Is Google Search Network Worth Paying For?

[gregdavidson]

I was recently looking over some of the websites that my website appears on in the "Search Network" and I'm not really sure whether it's worth the investment. A lot of the traffic from the search network is from websites such as www.villagecenter.biz which is basically just a parked domain. I don't mind receiving traffic from websites like Aol Search and Ask.com but partners like www.villagecenter.biz will basically bring you mostly "garbage" traffic that probably isn't worth more than $.05 a click.

[corneo]

I quit using PPC companies to advertise because of "park domains" and I'm noticing a lot more companies are pulling out because of it too. Adbrite and bidvertiser you have to watch or your ad will end up in Russia. The only clicks you get from them are crap clicks.

I personally think parked domains and people who look for the highest returns in keyword to put on their sites, pure scum bags and are the main reason the internet has a bad name. I laugh when they are on here freaking out because they are losing money.

I guess to answer your question. No. They are not worth it from an advertiser point.

I personally only advertise on site and pay the sites them self. You get far more clicks, the clicks are good, your site isn't rated (adult, religious), you are in your niche and most sites will work with you. If you get bad returns, thank them for letting you try and move on to the next site. The part I like the best is I can send the traffic to the page I want them to go to, not what the PPC say I have to send them to. I made a special page that only these clicks go to pushing things on my site.
(you see this a lot with movie companies pushing their new releases)

All you do is email the admin, let them know what you can afford and see if they can work with you. 8 times out of 10 most will work with you and give you a descent placement. One site I'm on charges me $20.00 a month and I get around 1250 referrers or $.016 per click. Since I've been with this guy he now has 5 more sites with mine. (I have no clue what he's charging them, but at 20 he's making $120 a month)

This whole subject is why I start a new site trying to get respectable web site owners to realize that they can far more money advertising on their own site than using PPC. The best part on this system is: if you are a park site, this system won't work for you.

[gregdavidson]

Great info. Thanks a lot! Now you mentioned that you don't like using Adbrite. Are you referring to their PPC network or their ad marketplace?

[corneo]

I use nobody. I ask the sites myself.