Anyone still using Text-Link-Ads?

[deronsizemore]

Or is this a dead service with Google's crack down on paid links? I was just accepted into Text Link Ads and installed the script, but still not sure if I want to go down that road.

[adalante]

I have it on some of my sites, but remove TLA from my "important" site, sites that i treasure.

[SarahG]

Yep still running them. I have 2 main sites with links on. Make almost $150 a month off them.

Google's crackdown is through guessing and people reporting sites. If you do it right you can stay under the radar.

[Jeremy]

I use linkworth instead of TLA, but I still maintain a few links through that. I'm not abandoning text links completely, but I'm not aggressively trying to get them either. So, I price them high enough that it makes it worthwhile to take the slightly added risk.

[chrispian]

I removed them a while back, but I'm thinking about putting them back on sites that don't really matter to me. I could use the extra $100-$200 bucks to spend on sites I do care about!

[deronsizemore]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I think I'll give them a shot too. I would rather have the opportunity to make extra cash than worry about whether google is going to slap my wrist or not. I guess if it comes down to my site receiving zero traffic, I'll have to remove them but I don't think that'll ever be the case and most of my traffic is from referring sources.

I use linkworth instead of TLA, but I still maintain a few links through that. I'm not abandoning text links completely, but I'm not aggressively trying to get them either. So, I price them high enough that it makes it worthwhile to take the slightly added risk.


I signed up with LinkWorth but honestly never used them. So, with them, you can actually set your own prices on your text links? I don't think that's possible with Text-Link-Ads but could be wrong.

[ses5909]

I'm with the others here. I have it on a couple sites and i very carefully only choose relevant sites that I honestly don't have an issue recommending, rather than choosing something that screams like an ad. I have intentionally left it off this site though because of the same reason mentioned above.

[SarahG]

To be honest the whole google slapping doesn't seem to have caused traffic loss to anyone who's been hit. My other half had his PR completely removed, yet his visitors haven't dropped nor has the price on his site. Not bad for someone who blogs twice a year (I kid you not).

I think the more people that continue with selling paid links the more Google will need to rethink their strategy rather than telling people how to run their websites.

[deronsizemore]

To be honest the whole google slapping doesn't seem to have caused traffic loss to anyone who's been hit. My other half had his PR completely removed, yet his visitors haven't dropped nor has the price on his site. Not bad for someone who blogs twice a year (I kid you not).

I think the more people that continue with selling paid links the more Google will need to rethink their strategy rather than telling people how to run their websites.


Well that's what I'm hoping Google will do... eventually anyway. I mean, it's essentially the same as me putting together a site that is totally broken in Internet Explorer and then having a big notice on the site that says "Site best viewed in FireFox" or something to that effect. Google needs to rethink their strategy regarding text link ads, but that's a different thread. ;)

So your husband only blogs twice a year and still is able to get advertisers through text link ads? That's pretty good.

[SarahG]

So your husband

:eek:

I'm not married ;)

But yes, his last post was last August. Okay, he posted 4 times last year. This year? well he's upgraded twice, he sits and stares at it but never actually posts. Despite the fact he's a walking css and accessibility book! (he won't do personal posts really).

[Jeremy]

I signed up with LinkWorth but honestly never used them. So, with them, you can actually set your own prices on your text links? I don't think that's possible with Text-Link-Ads but could be wrong.

I don't use TLA so I'm not sure how the programs differ, but with linkworth, yes you get to set your prices. They also have two payout structures. A 50/50 for a "preferred" partner, and a 70/30. With preferred, you are supposed to get more visibility and such to attract advertisers, but I'm not sure how well that actually works.

[SarahG]

I think you can set prices on TLA by emailing them and requesting it. I've heard of some who have altered their prices. But it's not an easily available thing.

[deronsizemore]

:eek:

I'm not married ;)


Whoops! My bad :'"

:eek:

Despite the fact he's a walking css and accessibility book

Hmmm, I'm thinking about starting a blog on NiceStylesheet for CSS tutorials/artices at some point (no time right now) but if he's interested in having a place to write css articles, tell him to look me up. ;)

[deronsizemore]

I don't use TLA so I'm not sure how the programs differ, but with linkworth, yes you get to set your prices. They also have two payout structures. A 50/50 for a "preferred" partner, and a 70/30. With preferred, you are supposed to get more visibility and such to attract advertisers, but I'm not sure how well that actually works.

I see... thanks! I'll have to give Linkworth a second look maybe.