The end of the xFactor Method as we know it? I'm scared... Please help...

[tony-raymondo]

The end of the xFactor Method as we know it? I'm scared... Please help.

Thank you for reading my question.

I was impressed with the xFactor method but lately, something has been really bugging me.

The below image compares the Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for the years 2009 and 2010 for the term "Spring Air Mattress" -- a sample niche topic used in xFactor's book.



The left shows what the SERP looked like at the time that he wrote his ebook.
The right shows what the SERP looks like now (January 2010).

Obviously, what we notice is that Google has been getting a lot more aggressive in pushing products available via Google Product Search. (http://www.google.com/products) (also, quite confusingly, referred to as "Google Merchant Center", "Froogle, "Google Products", and "Google Base")

• Additionally, Google has finally started aggressively implementing its product thumbnail images viewer as an INTEGRATED PART of its search results.
• Further still, Google's product thumbnail catalog grows every day, so every day, we will find more and more product pictures in the SERPS.
• Further still, Google get's a portion of every product it pushes. Hence, we can see it is indeed in Google's interest to get their product images displayed "above the fold." In other words, despite the number of backlinks you get to your niche site, it's not really in their interest to let your little niche site outrank their product pictures.
• Further still, thumbnails have also been introduced into the PPC portion of the SERP -- making that section more appealing in 2010 as well.
• Further still, it has been long established that people are much more likely to click on images and links below images.
• Further still, the new "Shopping results" active area now occupies twice as many pixels (in height) and has twice as many hot spots as it did last year.
• Further still, if we're all being really honest, a real human person who is typing in the word "Spring Air Mattress" most likely doesn't want to look at an 800 article mattress product review -- written by some random person who owns a niche website. What that person really wants is, well, what Google seems to now be giving them. Pictures of the mattress, a list of prices, and a list of established industries that sell the mattress.

So the question is:

How does the new Google SERP layout affect the way you build product-based niche websites?

Is this the end of product traffic arbitrage?

Should I, say, stop concentrating on niche products (like Spring Air Mattress) and perhaps concentrate on niches that are much less "picture worthy" and much less prone to have to compete with Google Product Search. For example, should we now concentrate on words like "prostate disease", "Los Angeles Auto Insurance", and "How to remove termites?"

Or, should we start building mega sites like others have mentioned here?

Has anyone seen this affect your sales for your product-based niche sites?

Or, is it nothing to worry about at all?

Any ideas?

Much appreciated.

[zincOnline]

Not sure if its the difference in uk/us serps but I have been dealing with those product pictures long before 2010.

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by zincOnline

Not sure if its the difference in uk/us serps but I have been dealing with those product pictures long before 2010.

The biggest change i've noticed is, for the longest time, Google just couldn't get its act together with Google Products. Hence all the ridiculous name changes and such.

Now it looks like they finally have. And, while I did see some product images before, i'm noticing they are appearing a LOT more now.

[veotis]

It's call adapting. When something changes, you adapt to it, you don't start crying Chicken Little every time Google does something different!

[emigre]

Originally Posted by Franco Mocke

Google will eventually throw out all of the small mini sites of no value. The internet is just getting too darn busy, and with Google getting more and more greedy they will keep getting new ideas to make money like you just see happened.

Google maps will also take over. Search for pizza washington and see what happens.

Because the xfactor method depends upon product based mini websites I believe that they are in great danger because of Google maps and what you pointed out.

That is why I focus on building large sites, and not mini sites. I believe they will be of more value in the future.

Darn it, you're right. I was searching for something the other day and google maps pops up...what the...

[tony-raymondo]

I forgot to mention Google Maps.

Yes I have also noticed them popping up a lot more in "REGION + SERVICE" keywords. (e.g. San Diego Lawyer) That's hapenned for a while. But their regional service database seems to be growing and they seem much more willing to use it then they used to be.

The map doesn't scare me as much as the product images do though.

But either way, it's looking like we're going to have to learn to live with a much more richly populated Google SERP.

more ideas?

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by veotis

It's call adapting. When something changes, you adapt to it, you don't start crying Chicken Little every time Google does something different!

That's kind of the point.

For people in the xfactor niche who already invested 6 months in creating niche product sites, i just don't know how they would adapt...

I guess they'll have to use all those .com's for their farms or something.

If you want to get a sense of how many xFactor sites there are - go here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS351US351&q=" was+created+to+help+bring+the+best+of"&start=10&sa =N

a lot of those people have very niche-specific domain names for specific products...

[Intrepreneur]

Surely everyone knows that building those corny little sites are pointless anywway..

Like come on, how is a little 4/5 page site ever going to compete for product keywords when there are massive 1k+ page shopping sites out there already selling these products.

Do you really think that 4 pages stands a chance, do you even think that 20 pages stands a chance?

I bet you don't so why waste your time on silly little things when you can build something much more lucrative? Why?

Give me on good reason?

Oh and I've never seen any other product get discussed so damn much in this forum.. Needs checking over whether or not it's for free publicity because it looks pretty much like it.

[Joseph Then]

Originally Posted by Intrepreneur

Like come on, how is a little 4/5 page site ever going to compete for product keywords when there are massive 1k+ page shopping sites out there already selling these products.

4/5 pages website will WIN a 1k+ pages website because the pages are optimized and ranked for the keywords, something that 1k+ website cannot do.

[Intrepreneur]

Originally Posted by Franco Mocke

Amen, me too, don't understand why every 10th post is about xfactor's method.

Agreed, I wish I could delete them all as 80% of them are only for free publicity.

[Intrepreneur]

Originally Posted by Joseph Then

4/5 pages website will WIN a 1k+ pages website because the pages are optimized and ranked for the keywords, something that 1k+ website cannot do.

WHO told you that... Google?

LOL You must be thinking of Yahoo.. yea the search engine with abut 10 users per day.

[tony-raymondo]

well if you look around, you can see lots of xfactor style sites on page 1.

His system does work because the domain name and the content is so narrowly focused, that most people just don't bother competing for it.

But, from what I understand, most xFactor people who make money, do so via sheer webite volume.

For example, in his book he says, on average, his minisites make 5 dollars per day. His worst 1 page website makes a dollar a day.

What scares me, however, is, nowadays, it's just harder to believe that people searching for products would really bother with niche review sites. It seems like Google Product Search would just suck away so many of your potential visitors.

[Joseph Then]

Originally Posted by Intrepreneur

WHO told you that... Google?

LOL You must be thinking of Yahoo.. yea the search engine with abut 10 users per day.

Because my webpage ranks ABOVE those pictures... And am making money from there.

Yeah, that's about 50+ unique visitors per day, PER page.

How's that?

[Jacob Martus]

Originally Posted by Intrepreneur

Surely everyone knows that building those corny little sites are pointless anywway..

Like come on, how is a little 4/5 page site ever going to compete for product keywords when there are massive 1k+ page shopping sites out there already selling these products.

Do you really think that 4 pages stands a chance, do you even think that 20 pages stands a chance?

I bet you don't so why waste your time on silly little things when you can build something much more lucrative? Why?

Give me on good reason?

Oh and I've never seen any other product get discussed so damn much in this forum.. Needs checking over whether or not it's for free publicity because it looks pretty much like it.

Yeah all of us got together and said you know what? Let's just devote the majority of our time to promoting someone elses product without affiliate links and without anything pointing to the product. We just feel like being generous. No...more likely the reason that this strategy is discussed so much is because it works. And it is working for a lot of people.

Instead of just hating on everything related to a strategy which you think is inadequate, maybe offer some insight as to what youre talking about when you say to build something more worthwhile.

If you don't like reading about it, don't click on the thread. That's pretty simple.

[Vexo]

You are over analyzing this. Stop worrying about every new little block that gets added. Google changes constantly, if you are going to think that it is over after every little change then you are not going to make it

[XFactor]

Originally Posted by veotis

It's call adapting. When something changes, you adapt to it, you don't start crying Chicken Little every time Google does something different!

Exactly.

Minus the "crying chicken" comment though

- John

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by Franco Mocke

Amen, me too, don't understand why every 10th post is about xfactor's method.

Well...how about because people want Adsense success handed to them on a silver platter complete with the eating utensils? When what they perceive as the cookie cutter approach doesn't work they start asking questions as to why not.

It's not John's fault. He offers some interesting ideas and encouragement but building mini-sites around specific products does not seem like a viable long term Adsense strategy to me.

Products will come and go. The popularity and thus searchability of specific products won't last. New products will come and take their place. New models. Old products will get discontinued. How long will a web site focused on one specific product that is popular today, last? Not long term I would think.

I haven't tried John's method so I can't say for sure but that's just off the top. I'm focused on building mini-information sites that will be of value long term. Still product related but in a more general way.

Carlos

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by tony-raymondo

If you want to get a sense of how many xFactor sites there are - go here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS351US351&q=" was+created+to+help+bring+the+best+of"&start=10&sa =N

Unreal! I mean how can people be such copycats (or should I say foolish?) that they will use the same exact About Me page and leave a footprint to their sites a mile wide? Absolutely unbelievable!

Not only that but many of the sites say "Marketer Here! Nothing to see here! Move along!". The sites don't even look like legitimate sites. They look like cookie cutter sites put out by scrapers. They have the Adsense look and feel of MFA sites all over them.

If you are going to create Adsense sites at least make them LOOK like well built, unique web sites that had some love and care put into them instead of being copycats of everyone else!

If I was in Google's shoes I would ban every single web site that has that About Me on it. Easy way to removed thousands and thousands of spammy looking sites out of their index in one fell swoop.

Like I said....unbelievable!

Carlos

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by tony-raymondo

What scares me, however, is, nowadays, it's just harder to believe that people searching for products would really bother with niche review sites. It seems like Google Product Search would just suck away so many of your potential visitors.

I created one site that is 2 positions under a bunch of product images and yes...these product images do seem to suck traffic away. The site I created is in position 5 on the page but getting just a bare trickle of traffic. Even though the Google stats indicate that the site should get a lot more traffic than it's getting.

I mean there could be other factors involved (i.e. the title, description, etc..) but I suspect that nice pretty product images are sucking away a lot of the traffic that would otherwise come to the site.

Carlos

[Chris Kent]

I'm a bit surprised to see the hostility to the genuine issue the OP raises. My own view is that it is not going to divert too much traffic away. I don't think it will kill off product affiliate marketing.

Anyway, gives even more reason to stop planning and start pumping out sites like a madman! Get uber rich and put the money back into other projects, including regular offline businesses. If you're reading this and haven't yet started your first site, start doing it tonight! Wish I had started this between Christmas and New Year's, when I originally had planned to. Oh well, better late than never.

As for those copycat sites, man I can't believe how lazy people are! I personally am mixing up the page dimensions, colours, text for About Me and Contact Us and more.

As for banning "About Me", surely that wouldn't work? There are tons of sites with "About Me" in them are there not?

[LilBlackDress]

I have mini sites and large sites. I thought XFactors book was excellent with one exception (regarding the article marketing/resource box). And X made it very clear that copying his exact format was not a good idea. I used my own twist on X's plan and made a few hundred off one site alone (from an affiliate link I added not the adsense).

I love focusing on the large sites but what happens if Google de-indexes you? My one large site (not an X style site) recently dropped in PR ranking despite my using only white hat methods to build links and all original content.

I understand Google is now giving points for page load. So I am penalized because I add photos and content rich material over a static site?

It is hard to tell what will be best for the future...

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by ProductCreator

Anyway, gives even more reason to stop planning and start pumping out sites like a madman!

No. Any business strategy that relies on just pumping out sites is doomed to fail long term in my opinion. Why? Because everyone and their next door neighbor will be pumping out sites such that Google will eventually do something to diminish the low quality web sites being pumped out.

I personally prefer to build in more value than just making my sites more of the same cookie cutter.

As for those copycat sites, man I can't believe how lazy people are! I personally am mixing up the page dimensions, colours, text for About Me and Contact Us and more.

If you are going to be pumping out sites as a business strategy at least make them different enough to make them somewhat if not entirely unique. Just like you are doing. There is absolutely no excuse for using the same About Me page. That's just nuts. Better yet get rid of the About Me pages altogether. They aren't needed and quite frankly add to the spammy look of the sites in question as they are presently written.

As for banning "About Me", surely that wouldn't work? There are tons of sites with "About Me" in them are there not?

I wasn't saying ban ALL About Me pages. That would be silly. I said that if I was Google I would ban all About Me pages that have the specific text that shows up on the thousands of XFactor like sites you linked to.

It's called finding a unique sentence that shows up on spammy looking sites and banning them in one fell swoop.

Incidentally some of Google's anti-spam fighting algorithms do just that. They study spammy looking sites and then change their algorithm to identify them based on a commonality between them.

NONE of the Adsense sites I have worked on have anything at all in common with each other. Every single one of them is absolutely unique. They use the same overall framework and template but there is no single text, image, or otherwise on them that can be used to connect them with each other.

Not even in the code. I use a custom made CMS system I created to spit them out for me. So the code itself doesn't leave a footprint unless one considers well written code and generic image names like "header.png" a footprint I guess LOL.

Carlos

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

I understand Google is now giving points for page load. So I am penalized because I add photos and content rich material over a static site?

Don't assume things about why Google does this or that. Speculation about such things is rampant and further speculation does little good. At least as a solid basis for doing anything we do though speculations do at times make for some interesting discussions.

Don't base the slightest period you use on the end of sentences on whether or not you think Google will like it.

Just build quality mini-sites with valuable content and slap Adsense on them when they reach into the top ten ranking. I think that's a good long term strategy.

I become a mini-expert on whatever I write about. Takes me about 2-3 hours just to come up with the content of each site page. Sure I won't be as immediately successful at making money as pumping out hundreds of MFA type sites might give me but long term...I hope to be sitting pretty while the thousands of MFA sites get left in the dust.

There's nothing wrong with building tons of MFA sites. I personally just prefer to make my Adsense success more stable and less prone to being cancelled overnight type of thing.

Carlos

[Chris Kent]

Originally Posted by carlos123

No. Any business strategy that relies on just pumping out sites is doomed to fail long term in my opinion. Why? Because everyone and their next door neighbor will be pumping out sites such that Google will eventually do something to diminish the low quality web sites being pumped out.

I personally prefer to build in more value than just making my sites more of the same cookie cutter.

You misunderstand. "Pumping" refers to speed and has nothing to do with quality.

Originally Posted by carlos123

If you are going to be pumping out sites as a business strategy at least make them different enough to make them somewhat if not entirely unique. Just like you are doing. There is absolutely no excuse for using the same About Me page. That's just nuts. Better yet get rid of the About Me pages altogether. They aren't needed and quite frankly add to the spammy look of the sites in question as they are presently written.

I've been thinking of dropping them. I don't see the point of the "About Me" page. Some people here even think that "About Me" and "Contact Us" are required by Google as part of Adsense TOS.

Originally Posted by carlos123

So the code itself doesn't leave a footprint unless one considers well written code and generic image names like "header.png" a footprint I guess LOL.

header.png ? Haha you've been rumbled!

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by carlos123

I created one site that is 2 positions under a bunch of product images and yes...these product images do seem to suck traffic away. The site I created is in position 5 on the page but getting just a bare trickle of traffic...I suspect that nice pretty product images are sucking away a lot of the traffic that would otherwise come to the site.

Thanks

this is EXACTLY my biggest fear

If more people can expand on this I'd appreciate it

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by Joseph Then

Because my webpage ranks ABOVE those pictures... And am making money from there.

Yes it is possible to outrank the google Shopping Results.

Can you tell us if you outranked with a minisite or a bigger one?

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by XFactor

Adapting.

John I like your book. But could you use this thread to tell us how one might adapt?

For example, knowin what you know now, would you still consider Spring Air Mattress a good keyword?

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by ProductCreator

You misunderstand. "Pumping" refers to speed and has nothing to do with quality.

Sorry if I misunderstood you ProductCreator (don't know what else to call you). Yes...I thought you were talking about quality as in pumping out tons of low quality, cookie cutter sites to see if any of them stick to the wall money wise.

I've been thinking of dropping them. I don't see the point of the "About Me" page. Some people here even think that "About Me" and "Contact Us" are required by Google as part of Adsense TOS.

I personally include a full, all out, Contact Me form on all my Adsense sites. Complete with a custom coded PHP script that sends me any comments left in email form. It looks more professional and less spammy that way and would contribute to the overall look of my site as not being your typical MFA site.

I should qualify what I said about the About Me page. IF it contributes to making a site less spammy then by all means include it. But if it's more of the same generic, ho hum, boring and useless copycat dribble it contributes to making one's site looking like an MFA site and should be dropped entirely in my opinion.

header.png ? Haha you've been rumbled!

Oh...gosh. Don't quite know what rumbled means but it don't sound too good

I'll have to actually do a search on Google and see if header.png is leaving a footprint LOL. Maybe I should rename the file to the.png or something LOL.

Better yet I should get back to work! LOL

Every time I say something on this forum I feel like I am putting my head in the proverbial chopping block since I am such a newbie at Adsense (though learning more and more with each passing day). It just seems like there is so much silliness going on sometimes that I can't help but to speak up.

Carlos

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by LilBlackDress

So I am penalized because I add photos and content rich material over a static site?

this most likely wouldnt cause a PR change.

but still, load times do indeed effect the overall score.

Folks should always use Adobe Photoshop's "save for web" option.

It's magic.

[euhlir]

There's nothing wrong with building tons of MFA sites. I personally just prefer to make my Adsense success more stable and less prone to being cancelled overnight type of thing.

I agree completely. Sure there are some that are making spammy and extremely thin MFA sites, but I make mine quality and as useful if not more useful for visitors than a huge product site because I offer other topics relating to the main product my site is built around.

Example: Smoothie Blender Machine

-smoothie recipes
-cleaning your smoothie maker
-best smoothie maker reviews
-etc.

Just a pretty basic example I came up with in 10 secs, but you get the gist. My sites are highly optimized and offer more value to a visitor than any mega site so my sites deserve and do outrank these mega sites with millions of backlinks. Following this simple strategy takes time, but it does make you a lot of passive money down the road.

[MusicisMagic]

I think the size of your site has little to do with things. Quality is the greatest measure.

[tony-raymondo]

Hi guys thanks for all your input.

I'd really like to steer the conversation away from the following debates:

• niche sites vs. mega sites
• one-page-webs vs. multi-page-webs
• spammy adsense sites vs. quality content

Instead, I think my original question is quite important to all of the XFactor people.

That being:

How does the new Google SERP layout affect the way you build product-based niche websites?

In other words, I think it is fairly established now, that it is quite possible to get extremely high CTR's, and rank very easily when you focus on SPECIFIC products to make MFA sites about (e.g. Remington Grill Covers) or whatever.

BUT, now that Google seems to have realized that the actual commercial intent of people who type in such phrases is quite high (and have taken over more and more of their results page for thier own business interests (e.g. product thumbnails)) then my question is:

Is this the end of product traffic arbitrage.

Or perhaps more specifically my question is:

Has product traffic arbitrage recently gotten A LOT more difficult in the last 3 months (due to the SERP changes).

Thanks!

[Fraggler]

You might need to target the buyers seeking information first or grab their attention with catchy headlines and descriptions. If that fails then you should be looking at how to become one of the images on the page. If you feel they are such a threat then the only way to eliminate that threat is to bump it off its position. It might even be a way to leap frog better pages and get more traffic for less work.

Does it cost money to get onto Google Products? How do they select the images? Do they allow AdSense on the product pages?

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by Fraggler

If that fails then you should be looking at how to become one of the images on the page.

you register with Google Products and sell via them. But you have to already be a company that sells physical products to begin with. e.g. it's never been a better time to be a "drop shipper" i'm thinking lately. My friend is making a killing.

Originally Posted by Fraggler

If you feel they are such a threat then the only way to eliminate that threat is to bump it off its position.

Google does seem to often let some website outrank its own product images - usually positions 1-3 are filled with sites that appear to have absolute authority.

niche websites rarely acheive authority

hence, my question.

Seems like even in the best case scenario, following the xFactor system, you will fail to outrank Google product images. Hence you are destined to remain forever delegated to positions 4-10 -- lying very close to the fold at best.

[Kay King]

That's not a niche that should be used. Results of searching it are skewed because the company diligently protects its trademark. I noticed quite a few people using that term after John mentioned in one of his original threads and now I wonder if that was around the same time of the older search.

The numbers for that niche will look good - lots of searches, little competition - but the small competition is because that company does not allow people to use its trademark.

The only sites that will using that trademark name in urls or file titles are those merchants who sell the product.

More than that, anytime you look at results after a year they will be different and sometimes part of that is due to changes in ranking policies and some just due to changes in sites as new sites come online or top sites move down in the rank.

As for your original question - it doesn't affect my sites. I adjust if I see the need to but otherwise just keep going. Change is one of the few constants online.

kay

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by Kay King

That's not a niche that should be used. Results of searching it are skewed because the company diligently protects its trademark.

In his book, John said that he indeed DOES buy domains with trademarks in them.

This indeed DOES scare the crap out of me. And, as companies get more internet savvy everyday, my hunch is that these companies will eventually be sending little letters to these website holders with their brand names.

At that point, all the work they put in to ranking the site, and backlinking the site, will be lost. Additionally, in theory, the company arguably could take legal action against them.

So I personally stay away from brand names.

Though they do have great CTR's.

Originally Posted by Kay King

As for your original question - it doesn't affect my sites. I adjust if I see the need to but otherwise just keep going.

Well given that the VAST VAST VAST majority of all websurfers click on the first three websites in the SERP, and almost never ever click below the fold, the new google Serps are most deffinitely affecting the Return On Investment of people who are doing product websites.

Because of this, I feel I must stress the importance of my question again...

[Kay King]

You managed to totally misunderstand what I said. I didn't say you should use trademarks or you shouldn't and John tells you to decide for yourself.

I said THAT niche is not giving you any real information for your research because they protect trademark which makes the competing site numbers appear low. You see the low number and think you are the first person to think of building a niche site for the product (all the other sites are retailers selling product). John probably thought the same when he included that company as an example.

Which is proof that no matter how much analysis you do - you can't control everything or foresee everything. Also true is the worst site online has more potential than the perfect site that is never uploaded from your computer.

kay

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by Kay King

I said THAT niche is not giving you any real information for your research because they protect trademark which makes the competing site numbers appear low.

what?

who is 'they'

[Kay King]

"they" is Spring Air - the big graphics you started your thread with.
Very simply - analyzing that niche will tell you nothing. Never mind why.

[tresfavian]

You say most surfers click on the top 3. I say it's just as good on the first page like 4,5,6. I look on the 1st 3 pages for info. Lots of times the 1st 3 do not have the right info I'm looking for anywayz. And I look beyond 1st page becuz a lot of good information is not at the top 3.

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by Kay King

"they" is Spring Air - the big graphics you started your thread with.
Very simply - analyzing that niche will tell you nothing. Never mind why.

how does the Spring Air Corporation "make the competing site numbers appear low"

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by tresfavian

You say most surfers click on the top 3. I say it's just as good on the first page like 4,5,6..

Statistically, the more space Google Products occupies, the more money we will lose.

It has been shown repeatedly that the top few hundred pixels get the VAST majority of the clicks.

[tresfavian]

Your analysis is pretty impressive.

[terryrayburn]

Originally Posted by tony-raymondo

The end of the xFactor Method as we know it? I'm scared... Please help.

Thank you for reading my question.

I was impressed with the xFactor method but lately, something has been really bugging me.

Tony, don't shoot me for being blunt, but have you actually DONE anything, or are you just theorizing?

1. It's obvious your "fear" has nothing to do with you actually DOING the Xfactor method, only with thinking too much.

2. Your "fear" is keeping you from making money while Xfactor and others of us who are actually DOING his system, or a form of it, are actually making money.

3. Your paralysis of analysis is doing you no good.

4. I love Xfactor's method. It's not for everybody, because you have to keep building and building. But it works! It will likely always work, even if at a lower rate, but the residual return for the time put in is the best thing I've done online.

5. Just think if Xfactor had succumbed to the same fears you have. He'd be $300+ per day poorer.

[tony-raymondo]

Originally Posted by terryrayburn

Tony, don't shoot me for being blunt, but have you actually DONE anything, or are you just theorizing?.

i've been doing adsense since October 2005

Above, even xFactor seemed to emphasize a need to 'adapt'

it's a shame he didn't expand on that.

These developments have occured after the publication of his book. And, as the charts above reveal, for every pixel google pushes you down their page, you are indeed LOSING money.

This is not a pithy matter.

[Wakunahum]

Lets say it effects you by 20%. Just build 20% more sites/pages/links etc.

In the long run it really doesn't matter.

As you get more backlinks to a page you start getting more traffic from terms you weren't trying to rank for as well.

[latinoman]

Ok Unlike some other people I am going to be blunt as it's the best way. For one this post is bloody useless and pointless. For many reasons.

1) You state you been doing this since october 2005? Correct? If so I am sure you are either making good money or havent made a dime. Either way since 2005, that is a long time ago. You should have experience on the changes that have happened since then and you should be more than capable of adapting due to your knowledge.

2) Dont associate this method with "X FACTOR" as this way of making money via adsense has been around circa 2002-2003. What he teaches is common knowledge in seo and has been around since the beggining of adsense.

3) The "XFACTOR" method is exactly that, it's xfactors method on how he does things. It's not new, and is just a great guide on teaching those a system step by step on how to make money with adsense.

4)I am a noobie, only been at this marketing stuff for 9 months coming to the end of january and i dont find myself posting pointless posts like this. So what if there are pics there. It dont bother me, and dont bother many, it just means you have to adapt. If you dont know how to adapt and have to come to this forum and post garbage like this then you should be clearly doing something else.

Am i harsh....Yes I am. But i aint pussy footing round posts like this because it will just encourage more similar posts to pop up. Oh and before it come sup, yes I am making money in fact over £80.00 daily. How many sites do i have up......just over 28 that consistently bring me these earnings. SO while you sit there typing posts like this, people like me are soaking it in. Take your time threatning over these issues, more money for me.

:-) By the way cool name.

[lee schmidt]

Tony,

A com/net/org domain costs ~$16/year (assuming private registration). I think it would be hard not to cover that cost in an entire year from one site. The XFactor method (which is nothing revolutionary) will still yield profit - maybe it will be slightly less now, but still profitable. Just keep on building and you will make more and more money. Don't make things more complex than they need to be.

[tony-raymondo]

sigh...

seems to be some visciousness in this thread. i thought the points were pretty clear honestly... Usually only see this kind of reaction to data from the SiteSell people.

Hmm...

Let's see if i can make this more clear.





In 2009, Google didn't have many product thumbnails on their SERP.

In 2010, Google does have many product thumbnails on their SERP.

So, complete this sentence:


These facts affect my efforts at product traffic arbitrage ______ .

1. ... a lot! I've seen a big dip in profits per niche.
2. ... a little. I haven't lost much.
3. ... not at all weirdo! Stop asking dumb stuff!

I also find it unsettling that about 5 people (including xfactor himself) have mentioned a need to "adapt". But, no one explained how they are doing so.

Is there some super secret adaptation to that chapter of his book that needs to be implemented in the 2010 version?

[Aditya K]

You need to understand, that there is NOTHING such as the 'xFactor' method. It is just simple SEO for low competition keywords, something that has been around for ages. Only, John aka xfactor, has presented it to everyone in a very doable, step-by-step manner.

Moreover, there are literally millions of niches out there, and therefore, you can select another niche, if you are not happy with a particular one (mattresses in this case.)

Lastly, there cannot be an 'end' or 'death' of the 'xfactor' method, simply because, there is no 'method' actually.