The Truth About the “Make Money Online” Niche!
March 11th, 2008 | 46 comments
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For much more info on this subject, including screenshots and real data I stored while ranking for the phrase, grab a copy of my free report at http://www.MMONicheExposed.com/
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For several months now I’ve been mentioning the fact that the main directory of this site has been sitting on the front page of Google for “make money online” (without quotes.) I realize it’s getting a bit repetitive and possibly annoying that I keep throwing that out there…bragging.
To be honest with you I am somewhat proud of that ranking, so obviously I want people to know I hold it. However, that’s not the only reason I keep mentioning it.
If you read my latest report “The Easy SEO Report,” you know that achieving that position was the product of using simple, well-known SEO strategies and not using any kind of top-secret formula.
However, that niche is terribly misunderstood and very few people know that. There are loads of newbies and guru’s alike who constantly compete for that keyword phrase. Guess what, 90% of them are targeting the wrong niche!!
Here’s the Truth
According to Aaron’s SEO Book Keyword Tool, “make money online” (without quotes) gets an estimated 1,275 daily searches.
- Out of 1,275, I’d imagine that at least 400 or so are done by you and I. Yep, those of us who are competing for that phrase. I know I check it quite often and I’d imagine there are many other marketers who do the same!
- Most people are trying to conquer this keyword with the wrong content! This niche is targeted to people who have no idea what Internet marketing is all about. These people want to quite literally “make money online.” If they were looking for info on Internet marketing they would type that instead. So, if your site is targeted to those people it will convert. If your site is about affiliate marketing, blogging, SEO etc. it’s not going to convert because these people don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!
It’s crazy how many sites and blogs I see who are targeting that niche, but offering SEO advice, or PLR content etc. etc. If your site is about SEO, why don’t you target an SEO search phrase? If your site is about PLR why don’t you target a PLR search phrase? I just don’t get it? I guess people are blinded by the hype that everyone creates about this keyword phrase.
The thing is, we (Internet Marketers) for some reason, relate the Internet Marketing niche with the Make Money Online niche. The thousands of people who are doing this are wasting their time. If their site/blog ever gets to the top it will not convert, at all!
It’s Still Worth It
It is worth it, but only if your content is targeted to that niche. Although the main directory of this site does need updated (badly,) and I do need to change the focus a bit, it does convert pretty decent. It’s been bouncing around from the #4 spot to the #9 spot with approximately $30/day in Adsense earnings and a CB sale or two each week.
However, I’ve built a list of a couple thousand from those visitors and NOTHING internet marketing related converts! When I promote a product that shows how to make money doing something I make several sales. If a product requires even a basic knowledge of Internet marketing it doesn’t convert.
So here is a recap and a few points to ponder:
- If you target this niche your site needs to provide BASIC information on how to make money! Very basic!
- The search volume is unnaturally inflated due to marketers competing for the phrase.
- It’s profitable and worth going for if your content is targeted, but it’s not the glorified gold-mine it’s perceived to be!
photo credit: vinodchattergee
Popularity: 34% [?]
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11th March, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Hey Josh, how’s it goin’
Very interesting analysis of that niche. I’ll bet dollars to donuts that you’re 100% correct. Really, it stands to reason that if joe blow from idaho wanted to know how to make money online that he’d type just that. I agree too with your notion that most marketers bloggers etc are targeting that phrase and providing the wrong content, and scratching their heads why it isnt converting for them or why theyre not getting the top slot. Other than by the incestuous relationship most marketers have with each other by link loving each others posts. But yeah. What you said is quite correct look at it from the view point of joe blow who wants to know how to make money online and provide that sort of content to them. Not to other IMers. Which dont convert well.
11th March, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I agree with your post. What types of things do you think these people are looking for. Would you say, mlm ,network marketing, direct sales company type of stuff?
Or do you think they’re looking for the opportunity to work for a company for an hourly rate from the internet?
11th March, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Josh,
Interesting statistics. I am not sure why people are using the wrong search/target terms. It doesn’t make sense to me either. I’d be willing to bet it is strictly out of ignorance and stupidity. If they spent a few more minutes thinking about what they were really going after, they might actually get what they want.
11th March, 2008 at 8:23 pm
very interesting Josh, keep it up.
Steve
11th March, 2008 at 8:23 pm
[...] popped into to josh spaulding’s blog internet marketing with josh spaulding He’s got a great post the truth about the make money online niche. I think he’s really nailed it one the head. An offers some very basic advice about to correctly [...]
11th March, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Good thinking Josh. It’s important to consider that those of us targeting specific keywords do unnaturally inflate the numbers associated with the keywords.
As always, good stuff. This is one of the few blogs that I read on a regular basis. I wouldn’t expect any less from a fellow Hoosier.
11th March, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Hi Josh,
It’s not surprising to hear you say that internet marketing products don’t convert with the “make money online” mindset. That key phrase is just not targeted enough.
Some people buy “business opportunity ” leads and try to sell them internet marketing products also. Doesn’t work at all.
If you’re making $30/day with Adsense, I suggest testing CPA lead offers. There are several good ones from Hydramedia.com which could prove more profitable.
With your list of 2,000 try doing a survey to see what they are looking for. Try testing a paid survey or data entry offer.
- Gary
11th March, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Lemmings. People are in such a hurry, and don’t really want to work for success so they latch on to what they think they see. In this case it is the MMO niche.
People who search for Make Money Online are looking for the quick fix, not the methods to success.
11th March, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Hi Josh,
You make a very good point and I agree that many of us Internet Markets are guilty of doing exact what you say. I know I am. But you have given me something to think about and I thank you for that. Keep up the good work. I for one appreciate it.
Herschel Lawhorn
11th March, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Josh
I think this happens more than we realise in other niches not related to IM or money
e.g which visitor to my site is going to be the easist to convert -
The one searching “High Blood Pressure”
The one searching “Blood Pressure Monitors” or the one searching “Cheap Blood Pressure Monitors.”?
Even if they all land on the same page, they are all there for different reasons.
So if you are not getting the conversions you want, then it may be that you are simply aiming at the wrong market.
Paul
11th March, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Josh
Very interesting as always. I suppose people who want to search for “making money online” are like people who “want to be famous”. Both mostly have absolutely no idea how they’re going to achieve it.
Neil
11th March, 2008 at 9:04 pm
@ Shane - That’s right, if they knew what SEO etc. were they’d be typing that instead of mmo.
@ Alex - I can’t tell you how people think, but I can tell you what converts well for me. The content can be internet marketing related, as it should be. However, the landing page they find should contain a very basic explination. For example, there isn’t anything wrong with having affiliate marketing content on the landing page, as long as you explain to them what affiliate marketing is etc. etc.
The problem is that most people are trying to get their pages ranking for mmo which cover more advanced topics. For instance, if a PLR membership site makes #1 for “make money online” are the users really going to know what the hell PLR is? and if they do, will they know what to do with it?
@ Ryan - I’d imagine that’s true for most niches, but this niche seems to be inflated a bit more. Thanks for the support! Glad I could help in some way.
@ Gary - Thanks for the recommendations, but I do my own thing
I do appreciate your help though.
@ David - That’s very true! As a matter of fact, I believe the best converting product I sold to that list was “Really Fast Money” by Willie Crawford.
@ Herschel - Glad I could help
@ Paul - Very true. My site is converting very well, so I’m not having that problem, but you make a good point.
@ Neil - True, to a point. However, we all had to start somewhere.
11th March, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Paul you are exactly right. This happens a lot in other markets, but it is basic Marketing.
I would bet on converting “Cheap Blood Pressure Monitors”.
“High Blood Pressure” is an informational search.
“Blood Pressure Monitors” is a crossover.
When you add the word Cheap, you have more focus.
11th March, 2008 at 9:22 pm
David
That’s exactly right.
Although it is basic marketing, and it is obvious when it’s said, there are 1000’s of people trying to start an internet business every day that have no marketing experience.
They’re just told to use keywords and wonder why they’ve made no money because they’re just getting info-searchers who don’t convert.
That’s were I find Josh so valuable. He give specifics not generalisations.
Paul
11th March, 2008 at 9:40 pm
“People who search for Make Money Online are looking for the quick fix, not the methods to success.”
I don’t believe this. A few months ago if I typed that search, I truly was looking for ideas about how money can be made online.
11th March, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Hey Josh,
I downloaded youe SEO report so I’m “on your list”, but this very post got me to sign on to your RSS feed.
It’s got to be the most “plain englsh” article ever written on the subject.
11th March, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Thanks Paul!
@ Jim - I agree with you. Everyone has to start somewhere. I’m sure I did a search or two myself in the beginning for mmo.
11th March, 2008 at 9:46 pm
@ Dennis - Sorry, missed you there.
Thanks for the support and I’m glad you enjoyed it
11th March, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Hi Josh, Robert Here.
I was doing some research using tools.at seobook.com for the keyword van insurance, it says that the keyword is only searched for 72 times a day overall.
On the other hand Google Traffic Estimator tell’s me that the keyword van insurance is searched for 407 - 512 times a day.
This kind of confuses me, I know their is a good amount for traffic out there for van insurance because my traffic status tells me so.
What do think Josh?
Robert
11th March, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Jim, I realize a broad statement is always going to draw fire, and yes I believe there are some that are truly searching for ideas.
But, I have seen enough data to feel comfortable making that statement for the majority percentage.
11th March, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I’m amazed : how people can have the idea to make a blog speaking about people who earned money speaking about people who earned money ?! And it works ! Fascinating indeed. A whole phenomenon. Keep the good work, plenty of tips are your posts. A real source of feedback.
11th March, 2008 at 10:34 pm
…”When I promote a product that shows how to make money doing something I make several sales. If a product requires even a basic knowledge of Internet marketing it doesn’t convert.”
I have that kind of experience with 10daycash system.
11th March, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Holy cow…ranking for that keyword is quite an accomplishment…some guys would kill for that!
I think people who type ‘make money online’ are about as naive as anyone can be. And I don’t say that in a condescending tone.
Typically, they’re technically proficient enough to figure out how to open a browser and get online. They may or may not know the difference between the browser’s google search box and the address bar.
So…I would think they would be open to just about anything. As long as the concept was simple and there was a clear method of making money online. Many MLM’s appeal to this type of visitor….I know, I was one :), that’s essentially how I got started…about 8 years or so ago.
So Josh, I basically agree with everything you say.
BTW, do you have trackbacks on?
Scott
11th March, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Thanks Josh.
My niche is health but I think exactly the same applies.
If you are promising something (by targeting people looking for something) you need to provide it - in the simplest and most direct way possible.
11th March, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Thanks Josh for sharing some interesting ideas on how to compete for even the most competitive terms.
12th March, 2008 at 12:11 am
Hi Josh,
I have been looking at your blog and site for a while now and I am impressed at how honest you are about numbers and I like how you do not overhype numbers particularly your current rankings. It just shows how even when you have high rankings for a keyword phrase it doesn’t mean you are going to get rich from it either.
I have had number one rankings for Womens Clothing and Plus Size Womens Clothing in the past and you would think you would be getting rich from the traffic, but even with great rankings you still need good content and more than one or two high ranked keywords to make much money online. It’s still a lot of hard work and patience and perseverence.
12th March, 2008 at 2:31 am
I agree with David’s characterization of many people mucking around in this niche as “lemmings”. However, I also believe this is because…for the longest time…most of the money being made by independent folks online was by the smoke-and-mirrors approach to “teaching others” how to make money online. I detested what they were doing then, and I detest it when I see it now. “Quit your job today and make your living on ebay! Send us $200 right now and we’ll tell you how!” There will always be hucksters. Sadly, there aren’t always truth-tellers to accompany them…so most of us had to wade thru a lot of crap before we found people that told it like it was…and it can be a very lemming-like existence until you get smacked upside the head a few hundred times and decide to go another direction. While I still believe that article marketing is an approach that’s likely to be unseated as a widely workable technique in the next 2-3 years, I do have a lot of respect for Josh’s substantive and transparent approach to it. However, I’d never want all my eggs in that basket. I’m still a fan of discovering your own passion, adding value to it online somehow and finding ways to monetize that effectively as the best possible long-term strategy. But that concept is not easily reduced to a cute keyword phrase (certainly not one that anyone is searching for, anyway…), and it actually requires more time and creativity than most folks can martial up…it’s usually arrived at by trial and error, and not listening to “the experts”. I’m not saying categorically that it’s a superior path. I’m not a prophet, and I’m not smart enough to know for sure…but that’s my best observation to this point…because it makes the most sense to me that something that can’t be easily systematized and duplicated stands a much better chance of long-term success than one that Google is forced to find ways to filter because so many people are doing it. Remember meta tags with “Britney Spears, Britney Spears, Britney Spears”, blog-and-ping systems and MFA sites with garbled text and RSS feeds? There’s a reason they don’t work any more. That’s because they’re too easily duplicated. But, we’ll see…
Love,
Charity
12th March, 2008 at 5:42 am
Hi Josh
Interesting read, thanks
Kim
12th March, 2008 at 8:25 am
Your experience is exactly the same as mine. I was on the first page for ‘make money online’ for several months with my old site jimsmarketing.com and made very little money from being there.
Just like you I earned a few dollars each day from adsense and got a small list of unresponsive subscribers.
I worked hard to get there, but it really wasn’t worth the effort. Much better to get high search engine rankings for buying keywords as these will ean you far more money in the long run.
12th March, 2008 at 1:29 pm
@ Robert - All traffic tools provide different stats for one reason or another. The important thing is to be familiar with one tool and figure out an effective search volume to target.
@ Thanks…I think.
@ Ksenija - What’s 10daycash system? I just did a search and came up with this post, but no sales page.
@ Scott - That’s basically it
Yes, I do have trackbacks on. If you sent one and it hasn’t went through let me know.
@ Evan - Very true.
@ Ottawa - Thanks, I’m glad I’ve helped. Honesty sells much better than dishonesty and you get to help people at the same time.
@ Charity - I agree with just about all of that. Mainly your thoughts on automated processes. I’ll admit, although article marketing is still very effective, it isn’t as affective now as it were 2 years ago.
But, when spammers ruin something good, that just mean the good guys have to be more creative to cause it to work again.
@ James - I wouldn’t say it’s not worth it. I mean, $30/day plus affiliate commissions adds up and it wasn’t all that hard to get there. My point is just that it’s not the glamorous riches many people believe it to be.
12th March, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Josh:
I love reading your posts. Keep up the good work. The SEO posts are the most interesting.
12th March, 2008 at 5:08 pm
You have hit on a very important point here. It is very easy for people to target the wrong search terms either by accident or lack of knowledge. As you said people searching for “make money online” want just that, not secret seo strategies on Internet marketing tips, they want sound advice, products and information on things that they can do, usually as a beginner, to make some money. I am glad you pointed this out and hopefully it will inspire others to take a look at their strategies and make sure it is the best for them. By the way congrats on your positioning.
13th March, 2008 at 2:44 pm
This is just like searching Google for the phrase “Loans” and “Mortgages”. There will be a lot of people searching for a loan or a bad credit loan, but I guess that a big part of these searches is done by SEO’s.
And the number of searches that the organic searches get, doesn’t compare to the number of searches that that Adword tool gives. You have to take out a nice part, unfortunately
14th March, 2008 at 10:32 am
This post has really got my thinking cap on.
I also like the way it is written, in a straight forward honest way.
14th March, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Thanks for sharing! That is a very insightful article, and makes you really stop and loko at things from a different angle in how you can better pick your keywords for the same or similar niche.
17th March, 2008 at 1:50 am
I’ve become an avid reader, Josh, and I’d love to know how you actually make those CB sales. Seems the only ones I make are to myself and still waiting to get paid on them!
Finally gave up on Adsense on my sites (except of course Squidoo), because I kept getting notifications that I had illegal clicks, though I wasn’t even checking them myself, so I can’t imagine…. anyway, I know I’m in a big boat with a lot of frustrated marketers, so I’ll stop whining.
You make one really great point too — that if a product requires even basic knowledge of marketing, forget it. So very, very true. Sell to brand new enthusiasts and hold their hand. That’s the key…and describes most of my team!!
Melissa
17th March, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Thanks for the compliments everyone!
@ Melissa - Thanks for the support, glad to help.
The reason you haven’t been paid for your own purchases is because CB doesn’t pay until you may so many purchases with different payment methods ie. Visa, Mastercard, PayPal etc.
They do this to prevent people from buying through their own link simply to get a discount.
My CB sales I make are through a combination of promotions through my mailing list and organic traffic. No real secret, it just takes traffic in one way or another.
That’s odd that you received multiple notification of illegal clicks. I’ve been an Adsense publisher for several years and have never received one. Maybe you told family and friends how it works and they were clicking your ads thinking they were helping you out?
Whether a product will convert to the “newbies” or more advanced marketer all depends on the way in which it is marketed. If you’re promoting a basic product to an advanced crowd it won’t convert and vise versa.
18th March, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Thanks, I started my blog trying to find ways to make money online (like writing reviews for money…) but when I discovered that I needed traffic to make money from my blog, I have been blogging more about the techniques that can be used to increase traffic than the actual money-making part!
I think I need to look more closely at the words I uses in my everyday blogging (I will re-read your SEO report too, while I’m at it!)
20th March, 2008 at 12:33 pm
very interesting, thanks!
24th March, 2008 at 9:04 pm
@ Internet - It’s all about gaining trust and teaching others. Just like real life, if you’re mumbling on and on about things that people don’t care about or about things that don’t help them they’ll just tune you out.
6th July, 2008 at 2:29 pm
You’ve nailed that one right on the head! Although I do maintain a ‘make money online’ site with info for beginners, I would recommend that newcomers to the online world steer clear of this niche.
There are hundreds of more popular niches out there that we can make money from!
22nd July, 2008 at 5:03 am
This is a good point. I think most webmasters who start targeting this niche start from the same point as everyone else. I.e. with no knowledge. Then they keep researching and build up their knowledge and assume that everyone else must be on the same level.
14th October, 2008 at 6:44 pm
You’re right Josh. Targeting the “make money online” crowd with content for internet marketers is all wrong. Even the term Internet Marketing itself is beyond many people who are just looking to make a couple extra bucks to keep food on the table. So glad I saw this post under your Top Picks.
14th November, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Wanting to rank for “make money online” is all wrong for anyone with an internet marketing blog. People searching for “make money online” are people like your sister - not people who are even going to understand creating a website or marketing it, etc. etc. They’re looking for something they can do online that pays them - like posting in forums or writing articles or data entry
Otherwise they would type “make money with my blog/website”
19th November, 2008 at 2:51 am
Another example of how crucial it is be clear on how your customers are finding what they want, whether it is the money making niche or not.
5th January, 2009 at 4:41 pm
It really is cool that you have been able to rank for this keyword. A definite feather in your cap even if you aren’t making a ton of money from it. Kinda like the coolest guy on the planet thing.
Rick