Text Link Ads

[Tyler]

I finally signed up for Text Link Ads (TLA) today after hearing so much about it recently and how great it was.

I like the web2.0 feel of the site, and it seems great at first glance as it's sort of an 'instant-cash' sort of deal where you just add your site, put up your code, and wait for cash to flow in.

Unfortunately though, their system requires quite a bit of tinkering to add their ads to your site. Sure, it's easy enough if you're running a site in PHP, but if you're running a complex site like me in Perl with a lot of custom programming and modules such as HTML::Template, there is not really anything you can do without completely rewritting large portions of your site.

Would they be able to instead, provide Javascript instead of having all your serverside twinking? Is this possible? If so, then I think they'd really have something. So unfortunately for me, I could only put it on my index page, due to the HTML::Templating problem above.

I've added it to Movie-Vault. We'll see if I sell any links from it.

[jeremy]

the real value in TLA is that it's good for SEO. search engines don't parse javascript, so that would defeat the purpose of TLA and drive down prices a lot.

HTML::Template... wow, that takes me back. haven't used that in quite some years. not a whole lot of new perl web development these days.

you could always stick their php code in an external file and include it into your perl using curl or something.

[Tyler]

Oh, that's another thing. From what little research I did, it appears that the pricing for sitewide is not much more than just one page! Which totally baffles me. You want to pay me 5-10% less to have your ads on only one of my pages instead of 30,000? Sure, go ahead.

So again, we'll see if anyone bites.. if they do, then maybe I'll put them on my other sites as well.

[Stan]

I had one bite so far, and got 3.15x more for a text link than I was charging everyone. I don't see how they figured it to be worth 32.00 or something like that, and then they take half =/

[Tyler]

Just an update: I've received my first ad from TLA on Movie Vault.

Somewhat surprised... I made it for the front-page only and somebody seemed interested. TLA seems to really use Alexa as a large measuring tool for the measurement of prices... now that I have Wordpress, which allows me to use PHP, maybe I'll try TLA on my blog, which is currently 20,000 Alexa...

[Pixabit]

Tyler would you mind sharing how much the advertiser paid? I am interested in selling links as well.

[Tyler]

I believe it was $14. Remember that this is a text link for one page only..

[steffun]

Hi first. My name is Steve and this is my first day and my first post on this forum :D
It's true it's not big $ difference between side-link and non side-link but when the potential buyers see that you aren't offering side-link maybe they won't buy a link on your site ;)

[scoby]

I've just applied to TLA as well. I have very little traffic and toolbar tells me I've got PR3.

Any chance I will actually get accepted?

I used the link calculator (http://www.text-link-ads.com/link_calculator.php) which told me my sitewide links would be worth about $7 per month. I certainly wouldn't turn that down but I imagine it's wildly optimistic.

I also signed up for the affiliate scheme. Must. earn. money.... somehow! :D

[scoby]

a mere 2 hours later I was declined.

I've added a link to the affilaite program and that'll have to do for now.

[Tyler]

My blog was declined, but I handwrote (e-mailed) a letter to TLA, requesting them to accept it, stating my reasons, and they did :) However, it was probably a mistake on their part the first time as it shouldn't have been turned down since it has a fair Alexa, PR, and traffic.

TLA's link calculator is a VERY rough estimator at best. It is very inflated and optimistic.

Regarding the affiliate system... if you truely love TLA and want to promote it, then it's fine.. but personally I always stay far clear from any CPA affiliate payouts. Why earn a one-time payment of $25 when you could earn a portion of everybody's earnings you sign up for life?

Sign up just one big player, and you're retired..

[scoby]

That's a good point, I know you mentioned that when talking about poker affiliate signups. Get a good player and to sign up with your ref and you're sorted.

I recommended TLA because I do actually like the system of non-javascript links plus the fact that you don't have to manage any of it yourself.

I suppose it's all a bit academic until I my blog gets a bit more popular anyway...

Are there any similar affilite schemes that do lifetime payouts worth recommending Tyler?

[BillPerry]

from what I understand, they use PHP because it speeds up the process of fetching ads. I'm on wordpress, so it was just a matter of installing their WP Plugin and putting a single line of PHP code in my sidebar. Right now, I run it site-wide, simply because I'm not using the dynamic sidebar code.

My first attempt at submitting my first blog was declined. It seems to me that unless a site is at least PR4 it will get declined.

They even declined my newer blog I just started in November, even though it's gotten 22,000 uniques between November 25th and now. I'd think they'd jump at the chance to put an ad block on a site with that much traffic.

I even offered to allow them to run some free "test ads" for whoever they wanted to just check my site's performance.

My first blog (PR4 estimated to go PR5) is now on TLA, running 4 out of 8 ads, and it's up to about $52/month now.
BP

[Tyler]

Yeah, TLA keeps running better for me. I now make over $100 a month from them, and have 9/10 ads sold on one of my sites. However, one of my sites has never sold one, and my blog has only sold one slot...

I may try adding them to my other sites in the future. Their ads are so unobtrusive and take a small real estate portion, plus it's all automated of course.

[Sam]

If you really want to make big money with your blog Tyler, you should try to do it more like John Chow did, he made great progress with his blog in just a few months. In case you don't know what I mean when I say that you should do it like John Chow, try giving his blog a visit (www.johnchow.com ) and just look at his top posts. He's doing pretty good with Text Link Ads as well.

[Tyler]

Yeah.. well John's blog got big pretty much exclusively due to his Digg spamming. I should know.. he MSN's me to Digg his posts 5-6 times a day, as he does to everyone on his list.

Even if I was interested in doing that, I don't have a strong desire to write more tech-related posts just to hope to be Dugg...

[Sam]

Well I didn't know about him gaming the Digg-system, and I don't like it. But you should realize that not only Tech-stories get on the frontpage, and you don't have to spam Digg to get there. The interesting thing about Digg is that when you do reach the frontpage it gives you alot of backlinking in most cases and that's great for your ranking in the search engines.

Offcourse there's other ways to promote your blog, being active in the blogosphere does help alot as well. I've had around 200 uniques for a week just from one comment i made at iamfacingforeclosure.com .

[charley]

modules such as HTML::Template

Which areas do I need to modify in the templates?

I might give it a try just to see how well it works.

[Submerge]

Well I didn't know about him gaming the Digg-system, and I don't like it. But you should realize that not only Tech-stories get on the frontpage, and you don't have to spam Digg to get there. The interesting thing about Digg is that when you do reach the frontpage it gives you alot of backlinking in most cases and that's great for your ranking in the search engines.

Offcourse there's other ways to promote your blog, being active in the blogosphere does help alot as well. I've had around 200 uniques for a week just from one comment i made at iamfacingforeclosure.com .

Well, it was easy to see that John was all about the DIGG crowd, all his posts incorporate the DIGG button, which they didn't do prior. And now he writes articles that DIGG'ers would like to see, no personal/web related adventures of his, which he use to do.

[Reckless]

Well, it was easy to see that John was all about the DIGG crowd, all his posts incorporate the DIGG button, which they didn't do prior. And now he writes articles that DIGG'ers would like to see, no personal/web related adventures of his, which he use to do.

Yeah he was, until johncow.com got banned from digg (dont know if he is still banned though)

[aloksingh]

Sounds good. I too will signup for it and then tell you more about it later on.

[domokun]

Does the textlinkcalculator tell you whether you will be accepted or declined?
I've got a PR4 blog that I want to get TLA on but i doubt my alexa is very high - nas as for pageviews ... maybe 20 a day :p

[CyberBoy]

No it doesn't but it does tell you how much you will sell your links on your site for.

Does the textlinkcalculator tell you whether you will be accepted or declined?
I've got a PR4 blog that I want to get TLA on but i doubt my alexa is very high - nas as for pageviews ... maybe 20 a day :p

[domokun]

I got accepted! Nice

[rjp]

I've only had TLA accept one of my sites (actually a blog that's part of a site) and it's performed well. I now have 6 of 10 links sold. It seems the better placement the more you're likely to sell.

[domokun]

Wow, Ive already sold one link (http://www.text-link-ads.com/packageDetail.php?packageID=53182)! Cool!

[Chris369]

Mine got rejected because it didn't meet traffic levels. I don't think it even asked for traffic levels in the site submission bit?

[SgtRumble]

Sounds like a good program, Ill have to check into it for a few of my sites.

[Submerge]

Always been hesitant to join the site, but I'll give it a go. My site should be able to join it no worries. :) Thanks though :)