Make Money Online - Feel The Power Of The Anchor Text
Well, that did not take very long! Barely four days after I changed the rules for the Make Money Online reviews, I am on page 1 of Google.com for the term “make money online.”
If anything can demonstrate the power of anchoring you text links, this is it. Four days ago, this blog was ranked 158th place for make money online. Now it’s at the number 3 spot. Judging by the number of sponsored links, make money online is a highly prized key phase.
How does this translate in terms of traffic? The overture keyword tool says there were over 44,000 searches last month for make money online. Overture only reports on Yahoo! properties so you can expect Google to have at least twice that volume. If just 10% of searchers click my link, it could mean 8,000 or more Google visitors to this blog every month. And this is just for one search term!
Getting everyone to link to my blog with my anchor text was just part of the puzzle. I had to make some changes to the blog to speed my charge to page 1 of Google. The first thing I did was change the title of the blog home page from John Chow dot Com - The Miscellaneous Ramblings of a Dot Com Mogul to Make Money Online with John Chow dot Com.
The second thing I had to do was to make sure some posts on the front page had the targeted keywords in them. Ideally, they should be in the blog post title because more weight is placed on that. Now you understand the evilness behind some of my post titles. In addition, the targeted keywords should be repeated a few times in the article.
Tips To Choosing Anchor Text
Sure, you may think “super cool dude” is a great anchor for your blog but if no one searches for it, then it’s worthless. The best way to find out what anchor texts to go after is by using a keyword tool like Overture or WordTracker.
Overture is free but doesn’t give you much information other than how many times that keyword was searched for over the previous month. WordTracker cost money but offers a ton more information. You enter some keywords, and WordTracker tells you how often people search for them and how many competing sites use those keywords. They also offer a free trial and 30-day money back guarantee if it doesn’t work out for you.
The other way to choose an anchor text is to look at what words searchers are using to get to your site now and try to rank for variations of it. For example, I could go after make money blogging or just make money. You just have to be creative. And being a little evil helps too. 
- Posted in Make Money Online, The Net
- 176 comments what's your take?
Hmmm… What do I want to be found by?
Reply to this commentI gave it some thought and I am thinking “Pokemon”!!!
Reply to this commentMight as well make it more cute and go with Pikachu
Reply to this commentpokemon? Hummmm….are you sure?
by the way, john overture is overdated, is in slow death and there is better alternatives, like keyword avalanche or even the IBP keyword Tool.
Reply to this commentI agree, Overture is far too slow. It times out pretty often too.
Reply to this commentMore good advice, thanks!
Reply to this commentWhy not Pokemon? I’m already on top for “get paid to surf websites”
http://www.google.com/search?q=get paid to surf websites&hl=en&start=20&sa=N
Reply to this commentThat should make your site look cuter. I wonder what the kids would say if they didn’t find what they wanted to.
Reply to this commentThey’d say “Pika… Pika… Pikachu!”
Reply to this commentSteve, pick something that you’re already ranking for, it’ll be a lot easier
Reply to this comment“Hmmm… What do I want to be found by?”
Buy Viagra Online perhaps?
Reply to this commentLooks like there’s already a lot of comment spammers out there after that market
Reply to this commentDid anyone else test this search w/ Google? I didn’t even get John returned on the first page.
Reply to this commentNevermind, I see. I decided to try Google.ca instead of Google.com. On Google.ca he actually came up as #2, so he’s rising.
Reply to this commentIt’s still spreading across the Google data centers. Not all centers have me on page 1 yet. One some centers I’m at #1 for Google.ca but the highest for Google.com is #3.
Reply to this commentThat’s it! This post alone deserves a second review. Thanks for sharing.
Reply to this commentCongrats, you are number 4 after problogger.net in google.com.au
Being Evil is good how bout we make an Evil Clan?
Reply to this commentIf you want to join an evil clan check my blog for details
Reply to this commentI’ve joined the evil clan!
Reply to this commentAt this rate, John’ll hit number one in no time.
Reply to this commentFor $250 dollars!!
Reply to this commentHe’s still playing around #3-5
Reply to this commentJohn this speaks massive volumes to the influence you can swing online. Congrats. This is the most impressive bit of work you’ve done on this blog from my perspective.
Be sure to let us know what the actual traffic numbers look like.
Reply to this commentRight you are sir. I’m now getting you on the .com site just as you described.
When, oh when, will Google be able to deliver me JohnChow.com faster?
Reply to this commentYou’re currently # 3 at google.sg and
# 4 at google.com
dunno why it showed # 29 earlier
Reply to this commentstill great work!!
Jeff - http://wallpapers.jeffreymunro.com
Reply to this commentI saw it on google.com
Very cool
What could this evil mind think of next?
Michael
Reply to this commentSelling JCDC and TTZ for $2 billions.
Reply to this commentTTZ might be worth some value, but you’ve got to wonder who else but another John Chow would be interested in JCDC.
Reply to this commentI’d buy it and add it to my Asian Name Domain Network!
Kumiko
Reply to this commentAll three or four letter domain names .com are off the street now! well, almost all of them.
Reply to this commentTo my knowledge, none of John’s sites are three or four letter domains. He has johnchow.com and thetechzone.com
Reply to this commentCome on, $2 billion don’t be ridiculous. YouTube only went for 1.6. You have to set a fair and sensible price, something like $1 billion.
Reply to this comment“What could this evil mind think of next?”
You wouldn’t wanna know…
Reply to this commentCool - congrats. I guess some of the Google datacenters haven’t updated to the same stats as the one you’re using - I’m seeing you at #31.
But I’m not sure you’re using the term “anchor text” correctly… “the anchor keywords should be repeated a few times in the article” — I think something like “targeted key phrase” would be more appropriate.
Anchor text is the text you use when you’re linking to website (or something else) - it’s the text enclosed by the “a href” tag.
Reply to this commentYou are correct and I’ve updated the article to reflect that.
Reply to this commentGood catch Hannes. It’s a technicality, but one that had to be mentioned.
Reply to this commentIs there an easy way to find your rank in a Google search? I was included in this review post for “Scion tC” and gave up looking after 300 results. I’m not surprised since my site is new but was curious how far back I was.
Reply to this commentThe only way is to sell your soul to the evil
BTW, what is Scion tC? Too many sites listed there with Scion tC. How can you differentiate yourself from others and make every one love to link to your site like we all here?
Reply to this commentScion tC is a sports coupe by Toyota. I think it’s only available in the United States.
On a side note, I wrote a review on The Number 23 (Jim Carrey movie) and I come up as the number three or four result for “paranoia 23″. In fact, it’s the second biggest keyword phrase that has directed traffic my way this month.
Reply to this commentThere’s no easy way, but if you’re pulling referrals in then you can use the referral string to see where your visitors were when they found you.
Otherwise set your Google preferences to 100 results and use the find command to try and find your domain.
Reply to this commentThis tool is worth looking at:
Reply to this commenthttp://www.seochat.com/?option=com_seotools&tool=30
John,
What is your most fav. book on SEO that you recommend for us guys?
Congratulations on making the first page with that BTW.
Reply to this commentThe SEObook: http://www.johnchow.com/go/seobook.php
I did a review on it here: http://www.johnchow.com/seo-book-review/
Reply to this commentThanks buddy.
Reply to this commentEvil at work. There be an affiliate link there
Reply to this commentthanks for the reply, i’ll def. look into this book.
Reply to this commentWell done, John. You are a true genius at internet marketing. What’s next on your agenda?
Reply to this commentwow, only four days, you make it so easy don’t you John?
So how many links did you end up with? From Google a rough estimate is from 235 sites over 1000 pages with 52,700 links?
Reply to this comment52,700 links with “make money online”? That can’t be right… can it?
Reply to this commentCongrats John.
Reply to this commentOkay John, your next challenge is to rank for in the top 5 for “I’m rich, bitch!”
Reply to this commenthaha, well he did decline a million dollar + deal for his other site
Reply to this commentWhat a feat…
Reply to this commentSounds evil, sinister and brilliant. i’m sure everyone is thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Answer: cause you’re not as evil!
Reply to this commentNo, Answer “because I dont have the readership”
If I offered a $250 dollar Wii, I would get a handful of reviews, but John having a large readership attracted many…
Reply to this commentYep,
I considered offering a big prize but I do not have the readership to make it profitable.
I gave a way a game last month and this month I’m giving away free reviews. Still less than 50 takers on the review contest…
Reply to this commentConsidering that John has well over 3,000 RSS subscribers, he has no problem pulling in the traffic. Even if a smalltime blog was giving away a Lamborghini, it would not have been as effective a campaign as John’s (unless the story got picked up and spread around the blogosphere).
Reply to this commentIt isn’t just the number of readers. It is the type of readers. Most people here have blogs and many of them are about making money on line, so it is easy to link to John. If everyone here was running blogs about hair dryers, the contests might not be quite as easy.
My contests take quite a bit longer to complete because my readers are coming coming for productivity tips, not all of them own blogs, and if they do they aren’t about productivity.
Reply to this comment“because I don’t have the readership”
but you are as evil?
Reply to this commentInteresting John… That nicely tips…
Reply to this commentCongrats John, at the moment your numero 9 on google.com.my (malaysia).
Reply to this commentanother milestone for john chow…congrats! your sites not only just a money making blog but really an education to all of us how to make money online by giving us important tips. congrats again john!
Reply to this comment45,000 searches on overture last month for make money online, so you will see a nice increase in traffic too
Reply to this commentI wonder what the RSS feed# can hit?
Reply to this commentJohn did say to not bet against him, so I’m going to say that he’ll break 5k by the end of the month
Reply to this commentMine can’t even hit 14
Reply to this commentWhat A guy you are John What a guy. Taking Over the Web one day at a time
Reply to this commentHow many linkbacks do you think you got with that phrase as the anchor text?
Very impressive!
Reply to this commentThe Nintendo Wii contest has done wonders for 1234Pens, because they are now the #2 result for “promotional pens” on Google.com.
Reply to this commentIts amazing how new updates can bring such a fresh boom to the SEO results eh.
Reply to this commentTalked to a friend who is selling a special product for golf online. I mentioned about John’s way of advertising and asking him would he be willing to let me give his product for free to my blog readers the way John did it? He said sure if I only ask for one. The only trouble is, as of now, I still don’t have any idea on how am I going to set up the winner’s criterion? I will sleep with it for few more nights.
Or may be I just ask him to visit johnchow.com and read the 123pen or that vibrator’s story.
Reply to this commentYou could try, but I’m guessing that your blog doesn’t have as large of an audience as John’s. I posted up the contest on the 1234 pens blog, and I’m sure it wouldn’t have gained as much attention as it has if it weren’t for John mentioning (and endorsing) it.
Reply to this commentThey must be happy!!
Reply to this comment4 days????????????????
Reply to this commentPhew.. that’s coolness
Gotta think of a better anchor text for my other blogs before I make another review for ya
Yup its worth doing but there is always a conflict between writing for search engines and writing for humans!
If you are interested I am trying to put together a network of bloggers interested in improving SEO of their blogs, if you check my blog I have a post on it at the moment.
There are some other related posts also….
Reply to this comment“there is always a conflict between writing for search engines and writing for humans!”
Only if you take it to extremes. There’s a massive grey area in the middle that makes for quality SEO fodder and is pleasant to read for humans. Though I don’t know how machine gun toting cats will react to it…
Reply to this commentRanked so high! Forget $7000/month…make that $70,000/month soon! Can I be your exclusive umbrella holder when your in the sun?
Reply to this commentWhen he gets out of one of his two Pagani Zondas, no doubt.
Reply to this commentVery cool! Yeah I see it on google.com. Excellent work John!
Reply to this commentI just did a write up on Anchor Text, how it helps you and the people you’re linking to
Reply to this commentI’ve been pitching SEO for blogs for the longest time haha.. also note to set the category slugs to reflect those terms you want to be picked up by.
Reply to this comment“hot issues BC” on google returns my blog on #1.
Reply to this commentThat’s pretty good work there John. Now I just have one question … how many hits would I get on my site if I could get to number 1 with the anchor text “sex”?
Reply to this commentwow congrats! I think it would be cool to see a follow up of how many people you drive to your site who actually type in “make money online”
Reply to this commentI’m going to start making one anchor text for now on, I’m sure it’s better to have one anchor text then of bunch of random ones
Reply to this commentIt is often better to try and hit one keyword per post, then, if you get links to your posts use that same keyword.
The post title is the most important element, as this also becomes the page title and tags.
If you tightly theme a blog it is easier to get rank on your kewords.
My blog linked above does not do this, but another I have got PR4 with only a few posts on the site, and is starting to rank well for certain keywords = traffic.
What you also need a ONE WAY links into your site, i.e. not recirocal / exchanged links which merely cancel each other out.
I have a post on my blog where I am trying to get bloggers interested in SEO to triangulate links between themselves, so you exchange links through a networkd and get ONE WAY links to your blog, Like JC has done with his Wii competition.
Reply to this commentDoes this work?
Reply to this commentSorry for the newbie question but could you tell me how to change the title of the blog home page (the one that shows in the window title bar) without changing the title in the header of your blog (as you seem to have done?
Thanks for the help
Rahul
Reply to this commenthttp://www.tradernirvana.com
You could just do it manually in the header.php file instead of having it pull up the blog description.
Reply to this commentthere is an
if ishome()
switch used in sidebar.php, you should be able to use that in header.php to change the title for the homepage only.
Reply to this commentAwesome! Let us know how it works out traffic-wise
Reply to this commentYeah, I would like to see the traffic analysis as well. When you do your recap for this month, make sure to note any spikes around this time. I would love to see a day by day graph of uniques and overall page views for your site John.
Reply to this commentYou have not posted traffic stats in a while.
Reply to this commentI just want to feel the Power of John Chow now…
Reply to this commentCongrats John! I can’t wait to see the March Revenue Results!
Reply to this commentCongrats on your success JC…..But remember what goes up,must come down. Then what?
Reply to this commentThen you die.
Reply to this commentFunny
Reply to this commentactually… scary
Reply to this commentMaybe sadistic is the word you’re looking for.
Reply to this commentThat’s only when gravity is at work. Search Engines aren’t affected by the laws of gravity
Reply to this commentI’m the 2nd link for ‘invest in porn’!
of course, ‘make money online’ has more hits than ‘invest in porn’, but mine is cooler!
Reply to this commentHAHA Nice. Or you could simply just use ‘porn’ lol.
Reply to this commentThat’s probably much more competitive.
Reply to this comment