How my 6 year old son started an internet business by mistake...

Ewen - that's a great blog post my friend. And I hope Clayden and Coen start making some pocket money soon!

Will

That is a cool story. Where do you find free pictures?

Thanks Will, I hope so too :-)

In fact I'm pretty sure if I add some adsense and affiliate links, they will.

Aaron, you simply search in Google and click on images results.

Pete, that's true lol.

I think the reason for the multiple views is simple - there are many characters in the Ben 10 cartoon and each one has a different picture. So visitors who are extremely targeted wants to see all.

Ewen

Well I've got to check, but adsense should work well.

Anyway the importance is NOT about the toys, it's the principle behind the strategy and how you can use it for other niches.

Make sense?

Great info Ewen but I just wish that you would pay your affilaites their owed commissions.

I am not trying to be negative here but I did promote your product through SuperAffiliate Lab and I have not gotten paid nor did you guys email me back.

I am a full time interent marketer myself and I hate it when someone sells other people's products with out them paying their affilaites and ignoring them.

Tal

Thank Ewen, I didn''t realize I could use those images.

Hey Tal, I think you're confusing me with some other guy. Super Affiliate Lab is NOT my product.

Thanks a lot. I'm starting some research right away. I'll post results soon.

Go for it :-)

My personal blog gets 40-60 hits a day due to a single image - completely unrelated to any content.

Kelly, that's cool, show it works.

Steven, thanks. I'll try!

Clint, I believe it's ok. However Google doesn't really say. I mean they are using mostly OTHER people's info and content too.

Anyone here can clarify?

Great Post Ewen.....

Just goes to show what little effort it takes.....

Thanks Mark :-)

True Joe!

Ewen

Very great ideas! I need to concentrate more on images.

Hey Ewen,

Good to see you posting. It's been sometime since I've seen you in print in this forum.

That's a very cool story about your son and the blog. Lol it's even better because it caught you off guard, and you were pleasantly surpirsed.

I think I find my best discoveries by accident anymore because the SEs have been changing so much.

Thanks a ton for the share, and wish your son the very best for me.

All the best ...


Mary

Nice to hear from you too Mary.

Sometimes it makes sense to just do what you want and let the SE work naturally or you're go crazy!

Ewen

Hey Scot, good to see you buddy.

You're right, I bet Google uses our content too lol.

Ewen

As far as Google images, although I, too, have used them, I believe there probably is a copyright infringement problem.

I can say this because I had some of my original artwork on some cafepress products a couple of years ago. When I did a google image search for the subject of my graphic, my artwork popped up, free for anyone to use I suppose. It is copyrighted, so my guess is goolge simply searches the web and categorizes various images for "informational purposes" only. But someone would have to find you first to lodge an infringement complaint.

Great post.. I know this is a little off subject.. but I really like your kids blog theme..

I have 4 kids myself and wondered if the theme you use was a public wordpress theme??

Wow that's a very interesting method to use. It's funny how we can find simple but effective ways to do things just by doing simple things.

Very interesting information. Thank you.

Shirley

That's amazing! Definitely a real Secret as you said.

Great to see you here Ewen.

You don't like doing updates twitter do you?

I have recently noticed visitors to some of my sites just from pictures on google.

It would be interesting to see who the youngest affiliate marketer is on this forum and what kind of money they make.

We are seeing 6 year olds get recording contracts now from these reality shows, maybe we will see 6 year old internet marketing gurus soon. that would be pretty cool. A 6 year old speaking at the next Armand Morin Big Seminar? Sounds funny but nothing would surprise me any more.

Hey Guys (and yeah.. good to see ya here Ewen)

I don't know if this helps - but when you are using images on any website etc you need to have permission to use them, so going and grabbing them from google images probably isn't the best - unless you are using the 'use now, ask later' philosophy.

One of my favorite sites for free stock images (ie. ones that you can LEGALLY use on your websites) is here: stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site

Hope you like it!

Cindy

hehehe.... That's just funny man!

Now the only thing this site needs is ebay and amazon products on
the side and your making few hundred every month

Ebbi

Yeah I got your ezine email about this that's Super clever!

As I've said the principle here's not about getting photos from google, as long as you've your own images or photos, it's ok too. Even the typical ebook graphics or affiliate banners should also work.

Cindy said:

One of my favorite sites for free stock images (ie. ones that you can LEGALLY use on your websites) is here: stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site

Exactly. that's a good tip!

Apart from sharing the strategy, I also wanted to point out that you do NOT have to overcomplicate things when it comes to the internet business.

Glad you guys like the post!

Ewen

Thanks for the great add on Dave!

I can't believe that using images from Google is still so misunderstood here. You CANNOT use someone else's images without permission! Even if you find it on Google images! It's no different than stealing someone else's content or music.

There are plenty of places to get free or inexpensive images, and certainly manufacturers of toys and such are happy to have you use and promote their products, so no one will likely be hurt in this example.

But suppose some "Ben 10" entrepreneur hired a photographer to take a nice picture for his site? He didn't want to use the manufacturer's stock images because he wanted to have his own unique look? You can't just take it for your own use.

I know this because it happens to us on a regular basis.

This is not to take away from the spirit of this thread. Using images to gain traffic is a fantastic method to get visitors. Please don't take things that don't belong to you. It's just wrong.

Pete223,

There's a Wordpress plugin called 'Break-Out-Of-Frames' which may be of help to you...

Break-Out-Of-Frames WordPress Plugin

Ewen, what a great find... you're the man!

Just to help newbies, remember to select the 'Enhance Image Search' in Google Webmaster Tools for your site which you want to show up in Google Images.

Stewart

Yes Ewen.....I am also a big fan of yours.......

Try to stop by the forum more often.....

We can really use your expertise....

wow just like his dad..

Ewen your son is soooooo cute ^____^

Wow! Thats great..

I didn't know that you can get traffic from images.. That is a new way to get traffic to my site..

I just read this over on your blog when I was picking up that report, perfect timing by the way, that's just what I'm focusing on right now. I read a little of this story, and got caught up in it. I was really getting some good ideas by the end, same as you listed, Ewen. The traffic is there, might as well monetize it.

So I thought I'd leave a comment, until I got to reading some others comments. They started out great, until I saw a full article on ethics, by "Jan". I mean making a point is one thing, running it into the ground is much more than was needed. It's not like there was any intent here.

I have even more respect for Ewen now, for not having to defend anything or argue with this guy over wrong or right. I didn't even think of this angle until Jan brought it up, over and over. I just thought it was good story with a little ingenuity on the kids part.

I mean how many copyright infringements do you think you could find between myspace and youtube alone? Go try and post 10 times on each of those. That should keep busy for awhile, Jan.

I do see you point. If someone was doing this in excess and strictly for the purpose of stealing some juice, and had a post similar to this. I'm sure there would be a lot more protesters. If this were Howie Schwartz's kids, I'd think, maybe they had done it for the SEO. B)>

Thanks for the good read.

Hi Ewen,

Thanks much. Great Idea. Copyright is no problem for me. I've got a camera and enough malls and stores in my area to take all the pictures I need. With the store owner's permission of course!

George Wright

Ewen your boys are gorgeous, I love their site. All I can say is that they're fast becoming mini moguls. Nice work. Great lesson that rapid traffic generation doesn't have to be such a mystery.

Thanks guys! Glad you found it useful :-)