The Digital Network

Google AdSense has stated that you should not do the following:

1) Put pictures next to ads, since it may be misleading to visitors, and result in not-so-valid clicks.
2) Make sure your ads stand out from your content, so visitors are not duped into clicking them by accident, resulting in MORE no-so-valid clicks.

And then, today, on the Google AdSense blog (http://adsense.blogspot.com/) they have the following article: Building With AdSense (http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/03/building-with-adsense.html)

Ok, so they site is nice, OK, whatever. I'll probably be back to browse through the various projects they have listed there.

My point of contention is as follows: They included a link to the site owners wifes website, and from the look of it she is clearly in violation of both of the above guidelines.

Now, I know, some may argue "Hey! Maybe she is a premium publisher, who Google lets break the rules!" and I have seen sites like that. But they are usually larger (say something like About.com) sites, with higher volumes. Actually, I have no idea what the site traffic volume is for her site, so I'll bite my tongue here.

When an AdSense publisher sees a site like hers, they can think one of two ways:
1) I can do that too!
2) I can't do that because my site/traffic sucks.

You either have to be negligent of the TOS, or feel inferior.

The site does good, at least that is how I feel, by not having ads on the front page:

And the sub-pages are laid out nicely, except for the clearly not right ad layout:

Misleading or artistically laid out? You tell me. They are making money, that's for sure. I know WHEN I put up a site like this, I will expect Google to be on-board with it also. It's only fair.

Maybe Google needs to issue a disclaimer graphic for sites like this: "I AM GOOGLE AND I APPROVE THIS WEBSITE AD PLACEMENT." :-)

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So, Operation BootCamp is hot as the latest thing in exercise, but unless you live in the metro Atlanta area and Knoxville, you are out of luck!

OR ARE YOU?

There are many local bootcamp style exercise businesses you can join. Some have a military slant, others are for teens.

If you want to bootcamp in the privacy of your own home, try one of the following:

Get out there, and GET FIT!

Boot Camp Exercise Related News:

• Adventure Boot Camp Business System Offers New Look, New Workouts, New Income ... - DigitalJournal.com (press release)
• Boot camp still not paying Prichard rent to use city land - al.com (blog)
• Sam Bakhtiar Offers Spring Promotion: Free Personal Trainer Marketing Manual - Albany Times Union
• ShaadZee's Corner: Moms Working It Out Downtown - Patch.com
• Prichard council delays lease agreement with youth boot camp - al.com (blog)
• Measuring Success in Pounds and Inches - Revere Journal
• Startups Court Dev Bootcamp's Ruby Grads: 88% Have Offers At Average Of K - TechCrunch
• Council votes on two education-related projects - Mymonticellonews
• Commissioners: No Boot Camps Outside - Patch.com
• The Popular Fitness Gym Has Recently Been Opened At Another Location In Illinois - PR Web (press release)

Tags: bootcamp exercise boot camp exercise bootcamp exercise dvd bootcamp exervise video google adsense

This is a great example of linkbait.

It draws you in with its tabloid-style headline, seemingly going to tell you that Nicholas Cage and a pregnant teen are in a movie together.

The tabloid-itis part of us sees 'Nicholas Cage Gets Teen Co-Star Pregnant.'

While, if you take care to notice the comma, it is actually saying 'a movie Nicholas Cage is in and a movie about a pregnant teen are hot items in the theaters right now.'

Crafting titles such as the example in the heading of this post is a skill that take some practice. Once you have attained the level of deception required to harness this skill, you will be able to create this sort of crap easily.

I call it crap because that is what it is. Crap. Pure and simple.

Maybe the title above was not meant to be linkbait-sounding, but it is, at least to my jaded ears(eyes?).

Most likely, if the article was titled "Nicholas Cage Film And Movie About Pregnant Teen Top Box Office" and I was any of the following, I would have read the article anyway:

1. A Nicholas Cage fan
2. Interested in a movie about a pregnant teen
3. Interested in what movies were at the top of the box office

But alas, many who are none of the above will read the article to see who got knocked up and what is going to happen! They want the bloody car crash, the failed plastic surgery, the "Britney 'Wigs' Out" news. Is it news? No, it's pop culture gossip and trash. My god, that bores me so these days…

Ok, off my soapbox.

I have been known to try some linkbait titles before, but I don't believe I have ever tried to insinuate a troubled affair such as mentioned in that article.

When writing your linkbait, think about how it could be taken by those who read it. Negatively that is…

Tags: bootcamp exercise boot camp exercise bootcamp exercise dvd bootcamp exervise video google adsense