Am I missing something? 7search and 5 offers

[Ered Mithrin]

Heya all,

I'd like to pick up on K's encouragement to start a case study thread. I spent a few days stalking this forum and am surprised with the friendly atmosphere here.

In case you're interested in my background, motivation and current mindset, check out my profile, where I typed a few sentences.

Now to the point. Since the beginning of November I started several campaigns and currently am running 5 of them. As you can see from the screenshots, I made a couple of conversions, but the cost is still significantly bigger than my earnings. I'm ok with losing money in order to get data that I can use to modify campaigns and see some results. Even though I'm tracking my clicks with Prosper202, doing analysis of good/bad performing keywords (lowering/highering bids, removing keywords) and sources (blocking partner ids and domains), there must be something I'm doing wrong.



Which brings me to a couple of questions I've been having and that I'd like to share with you and kindly ask you for your opinions, because I can't get my head around it...

- did I pick the wrong offers to start with?
- is 7search insufficient traffic source for the type of my offers?

and therefore
- should I stick with only 1 campaign rather than having 5 of them?
- should I change or just add another traffic source?
- should I stop all campaigns and choose other based on a different criteria?

Thanks for your experience

 

[Marc]

Hello neighbor, the following is not a direct answer to your question, but more a suggestion:
I can´t quite understand why you run paid traffic as I´m convinced that in Czechia you still can tap enough organic traffic.
I´m convinced that there are still many niches and keywords with high queries, but low competition.
And if your EPC is low, you can set up more offer sites, e.g. ten or more ...
Regards from Bavaria

 

[Ered Mithrin]

I don't have anything specific that would back up my behavior, I just didn't feel like Czech internet has the same potential as the global has. Even though I agree there must be plenty of rich keywords!

 

[venturebig]

I don't have anything specific that would back up my behavior, I just didn't feel like Czech internet has the same potential as the global has. Even though I agree there must be plenty of rich keywords!

Why don't you get rid of the campaigns that arent having any results and fine tune/scale the ones that are? i.e. your ipad/jersey offer seem to be getting traffic. Figure out how to convert it better and increase traffic to those offers

also I know everyone says 7search is good for beginners but, I hate it.

 

[Marc]

there must be plenty of rich keywords!

That is what I think. So turn the tables. First search for the "hot" keywords [the simpliest way is always to take the ones with high queries, but low competition - if there are any to find], and then find offers that fit to these keywords.
Increasing traffic for already existing offers (see @ venturebig) is the other way. Find queries that fit to your offers, and then guide them to your offer.
Good luck

 

[K]

- did I pick the wrong offers to start with?
Email submits are ok but i have had more luck now with dating and higher paying offers.

- is 7search insufficient traffic source for the type of my offers?

No, however the issues with 7Search is the traffic is quite small so the competition in these "popular" markets is fearce - you end up paying to much cpc for not so great traffic...try to find something with little to no competition OR go really generic and twist the offer. For example i was paying like $0.05 cps for the keyword Facebook, however i had to put a unique twist on it, if you put them through a funnel your more likely to get some conversions even if its not upfront.

and therefore
- should I stick with only 1 campaign rather than having 5 of them?
Testing is good, set a budget per campaign if its looking like a winner keep it and optimize it. If it's not ditch it!

- should I change or just add another traffic source?
Sure, always test - id try Bing possibly if you like PPC

- should I stop all campaigns and choose other based on a different criteria?
Focus on the NFL jersey, low cpc and converting - block bad traffic and maybe build a lander to grab the lead!

Hope it helps.

 

[Ered Mithrin]

That is what I think. So turn the tables. First search for the "hot" keywords [the simpliest way is always to take the ones with high queries, but low competition - if there are any to find], and then find offers that fit to these keywords.
Increasing traffic for already existing offers (see @ venturebig) is the other way. Find queries that fit to your offers, and then guide them to your offer.
Good luck

i'll give it a try. thanks for the kick

 

[Ered Mithrin]

- did I pick the wrong offers to start with?
Email submits are ok but i have had more luck now with dating and higher paying offers.

- is 7search insufficient traffic source for the type of my offers?

No, however the issues with 7Search is the traffic is quite small so the competition in these "popular" markets is fearce - you end up paying to much cpc for not so great traffic...try to find something with little to no competition OR go really generic and twist the offer. For example i was paying like $0.05 cps for the keyword Facebook, however i had to put a unique twist on it, if you put them through a funnel your more likely to get some conversions even if its not upfront.

and therefore
- should I stick with only 1 campaign rather than having 5 of them?
Testing is good, set a budget per campaign if its looking like a winner keep it and optimize it. If it's not ditch it!

- should I change or just add another traffic source?
Sure, always test - id try Bing possibly if you like PPC

- should I stop all campaigns and choose other based on a different criteria?
Focus on the NFL jersey, low cpc and converting - block bad traffic and maybe build a lander to grab the lead!

Hope it helps.

the nfl was taken down a few days ago i'll pick up other offers and bring another traffic source to see different results. i'm not sure what you mean by unique twist, but creating landing page will be enough development for me

thanks, k

 

[pjayaswal]

I am basing my reply/suggestion here only on one of your images - campaigns-overview.jpg. The other image is too small and I can't see the details.

I started my CPA journey with paid traffic and I believe it is the best way to go about this segment. Free traffic doesn't gel with me at all as it is too slow to start seeing any significant traffic and then its too unpredictable. So, if you have even a little money, do test paid traffic. Within 2 months I went from 0 to $1000 all because of paid traffic and that when I had less than $200 to play around with.

If you are new to CPA, 7Search is probably the best place to start with and learn and hone your skills. What got me going on 7Search was a great post by the AM of Peerfly on his blog PeerFly Affiliate Manager. This is a great blog even otherwise and I recommend everyone to visit it every once in a while. Luke is a great guy and he is freely sharing his knowledge for the benefit of all affiliates. So take a look and you'll learn a lot.

I think your offers were not bad just that very competitive for 7search with these niches. I would suggest going with slightly less competitive niches. Also, as a general rule of thumb, I have seen that for email submit offers, on 7search do not bid over 7 cents or its very difficult to profit unless you have some kw which you know is converting great.

I do see some potential with your iPad & NFL Jersey offer. How many kws do you have for each? Especially for iPad offer, since you have had 16 conversions, you must be aware of the kws that are converting. So based on that data, start culling the non-performers and you'll get into profit surely on this one.

Pls understand that 7search has little traffic so you will have to be patient and go with a few offers together - so I think testing 5 offers is quite ok. BUT, get them to be profitable (unless you have decided to dump a few) FIRST before launching many new campaigns. The focus here is on learning and not just the money. Once you get a couple of campaigns profitable, you would have learnt a lot and also gotten the confidence that you can make it work!

After 7search, get into "intext contextual" advertising platforms if you do not have much money to play with. Otherwise, if you have enough funds, PPC or PPV is the next stage to get volumes.

My best wishes to you..... I know you'll make it!

Hope this helps....

 

[Ered Mithrin]

geez, the images were big enough, i didn't know they couldn't be shown in their original size... let's try again:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4493220/screenshots/campaings-overview.png
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4493220/screenshots/month-overview.png

i've already read most of the luke's articles on his blog. i agree it's a great blog with tons of information!

the ipad offer includes 155 keywords and the nfl offer 161 keywords. i can see what keywords are converting, but i don't have enough of volume (at least from 7search). non profit keywords and garbage partner ids were already blocked. still it seems to me that i'm hardly break even. i'm guessing i didn't play with keywords as much as i should have.

my goal is to get to $1 per day in profits. and of course i'm ready to sacrifice some money along the way

thanks, pjayaswal, for your reply!

 

[pjayaswal]

my goal is to get to $1 per day in profits. and of course i'm ready to sacrifice some money along the way

Wonderful to see this attitude!
I very strongly believe that if you start really slow, working on each campaign from all angles and trying utmost to make it profitable, then you learn the most and you master the traffic source..... and this is the only way to get to long term, consistent profits. Too many of us are in a hurry to make money and hence sacrifice on the learning.

Ered, my personal view is that after you have done the culling of kws, in the end you should not be left with more than 5-8 kws, especially on 7search. For example, I am promoting a CPS offer on a contextual network and finally I'm left with just one kw.... but the campaign is giving huge ROI. BTW, you have some encouraging stats on 12th and 22nd. See which ones were they and maybe concentrate just on them.

However, if you have done your best and the campaign is still not profitable, do not hesitate to kill it. I would also suggest that since you have spent more than a month with email submit offers, try out "short form" offers. Also, know that 7search is not bad for CPS offers too.

I think you are doing well and your goal is just round the corner! Just keep at it patiently and you will be there sooner than you expect.

Good luck.

Hope this helps....

 

[Ered Mithrin]

Wonderful to see this attitude!
I very strongly believe that if you start really slow, working on each campaign from all angles and trying utmost to make it profitable, then you learn the most and you master the traffic source..... and this is the only way to get to long term, consistent profits. Too many of us are in a hurry to make money and hence sacrifice on the learning.

Ered, my personal view is that after you have done the culling of kws, in the end you should not be left with more than 5-8 kws, especially on 7search. For example, I am promoting a CPS offer on a contextual network and finally I'm left with just one kw.... but the campaign is giving huge ROI. BTW, you have some encouraging stats on 12th and 22nd. See which ones were they and maybe concentrate just on them.

However, if you have done your best and the campaign is still not profitable, do not hesitate to kill it. I would also suggest that since you have spent more than a month with email submit offers, try out "short form" offers. Also, know that 7search is not bad for CPS offers too.

I think you are doing well and your goal is just round the corner! Just keep at it patiently and you will be there sooner than you expect.

Good luck.

Hope this helps....

i can afford this attitude, because i've already been in the place where i wanted to make quick cash and it was very frustrating to see that the cash wasn't rolling. well, i started with seo, so no wonder i didn't see results overnight

definitely agree with your slow approach to master the traffic source. i feel i have learnt a lot, but still there are many stones i need to hit.

interesting you give me such numbers! i kept seeing not many keywords bring any traffic/conversion, but was trying to convince myself that i should keep them anyway, because i didn't have enough data to decide whether they're profitable or not. knowing that it's ok to have just a couple of kw in the campaign makes me feel comfortable in being more aggressive when deciding which keywords keep and which delete.

yeah, 12th was my "profit" day and 22nd was my break even i was really proud on the 12th! glad you noticed

again, thanks for your time you spent with the reply, i really appreciate another's point of view and kind words that kick me doing more.