Google Incetivizes Bloggers to Push Firefox + the Google Toolbar

Some of you have noticed that I recently started running Adsense ads on my blog. In about six weeks I have earned a grand total of about oh, $20. Once I hit a $100 I will get a check from Larry and Sergey. All proceeds earned go to the CooperKatz Pizza Party Fund (CKPPF). I am running the ads to learn just how much revenue a blogger can make from AdSense. Fred Wilson has documented in detail how to optimize AdSense and Darren Rowse is the king here so don't be surprised if I pull some of their tricks. A company can't have too many pizzas.

Today, however, I noticed a new wrinkle when I logged into Adsense. Mark Jen has documented this as well. Google has added a new feature to AdSense that pays publishers (e.g. bloggers included) $1 for every Firefox + Google Toolbar combo download they generate. Up until now, I was hocking Firefox for free. Now CKPPF can take the express train to pizzadom perhaps through this program. I am going to enroll and track how my ads perform. I would be really interested in seeing some data from Google over time just how many downloads bloggers were able to generate.

More importantly, I am really starting to believe in what John Battelle says - that Google has major plans for its toolbar.

Technorati Tags: AdSense, Firefox, Google

Comments

[Pinyo]

AdSense is a good way to start earning revenue for your site/blog; however, it is by no mean the most profitable way. Personally, I find selling my own ad space more rewarding. But, I still use AdSense to supplement my own ad sales.

As far as the toolbar goes, I think you are right...Google is up to something. Forget Google entering browser war and creating it's own Frankenstein. I think Google is planning to dominate the brower industry by having Google Toolbar for every major browser.

Why create a monster, when you can leash them all.

[Peeter Marvet]

for whatever reason my adsense account only allows adding Adsense referrals, not Firefox... perhaps they feel Estonia has already been lost to Microsoft?

[Darren]

Peeter - its the same for everyone not in the USA unfortunately.

thanks for the link Steve - let me know if I can help with the Adsense at all

[Judi Sohn]

You can probably get more money out of Adsense if you moved the ad block up. You have a lot on that sidebar. Takes too much scrolling to get to the ad block. With a site as popular as yours, if you're earning $20 in a 6 week period the problem is the positioning of your ads, not the ads themselves. My site is a blog, with not nearly the traffic your site gets and suffice to say, I get a Googlecheck every month. Can I retire on it? Absolutely not. But the site more than pays for itself and then some.

[Jeremy Pepper]

As someone that had Google Ads, and then pulled them off realizing it was doing nothing for my blog and less for my business, it often boggles my mind why bloggers use them. My issue was that most of the ads were for PR firms, and I had no desire to see those ads. I have toyed with the idea of adding Amazon, so people could buy books on PR and marcom. You know, add value to my blog.

Your blog is already making you money - via a salary from CK.

Fred Wilson's blog ads were odd to me - a VC needing money? - but was an interesting test subject.

With the new incentive, though, it makes me wonder if it has more to do with the fact that Firefox downloads have stalled, and the market growth is stagnant for them, or if it's a way to get more people to sign up for AdSense? As more and more competition comes out of the woodwork, not excluding YPN and MSN, Google needs to do more. And, well, bribing for downloads is one way to go.

It's nice that you want to treat the co-workers with a pizza party, but you couldn't find something better to do with the money?

[serge lescouarnec]

Steve

I started with Kanoodle ads and then added Google Ads and the Google Search bar recently.
I have not made much money from it until now but it seems that I made more money from the Google Search bar.

I added the Firefox/Google button today, will see what happens.

On a PR/Media note we are on the Lust List of the NOV/DEC Issue of New Jersy Life magazine. They used our BLOG's name , Serge the Concierge as the headline.

Good luck with your treatment.

Serge
http://www.montclairconcierges.com
http://www.njconcierges.com

BLOGS:
http://www.sergetheconcierge.typepad.com
http://www.creativebusiness.typepad.com

[Spread Firefox]

I think it's fantastic that Google is paying people to promote Firefox. Firefox needed a little nudge - the initial buzz surrounding it has died down a lot in the last few months.