Tuesday 24 February 2009

I turned down $100..

This week I was offered $100 via Text Link Ads at Linkworth, but as I was not happy that the adverts were appropriate for my website, I turned it down... This was definitely one of the best offers I have had, but the links would have had to be site-wide and I was reluctant to promote the subject of the link.
I have always had a policy for what I will and will not promote, and I would add that any links that you place on a site for revenue should ideally be in line with the general content or niche of your site. As a rule, off topic adverts are not likely to find you anyway, and I am still puzzled that I received this offer - but the fact remains that your visitors (if you are geared towards serving your visitors) would accept contextual adverts, but be less tolerant of off-topic adverts.
I have openly advertised my blogs for links, but have always advertised them as niches requesting niche links, I always think that random links somehow 'dilute' your content and the authority of your site.
I am sure there are plenty of paid bloggers who think I am crazy to turn down $100, and the fact that I have written about it demonstrates how much it pained me to turn it down. I am not sure that I would have turned down the link had it been for one of my blogs, but I think it's important for a website to maintain integrity if you have an 'audience' to serve. What do you think - Is there anything you wouldn't do for $100???

2 comments:

Rachel said...

I must say that I turn down inappropriate offers as well. I am especially concerned about gambling, adult and pharmacy links. Some seem okay and other do not so I scrutinize them carefully. I have never turned down $100 and I have done a $250 gambling post before! I do think it is important to maintain some integrity especially if you coudl lose readers and page rank as a result of it.

jay said...

I guess everyone has their price, If I had been offered a thousand I might have done it and then sought to offload the site!!! but it is my main earnings site and I just wasn't happy with it. (The site has already lost PR mysteriously).
I have done stuff that I am not delighted at doing, but at least with paid posts you can express your opinion either way - this was a fixed text link...