending countless hours creating content for your website? Do you want to automate the process of content creation and focus on other aspects of your business? Well, I have found the perfect solution for you on Fiverr, and it's only under 5 dollars!

I stumbled upon a gig that promises to build an automated website for you that pulls content from other sources in your selected niche. Can you believe it? An entire website that runs on autopilot, without any manual effort on your end. And not only that, you can even monetize your site by adding Google Adsense, Click-bank, Amazon, Auto Blogging, Pop-under, CPA Offers, Contextual & other Affiliate ads.

This gig offers an Awesome Responsive Fully Automated WordPress site of any niche you want, whether it's health, fitness, news, Amazon affiliate auto products, technology, and more. And what's more exciting is that the site will publish 100% fully automatic posts without any manual effort from you. That's right; you can sit back, relax and watch the content pour into your website automatically.

The seller promises to deliver a complete autopilot affiliate website with autoblogs that are responsive and modern looking. The site will also be Google SEO friendly, which is crucial for ranking high in search engines. The seller also includes all essential pages like contact forms, niche suggestions, and top-selling products to help you get started.

Now, let's talk about the best part. This gig is only under 5 dollars! Yes, you read that right. You can have an entire website running on autopilot for only under 5 dollars. That's a steal!

So, if you're looking to automate your website's content creation process, this is the perfect solution for you. Just leave a message for any query, and the seller will be happy to help you out. Don't waste any more time and money on content creation. Get your automated website now and watch your business grow!

{LINK}

115 notes · View notes

cindylouwho-2 · 2 months

Text

RECENT SEO & MARKETING NEWS FOR ECOMMERCE, March 2024

Welcome to my roundup of SEO and marketing news and useful resources for ecommerce businesses, March edition. There is a lot going on with Google, and some really strong marketing pieces this time around, so let's get right to it.

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES

Google launched both a core algorithm update and spam updates on March 5, with the spam update ending on the 20th. Core updates now include the Helpful Content algorithm. In early observations, Etsy and Reddit both picked up visibility in the UK.

The Helpful Content algorithm updates late last year destroyed a lot of sites’ Google traffic. Avoid the things they had in common. You can read the full study here.

Ecommerce sites were some of the biggest losers in Google visibility in 2023, with Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, Target and Best Buy in the top 10 of sites whose Google appearances slipped.

New to Google SEO? They’ve revamped their SEO starter guide for people like you. And if you are more advanced and want to learn how to optimize your website product pages, this is a good overview.

This lengthy article on backlinks for ecommerce websites covers pretty much all the angles, including the really difficult ones.

Reminder that if you want to rank on Google for a search term, you need to look at what is already ranking, and make decisions based on that content. [video and transcript] This works for most search engines, not just Google.

Yes, Google crawls “high quality” content more often. I used to refer to this as Google thinking the page is “interesting”, so I guess I will need to change my wording...

While Google sends the most traffic to websites, people spend a lot more of their online time elsewhere. Market where people are, not just where your stats say they came from.

Sadly, Google has stopped providing caches of website pages in its search results. While you can still see the caches of some pages by using the Google search Cache:[page link] as in cache:https://cindylouwho-2.tumblr.com that will eventually stop working as well. Bing still provides caches, but unfortunately both it and the Wayback Machine do not crawl often enough to give really recent results most of the time.

Missed Google news in February? Here’s your update. And just in case you are really behind, here is January.

Not Google

Unsure if your website has enough good backlinks? Bing Webmaster Tools will now tell you if you don’t.

Yandex - the top search engine in Russia - was sold by its Dutch ownership group to a consortium in Russia.

SOCIAL MEDIA - All Aspects, By Site

General

A US study of social media use found that the most popular site was YouTube, with 83% of adults using it. Two-thirds of American adults use Facebook, while TikTok is up to ⅓ of the US population.

Because they do change periodically, here are the latest image and video sizes recommended for the top social media platforms. [infographic]

Bluesky is now open to everyone - it was previously invite-only.

Facebook (includes relevant general news from Meta)

Meta has introduced several changes to its Ad options, applying to Facebook and Instagram.

Meta had a great 4th quarter in 2023, with revenue, users, and earnings per share up. “Fast-growing upstarts Temu and Shein, which originated in China, have been pouring money into ads on Facebook and Instagram. Li said on Thursday that revenue from China-based advertisers accounted for 10% of sales for the year and 5 percentage points of growth.”

Instagram

An updated post on Instagram's algorithm and how it works.

Instagram is still beta testing longer Reels for some users.

If your account is a brand account, you can now run ads on Instagram with coupon codes right in them. (Some Facebook users can already do this.)

Among other recent changes on LinkedIn, the algorithm is now looking to boost important content longer than just the first day or two after publication.

Pinterest has its own stats package, called Pinterest Analytics, but only for “Business” accounts. They show how many people clicked on the outgoing links, how many people saw your pin on their screen, and much more. Here’s everything you need to know.

Reddit successfully launched on the stock market this past week, but questions remain about how this will change the site.

Google is paying Reddit to scrape its content through the API instead of from the web.

Snapchat

Snap was a little later than most tech companies doing layoffs recently, waiting until February 5 to let 10% off staff go.

Threads

Threads is so new that the algorithm is bound to change a lot in the next year, but for right now, here is how it works.

TikTok

There is an overwhelming amount of info out there on the US attempt to either ban TikTok or force its sale, and much of it is incomplete, so I will let you Google to your heart’s content if you want to learn more. If you are relying on TikTok to drive sales, this would be a good time to make sure you diversify your promotional strategy.

You can now track trending terms on TikTok through the Creator Search Insights section. “Creator Search Insights will highlight frequently searched topics, which creators can organize by category (for example, tourism, sports, science) or tailor to their content type with the “For You” option. Additionally, creators can filter for “content gap” topics, which are highly searched but have relatively few videos on TikTok covering them.“

TikTok may be testing a photo app, which would obviously compete with Instagram.

Twitter

What? Twitter may have lied about its Super Bowl ad performance? I’m so not shocked.

Tumblr

Tumblr will be selling data access to AI companies.

YouTube

This is a pretty decent article on YouTube SEO.

(CONTENT) MARKETING (includes blogging, emails, and strategies)

Small and micro-businesses need an email list. An email list is:

portable (unlike most social media followers or marketplace buyers)

is available to almost everyone, as we all need at least one email address if we are online

less susceptible to the whims of algorithms (unlike SEO, marketplaces, social etc.)

I keep seeing people argue that no one opens emails, but the chart in the article above is proof that is still wrong. (My blog email list averages close to a 70% open rate, depending on the topic and the time I send it. My jewellery email list - which I hardly ever send to - still has an over 30% open rate. My click rates are well above the industry averages, usually 30 to 40% of all recipients for the blog list. These are much better numbers than social, and astronomically better than my clickthrough rate on Google and other search engines.)

Gmail and Yahoo both changed how they handle bulk emails such as newsletters in February. Here’s what you need to know on the basics, including authenticating yourself so your email gets through.

Find out how to get people to read all the way to the end of your content.

Get ready for April marketing with 5 topical ideas. National Handmade Day is April 6.

We should all think twice before deciding to use AI to create content. “Circa 2024, generative AI does not produce new ideas or even develop its own conclusions. Rather, it regurgitates information that it has indexed.” Not convinced? Here’s another article. “AI-generated content represents the literal “average of everything online.”

ONLINE ADVERTISING (EXCEPT INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AND ECOMMERCE SITES)

Google Ads can now be tracked in Google Analytics 4.

Both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising were up in the 4th quarter of 2023.

STATS, DATA, TRACKING

Google Analytics 4 tracks organic traffic differently than the previous version. Here’s how to figure it out.

BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE

I’ve probably posted this specific article before, but it is worth another read: how to communicate with customers. For example, “Mirroring your customer’s tone lets them know you’re on their side. If a customer is formal, for example, hold back on the LOLs. If they’re more casual, relax your tone.”

According to a US study, Generation Z is skewing the traditional marketing funnel. “Per Archrival’s data, 77 per cent of Gen Zs and 79 per cent of millennials in the US are actively seeking style inspiration at least monthly, with almost half of those looking for style inspiration on social media. When asked where they learn about new brands, products and experiences, video reigns supreme: YouTube is the most popular platform with Gen Zs, followed by TikTok, then Instagram.”

Trend alert: bag charms are back.

IMAGES, VIDEO, GRAPHIC DESIGN, & FREE ONLINE TOOLS

Almost all of these 12 video tools are free, and some can be used on your phone.

MISCELLANEOUS

This is an older piece, but it checks out: IKEA Hacks for Craft Show Displays. A few of these could be done with non-IKEA items.

Want to stay up-to-date on a nearly daily basis? Follow me on Bluesky or on LinkedIn, or become a member of my Patreon.

#ecommerce #seo #social media #search engine optimization #microbusiness #content marketing #cindylouwho2

11 notes · View notes

the-sleepy-archivist · 8 months

Text

Favorite iOS Safari Extensions

On iOS (iPhones and iPads), Safari is the undisputed leader of the browsers, primarily because Apple puts very tight restrictions on other browser apps that makes it very difficult for them to offer the same features that Safari does.

Thankfully, you can install extensions to tweak Safari's behavior and customize websites, as long as your device is running iOS 15 or higher. Here are the Safari Extensions I use on a daily basis. Most are free (or at least have a free version), and all work on both iPhones and iPads.

For desktop computers and Android phones, you can also check out my recommendations for Firefox addons)

Last updated June 2024 (fixed broken Bypass Paywalls Clean userscript link, added recommended adblock and ublacklist filter lists)

Index:

AdGuard

Noir

uBlacklist

Userscripts

Sink It for Reddit

UnTrap

Vinegar

AdGuard

This addon is free if you just want to use the built in adblocking lists. For a small yearly fee, you can pay for "Pro" features, which allows you to add any custom adblocking list to the app, as well as providing DNS-based system-level adblocking that can block ads and trackers inside any app on your phone. Note that it gives you two options for the system-level blocking, local VPN and native DNS; using the VPN option can drain your battery faster than normal in my experience, so I recommend using the native DNS instead. Between AdGuard and the two YouTube-customizing extensions below, I haven’t seen an ad on YouTube in Safari in months.

Recommended custom filter lists (in addition to the built-in default lists):

Bypass Paywalls Clean

Huge AI Blocklist

Fuck FuckAdblock

Noir

Adds a dark mode to any website. It's using heuristics (fancy guessing) to figure out which website colors need to be changed so that it's properly darking, so sometimes it can make mistakes. In that case, it has a built in way to send a bug report to the developer, who is pretty responsive in my experience. You can also turn it off for specific sites right from inside Safari.

uBlacklist

This addon hides search engine results with specific domains. Example: you can hide images results from AI generator sites, OR if you search for tech support advice and one of those stupid auto-generated sites filled with SEO garbage but no actual information keeps popping up, you can use this addon to hide everything from that website, right from the Google/DuckDuckGo/other search results.

Recommended filter subscriptions:

Huge AI Blocklist

Userscripts

Allows you to install userscripts and stylesheets that customize website behavior or appearance. The addon can check for updates of your userscripts and uses iCloud to synchronize them across devices too, which is really nice. The userscripts I use are:

Bypass Paywalls Clean (removes news website paywalls)

Amazon Sponsored Products Removal (self-explanatory)

Redirect Fandom to BreezeWiki (bypasses ad-filled fandom.com domains for indie wikis or an ad-free proxy site. The link documents 2 userscripts with slightly different behavior; use whichever you prefer).

Sink It for Reddit

I switched to using Reddit in the browser only after the whole API/third party apps fiasco. AdGuard blocks the ads in the web interface, but there were still a lot of annoyances because Reddit constantly bombarded you with prompts/popups trying to get you to switch to their app so they could track you and sell you ads. Sink It for Reddit removes all of those popups and lets you customize the behavior of the Reddit website too (tapping a post can open it in a new tab, back to top buttons for long posts, and video downloads, among other things). Constantly being updated too, which is nice to see.

UnTrap (USD $1.99)

This extension cleans up the YouTube interface in the browser. You can hide Shorts, Explore, Trending, and multiple flavors of Suggestions (videos, playlists, etc.). It also has a content filter you can use to ensure you never see certain channels or even specific videos by ID, username, or keyword/regex. There are over 50 options you can tweak for the video playback page alone, so if you’re looking to remove an annoyance from YouTube in Safari on iOS, this is the addon for you. Note however that this is the first extension I’ve recommended that does NOT have a free version.

Vinegar (USD $1.99)

This extension replaces YouTube’s custom video player with a standard HTML5 one. This means that YT videos will play back using the standard iOS video player interface, including all of the accompanying benefits: better interface, Picture in Picture/popout videos work, videos continue playing in the background even if you leave Safari, etc.. I was even able to start a YouTube video in Safari, lock my phone, and then continue playing the video and hear the audio over my car’s speakers via CarPlay. These are all normally locked features reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers. You can also set a default quality that it will use so YouTube won’t use “auto” and set you to 360p just because you’re using a phone.

#ios #iphone #safari extensions #userscripts #ipad #mine

5 notes · View notes

shop-korea · 3 months

Text

AMAZON - PRIME - HUB LOCKER

HOORAY - AMAZON - NET - JUST

INCREASED - NO - WONDER

LOTS OF - TOMORROW FREE

BETWEEN - (7A - 11A EDT) - XO

DEAR - REN - OF - NCT - BORN

IN - CHINA - SECRETIVE TRUE

ABOUT - HIS - NET

$5 MILLION - OR - NOT

WELL - REN - SINGER OF NCT

AMAZON - HAS - INCREASED

NOW - $1.81 - TRILLION - NET

BAEKHYUN - OF - EXO

SINGER - ACTOR - DESIGNER

$17 MILLION - REN OF CHINA

HUB LOCKER - TOMORROW

FREE - (7A - 11A EDT) - NICE

INCENTIVES - 2 - ORDER

ORDER - AND - ORDER AS

2 - WHAT - WE - NEED - I'M

GETTING - EXERCISER

LOVE - WHAT - FIT PLAN

SAID - 'EXERCISE - MORE

2 - LEARN - BETTER' - I'M

DOING - $67 - MONTHLY

TRY VIRAL VAULT . com

NEXT - MONTH - APRIL

MY - 60TH - BIRTHDAY

SEHUN - ANN MILLER

12 APRIL - ARIES

UPLOADING - 2 - TIK TOK

2 - VIDEOS - DAILY

UPLOADING - 2 - YOUTUBE

STARTING - INSTAGRAM

AGAIN - 2 - LEARN BETTER

WE - MUST - EXERCISE YES

MORE - SO - INSIDE ON THE

ROSS - BEAUTIFUL - RUG

ON - THE - SIDE - AIR MAT

DOING - ABS - SHOULDER

REST - 100 TIMES TRYING

NEED - THE - THICK KNEE

REST - WHILE - ON - SALE

'EXERCISE - MORE - 2 YES

LEARN - BETTER'

STARTING - SHOPIFY

NEW - ONLINE STORE

AGAIN - CAN'T - WAIT

I - WANT - 2 - CRY FOR

WITH - SEO - $29.95 EA

MONTH - NO - BUYERS

WITH - YOUTUBE - TIK TOK

INSTAGRAM - FREE - FREE

LET's - SEE - WHAT - I - CAN

GET - PRAYING - OUTLOUD

INSTEAD - OF - SHOOTING

MY - HEAD - TWICE - BIBLE

1 CORINTHIANS 6

'WE - WHO - ENDURE 2 THE

END - (KOREA - CANADA

CIVILIANS NOT ALLOWED

WEAPONS - 4 - DEFENSE)

(USA - BEARING - ARMS

SHOT 2 DEATH - BY THE

LOCAL - POLICE - 2ND

REVOKED - 50 STATES)

(USA - 2ND - RIGHT TO

KEEP & BEAR - ARMS)

(USA - WHAT A JOKE)

SHALL - INHERIT - ALL

THINGS - KOREAN - GIRLS

'ALL - THINGS' - GOD - YES

BECOMES - OUR GOD AND

WE - BECOME - TRULY HIS

DAUGHTERS - HOW - DO

RICH - GIRLS - LIVE - FROM

DADDY's - CREDIT - CARDS

TRUST - FUNDS - HUGE TX

ALLOWANCES - WORRY

FREE - $5 BILLION - THEIR

LAST - WILL - TESTAMENT

TAX - FREE - OUR - GOD IS

GREATER - MORE - GIVING

MORE - GENEROUS

WE - INHERIT - ALL THINGS

HE - BECOMES - OUR - GOD

WE - BECOME - HIS

DAUGHTERS - OUR - TRULY

WONDERFUL - HEAVENLY

FATHER - SO - EXCITED YES

ABOUT - MY 60TH BIRTHDAY

SHOPIFY - STORE - AGAIN

SHOP CAILEY

cailey . us

SHOPIFY - DOMAIN - $16 EA

YEAR - eVOICE - TOLL FREE

14 DAYS - FREE - TRIAL

MIAMI - FL - (800) - $16.65

MONTHLY - USA - CANADA

UNLIMITED - CALLS

CUSTOM - GREETINGS

GOOGLE - WORKSPACE

shop @ cailey . us

$7.20 - MONTHLY

SAFELINK - WIRELESS

WHO - HAS - EBT - YES

FREE - UNLIMITED TALK

TEXT - DATA

SAMSUNG - GALAXY AO3

NEW - MOBILE - TEL NO

GOOGLE - EXPIRED MINE

AMAZON - PRIME - WITH

BOOST - INFINITE - $45.59

MONTHLY - FR - $25 - YES

INADEQUATE - INFERIOR 2

SHOPIFY - CANADA

$1 - EACH - MONTH

3 MONTHS - FREE TRIAL

DAYS - BASIC - PLAN

ZEN BUSINESS - NO 1

LLC - SINGLE MEMBER

CAN'T - WAIT - EXCITED

BEGINNING - APR 2024

'EXERCISING - MORE 2

LEARN - BETTER'

NEW - BUSINESS WOMEN

SHOPIFY - DROPSHIPPING

ONLINE - STORES

FREE - DAWN - THEME

BETTY - IN - FUTURE

$320 - LOVE PURSES

NO - LATE - FEE - SHOPIFY

OWNER - CANADA

JORDAN WELCH

$6 MILLION

TRY VIRAL VAULT . com

$67 - MONTHLY

2 PRODUCTS - DAILY

2 VIDEOS - NEWLY MADE

REMEMBER

I ITEM - SHOPIFY - STORE

$1 MILLION - LESS - THAN

1 YEAR - HOORAY - SWEET

DEAR - KOREAN - GIRLS,

SCREAM - SCREAM

TERRI SAVELLE FOY

'FROM - WHERE - WE ARE

2 - WHERE - WE NEED - 2B'

ROBERT FROST - AMERICAN

POET - HARVARD - PULITZER

'ROAD - NOT - TAKEN'

GETTING - $18.95 - AT - LEAST

CURCUMIN - BLK - PEPPER - &

GINGER - ARTHRITIS - BODY

PAINS - THIS - I - NEED - BAD

LESS - ALLERGIES - COLDS 2

POEM - EXCERPTS

'TWO - ROADS - DIVERGED - IN

A - YELLOW - WOOD

AND - SORRY - I - COULD - NOT

TRAVEL - BOTH

AND - B - ONE TRAVELER - LONG

I - STOOD

2 ROADS - DIVERGED - IN A WOOD

AND - I - TOOK - THE - ONE - LESS

TRAVELED - BY - AND - THAT - HAS

MADE - ALL - THE - DIFFERENCE'

FREE - CHROME

COPY - TEXT - EASILY

ENABLE - SENTENCES

BEST - ONE

PARAGRAPHS - THE WHOLE PAGE

BUT - ONLY - ONE - THAT - WORKS

I - CLICK - SENTENCE - AREA

COPIED

CONTROL - V

PLACED - ON - MY - POST

I - TYPE - THEN - DELETE

SO - COPY - AND - PASTE

ALWAYS - TRICKY

2 notes · View notes

freehologramkitty · 3 months

Text

What is Digital Marketing

The Evolution of Digital Marketing: Strategies, Trends, and Best Practices

In today's digital age, traditional marketing strategies have taken a backseat to the innovative world of digital marketing. With the ever-growing presence of the internet and social media, businesses are now able to reach their target audiences in more personalized and effective ways than ever before.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and other websites to connect with current and prospective customers.

The Core Components of Digital Marketing:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing organic (non-paid) traffic to your site.

Content Marketing: Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action.

Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing involves creating and sharing content on social media platforms to achieve your marketing and branding goals.

Email Marketing: Email marketing is the process of sending targeted emails to a group of subscribers to promote your products or services.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: PPC advertising is a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. It's a way of buying visits to your site, rather than attempting to earn those visits organically.

Digital Analytics: Digital analytics is the collection, measurement, analysis, and reporting of internet data for the purpose of understanding and optimizing digital marketing efforts.

The Role of Data in Digital Marketing:

Data plays a crucial role in digital marketing, as it allows businesses to better understand their target audience and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly. By analyzing data such as website traffic, social media engagement, and email open rates, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences.

Emerging Trends in Digital Marketing:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI and machine learning are revolutionizing digital marketing by enabling businesses to analyze vast amounts of data and personalize their marketing efforts on a large scale.

Voice Search Optimization: With the rise of voice-activated devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, optimizing content for voice search has become increasingly important for businesses.

Video Marketing: Video content continues to gain popularity, with platforms like YouTube and TikTok driving engagement and brand awareness.

Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influencers can help businesses reach new audiences and build credibility within their industry.

Best Practices for Digital Marketing Success:

Set Clear Goals: Before implementing any digital marketing strategy, it's essential to define clear, measurable goals that align with your overall business objectives.

Know Your Audience: Understanding your target audience's demographics, interests, and behavior is key to creating personalized and effective marketing campaigns.

Stay Updated with Trends: The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving, so it's important to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies to stay ahead of the competition.

Monitor and Measure Results: Regularly monitor and measure the performance of your digital marketing campaigns to identify areas for improvement and ensure you're meeting your goals.

Stay Consistent: Consistency is key to building brand awareness and maintaining customer loyalty. Ensure your messaging, branding, and content are consistent across all digital channels.

Conclusion:

Digital marketing has transformed the way businesses connect with their customers, offering unprecedented opportunities for targeting, personalization, and engagement. By embracing the latest trends and technologies, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and drive success in today's digital landscape.

2 notes · View notes

syedgaffar · 6 months

Text

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Modifying Digital Marketing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has appeared as a game-changer in digital marketing. AI-powered tools and techniques are revolutionising the way how businesses interact with customers and prospects, offering unprecedented insights into customer behaviour and preferences. One of the key areas where AI is making a significant impact is in the field of customer engagement.

One of the key benefits of AI in digital marketing is its ability to process large amounts of data quickly and accurately. This allows businesses to obtain insights into customer habits, preferences, and interests and use this information to create more personalised marketing campaigns. For example, AI can analyse customer data from social media platforms, emails, and other sources to identify patterns and trends and use this information to create targeted advertising campaigns.

AI-powered tools can also help businesses maximise their marketing campaigns by automating tasks such as A/B testing, content creation, and lead generation. This frees marketers to focus on further strategic tasks, such as developing creative campaigns and building customer relationships.

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are becoming progressively popular, providing businesses with 24/7 customer support and assistance. These AI-powered tools can link with customers in real-time, answering questions, providing information, and even completing transactions. This allows businesses to provide a more personalised and responsive customer experience while reducing the workload on customer service teams. Another area where AI is transforming digital marketing is in the field of data analytics.

AI-powered tools can analyse vast amounts of client data and provide the perception of customer behaviour and preferences. This information can be used to customise marketing messages, target specific customer segments, and predict customer behaviour. AI is also playing an essential role in improving the effectiveness of digital advertising.

AI-powered tools can examine customer data and identify the most effective channels and formats for advertising messages. This information can be used to maximise ad campaigns and improve their ROI. Overall, AI is helping businesses to create more effective, personalised, and engaging digital marketing campaigns. It enables them to better understand customer behaviour and preferences and modify their marketing messages accordingly. As AI technology evolves, it will likely become a progressively important tool in the digital marketing arsenal. AI also transforms search engine optimisation (SEO) by allowing businesses to optimise their content for voice search.

With the increasing number of voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, businesses must ensure their content is optimised for voice search queries. AI can help businesses create content optimised for natural language searches, enabling them to rank higher in voice search results.

Finally, AI is helping businesses to identify and target new audiences. By analysing data from social media platforms and other sources, AI can identify potential customers likely to be interested in a particular product or service. This enables businesses to create targeted advertising campaigns that are more likely to result in conversions. In conclusion, AI is revolutionising digital marketing by allowing businesses to create more personalised, targeted, and effective campaigns. AI transforms how businesses approach marketing from data analysis and optimisation to chatbots and voice search. As AI technology evolves continuously, it would be interesting to see how it becomes an increasingly important tool in the digital marketing arsenal.

3 notes · View notes

brainsecomm168 · 2 years

Link

Amazon SEO Service optimization needs to be combined with multiple delivery methods, fast shipping, and a low defect rate to achieve meaningful rankings. If a seller is active and efficient, a system will likely determine that it is the best option to choose for the client.

#amazon seo services #amazon seo agency #amazon seo experts #amazon seo and marketing #amazon search engine optimization #amazon keyword ranking #amazon seo best practices #amazon store optimization #product ranking amazon #amazon product page optimization #amazon ranking factors #google seo for amazon products

0 notes

marketingprofitmedia · 7 months

Text

Crushing It with Amazon Affiliate Marketing: Pro Tips for Success methods

Affiliate marketing has evolved into a digital powerhouse, and within its realm, Amazon Affiliate Marketing stands as a formidable frontier. In this comprehensive guide, “Crushing It with Amazon Affiliate Marketing: Pro Tips for Success Methods,” we embark on a journey through the intricacies of turning clicks into revenue. Dive into the strategies that seasoned affiliates employ to not just succeed but to thrive in the highly competitive landscape. From niche selection to leveraging social media, we uncover the secrets that set the pros apart. Whether you’re a novice exploring the potential or a seasoned marketer seeking to refine your approach, this guide is your roadmap to navigating the lucrative world of Amazon Affiliate Marketing. Let’s unlock the doors to success together.

My Best Recommended & Proven Way to Make $100 Daily — Watch THIS FREE Training to START >>

Brief overview of Amazon Affiliate Marketing

Amazon Affiliate Marketing is a performance-based marketing program that allows individuals to earn a commission by promoting Amazon products. It’s a symbiotic relationship where affiliates earn a percentage of the sale for every product purchased through their unique affiliate link.

Importance of effective strategies in affiliate marketing

While joining the Amazon Affiliate Program is straightforward, achieving success requires strategic planning and execution. This article will guide you through the essential steps to crush it with Amazon Affiliate Marketing.

Understanding Amazon Affiliate Program

How Amazon Affiliate Program works

To start, affiliates sign up for the program and receive a unique tracking ID. This ID is embedded in the affiliate links used to promote Amazon products. When a customer clicks on the link and makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a commission.

Benefits of joining the program

The Amazon Affiliate Program offers various benefits, including a vast product selection, reliable tracking, and timely payouts. Affiliates also benefit from Amazon’s trusted brand, which can enhance credibility.

Overview of commission structure

Commissions vary based on product categories, ranging from 1% to 10% or more. Understanding the commission structure is crucial for optimizing your revenue potential.

Choosing Profitable Niches

Importance of niche selection

Selecting the right niche is a cornerstone of Amazon Affiliate Marketing success. Consider your interests, market demand, and competition when choosing a niche.

Researching and identifying profitable niches

Thorough research is necessary to identify niches with high demand and reasonable competition. Utilize tools like Google Trends, Amazon Best Sellers, and keyword research tools to make informed decisions.

Balancing passion and profitability

While it’s essential to choose a niche you’re passionate about, ensure it aligns with profitable market trends. The ideal niche strikes a balance between your interests and the potential for financial success.

Building a Solid Foundation

Creating a user-friendly website

Your website is the foundation of your affiliate marketing efforts. Ensure it is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.

Importance of responsive design

With the increasing use of mobile devices, a responsive design is crucial. Google also considers mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor, affecting your site’s visibility in search results.

Optimizing website speed and performance

A slow website can drive visitors away. Optimize your site’s speed by compressing images, utilizing browser caching, and choosing a reliable hosting provider.

Content is King

Importance of high-quality content

Compelling content is the backbone of successful affiliate marketing. Provide valuable information, answer common questions, and address the needs of your target audience.

Incorporating SEO-friendly keywords

Optimize your content for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords. Conduct keyword research to identify phrases your audience is likely to search for.

Using engaging visuals

Visuals, such as images and infographics, enhance the user experience. Use high-quality visuals to illustrate your points and make your content more shareable.

My Best Recommended & Proven Way to Make $100 Daily — Watch THIS FREE Training to START >>

Leveraging Social Media

Importance of social media in affiliate marketing

Social media platforms are powerful tools for promoting affiliate products. Choose platforms where your target audience is most active.

Choosing the right platforms

Different niches thrive on different social media platforms. For example, visually appealing niches may perform well on Instagram, while informational niches may find success on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Building a loyal following

Focus on building a genuine and engaged following. Share valuable content, interact with your audience, and create a community around your niche.

Mastering SEO Techniques

On-page SEO strategies

Optimize individual pages of your website for search engines. This includes using descriptive titles, meta descriptions, and headers that contain relevant keywords.

Off-page SEO for affiliate marketing

Off-page SEO involves building backlinks and establishing your website’s authority. Guest posting, social media promotion, and influencer collaborations are effective off-page strategies.

Importance of backlinks

Quality backlinks from reputable sources can significantly impact your site’s ranking. Focus on acquiring backlinks naturally through valuable content and relationship-building.

Crafting Compelling Product Reviews

Structure of a successful product review

A well-structured product review provides a balanced overview, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of the product. Be honest and transparent to build trust with your audience.

Incorporating personal experiences

Share your personal experiences with the product to make your review more relatable. Authenticity resonates with consumers and can influence their purchasing decisions.

Adding value for the audience

Go beyond basic product features. Provide additional value through tips, hacks, or use cases related to the product. This enhances the usefulness of your content.

Utilizing Email Marketing

Building an email subscriber list

Email marketing allows you to nurture a direct relationship with your audience. Encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter for regular updates and exclusive content.

Crafting effective email campaigns

Create targeted email campaigns that highlight promotions, new product launches, or exclusive discounts. Personalize your emails to increase engagement.

Automation for efficiency

Implement automation tools to streamline your email marketing efforts. Automation can save time and ensure timely delivery of emails based on user behavior.

Monitoring Analytics

Importance of tracking and analytics

Regularly monitor analytics to assess the performance of your affiliate marketing efforts. Track key metrics such as traffic, conversion rates, and revenue generated.

Tools for monitoring affiliate performance

Utilize tools like Google Analytics, Amazon Associates reports, and other tracking platforms to gain insights into user behavior and optimize your strategy accordingly.

Adjusting strategies based on data

Data-driven decisions are crucial in affiliate marketing. Analyze the data collected and adjust your strategies to capitalize on what’s working and improve areas of weakness.

Adhering to Amazon Policies

Understanding Amazon’s terms and conditions

Familiarize yourself with Amazon’s affiliate program policies to avoid violations. Failure to comply with these terms can result in the suspension of your account.

Avoiding common pitfalls

Be aware of common mistakes and pitfalls that affiliates often encounter. Stay informed and proactively address issues to maintain a positive relationship with Amazon.

Staying compliant for long-term success

Long-term success in Amazon Affiliate Marketing requires ongoing compliance with Amazon’s policies. Stay updated on policy changes and adapt your strategies accordingly.

My Best Recommended & Proven Way to Make $100 Daily — Watch THIS FREE Training to START >>

Scaling Up Your Efforts

Gradual expansion of affiliate marketing efforts

As you gain experience and see positive results, consider gradually expanding your efforts. Explore new niches, products, and promotional strategies to diversify your income streams.

Diversifying income streams

Relying solely on Amazon Affiliate Marketing may limit your income potential. Explore additional revenue streams, such as sponsored content, affiliate programs from other platforms, or creating and selling your products.

Hiring assistance when necessary

Scaling up may require additional support. Consider outsourcing tasks such as content creation, social media management, or website maintenance to focus on strategic aspects of your business.

Success Stories and Case Studies

Showcasing successful Amazon affiliates

Highlight success stories of individuals who have excelled in Amazon Affiliate Marketing. Share their journeys, challenges faced, and strategies that led to their success.

Analyzing their strategies for inspiration

Analyze the specific strategies employed by successful affiliates. Identify commonalities and adapt these strategies to your unique situation and niche.

Drawing lessons for personal implementation

Extract valuable lessons from success stories and case studies. Apply these lessons to your own affiliate marketing approach, keeping in mind the uniqueness of your brand and audience.

Overcoming Challenges

Common challenges in Amazon Affiliate Marketing

Acknowledge the challenges that come with affiliate marketing on Amazon, such as changes in commission rates, algorithm updates, and increased competition.

Strategies for overcoming hurdles

Develop strategies to overcome common challenges, including staying adaptable, diversifying your promotional channels, and building a resilient mindset.

Staying resilient in the face of setbacks

Setbacks are inevitable, but resilience is key to long-term success. Learn from failures, adjust your strategies, and stay committed to your goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of Amazon Affiliate Marketing is dynamic and full of opportunities for those willing to invest time and effort. While success is not instantaneous, the potential for substantial, sustainable income is real. Remember, the journey involves continuous learning, adaptation, and a genuine passion for your chosen niche. As you embark on this exciting venture, stay committed, stay authentic, and most importantly, enjoy the process of turning your affiliate marketing endeavors into a rewarding and profitable venture.

FAQs

How long does it take to see results in Amazon Affiliate Marketing?

It varies, but many affiliates start seeing results within a few months of consistent effort. Patience and persistence are crucial.

Can I promote Amazon products on social media?

Yes, you can. Be sure to follow Amazon’s guidelines and disclose your affiliate relationship in your posts.

Are there any upfront costs to join the Amazon Affiliate Program?

No, joining the program is free. However, investing in a quality website and marketing tools may incur costs.

What happens if I violate Amazon’s affiliate policies?

Violations can result in penalties, including the suspension of your affiliate account. Familiarize yourself with the policies to avoid issues.

Is it possible to make a full-time income with Amazon Affiliate Marketing?

Yes, many affiliates generate a full-time income, but it requires dedication, strategic planning, and ongoing effort.

My Best Recommended & Proven Way to Make $100 Daily — Watch THIS FREE Training to START >>

Affiliate Disclaimer :

This article Contain may be affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at NO ADDITIONAL cost to you if you decide to purchase something. While we receive affiliate compensation for reviews / promotions on this article, we always offer honest opinions, users experiences and real views related to the product or service itself. Our goal is to help readers make the best purchasing decisions, however, the testimonies and opinions expressed are ours only. As always you should do your own thoughts to verify any claims, results and stats before making any kind of purchase. Clicking links or purchasing products recommended in this article may generate income for this product from affiliate commissions and you should assume we are compensated for any purchases you make. We review products and services you might find interesting. If you purchase them, we might get a share of the commission from the sale from our partners. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended.

Source : Crushing It with Amazon Affiliate Marketing: Pro Tips for Success methods

Thanks for reading my article on “Crushing It with Amazon Affiliate Marketing: Pro Tips for Success methods“, hope it will help!

3 notes · View notes

bdtechblogsite · 11 months

Text

How to Make Money Blogging: A Beginner's Guide

Starting a blog can be an excellent way to share your thoughts and passions with the world. What's even more exciting is that blogging has the potential to generate income. While it may take time and effort to build a profitable blog, with the right strategies and dedication, you can turn your blog into a lucrative venture. In this beginner's guide, we'll explore practical steps to help you make money from your blog.

Choose a Profitable Niche: Selecting the right niche is crucial for your blog's success. Look for a topic that you're genuinely passionate about and that has a potential audience. Research the market demand, competition, and monetization opportunities within your chosen niche.

Create High-Quality Content: Consistently producing valuable and engaging content is essential for attracting and retaining readers. Write well-researched articles, provide unique perspectives, and ensure your content is well-structured and error-free. Utilize multimedia elements such as images, videos, and infographics to enhance the reader experience.

Build an Engaged Audience: Focus on growing your blog's audience by promoting your content through various channels. Leverage social media platforms, engage with your readers through comments and email newsletters, and collaborate with other bloggers or influencers in your niche. Building an engaged and loyal audience will be instrumental in monetizing your blog.

Monetization Options: Here are some popular ways to monetize your blog:

a. Display Advertising: Sign up for ad networks like Google AdSense or Mediavine to display ads on your blog. Earn money based on ad impressions or clicks from your visitors.

b. Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services related to your blog's niche and earn a commission for each sale or lead generated through your referral links. Join affiliate programs like Amazon Associates or CJ Affiliate to get started.

c. Sponsored Posts and Reviews: Collaborate with brands and write sponsored content or review their products in exchange for payment. Ensure transparency and maintain your authenticity when working with sponsors.

d. Digital Products: Create and sell digital products such as e-books, online courses, or templates relevant to your audience's interests and needs.

e. Membership or Subscription Services: Offer premium content or exclusive access to a membership or subscription program, charging a recurring fee from your dedicated readers.

f. Freelancing or Consulting: Showcase your expertise through your blog and offer freelance writing, consulting, or coaching services to your readers.

Optimize for Search Engines: Implement search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to improve your blog's visibility in search engine results. Research relevant keywords, optimize your blog posts with proper meta tags, and focus on creating high-quality, keyword-rich content that addresses your audience's search queries.

Track and Analyze Your Progress: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track your blog's performance, including traffic, engagement, and conversion rates. Analyze the data to identify areas for improvement and optimize your strategies accordingly.

Be Patient and Persistent: Making money from blogging takes time and consistent effort. It's essential to stay dedicated, patient, and continuously learn and adapt your strategies to achieve long-term success.

Conclusion: While starting a blog with the intention of making money requires effort and persistence, it can be a rewarding venture. By selecting the right niche, creating valuable content, building an engaged audience, and exploring various monetization options, you can turn your blog into a profitable source of income. Remember, success won't happen overnight, but with determination and the right approach, your blogging journey can lead to financial independence and fulfillment.

#bloging #make money online #bloging tip

4 notes · View notes

mostlysignssomeportents · 4 months

Text

Google reneged on the monopolistic bargain

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and TOMORROW in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!

A funny thing happened on the way to the enshittocene: Google – which astonished the world when it reinvented search, blowing Altavista and Yahoo out of the water with a search tool that seemed magic – suddenly turned into a pile of shit.

Google's search results are terrible. The top of the page is dominated by spam, scams, and ads. A surprising number of those ads are scams. Sometimes, these are high-stakes scams played out by well-resourced adversaries who stand to make a fortune by tricking Google:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/phone-numbers-airlines-listed-google-directed-scammers-rcna94766

But often these scams are perpetrated by petty grifters who are making a couple bucks at this. These aren't hyper-resourced, sophisticated attackers. They're the SEO equivalent of script kiddies, and they're running circles around Google:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Google search is empirically worsening. The SEO industry spends every hour that god sends trying to figure out how to sleaze their way to the top of the search results, and even if Google defeats 99% of these attempts, the 1% that squeak through end up dominating the results page for any consequential query:

https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf

Google insists that this isn't true, and if it is true, it's not their fault because the bad guys out there are so numerous, dedicated and inventive that Google can't help but be overwhelmed by them:

https://searchengineland.com/is-google-search-getting-worse-389658

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Google has long maintained that its scale is the only thing that keeps us safe from the scammers and spammers who would otherwise overwhelm any lesser-resourced defender. That's why it was so imperative that they pursue such aggressive growth, buying up hundreds of companies and integrating their products with search so that every mobile device, every ad, every video, every website, had one of Google's tendrils in it.

This is the argument that Google's defenders have put forward in their messaging on the long-overdue antitrust case against Google, where we learned that Google is spending $26b/year to make sure you never try another search engine:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-27/google-paid-26-3-billion-to-be-default-search-engine-in-2021

Google, we were told, had achieved such intense scale that the normal laws of commercial and technological physics no longer applied. Take security: it's an iron law that "there is no security in obscurity." A system that is only secure when its adversaries don't understand how it works is not a secure system. As Bruce Schneier says, "anyone can design a security system that they themselves can't break. That doesn't mean it works – just that it works for people stupider than them."

And yet, Google operates one of the world's most consequential security system – The Algorithm (TM) – in total secrecy. We're not allowed to know how Google's ranking system works, what its criteria are, or even when it changes: "If we told you that, the spammers would win."

Well, they kept it a secret, and the spammers won anyway.

A viral post by Housefresh – who review air purifiers – describes how Google's algorithmic failures, which send the worst sites to the top of the heap, have made it impossible for high-quality review sites to compete:

https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/

You've doubtless encountered these bad review sites. Search for "Best ______ 2024" and the results are a series of near-identical lists, strewn with Amazon affiliate links. Google has endlessly tinkered with its guidelines and algorithmic weights for review sites, and none of it has made a difference. For example, when Google instituted a policy that reviewers should "discuss the benefits and drawbacks of something, based on your own original research," sites that had previously regurgitated the same lists of the same top ten Amazon bestsellers "peppered their pages with references to a ‘rigorous testing process,’ their ‘lab team,’ subject matter experts ‘they collaborated with,’ and complicated methodologies that seem impressive at a cursory look."

But these grandiose claims – like the 67 air purifiers supposedly tested in Better Homes and Gardens's Des Moines lab – result in zero in-depth reviews and no published data. Moreover, these claims to rigorous testing materialized within a few days of Google changing its search ranking and said that high rankings would be reserved for sites that did testing.

Most damning of all is how the Better Homes and Gardens top air purifiers perform in comparison to the – extensively documented – tests performed by Housefresh: "plagued by high-priced and underperforming units, Amazon bestsellers with dubious origins (that also underperform), and even subpar devices from companies that market their products with phrases like ‘the Tesla of air purifiers.’"

One of the top ranked items on BH&G comes from Molekule, a company that filed for bankruptcy after being sued for false advertising. The model BH&G chose was ranked "the worst air purifier tested" by Wirecutter and "not living up to the hype" by Consumer Reports. Either BH&G's rigorous testing process is a fiction that they infused their site with in response to a Google policy change, or BH&G absolutely sucks at rigorous testing.

BH&G's competitors commit the same sins – literally, the exact same sins. Real Simple's reviews list the same photographer and the photos seem to have been taken in the same place. They also list the same person as their "expert." Real Simple has the same corporate parent as BH&G: Dotdash Meredith. As Housefresh shows, there's a lot of Dotdash Meredith review photos that seem to have been taken in the same place, by the same person.

But the competitors of these magazines are no better. Buzzfeed lists 22 air purifiers, including that crapgadget from Molekule. Their "methodology" is to include screenshots of Amazon reviews.

A lot of the top ranked sites for air purifiers are once-great magazines that have been bought and enshittified by private equity giants, like Popular Science, which began as a magazine in 1872 and became a shambling zombie in 2023, after its PE owners North Equity LLC decided its googlejuice was worth more than its integrity and turned it into a metastatic chumbox of shitty affiliate-link SEO-bait. As Housefresh points out, the marketing team that runs PopSci makes a lot of hay out of the 150 years of trust that went into the magazine, but the actual reviews are thin anaecdotes, unbacked by even the pretense of empiricism (oh, and they loooove Molekule).

Some of the biggest, most powerful, most trusted publications in the world have a side-hustle in quietly producing SEO-friendly "10 Best ___________ of 2024" lists: Rolling Stone, Forbes, US News and Report, CNN, New York Magazine, CNN, CNET, Tom's Guide, and more.

Google literally has one job: to detect this kind of thing and crush it. The deal we made with Google was, "You monopolize search and use your monopoly rents to ensure that we never, ever try another search engine. In return, you will somehow distinguish between low-effort, useless nonsense and good information. You promised us that if you got to be the unelected, permanent overlord of all information access, you would 'organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'"

They broke the deal.

Companies like CNET used to do real, rigorous product reviews. As Housefresh points out, CNET once bought an entire smart home and used it to test products. Then Red Ventures bought CNET and bet that they could sell the house, switch to vibes-based reviewing, and that Google wouldn't even notice. They were right.

https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/welcome-to-the-cnet-smart-home/

Google downranks sites that spend money and time on reviews like Housefresh and GearLab, and crams botshittened content mills like BH&G into our eyeballs instead.

In 1558, Thomas Gresham coined (ahem) Gresham's Law: "Bad money drives out good." When counterfeit money circulates in the economy, anyone who gets a dodgy coin spends it as quickly as they can, because the longer you hold it, the greater the likelihood that someone will detect the fraud and the coin will become worthless. Run this system long enough and all the money in circulation is funny money.

An internet run by Google has its own Gresham's Law: bad sites drive out good. It's not just that BH&G can "test" products at a fraction of the cost of Housefresh – through the simple expedient of doing inadequate tests or no tests at all – so they can put a lot more content up that Housefresh. But that alone wouldn't let them drive Housefresh off the front page of Google's search results. For that, BH&G has to mobilize some of their savings from the no test/bad test lab to do real rigorous science: science in defeating Google's security-through-obscurity system, which lets them command the front page despite publishing worse-than-useless nonsense.

Google has lost the spam wars. In response to the plague of botshit clogging Google search results, the company has invested in…making more botshit:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked

Last year, Google did a $70b stock buyback. They also laid off 12,000 staffers (whose salaries could have been funded for 27 years by that stock buyback). They just laid off thousands more employees.

That wasn't the deal. The deal was that Google would get a monopoly, and they would spend their monopoly rents to be so good that you could just click "I'm feeling lucky" and be teleported to the very best response to your query. A company that can't figure out the difference between a scam like Better Homes and Gardens and a rigorous review site like Housefresh should be pouring every spare dime it brings in into fixing this problem. Not buying default search status on every platform so that we never try another search engine: they should be fixing their shit.

When Google admits that it's losing the war to these kack-handed spam-farmers, that's frustrating. When they light $26b/year on fire making sure you don't ever get to try anything else, that's very frustrating. When they vaporize seventy billion dollars on financial engineering and shoot one in ten engineers, that's outrageous.

Google's scale has transcended the laws of business physics: they can sell an ever-degrading product and command an ever-greater share of our economy, even as their incompetence dooms any decent, honest venture to obscurity while providing fertile ground – and endless temptation – for scammers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task

#pluralistic #monopoly #seo #dark seo #google #search #enshittification #platform decay #product reviews #spam #antitrust #trustbusting

714 notes · View notes