Free Coop Ad-Network - Suggestions for Future Enhancements

[GuyFromChicago]

Ad-Network - Suggestions for Future Enhancements

I know it's just officially off the ground, but figured now is as good as time as any to start a thread about possible program/reporting enhancements.

Statistics I would enjoy:

1. Total ad pages in network
2. Top 3 weights (not members names, just the number itself)
3. Average weight
4. Top referrer (by month or week)
5. Total members

Those are just a couple off the top of my head. I'm a marketing/numbers guy…I find that aspect (the stats) of the program very interesting.

[vprp]

I would also like to see statistical information, particular number of members and average weight.

[compar]

I'm not sure how the reporting can be set up, but I'm really skeptical about the value of these links from a SE point of view.

Sure the SEs will see the links, but on the next pass the link will invariably be gone. So they will be indexing links and then taking them down at a hell of a rate. If they do happen to report a link during a PR/BL update it is sure to be gone the next time arround.

If the sandbox effect is simply a dampening mechanism so that Google has time to find out if a link is a serious commitment or simply just a popularity ploy, won't these links fall into the category of popularity ploy?

[digitalpoint]

It's all pretty new, so it's hard to say with any certainty at this point. But I've run two different tests, and it seems to be doing well.

Before the ad network, my sendwu.com didn't rank in the top 1,000 for wire transfer or westernunion (I never tried). And granted, they aren't terribly competitive keywords (the reason I never optimized for them before), but I put two of my ads with those anchor texts (I have no other links with those as anchor text, and did no on-site optimization for them), and guess what? I rank #4 for wire transfer and #25 for westernunion.

From the people I've talked to that are participating, they are experiencing similar results. Someone is running ads with anchor text of web development and they went from not in the top 1,000 to #39 (and rising).

[schlottke]

I was wondering the same thing Bob, We've only seen positive effects *so far* though.

[ViciousSummer]

The price is right (free) and you'll at least generate some traffic from the links. And, if i know Shawn (and I do), it will work better then anyone would imagine. ;)

[Fishing Forum]

You do not know till you try

Yes , its going to be sometime till we all compile or reports and share them

I think its great that someone is trying new ideas and people are will to risk a bit too see what happens

[compar]

You do not know till you try

Yes , its going to be sometime till we all compile or reports and share them

I think its great that someone is trying new ideas and people are will to risk a bit too see what happens
Summer,

My comments weren't meant as a criticism or complaint. Just an intellectual curiousity.

And in case fishing forum has any doubt I jumped in as soon as I heard about it -- in fact I was disappointed that Shawn hadn't asked me to be involved earlier in the beta testing. I have the links running on approximately 100 pages in my InfoPool at the moment. And I wrote about it in a recent article that has generated a number of leads.

So you guys don't need to defend Shawn and the program. I'm just asking a simple question.

[ViciousSummer]

Summer,

My comments weren't meant as a criticism or complaint. Just an intellectual curiousity...

I know that, Bob. I was just being a smartass :D! I'm also curious to see if this works as well as it could.

[compar]

I know that, Bob. I was just being a smartass :D! I'm also curious to see if this works as well as it could.And here I always thought it was greatass!

[ViciousSummer]

And here I always thought it was greatass!

You kill me, Bob ;).

[digitalpoint]

Before the ad network, my sendwu.com didn't rank in the top 1,000 for wire transfer or westernunion (I never tried). And granted, they aren't terribly competitive keywords (the reason I never optimized for them before), but I put two of my ads with those anchor texts (I have no other links with those as anchor text, and did no on-site optimization for them), and guess what? I rank #4 for wire transfer and #25 for westernunion.
And now westernunion is top 10 (#9). Makes me start to think that the sandbox is a crock, or at least isn't universal.

[compar]

And now westernunion is top 10 (#9). Makes me start to think that the sandbox is a crock, or at least isn't universal.
Well that is interesting, because if you remember the McDar experimental page did very well in the begining and then started to exhibit "sandbox" effects later. It's almost as if Google gives credit for the links immediately and than after some due consideration, or lag time, takes the credit away again.

Doesn't make much sense I admit, but it will be interesting to watch and see what happens. Just out of interest do you know how many impressions of the western union ad have been made via your new program?

[digitalpoint]

No, impressions are not tracked...

[Fishing Forum]

Hi

Just check my link: in Yahoo

and the ad links are starting to show up

Interesting - well for me anyway :p

[GuyFromChicago]

I've also started to notice some of the links being picked up by yahoo.

[disgust]

Ad-Network - Suggestions for Future Enhancements

I know it's just officially off the ground, but figured now is as good as time as any to start a thread about possible program/reporting enhancements.

Statistics I would enjoy:

1. Total ad pages in network
2. Top 3 weights (not members names, just the number itself)
3. Average weight
4. Top referrer (by month or week)
5. Total members

Those are just a couple off the top of my head. I'm a marketing/numbers guy…I find that aspect (the stats) of the program very interesting.

I'd definitely like to see this as well, especially the the top/average weights (just having an arbitrary number doesn't tell you all that much..)

[rickbender1940]

I'm not sure how the reporting can be set up, but I'm really skeptical about the value of these links from a SE point of view.

Sure the SEs will see the links, but on the next pass the link will invariably be gone. So they will be indexing links and then taking them down at a hell of a rate. If they do happen to report a link during a PR/BL update it is sure to be gone the next time arround.

If the sandbox effect is simply a dampening mechanism so that Google has time to find out if a link is a serious commitment or simply just a popularity ploy, won't these links fall into the category of popularity ploy?

This could be done if you calculate a checksum based on the name of the page where the ad should appear. Then use that to index into a list of ads based on weight. The overall distribution should be the same, except the same ad should appear everytime on the same page.

I use this technique to distribute a list of anchor texts across a site instead of a static sitewide include file, both to minimize diminishing returns from the same anchor text, and to automagically spread a bunch of anchors.

Of course, this technique doesn't work too well with small numbers of pages, but with a "large" number it should statistically work out to an even distribution of links.

I had the same concern as Compar. Given the small number of pages I have on my site however, I don't think I'm going to see many results anyway. All I see is Western Union ads on my site lately heh heh

[rickbender1940]

Well that is interesting, because if you remember the McDar experimental page did very well in the begining and then started to exhibit "sandbox" effects later. It's almost as if Google gives credit for the links immediately and than after some due consideration, or lag time, takes the credit away again.



If it's the case that new links get a little boost in the beginning, then constantly keeping ads churning might actually be beneficial? Who knows