At long last payout!

1. 84

   Aya Katzposted 14 years ago

   I got my first Google check in the mail today. It was green and for the handsome sum of $107.18. I'm trying not to spend it all in one place. ;->

   replyreport
   1. 63

      Wayne Orvisburgposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Congrats!! I'm still working towards my first one! How long you been doing this?

      replyreport
      1. 84

         Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Wayne.
         
         Supposedly, I've been doing this for two years, but I had some detours along the way and made some silly mistakes. I could probably have gotten it much earlier, if I had done everything "right" to begin with.

         replyreport
   2. 77

      Mr Niceposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Aya,
      How are you & cutie Bow?
      Your first Google check is good news. It is difficult to get the first $100 from Google but I think it gets easier later. I got my first check in Oct/2009 & the second one will arrive in April/2010.
      My income improved because I reorganized & fixed all my hubs.
      Out of hundreds only 177 keywords are making money for me now. I have only 63 hubs but you have 117.
      I think you should fix all your hubs that are not making money. If you fix all I believe you can bring more money faster. I wish you good luck.

      replyreport
      1. 84

         Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Mr. Nice. Any tips on which ones need the most fixing?
         
         In some cases, I think, it's just probably the wrong forum to publish in. I mean, the fiction. Even the keyword tool doesn't help there.

         replyreport
         1. 77

            Mr Niceposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Hi Aya,
            Your hubs look perfect no problem. I guess you need some Google organic traffic to make more money. I wish you good luck.

            replyreport
            1. 84

               Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks, Mr. Nice. I do get some organic Google traffic -- but it comes and goes!

               replyreport
      2. 59

         PackSecureposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I am new to Hub, how does one fix their hubs and keywords?

         replyreport
         1. 84

            Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Packsecure, sorry, I only just now saw your question. Even after two years on Hubpages, I'm not exactly sure. One thing I've learned is to find the appropriate keywords for that particular hub. The Google keyword tool is a good place to start.

            replyreport
   3. 0

      Justine76posted 14 years agoin reply to this

        congrats. spend it on shoes!!!

      replyreport
      1. 84

         Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Justine, thanks! I don't know about shoes, though. Bow is the one with the shoe fixation in this household, and doesn't even need shoes!

         replyreport
   4. 92

      Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Great job, Aya! Keep following your unique path-- things keep getting better.

      replyreport
   5. 83

      Springboardposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hmmm. Sounds tantalizing. Congratulations!

      replyreport
   6. 76

      calicoasterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Coooooool...Congratulations!!

      replyreport
   7. 87

      Dorsiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah Aya!! Congratulations. I'm sure this will be the first of many to come!

      replyreport
2. 65

   Ivorwenposted 14 years ago

   Congrats!  I know you have been working for this for some time now.  May the next one come sooner. 

   replyreport
   1. 84

      Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Ivorwen. I think the next one will be less of a wait!

      replyreport
3. 0

   girly_girl09posted 14 years ago

   Congrats!!!!

   replyreport
4. 63

   Daniel Carterposted 14 years ago

   Fabulous news! Make sure you celebrate this! Makes life a little sweeter.

   replyreport
5. 78

   kirstenblogposted 14 years ago

   Su-weeeeet!
   Time to open some bubbly eh

   replyreport
6. 70

   sunforgedposted 14 years ago

   Awesome, congratulations!
   
   They will continue to come at a quicker frequency now.

   replyreport
7. 86

   livelongerposted 14 years ago

   Congratulations!

   replyreport
8. 59

   charanjeet kaurposted 14 years ago

   Congrats Aya, Sweet are the fruits of patience. Cheers for many more faster adsense cheques.

   replyreport
9. 70

   sunforgedposted 14 years ago

   so now, the first paragraph of http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Secret-to-M … -Hubpages, will need a small revision!
   
   
   Any plans for a book on Bow? I would buy it.

   replyreport
10. 61

    lakeerieartistsposted 14 years ago

    Congrats Aya.  It does feel good.

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Lakeeerie!

       replyreport
11. 84

    Aya Katzposted 14 years ago

    Thanks, girly-girl, Dan, Kristenblog, Livelonger, Charanjeet Kaur and Sunforged.
    
    We will definitely celebrate today. I'm taking my daughter out to buy Easter chicks.
    
    Sunforged, do I really need to change the hub, or just report the news in the comments?
    
    I'm planning to write a book about Bow, but I'm hoping the musical with Daniel Carter will be done first!

    replyreport
    1. 70

       sunforgedposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       You dont have to change a thing!
       
       but, Ill have to keep an eye out for the Book and musical launch  information.
       
       A product creator is more likely to be successful than an affiliate.
       
       But, Ill gladly promote the book once it exists!
       
       
       Do you have a a massive collection of photographs of Bow? I imagine such a unique collection could be monetized, online and off
       
       
       anyways, congrats...just thinking out loud that writing for adclicks is the least of your abilities

       replyreport
       1. 84

          Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I do have a lot of photos of Bow from over the years, but how would I go about monetizing them? I think people on Hubpages don't really approve of hubs that are almost entirely composed of photos...

          replyreport
12. 77

    starme77posted 14 years ago

    Congrats And Many wishes for the next one to be even bigger

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Starme! For now, I'll just be happy if the next one comes much sooner.

       replyreport
13. 0

    Crazdwriterposted 14 years ago

    YAY!! Aya you made me smile when I read this. Great job!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Crazdwriter. Glad to make you smile!

       replyreport
14. 61

    The10DollarMarkposted 14 years ago

    Congrats.
    
    I only got an amazon payout so far, but that's easy since I chose the gift card option (min $10, instead of 100).
    
    But I actually don't have that many hubs, and most are really geared more toward amazon than adsense, so it's expected.

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       TenDollarMark, that's really good, the Amazon income, I mean! I haven't had any luck with Amazon yet. Any tips?

       replyreport
       1. 61

          The10DollarMarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Lol I've only made about 15$ from amazon. I wouldn't call that "very good", so I don't think I would have any good advice.
          
          But I have chatted with some squidooers who actually make a decent amount per month (30-100$) and they were kind enough to give me some tips. Like when you pick keywords, pick something that is specific. Because a person googling (for example) "popular toys" may not necessarily be interested in buying, they might just be curious, whereas a person googling "hasbro furreal elephant" obviously knows what they want so they're more likely to have a sale. So even though there'd be less people googling the second term, it's a better keyword product wise, so it's more likely a visitor will actually click to find out more.
          
          There were other tips they gave me, but it'd take way too long to write.

          replyreport
          1. 84

             Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Thanks, TenDollarMark. So basically it's product centered hubs with specific keywords for Amazon income. I think I only have two like that -- one of them about shoes. The other, fanny packs. These are not big ticket items, so it would take a long time to generate income that way.

             replyreport
    2. 92

       Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       The first time I got one of those I thought it was a scam, and messed it up, losing the whole value. Good lesson, though.

       replyreport
15. 64

    Money Glitchposted 14 years ago

    Congrats to ya! Way to go!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Money Glitch! Now I know the secret to those emoticons, thanks to importing your comment!

       replyreport
16. 86

    gamergirlposted 14 years ago

    Congrats on your first payout! It only gets easier from there, keep up the good work.
    
    For note, it took me 9 months to get my first payout check, then about 3 for the next one, and I get them every other month now.  I'm $10 away from payout for the month of March, so I'm right on track to reach payout on a monthly basis from here on out, provided I publish at least one hub of my standard quality a week.
    
    Yee-haw!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Gamergirl! I think it's looking more like another seven months till the next payout for me, based on March income.

       replyreport
17. 63

    Greek Oneposted 14 years ago

    I've heard a lot about this "It take about 9 months to get your first payout"
    
    As I have been hear for 9 months, and seem to be about $99 away from my my first payment", should I be calling Adsense?
    
    Thankfully, I am only about $10 away from my first Amazon payout

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Despair not, Greek One! Your day will come.

       replyreport
    2. 86

       livelongerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       It took me 8 months to get my first payout.
       Then 4 months to get my second.
       Then 2 months each for the subsequent 3 payouts.
       For the last year or so I've been making $200-300/month. Looks like it's going to be $315 this month, a banner month despite not having published anything!
       
       Persistence does pay off.

       replyreport
       1. 70

          alexandriaruthkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          this is an inspiration for US
          
          Congrats Aya!

          replyreport
       2. 84

          Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Livelonger, wow! You are an inspiration to us all. I'll have to take another long look at your hubs to see what you are doing that is so right!

          replyreport
18. 60

    Annie Mayposted 14 years ago

    Congratulations - we all know what hard work and sheer determination it takes to get to where you are now. I'm looking forward to the day when I can put the same post up.

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Annie May, thanks! May your day come sooner rather than later.

       replyreport
19. 62

    Miekaposted 14 years ago

    Congratulations!!! And have fun going out with your daughter for the easter chicks!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Mieka! We already went. My daughter picked out two black chicks and two "red" (actually yellow) ones. They are adorable, and she is thrilled.

       replyreport
20. 80

    Sufidreamerposted 14 years ago

    Great work, Aya - well deserved after your hard work and tribulations.
    
    I am looking forward to the book about Bow, too

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Hi, Sufi! Good to see you! Thanks for the encouragement.
       
       The question is what sort of book about Bow should I write? Scientific or general? I want the world to know what he can do, but I have a feeling that most people would be more interested in the human interest side of things. I'm torn...

       replyreport
       1. 80

          Sufidreamerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Tough one, but I would go for the general - a bigger market and much easier to sell. You could always follow up with a more scientific one afterwards.
          
          You could probably find a good middle way - think David Attenborough, Carl Sagan, and Stephen Hawking - very informative yet also very readable. With your flowing style of writing, you should be able to write a book that appeals to both levels

          replyreport
          1. 84

             Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Appealing to both levels is a good idea -- although somewhat challenging to accomplish! Thanks, Sufi. I think you're right.

             replyreport
21. 84

    Aya Katzposted 14 years ago

    Thanks, Alexandriaruthk and Rochelle Frank!

    replyreport
22. 65

    Mutiny92posted 14 years ago

    That is awesome!  Congratulations!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Mutiny!

       replyreport
23. 61

    ThePartyAnimalposted 14 years ago

    Congrats - it seems like the first payout takes forever and for me it was just that and then I have been making it every month and far exceeding the minimum now. Almost like once it gets going it just builds and builds. Good luck and may it keep coming for you.

    replyreport
    1. 92

       Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That's very encouraging Party Animal-- I'm seeing the beginnings, and I know there is mor I could do if I got really serious. (Hard for me to do.)
       Enjoy your party... and thanks, again.

       replyreport
    2. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Wow! I need to follow your example, Party Animal!

       replyreport
24. 56

    Lammeposted 14 years ago

    Congratulations!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Lamme!

       replyreport
25. 54

    Shalini Kagalposted 14 years ago

    Congrats, Aya - there's nothing quite like the first time!

    replyreport
26. 84

    Aya Katzposted 14 years ago

    Thanks, Springboard and Shalini! Now I guess I need to go back to writing hubs, as my traffic has plummeted today. We can never rest on our laurels!

    replyreport
27. 93

    habeeposted 14 years ago

    WTG, Aya! Here's to many, many more!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Habee! I hope to keep it up.

       replyreport
28. 90

    rmcrayneposted 14 years ago

    Aya congratulations on AdSense payout!  And thanks for starting this thread.  By sharing their own stories and stats, Hubbers have really provided some great perspective! 
    
    From the info in this thread, plus other threads over time, I think I’ve done maybe a little better than average on my AdSense progress.  So here’s my info and stats for anyone who’s interested: 
    
    -I wrote my 1st hub 26 Aug 09, about 7 months ago. 
    -My AdSense acct was approved and set up 11 Nov 09, less than 5 months ago. 
    -I made my first payout 22 Mar 10, (about 2 weeks ago) with about 115 hubs, and around 37,000 total page views. 
    -My Mar AdSense was over $50.  Who knows if that will hold, but if it does, it would put me at payout every other month. 
    
    My hubs are on average 1000+ words, and (I think) well thought out and well written. 
    
    I try to write at least 1 hub on the HubMob topic most weeks.  In this way I write on topics I would not otherwise have thought of or chosen. 
    
    Of my top 10 most viewed hubs right now, 7 are HubMob hubs, with 4 of those also Health Hubs contest hubs.  Two of my current top 10 have been in my top 10, usually my top 5, for months.  They are HubMob topics that I definitely would not have otherwise picked. 
    
    My HubMob hubs also help spike and balance my traffic.  I had great traffic in Feb from 2 hubs on Olympic Women’s Figure Skaters.  Now it’s at about 0, but I’m getting good traffic from a couple of my Health HubMob/contest hubs and a business HubMob hub. 
    
    I’m definitely not super savvy with all of this.  I can’t really tell you which hubs or keywords are getting the clicks.  I have tried to look at AdWords for selecting titles and keywords for the last couple months, trying to be a little more targeted.  I try to pick terms that get on average 1K to 10K searches a month.  Sometimes more, up to 50K, but never huge numbers like 100K or more searches a month.  Sometimes I cross reference with how many returns on terms with Google search, and go with a term with the lowest returns. 
    
    After getting nearly burned out from 28 contest hubs and 4 HubMob roundup hubs in 28 days, I’m going to try to step back from hub addiction, and spend more time doing some of the things sunforged has advised, to improve existing hubs and traffic.

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       McCrayne, wow, that's a lot of information! You seem to have been doing things all more or less right from the start! I think that the traffic spike I got from reddit early on really threw me off, because it was non-paying readers, so to speak. It's better to have a smaller, steady stream of much more useful readers.
       
       It may be that it's a good idea to spread out to topics that are not what we would normally write about. That seems to work for you. I'll have to consider it...

       replyreport
       1. 90

          rmcrayneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Sorry Aya.  Guess it's my nature to be long winded.

          replyreport
          1. 84

             Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Not at all. It helps to know these things, and I'm glad you shared your experiences.

             replyreport
             1. 90

                rmcrayneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                Many of the hubbers participating in sunforged's 60 day challenge have shared their stats, mostly average and total views.  Overall, I was pleased with where I stand, and super motivated to do some backlinking and promoting.  Here's sunforged's hub with links to the participants.
                
                http://hubpages.com/hub/Goals-Planning- … n-HubPages

                replyreport
    2. 75

       barryrutherfordposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Great stuff !

       replyreport
29. 82

    Rafiniposted 14 years ago

    Congrats Aya!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, Rafini!

       replyreport
30. 65

    theherbivorehippiposted 14 years ago

    Congratulations!!  Isn't it such a great feeling of accomplishment?!!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       The herbivorehippi, thanks! It's halfway between a feeling of accomplishment and one of bemusement!

       replyreport
31. 67

    emievilposted 14 years ago

    Congrats Aya!

    replyreport
    1. 84

       Aya Katzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, emievil.

       replyreport
32. 0

    mtsi1098posted 14 years ago

    congrats indeed

    replyreport
33. 57

    wrenfrost56posted 14 years ago

    Way to go, many congrats and heres to the next one.

    replyreport