Last Friday, I was pleasantly surprised to receive my first ever check from Google. I had the feeling that the check would arrive soon after I saw the earnings surge way past the minimum threshold amount. I just didn't expect the check to come in about the right time, considering the reputation of the slow postal delivery in this country.
Posing in our terrace with the newly delivered Google check.
How It Feels Like
Of course I was elated after opening the envelope and seeing the check. The amount itself didn't seem to matter at first. Me finally holding a Google check mattered most.
It seemed unreal. I suppose most bloggers get that feeling when they get the first check.
We see the earnings rise very slowly and then read stories of pioneer crafty bloggers making untold riches from the internet. It excites us and then wonder if something even remotely similar could happen to us.
I just had to show the paper check to DH and the kids - yup, each one of them. The kids seemed to see just the paper I was waving around, totally unimpressed.
But when they saw the dollar amount which I said came from all the writing (and typing) done on the computer, they seemed to better grasp the concept.
Long Slow Journey
I've started this blog since 2006 and treated it as my personal swimming journal. So, essentially, I was simply writing for myself. I took on swimming as a beginner to help rehabilitate my sprained lower back.
I was slowly learning the four swimming strokes, the survival strokes, as well as some other swimming techniques like treading. It didn't matter to me how the journal entries appeared to other readers as long as they were meaningful to me.
Looking back, they still appear to be nonsensical posts to the average joe.
In 2007, I've learned about Google Adsense and applied for an account. It was more out of curiosity than anything else. I received the Google Adsense Account PIN, setup the account and then I noticed the minute cents that very slowly crept up in my account.
It was only when I posted the eggbeater (treading technique) posts that many readers, swimmers I presume, seemed to have taken interest on the blog. I've heard and read of the highly successful blogger fortune stories and thought it was too good to be true.
Still, I persisted in improving the blog, aesthetically speaking. I played around with themes and templates. I've searched, used and discarded a few templates in the process.
I also realized that I've more interests that can be logically and feasibly contained in this blog. I also learned a few things about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and so I added the blogs listed below:
Future Plans
I presently believe that the few blogs that I have (few, compared to what other big bloggers maintain, anyway) are enough to keep me busy. I have so much material to write about but hardly have enough time to write them down.
The nice thing though is that the stuff I write is about things that I enjoy doing in my free time. I could write very short posts about them, but that is not only the intent of blog writing. So, the focus will be the quality of the writing geared towards SEO, moving forward.
One thing I also learned is that it doesn't hurt to be a bit controversial with content writing. This is especially so when voicing an opinion on anything a bit sensational under the sun.
That could include showbiz, religion, politics and other day-to-day issues. Lots of bloggers do this and become successful at it.
Finally, there's content pruning. The older, nonsensical (to others), and short journal entries I've written in the past need to go. It's either that or they need to be rewritten and enhanced so they become more relevant.
These posts, which I call "blog blips", just seem to be out of place. I realized that the money making entries are not these numerous blog blips but the few content-rich posts I've written during the last 3 or 6 months.
So yup, there will be plenty of things to do to increase the earning power of the blogs and I'm stoked!
Here's a little eat-out to celebrate the occasion. That's Karen beaming at the next table. Cheers !!!
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