22 Sites on Halloween - Results...

Hi!

STEP 1 - Buy the domains

In August I've registered 22 domain to build sites about Halloween.

I've bought EMD .com .net and .org. The keyword phrase would have to have more than 1000 exact searches per month. As Google Keyword Tool gives you an average, I was expecting that during October the number of searches would be 8 times the average. The keyword phrases had low to medium competing sites (less than 100.000 competing sites using phrase match).

STEP 2 - Hosting

I've used Hostgator and Bluehost

STEP 3 - Install WP

I've installed WP

STEP 4 - Install Plugins

The most important I use are: All in one SEO, Sitemap XML, SEOPressor (this one is paid)

STEP 5 - Set-up Google Webmaster and Google Analytics

STEP 6 - Upload content

I've outsourced this.

All the basic on-site optimization was taken into consideration: Keyword in the title; keyword in the 1st and last sentence; keyword in bold, underline and italic; keyword within H1, H2 and H3 tags; keyword density between 1% and 3%; used some LSI keywords also...

Each site was launched with only 1 article (I think this was the first BIG mistake...)

Later I've add 1 to 3 pages or posts to each blog.

STEP 7 - Upload premium template

STEP 8 - Monetize the blogs

My goal was to monetize the blogs with Adsense and Affiliate marketing (promoting Halloween costumes)

STEP 9 - Backlining

I've build backlinks (not many...) mainly from high PR pages and from EDU and GOV sites. Some Web 2.0 also...

I also used "Power Rank Surge" (I've bought this WSO...) (note: very good in the short term, but not to sure about the long term...)

RESULTS

With "Power Rank Surge" you see results within a couple of days. It's quite impressive. I got half of my sites to the TOP 20.

Within a week (middle of September) I had 10 sites in the TOP 10.

But then I started to see a similar behavior: each site would rapidly go into a very good position and stood there for 10 to 20 days, and then drop its position to 500+...

But not all...

Sites with only Adsense still are in a good position and some are improving now.

All sites with Affiliate Links and banners have dropped to a very low position. Note that I have cloaked the affiliate links.

Until know I've made around $400 with Adsense and affiliate sales, but I've spend more than that.

Why did I fail?

Here are my thoughts:

1.- I've built the blogs to late. I should have built them 6 months ago.
2.- Only 1 article isn't enough.
3.- I'm not sure but I think the Power Rank Surge technique may have some negative effect in the medium/long term
4.- I've cloaked my affiliate links and may there's one think that Google flags...

Please, give me your thought also.