Life After Google? My Musings....

[domainseller200]

All this diversification talk - people can't diversify because they have no transferable skills - they can't do anying with any real value. They don't even have any original ideas... so theres only one option left... yes..?

O Julian don't be so cynical

The more people that jump ship, the more room the ones left have onboard

 

[Aiden Roberts]

Maybe I do make it sound more work than it is, maybe I don't. If you can start four sites and fit it all in after you've finished your 9-5 and at the weekends then all power to you. I have all day to do it and still end up adding things onto the next day.

I am beginning to sound like a yes man but both Blossom and yourself make a lot of sense, in all of these useful posts there is information that can only be a help. I for one appreciate each contribution. Most of you have been around this industry longer than I and have probably seen many like me come and go, no doubt you have hit many of the same issues then survived so this information is priceless to me and I would imagine many others.

 

[websaway]

I am beginning to sound like a yes man but both Blossom and yourself make a lot of sense, in all of these useful posts there is information that can only be a help. I for one appreciate each contribution. Most of you have been around this industry longer than I and have probably seen many like me come and go, no doubt you have hit many of the same issues then survived so this information is priceless to me and I would imagine many others.

You've hit the nail on the head you have to survive to flourish and it's a fact that most people don't get beat they give in.

 

[Aiden Roberts]

I won't give up but I am sure I will have plenty more failures.

 

[scottmccloud]

I don't know who said this (it's usually incorrectly attributed to Charles Darwin), but I think this sums it up nicely, especially in light of the last couple of months.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.

I think whether in domaining or development, the age-old adage of 'stick with what you know' is as true as ever as well, especially when starting out. You need every possible advantage in this industry, especially like me if you've entered it rather late, and the knowledge you have of a particular industry etc can give you that, or at least give you a head start.

 

[Aiden Roberts]

Good advice.

 

[dragon]

I am beginning to sound like a yes man.

I think that's what richard branson says, nowt wrong with that
Some really good advice/opinions on the thread, inspirational!

From my point of view i think finding a new need/niche/genuine business service/product/etc has to be seen as fun and exciting otherwise what's the point! I personally get a thrill out of looking for new opportunities and turning them into something that makes money.

 

[addz123]

I think that's what richard branson says, nowt wrong with that
Some really good advice/opinions on the thread, inspirational!

From my point of view i think finding a new need/niche/genuine business service/product/etc has to be seen as fun and exciting otherwise what's the point! I personally get a thrill out of looking for new opportunities and turning them into something that makes money.

I think the times have changed and it takes a different type of person/tactic/funding to have the same success.

I started out as an affiliate during my last year of University in 2009/10. I had some success building reasonable small gambling affiliate sites (30 pages) and made $1k/month by the end of the year. 6 Months later I was making $3k/month, then at the end of my gap year I was making $5k/month and decided to keep going.

A year later I was making around $7-$8k/month. All of my income and traffic was 100% dependant from Google and making generally small gambling sites.

This Strategy No Longer Works..

I was extremely fortunate I managed to have that success before the Panda/Penguin/EMD Updates came into play. I definitely wouldn't have been able to do what I did back then now when I first started out.

I recently sold one of my gambling websites for $xxx,xxx, which has set me up for the next few years, and I got LUCKY.

It's unfair to say people have been dependant on making crap sites with Google for so long and ranking EMDs, because it also worked for a long time and made some people very successful, who have since moved on to bigger things that are now immuned to these changes.

For example, I got out lucky, and I'm now investing in some authority, white hat sites with a consulting business on the side. I've got the finance behind me to make the changes, which is a big difference. I'm going to be developing 1,000+ page informational sites and focusing a lot on making serious brand, getting social media traffic, and developing core partners. Building email lists and consulting is another great way to diversify your income from Google.

My point is that I don't think people should look down on those who were dependant on Google. That's how most people in the business started out because they were able to grow, sell their sites, and re-invest in bigger, better projects.

A friend of mine in the US now makes $20k+ per month from a major sports betting tips site. He has a pretty big brand and email list which isn't dependant on Google. A few years ago he was just starting out in the industry making the same spammy, gambling affiliate sites with EMDs that everyone else was doing.

I guess a lot of it comes down to risk, then scaling the rewards and moving on, dealing with these SEO changes to your business over time.

It's pretty sad when I consider the fact if I started out 2 yrs later I wouldn't have even been able to achieve what I have done. Those people with their businesses cut short from Penguin/Panda I can't help but feel sorry for. They simple didn't have the time to build on it..

 

[Stas]

There are some positives from these updates.. Top spots are clearing up from previous rock solid "authority" sites and competitors and there's a way to get there for these who can crack how to do it.. It's challenging and rewarding but it's more of a game and a gamble than serious business.
After few years in affiliate marketing I'm now just working on high profit niches that are worthwile and profitable even if sites rank for a short time. And not expecting anything to last, collecting the money to invest into something not google dependant.
Almost lost any believe into great content, natural links bla bla theories now. Only way to be rock solid in google and rank well forever is to have a business, brand that doesn't even need google organic traffic in it's business model.

 

[Nova]

Great thread Rob, like you it seems I've arrived late for this show but I am enjoying building sites and learning. Thanks to all the members for sharing their knowledge it is very helpful.

 

[boxfish]

Just wanted to post this up as I think it's a pretty interesting concept/affiliate website which has really come on and developed since it was started on 1st January 2010 and doesn't rely on Google at all.

The site started off as whatpoppywore.com by a girl from London called Poppy Dinsey, it started on 1st January 2010 and the reason was so she could post up what she was wearing each day. It was just a wordpress blog. I found out about it through a post on Kieron Donoghue's blog at the time and have been following it since. (Unfortunately the original blog has been moved onto a different domain now and all old links now point to new site so it's hard to get an idea of what is was really like when it started.)

Poppy posted on her blog every day for a year and watched her audience grow. It wouldn't all be 'look how glamorous I am today' but lounging about in onesies with no makeup on too, like a real person. She then started to post affiliate links to stuff she was wearing and stuff she wanted. She decided there was a viable business opportunity to be had and she bought the domain wiwt.com (What I Wore Today) to launch it on (if memory serves she paid ~£3k for it)

The 'business' is a social network where people post up their outfits each day. It makes money from affiliate links next to each outfit, the 'lust list' which is a list of must-haves, the '5at5' which is a daily newsletter and they also partner with various fashion-related businesses for one-off events and things.

The site is promoted by social and written for people, you won't find web 2.0 backlinks and blog spam (you will but it looks like a negative SEO attack, lots of cialis and pron anchor texts), you'll find proper coverage from Techcrunch, Daily Mail and numerous fashion bloggers as well as Universities and Business Schools where Poppy has been asked to speak about what she has achieved so far.

The main points for me was it was started less than 3 years ago, the girl had a full time job and it's only been around in its current guise for 12 months yet has tons of users and fans, tons of press coverage and absolutely heaps of potential to go global, which it is already starting to do. Very little, if any of her business is dependent on Google and she has a loyal and very targeted following on which she can monetise.

Also, she is awesome at social networking for business so if you are looking to improve that you should follow her to see how she does it. Here is an interview she did with ASOS which is also quite interesting with regards to social networks.

It's a project I find interesting (maybe me more than you as I saw it from near the start and followed the journey) and thought it might give a few some ideas for sites that don't rely on Google. It is a 'business' now with employees (just 1 I think), not a passive income stream, but when she was posting affiliate links on her old blog and covering a few fashion events as a pro-blogger apparently she was making £60kpa from it so didn't have to take the next step but wanted to.



If anyone has other examples they have been following it could be interesting to share.

 

[Aiden Roberts]

Just wanted to post this up as I think it's a pretty interesting concept/affiliate website which has really come on and developed since it was started on 1st January 2010 and doesn't rely on Google at all.

The site started off as whatpoppywore.com by a girl from London called Poppy Dinsey, it started on 1st January 2010 and the reason was so she could post up what she was wearing each day. It was just a wordpress blog. I found out about it through a post on Kieron Donoghue's blog at the time and have been following it since. (Unfortunately the original blog has been moved onto a different domain now and all old links now point to new site so it's hard to get an idea of what is was really like when it started.)

Poppy posted on her blog every day for a year and watched her audience grow. It wouldn't all be 'look how glamorous I am today' but lounging about in onesies with no makeup on too, like a real person. She then started to post affiliate links to stuff she was wearing and stuff she wanted. She decided there was a viable business opportunity to be had and she bought the domain wiwt.com (What I Wore Today) to launch it on (if memory serves she paid ~£3k for it)

The 'business' is a social network where people post up their outfits each day. It makes money from affiliate links next to each outfit, the 'lust list' which is a list of must-haves, the '5at5' which is a daily newsletter and they also partner with various fashion-related businesses for one-off events and things.

The site is promoted by social and written for people, you won't find web 2.0 backlinks and blog spam (you will but it looks like a negative SEO attack, lots of cialis and pron anchor texts), you'll find proper coverage from Techcrunch, Daily Mail and numerous fashion bloggers as well as Universities and Business Schools where Poppy has been asked to speak about what she has achieved so far.

The main points for me was it was started less than 3 years ago, the girl had a full time job and it's only been around in its current guise for 12 months yet has tons of users and fans, tons of press coverage and absolutely heaps of potential to go global, which it is already starting to do. Very little, if any of her business is dependent on Google and she has a loyal and very targeted following on which she can monetise.

Also, she is awesome at social networking for business so if you are looking to improve that you should follow her to see how she does it. Here is an interview she did with ASOS which is also quite interesting with regards to social networks.

It's a project I find interesting (maybe me more than you as I saw it from near the start and followed the journey) and thought it might give a few some ideas for sites that don't rely on Google. It is a 'business' now with employees (just 1 I think), not a passive income stream, but when she was posting affiliate links on her old blog and covering a few fashion events as a pro-blogger apparently she was making £60kpa from it so didn't have to take the next step but wanted to.



If anyone has other examples they have been following it could be interesting to share.

Great post boxfish and a very useful case study, from small acorns.....

 

[theonemanyuri]

Good post boxfish, I've read about her in magazines and blogs before. Obviously a pretty smart cookie and no doubt being fairly gorgeous helps when posting up daily pics of yourself. Hopefully I'll be applying a similar business model to my next site, although I'm not sure how well it would lend itself to niches that aren't tech savvy

 

[domainseller200]

Thanks for the detailed post Ian - very inspiring read and I can imagine it has been a fantastic journey to follow, as it has literally been grown from the ground upwards !

 

[websaway]

Interesting, Great Post Thanks.

 

[Aiden Roberts]

The interview has some interesting points regarding social media, specifically concentrating on one channel, interacting rather than selling and networking. I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it...

 

[Aiden Roberts]

No details yet but building a site for users and not Google is liberating, happy bunny!!!

 

[Aiden Roberts]

Just wanted to post this up as I think it's a pretty interesting concept/affiliate website which has really come on and developed since it was started on 1st January 2010 and doesn't rely on Google at all.

The site started off as whatpoppywore.com by a girl from London called Poppy Dinsey, it started on 1st January 2010 and the reason was so she could post up what she was wearing each day. It was just a wordpress blog. I found out about it through a post on Kieron Donoghue's blog at the time and have been following it since. (Unfortunately the original blog has been moved onto a different domain now and all old links now point to new site so it's hard to get an idea of what is was really like when it started.)

Poppy posted on her blog every day for a year and watched her audience grow. It wouldn't all be 'look how glamorous I am today' but lounging about in onesies with no makeup on too, like a real person. She then started to post affiliate links to stuff she was wearing and stuff she wanted. She decided there was a viable business opportunity to be had and she bought the domain wiwt.com (What I Wore Today) to launch it on (if memory serves she paid ~£3k for it)

The 'business' is a social network where people post up their outfits each day. It makes money from affiliate links next to each outfit, the 'lust list' which is a list of must-haves, the '5at5' which is a daily newsletter and they also partner with various fashion-related businesses for one-off events and things.

The site is promoted by social and written for people, you won't find web 2.0 backlinks and blog spam (you will but it looks like a negative SEO attack, lots of cialis and pron anchor texts), you'll find proper coverage from Techcrunch, Daily Mail and numerous fashion bloggers as well as Universities and Business Schools where Poppy has been asked to speak about what she has achieved so far.

The main points for me was it was started less than 3 years ago, the girl had a full time job and it's only been around in its current guise for 12 months yet has tons of users and fans, tons of press coverage and absolutely heaps of potential to go global, which it is already starting to do. Very little, if any of her business is dependent on Google and she has a loyal and very targeted following on which she can monetise.

Also, she is awesome at social networking for business so if you are looking to improve that you should follow her to see how she does it. Here is an interview she did with ASOS which is also quite interesting with regards to social networks.

It's a project I find interesting (maybe me more than you as I saw it from near the start and followed the journey) and thought it might give a few some ideas for sites that don't rely on Google. It is a 'business' now with employees (just 1 I think), not a passive income stream, but when she was posting affiliate links on her old blog and covering a few fashion events as a pro-blogger apparently she was making £60kpa from it so didn't have to take the next step but wanted to.



If anyone has other examples they have been following it could be interesting to share.

I think Poppy is on newsnight tonight at 10.30

 

[Jamie101]

Wiwt has really made me think about things actually, thanks for the info Boxfish.

I think people (well, me anyway!) need to start developing sites that are unique and special nowadays rather than sites that are quite boring with a few articles on them. Easier said than done though, that's the problem.