Review: Micro Niche AdSense Course
Yes, I’m back from the dead. Actually, I’m back from buying and moving into a new house while still trying to sell the old one and doing some renos on the new one. The old one sold and the major renos are out of the way for now (getting pricing on a kitchen makeover, though, so not done yet!) and my life is returning somewhat to normal. Today I want to review an ebook/course called Micro Niche AdSense Course, which is one of the very few AdSense-related products I heartily recommend. Let’s see why.
How To Make Money With AdSense
Every once in a while I find the time to stop by the WarriorForum’s section on AdSense. There I discovered an interesting post by Warrior member “XFactor” about his technique for making money with AdSense. You should go and read the thread, as it’s full of real-life advice. I made a few posts to add to the discussion. Be warned, it’s a long, long thread with almost 1600 replies to XFactor’s original post, so it will take a while to read through it.
The gist of the thread is that you can make money with AdSense using completely free search engine traffic by carefully targeting low-competition product-related keywords with simple websites and some well-planned but easy article marketing. The fundamental steps are:
- Locate a keyword phrase with a decent level of exact phrase searches per month (using the free Google keyword tool) and low competition when a phrase search is done using Google (not many competing sites and/or the top 10 has many not-well-targeted sites listed)
- Register a domain containing that phrase
- Build a simple website around that domain using content you rewrite based on product descriptions and other material found elsewhere
- Write and submit articles to one or two well-known article directories that link back to the site
- Repeat the process with another phrase
None of this is really new, of course. In some ways, this is the “bum marketing” technique adapted for AdSense. You’re building a whitehat “virtual real estate” empire using a very focused technique.
What I find interesting was XFactor’s assertions that he’s tried everything under the sun, including lots of “blackhat” stuff, and this for him was the simplest, surest and safest way to generate a recurring income.
The Micro Niche AdSense Book
XFactor’s thread generated so much interest and he was getting so many questions about the specifics of his technique — most of which he quite happily answered right in the thread, by the way — that XFactor decided to create an ebook based on his experience. The Micro Niche AdSense Course, almost 100 pages long, is what he came up with. I’m jealous, I must admit, because I wish I’d written it myself!
The subtitle of XFactor’s book is “The Exact Steps That I Use To Earn $300 to $400 Every Day With Google AdSense”. And that’s what you get. The chapters are:
- 1. The Perfect AdSense Niches
- XFactor explains why product-focused low-competition niches are the way to go with AdSense as to opposed to focusing on high-paying but extremely competitive niches. He gives several actual examples of niches he’s used and shows how writing content for those niches can be incredibly easy.
- 2. My Keyword Research Approach
- How XFactor does his keyword research and domain registration. To speed things up, he uses Micro Niche Finder (MNF), but you can do it all with some elbow grease or different tools.
- 3. Creating Your Website Content
- Using product descriptions and other easy-to-find source material to build your website content. Easy to do, even if you hate writing, and lots of content to work with.
- 4. My Highest Converting Template
- XFactor shows gives you a complete HTML site designed using the same template he now uses for his new sites. It’s fully compliant with AdSense terms and conditions and is very simple to replicate for your own sites.
- 5. Getting Ranked & Making Money: Simple Article Marketing
- XFactor gets his sites to rank by submitting articles to a few major article directories, mostly EzineArticles. But he doesn’t submit articles related to the topic of his site, he submits articles that are about topics that interest him and are therefore easy to crank out. The articles aren’t a source of traffic, they’re a source of high-quality, well-anchored links to the sites. If you’ve chosen a proper keyword phrase, all it will take is a few articles to get your site into the top 10 spots on Google for that phrase.
- 6. Putting It All Together: 7-Day Action Plan
- Here XFactor runs through the same system he uses to find and launch new sites, basically putting everything discussed in the previous chapters into a simple checklist system.
- 7. Growing Your Business
- XFactor’s final thoughts on making money online and how to adapt to changing times.
Along with the ebook you also get access to a live version of a site built using XFactor’s template and some training videos. Everything you need to replicate his system. XFactor also updates the material when he makes changes, and he emphasizes that you should test different approaches yourself to fine-tune the system for your own needs and skills.
Testing It Out
I decided to test out this system before writing a review. I followed the 7-day action plan and built two sites using two very different keyword phrases I had found with a bit of investigation using the AdWords keyword tool. Each site was built using a PLRSiteBuilder version of the template and linked to from articles on EzineArticles and GoArticles. After a couple of weeks, one ranks #7 for its phrase (NOT in quotes, by the way —) and the other ranks #9 (also not in quotes), with no work beyond the initial article submissions. (I didn’t even do the full 7-day plan, BTW, just submitted a couple of articles each per site.)
The results are very encouraging. The average CTR for both sites is 16%, which means it’s actually more because that includes my views of the sites. I’d say 20% was more accurate. On some days the CTR was as high as 50%. The eCPM numbers were exeedingly good, averaging about $75 and generally hopping between $45 and $300 on a daily basis. Of course, those are eCPM values, not earnings. Actual earnings are not huge so far. One site is earning about $30/month, the other $2/month. My niche choice for the latter had too few searches, I think, so I’m not sure it’s going to increase much. I can see the other one increasing to the $100/month range if I can move it up into the top 5 or so.
Are these two sites exciting in and of themselves? No, not really. You can’t quit your job based on these numbers. But I’m not losing money on them, and I don’t really have to do any extra work on them once they’re up.
This is where volume and luck comes into play. I’ve discussed this topic many, many times before. There are two important factors required for small publishers to make money with AdSense:
- Lots of small sites (see 172 AdSense Sites = $5000 per Month and Why Multiple Sites Make Sense); and
- Decent amounts of cheap/free traffic.
If you have 100 sites earning an average of $3/day, that’s $300/day, which is nothing to sneeze at. But you won’t see those kinds of numbers until you build up your “empire”, because it’s hit-and-miss in terms of niche selection. That’s why having a “fire and forget” system is ideal.
Is Anything New?
I really like this course, if it’s not obvious by now, but I also want to point out that it’s not a breakthrough or anything. The broad strokes are out there for free. If you feel you need specific details, get the course, but otherwise just study that WarriorForum thread and take action.
XFactor is very upfront about all of this, by the way, and he also makes no guarantees that his system will make you any money. But it’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a “sure thing” with AdSense if you’re willing to put in the work.
I especially like the whitehat approach he’s taken, because you don’t have to pretend you’re an expert at whatever niche you’re focusing on. Or do fake reviews of products and services you have never (or would never) buy or use.
The article writing is easy, as is the site building. A few hours of research and writing per site is all you need to do before moving on to the next one. And everything can be done with free tools and sites — all you need pay for are the domain names (get them cheaply with free private registration from 1 & 1) and the website hosting (get a cheap reseller account to host them all for one low price).
Bonuses!
Full disclosure: I was one of the first people to sign up for XFactor’s affiliate program. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve been excited to promote something related to AdSense that wasn’t my own creation.
If you’re interested in purchasing the Micro Niche AdSense Course, I’m offering some cool bonuses to anyone who purchases it through my affiliate link.
The first bonus is a new tool I’ve developed called (imaginatively) “Find Me A Domain”. This software tool, which runs on your PC or Macintosh, was something I developed for my own use with the course, because finding a good domain name is always such a chore. This tool is simple to use and I may sell it separately if there’s interest. You give it a list of keywords (it will even read spreadsheets downloaded directly from the AdWords Keyword Tool) and it finds the best available domains for those keywords using the criteria in the course.
The second bonus is my own version of XFactor’s template, but this one is done in more modern HTML with CSS. There’s also a PLRSiteBuilder version of it included.
The bonuses will be ready later this week.
So that’s my take on Micro Niche AdSense Course. Thumbs up from me — a real product with real value. And feel free to contact me if you have any questions about it that I haven’t answered here.
Comments
27 Responses to “Review: Micro Niche AdSense Course”
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Yeah thass something I clued into Early on in How to Make EZ $$$ on da Internet – VOLUME!! + yer Right $3 Bucks a Day is kinda ChickenFeed but when U Multiply it by 100 then U start thinkin’ bout Going South for the Winter!
)
Being Lazy as ever I still better buy a $5 Ticket for the New LottoMax Draw this week!!
I have worked with many clients to build micro to small websites into money makers. Adsense can definitely be a big piece of that puzzle with the right amount of traffic. I recommend adsense to the vast majority of clients.
Eric,
How much work is required to build a single site? How many articles per site?
Thanks
Dan
Hi Eric – thanks for the comprehensive review. From what you say and Warrior comments, sounds the real deal. I have one quick question re domain names – how do you find a keyword-rich domain name without using registered names of products (Sony Cybershot, Apple iphone etc)?
Thanks,
Scotch
I can see a lot of potential for using PLRSitebuilder to quickly build these sites. The article template is very similar to what arbitrageurs have been using for years and have refined them to be very effective, although, of course, paid traffic to Adsense sites is no longer allowed.
A key point raised by Xfactor in his comments to another review is that he is getting a better CTR (click thru rate) by not including a header. This would appear to be a distraction long the lines indicate inthe Google video on the 7 deadly sins of landing page design:
http://adwords.blogspot.com/2009/07/7-deadly-sins-of-landing-page-design.html
Ivan
Sadly, I saw the XFactor book a couple weeks ago and have already purchased it. I second everything you said in this post. It is one of the best books I have read on creating Adsense sites.
My question is, since I already have the book, will you be offering those bonuses as a separate purchase from you. They sound like something I would really like to have.
Thanks, I always look forward to new posts from you.
Jim Hoag
I too purchased it a few weeks ago and am slowly working on sites. I agree wholeheartedly with your review and was wondering the same about the bonuses as in the previous post.
Eric,
Welcome back. Yes, I knew what you were busy with and felt for you (but couldn’t reach you ha ha ha). Buying, selling, renovating etc. is always a hassle, glad your head is now coming above water from time to time.
Your review is excellent and well balanced. I am working my way through the Warrior Thread now … it’s tough slogging mainly because of the infinite number of commenters who breeze in, read half of one comment and then ask all the same questions over and over. Reminded me yet again why I gave up forums. I have sworn more than once to build my own forum software, and if I did a reader would be forced to start at the beginning of a thread and pass a reading comprehension quiz on each post before proceeding. The thread in question is at least 4 times longer than it should be because of the insane repetition of the same questions. I really applaud John’s patience.
But that rant aside I am sure the course is well worth the price, if nothing else to avoid having to put up with the illiterates.
I’m looking for guidance/opinion though on the MicrorNicheFinder product that is so heavily recommended. The MNF product site has some very interesting demo videos … but I’ve been fooled by bright shiny objects in the past LoL.
Any real-world experience with that product, anyone?
Hi Dave – I use Micro Niche Finder and so far have no complaints. The software always works and is updated periodically by the developer James Jones. I guess most the data comes from Google’s Adwords Tool, but seems you have more options, eg include relevant results only, don’t return results of “not enough data” etc.
I just find it useful to have a lot of info on one screen for each keyword phrase:
local search count
global search count
trends
exact phrase count
ad cost
commercial intent
SOC (Strength of competition)
As Eric says, you can get all this info without Micro Niche Finder, but the software makes in much quicker and more convenient plus has other features that help with KW research.
Dan:
Each site is quite easy to build. You can get away by having a single page of content (the home page), plus the about/contact page, the privacy page, and a sitemap. You’ll also need to grab some images from Amazon or wherever to place on the home page. Adding more content later is recommended to target related low-competition keywords, but not required. In that case you’d merely add another page targeting that keyword and link to it from the home page.
Then you start getting it ranked by submitting articles. It may take just one or two articles, it may take five, it may take ten… depends on the competitiveness of the other sites. But you start with two and go from there. XFactor has been trying a method where he submits just one article per day for a few days and it seems to be working well.
The nice thing is that the articles are easy to write because they’re not focused on crap you know nothing about!
Eric
Scotch:
You just hunt for them using the generic words for the products. Instead of “Maytag” use “washer”, etc.
That said, you can also try trademarks, too. Just be prepared to lose them at some point if the trademark owner is picky.
Eric
Dave:
Micro Niche Finder is definitely a quality tool that does what it says. It’s useful for anyone looking to do keyword research without doing so many manual steps.
Eric
About the bonuses:
I guess people are interested in them separately. OK, I’ll make them available separately when they’re ready. I’ll have to figure out the price point, though….
Eric
Hi Dave,
The steps make it seem so easy and really the mechanics of it are. But if you want to generate real money you need to select an exact phrase keyword with a lot of search volume. And the more volume means the more competition and that means more work to rank well for those keywords.
Hi Eric – bought the ebook through your link on this page. Do we have to do anything to get the bonuses once they’re ready? I’m most interested in the revised template, although I do have xSitePro original version so can use that.
Something I was wondering – as the articles don’t have to relate to the product and are submitted for link value, is there any real obstacle to using and rewriting PLR material? Seems as long as well-written articles are sufficiently original to be accepted by the main article directories, you’re achieving the aim.
Defining a niche is really the key to profiting.
Hi Eric good to see you back!
I too would be interested in purcashing your bonuses separately, as I already purchased the course. John has a nice course layed out, with videos and a well written pdf and he says he plans a forum shortly.
I already know most of what he says, but what I like is that he goes into more detail about page setup and placement of AdSense etc on the page.
And Eric, I know the best part for you is, he spells AdSense correctly.
John spells AdSense correctly, yes. Now he just has to work on “AdWords”
I’ve made my domain tool available separately now at FindMeADomain.com. The templates will follow.
Anyone who bought the course through my aff link should forward me the receipt to get free access to the domain tool and my templates.
Eric
Hey Eric,
I just bought the Micro Niche Adsense Course through your link, should I submit my receipt to you for the bonus and where to submit. Thanks.
David
I bought Micro Niche Finder and love it (and recommend it). I am very picky about these types of programs and have no regrets about this purchase. I have trouble pumping out the articles though so finally I bought dragon voice software so I can dictate my articles instead of typing them. All I can say is this works super and I’m pumping out the articles like mad now. Plus I am using other means to get links like social bookmarking and directory submissions etc. As xfactor says, just do it, get going and you virtually can’t lose as long as you put in the work, you will get the results.
Well, i’m trying to use adsense to make money, but the conversion is really low, tips?
Send the receipt to ericgiguere@ericgiguere.com and I’ll send you the bonuses.
Hi Eric
I have a couple of questions if you are still moderating this subject: you mentioned above the one site making $30 a month or so. Is it still doing that after a month now? Also, for that site how many exact searches do your keyword phrases average per month? Thanks!
If you are focusing on a single keyword, would it not be more profitable to display affiliate ads rather than adsense?
Possibly, yes, if you can find an affiliate offer that goes well with the keyword. AdSense is pretty easy, though, so it’s the simplest way to get the site making money.
Rich, I goofed with the one site and managed to get it delisted from Google for a while, so no, it hasn’t reached $30/month yet. I’ve gotten in reincluded now, though, but it’s hovering in the 10-12 range in the search results so it’s not getting much traffic. I’ll boost it up in the rankings and we’ll see what happens, but what little traffic it is getting is promising — high eCPM and good CTR (25% plus). Just not much volume at all. It was my fault, though.
i use this tool, and its just powerful
a must have 
i agree that affiliate programs are great for some keywords