Can You Still Make Money Online in MMO Niche?

Posted on November 08, 2009 by Melvin

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In this guest post, Simon shows to us why making money in a make money online niche isn’t yet a history.

I was recently reading an article that was asking whether it’s still possible to earn money from the ‘make money online’ (MMO) niche. As we all know, the MMO niche is getting more and more packed, thus increasing competition and making us work even harder to get traffic to out site. And, as we also know, without traffic you can’t make money.

So, can you still make a decent amount of money by blogging in the MMO niche?

Simple answer: YES.

There are lots of make money online blogs around, but at the same time lets be honest in saying that well over 50% are rubbish.

OK, sorry for sounding harsh, but it’s true. Most the MMO blogs I visit have no real potential for earning: the bloggers don’t have a clue how to monetise their blog and are only in the make money online niche because that’s how the big names (Darren Rowse, John Chow etc) have made their name, so they try it out for themselves.

If you’re interested in making “proper” money on your MMO blog, you shouldn’t associate yourself with these blogs. You should really be taking a step to make your blog better than the average, and this way you already have an advantage over tons of other blogs.

There’s lots of ways to gain that extra something that will take your blog above the rest. It could be something as simple as the design (for example, small, ‘not so good’ blogs will often have a free theme, but by getting a custom theme made you can set yourself apart), or something as complex as creating a whole new branch to your website that has never been seen before.

Either way, the thing that is most important is the content. Quality content is what sets the cool blogs apart from those that are quite frankly rubbish. By posting articles that are going to grab the readers attention and then be enjoyable to read, you’re bound to get loads more traffic as people will link to you, and, as we all know, more links means more traffic.

So, how do you make your blog worth visiting? I’d love to hear some of your suggestions, so feel free to leave a comment below!

Simon Rogers is a teenager who blogs at Teenius.com. Also, there is an awesome contest he’s running at the moment which you can find here. It’s easy to enter and has some great prizes!

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Discussion: 69 Comments

69 Responses.. to “Can You Still Make Money Online in MMO Niche?”

David Shaw

- 8th Nov, 09 09:11am

Nice post Simon.
I also believe that there is still money to be made. I think it is all about hard work and dedication.

Many people give up after a couple of months because they are not making very much, you just have to keep going and get a bit of luck along the way!

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Exactly: I’ve been running my blog for almost 8 months, and it’s only now that I’m even trying to start monetising.

Like you say, you need to be dedicated, and if you do it right then the rewards can be big!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..4 Steps To Thank Your Commentators

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Taranfx Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Millions Trust Blogging for MMO
Taranfx´s last blog ..Firefox 4 Theme Transform

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Tinh Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I do agree with your idea too, money is still out there but how to make it effectively is the big question and thos who are dedicated and smart enough will win!
Tinh´s last blog ..Why You Should Pay More Attention To Small & New Blogs?

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Taranfx Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Agreed!
Taranfx´s last blog ..Simulate Human Brain, soon

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Simon | Teenius

- 8th Nov, 09 09:11am

Thanks for posting this, Melvin! I hope your readers enjoy it!

BTW I’ve stumbled and tweeted
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..4 Steps To Thank Your Commentators

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Melvin Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 12:26 am
you are very welcome Simon.

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Penny Stocks Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 11:27 am
yea getting a custom theme helps the look of your blog standout from other blogs with free themes.
a Custom theme with attractive useful content and proper marketing (like commenting on other blogs) can get you into Big Show in MMO niche

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Penny Stocks Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
subscribed to Simon’s blog and commented as well. Good blog u have Simon

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IndianCashMaker

- 8th Nov, 09 09:11am

i have heard many times that a custom theme is a must for serious blogging….i wonder should i get one…it would take a heavy toll on my pocket
IndianCashMaker´s last blog ..Blog Life Cycle Day 3- Selecting the Niche of Your Blog

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Personally, I say go for it. I invested a fair amount in mine ($200 for the theme), but boy was it worth it! I’ve been in several big ‘good theme’ lists which has boosted my traffic, and when people visit my blog they can instantly recognise that it’s a good site because it’s clear I’ve put that little bit extra investment in to it
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..4 Steps To Thank Your Commentators

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Edward Palomo Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
you can hire someone to make you a custom and more personalized theme for less. like me
Edward Palomo´s last blog ..Enrollment and Michael Jackson’s This Is It

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Either that, or remember the Thesis theme. Check my blog in a few hours and there’ll be a whole post about it!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..4 Steps To Thank Your Commentators

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Melvin Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 3:04 am
Well imho I think a custom or premium isn’t really a ‘must-have’ when just starting (even if you’re a serious blogger). You can go out from a free, yet clean-looking theme and then just build on that. Eventually over time, hopefully you can start to afford a premium or custom theme.

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Ruth - Web Career Girl

- 8th Nov, 09 10:11am

I blog about making money online not to make money directly from taht blog, but to keep me motivated in all of my other money-making ventures. I think if you try to make money purely off your MMO blog from the start, without much prior experience, it will be so much harder.
Ruth – Web Career Girl´s last blog ..The Week’s Progress – eBook Writing Challenge Week 1

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Good point. I’ve owned blogs in different niches (ie. car insurance, weight loss etc) and I found it really easy to make money off them, but it’s definately a lot harder to make money from MMO blogs. That said, it is possible and there is a lot of potential for HUGE earnings!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..4 Steps To Thank Your Commentators

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Hannah

- 8th Nov, 09 11:11am

I am proud of my content, but I’m still using a free theme and have little patience for design. Not sure I’m ready for a custom theme. I would have expected to pay more than $200.

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 8th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
You’re always ready for a custom theme! If I’m honest, I don’t think you can run a really successful blog without one.

Yes, you can pay waaaaaay more than $200, infact I think I was lucky to get such a high quality theme at such a low price! I guess it’s all about who you know! lol!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..4 Steps To Thank Your Commentators

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Edward Palomo

- 8th Nov, 09 02:11pm

i take time to be inspired before i write so it would be worth reading.

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Teen Blogger

- 8th Nov, 09 07:11pm

Nice post Simon.

I wrote a similar article on my blog I think a week ago, but regarding your article I also think that there’s still money to be made in the make money online niche. We all know it’s saturated, that just means it’s very very popular.

I think it’s still possible, but very very difficult and requires a lot of hard work.
Teen Blogger´s last blog ..Teenbloggerkid.com Open For Guest Bloggers

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
There’s definately money to be made, and often when you start making money, you get a good amount!

And, actually I must admit it was your article that gave me the idea, and I did actually email you to ask if I could do a guest post on your site about it, but when you didn’t reply I emailed Melvin to see if he wanted it, and he did, so I wrote it!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Get The Most From The Top Commentator Widget

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Melvin Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 3:10 am
(Ironically) Actually I was about to make this same post as well on other blogs as a guest post but when you approached me, I was like “hmm lemme see what Simon can say about it first” and then I build my idea towards it.

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
LOL, I’m glad I got in there in time then!

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izzat aziz

- 9th Nov, 09 07:11am

the mistake often done by MMO niche blog is, they try to teach people how to make money, when they not make any yet. Darren and John success because they already make a lot of money, and tons of people know that.. unless you have great content, you should have something like proof to give reason why I should learn from you how to make money by blogging.

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Very, very true. I’ve seen loads of blogs that are said to be about making money online, but the way they appear on my screen says that they don’t have a clue! I think to make money in this niche you not only need to KNOW things, but you also need to show it!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Get The Most From The Top Commentator Widget

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Millionaire Acts

- 9th Nov, 09 10:11am

There are a lot of make money online blogs out there. I think there are more than make money online niche blogs than personal finance blogs in which my blog belongs.

I think the key for a blog to be noticed amidst the fierce competition in make money online niche is providing UNIQUE quality content to your readers. Something that they cannot find in a lot of blogs.

Unfortunately, writing a post that pertains to that topic needs a lot of research. Well, hard work pays.
Millionaire Acts´s last blog ..Manila Bulletin Blog-O-Rama Features Millionaire Acts

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Millionaire Acts

- 9th Nov, 09 10:11am

Another thing is that you need to be someone to “WALK THE TALK”. If your niche is make money online, then you as a blogger should also be making a lot of money through your blog.

It would be more interested if you are disclosing some figures about your earnings. In that way, people would visit you more often than other blogs of the same niche.
Millionaire Acts´s last blog ..Manila Bulletin Blog-O-Rama Features Millionaire Acts

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Thanks for the two comments!

I think disclosing your earnings could help, but only if you make lots of money. People want something to aspire towards, and if you just say you earn only $50 per month, they probably won’t bother following your blog, however if you make $5,000 per month then they probably will!

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Neo

- 9th Nov, 09 11:11am

You have talked about design…I don’t think its important in MMO niche…All we want is good content.

Thanks
TC

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Benjamin Hübner Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Content is King, thats right,

But I thinka professional design (Clear, good navigation) is important too. Also it may help to brand your name (if it´s unique, or something special).

P.S. Im working in the MMO niche too, and I make money (I started a few month ago, so I´m relatively new)
Benjamin Hübner´s last blog ..Mass PPV Traffic, a first Pre-View!

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 9th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
There are lots of things to consider, and, actually that’s given me an idea for a post on my blog! Thanks!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Get The Most From The Top Commentator Widget

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Content is king, yes, but the design makes the site look professional. For example, if you log on to a site with an awful theme, you probably won’t even bother reading teh content!

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Benjamin Hübner Reply:
November 29th, 2009 at 4:52 am
Thats exactly what I tried to say.
Branding is another effect if you have your “own” design and logo, just think about the Twitter “T”!
Benjamin Hübner´s last blog ..Dirty CPA Marketing, make money with CPA Affiliate Marketing!

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Dan

- 9th Nov, 09 04:11pm

I agree that a premium/unique blog design is a must for all serious bloggers. It shows professionalism and authority that a free theme does not.

I’ve found a free tool that allows you to create your own wordpress theme called Divine Project. You download and install it and off you go. There is also a good post on this blog which tells you step by step how to build a wordpress theme.

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Thanks for the cool links, Dan. As you say, some sort of unique theme is very important.

I would say that even if you buy a premium theme, you should still customise it!

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Extreme John

- 9th Nov, 09 08:11pm

I think having a personality is where it’s at, I also feel that in regards to MMO and blogging. If you have personality and your willing to continue to push at something you will see results, regardless of what niche it is.
Extreme John´s last blog ..Pink Hummer Limo Service Special

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Narayanan Hariharan

- 10th Nov, 09 02:11am

Good post Simon.

This post ought to encourage all new/doubtful bloggers to not give up hope and start blogging. The key to making money online is not just being online but making your presence felt and sustaining it.

Stumbled and RT’d

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 14th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Thanks for the stumble and RT, glad you enjoyed the post!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Blogging Product #1: Thesis Theme

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Eric : BlogDemanila

- 10th Nov, 09 06:11am

Having your own customized theme is like making a brand or a package of your own. Your content may have the same ingredients just like other MMO niche, but the overall package and user’s experience in your site definitely will give you the edge.

For those who don’t have time do their own theme or not technically knowledgeable enough, check my URL. I tell you, it’s better than Thesis
Eric : BlogDemanila´s last blog ..Headway 1.5 Preview – The Future is Now!

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wickedguy Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 8:09 am
How the f**king hell can you recommend a theme you, yourself don’t even use (or can’t even afford to?)? ROFL..

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Eric : BlogDemanila Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
how would you know that I’m not using it? Is it because of the URL I used here?

don’t you know that I’m using other premium themes too on my other blogs such as Thesis?

anyway, I wouldn’t even tell you how many blogs I’m managing for other people.
Eric : BlogDemanila´s last blog ..Headway 1.5 Preview – The Future is Now!

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Melvin Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
@wickedguy if you’re gonna use those **** types of words, then this community is not for you.

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mytheory

- 10th Nov, 09 10:11am

well, i would say that if we want to make money in MMO niche we should have a real experience about how to make money online. MMO niche is not suitable for people who are virgin about MMO topic, or maybe for people who just look for High paying keywords from that niche.
mytheory´s last blog ..Alexa Rank : Underrated or Overrated?

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 14th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Very well said! The golden rule of blogging is that you should know your niche inside out!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..Blogging Product #1: Thesis Theme

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Rockstar Sid

- 11th Nov, 09 06:11am

Money is definitely out there on the web.. but people choose wrong niche’s which makes the difference
Rockstar Sid´s last blog ..How to Completely Uninstall AVG Antivirus With AVG Remover

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Dynasty Web

- 11th Nov, 09 04:11pm

First, Melvin, I love your blog.
Secondly, I love your guest article because I really believe this is something you have to enjoy doing because there is no longevity in trying to make money right away.
You won’t last because it takes time, like for Daren and John Chow, they were not overnight sensations, they took their business to heart and worked on it everyday for years. The reason why bloggers look up to MMO bloggers like Daren and John is because they made it in a more simple way than most people who work a 9-5 job everyday for 30 years and it only took them a couple of years to have the wealth they desire. You should definitely be unique as stated above and just take your time. Find your passion and everything else will follow because you are at your happiest. You can deal with the ups and downs of a business much better when you are doing something you love.
Dynasty Web – Drive More Traffic To Your Site

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 15th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Glad you enjoyed the article, thanks for the great comment!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting A Blog

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jan_geronimo

- 12th Nov, 09 01:11pm

I’d rather read a MMO blog than than ones which are in other niche but riddled with lots of sponsored posts. That’s a big turn off for me. I’d leave immediately. At least, in MMO blogs you’d like stumble into a lesson or a tip you’ve not heard of before. You’re bound to learn something. An MMO blog doesn’t have to earn money first before having the right to blog about his efforts. Sometimes, what make them interesting are the trial and errors they go through and if they’re honest with their efforts – no humbug, no false pretenses – then they’re are disarming in a way, too.
jan_geronimo´s last blog ..Read My Lips: Twitter Lists Are Meant to be Exclusionary

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 15th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I agree that sponsored posts are pretty bad, but it really depends. I feel that if you do a review every now and again, but also post loads of quality articles inbetween, it’s acceptable!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting A Blog

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Tinh Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 9:13 am
Paid posts/reviews must be in line with Google guidelines and in line with our niche otherwise we loost PR and clients too
Tinh´s last blog ..Earn Up To $100 With PayPal Wishlist on Facebook

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Sandesh Mascarenhas

- 12th Nov, 09 07:11pm

I am new to MMO and blogging let me try my luck…………..

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Gordon Cindric

- 13th Nov, 09 05:11pm

I think the MMO niche is tooooo saturated. First because people are greedy and they click on EVERYTHING that has to do with making money online. I’ve noticed that on Twitter most of all. If your tweet contains the words “make money”, you will automatically get at least +10 followers in the next minute and people will mass-click on your tweeted link.
The real skill is to find the good ones from all the frauds.
Gordon Cindric´s last blog ..CSS For Absolute Beginners

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Melvin Reply:
November 15th, 2009 at 6:49 am
LOLs, yea. Probably also because a lot of stuffs are automated with regards to the make money online niche. That’s why a lot of people have lost hopes because of all those frauds.

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Simon | Teenius Reply:
November 15th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Very true. But, like I say in the article, it’s still easily possible to make money through the MMO niche if you do it right!
Simon | Teenius´s last blog ..10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting A Blog

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Toan Nguyen Minh

- 16th Nov, 09 11:11am

Both your new theme and this article are very cool, Mevil Thanks for stopping on my blog!
Toan Nguyen Minh´s last blog ..Wordpress 2.8.6 is available –> Upgrade your Wordpress Blog to WordPress 2.8.6 Now

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kawika

- 16th Nov, 09 08:11pm

Hello ..
Very interesting reading here.. I for one hope all is not dead in MMO..
I must maintain my motivation and focus to contiue to make a decent wage through my blog.. Yes it’s not easy but using various methods of marketing and traffic getters.. help

I don’t want to say it happens overnight — as we all know it doesn’t.

But I keep paddling through the crap and hope to be successful..
Need to stay positive ..:)

Aloha & Mahalo
kawika´s last blog ..Who we are and why we are here ..

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Louis Dizon

- 21st Nov, 09 07:11am

I totally agree with you. I was planning to make my own blog about making money online but I was a bit hesitant because lots of MMO blogs have been popping out of nowhere. You are right about the fact that 50% of these blogs are rubbish. There are lots of writers making make believe stories.
Louis Dizon´s last blog ..Black Friday 2009 Ads

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Walter

- 22nd Nov, 09 07:11am

I have been blogging for five months and I have learned that the most important aspect of successful blogging is uniqueness. Too many blogs I have seen say same things, in effect, they make poor conversions. But, a unique content written according to the personal uniqueness of the author draws attention.

Another important thing to remember is ones character. Actually, success is a character.

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Gabe | freebloghelp.com

- 23rd Nov, 09 01:11am

There are so many MMOs out there but many of them totally suck. I mean, the writing stinks, the design is horrific, and many of those bloggers are looking to get rich quick and will therefore abandon their blogs faster than you can say “make money online” anyway.

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Sherwin_828

- 23rd Nov, 09 05:11am

Hey, guys. Nice thread going. But I think most of you guys are being misled. To get noticed in the MMO world what you need to do is to land at the top of SERPs and not change your blog design or tweet your way to thousands of readers. As you noticed, the MMO niche is so jampacked so I don’t think you can still come up with a unique idea that has not been thought of before by others. The winners are simply those that land at the top of search results and if you look at them, you won’t see much of john chow or darren rowse there.

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Melvin Reply:
November 27th, 2009 at 8:02 am
That is a complete BS! People/bloggers/websites get at the top of the search engine because they provide compelling and good content for their readers. You see, traffic from search is good (or awesome, whatever) but if the thought you are trying to provoke is here is to seo everything then its that one that is misleading.

I agree in your point that its hard (or almost impossible ) to come up w/unique idea these days but who says unique idea are the only ones worth reading?

To end this one, ranking good in search engines doesn’t just happen by doing a tweak or whatsoever. It happens with the normal process (content, traffic, getting read). And besides, whats the use of a site that has tons of search traffic yet makes no money at all?

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sherwin_828 Reply:
November 29th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Actually, sites get to the top of the search engines because of search engine authority which is, for most part, determined by how many relevant links they have. You can’t beat a competitive niche by just compelling content alone. But you can beat a niche with crappy writing and ezine articles but with tons of relevant, good quality links.

Many MMO gurus out there write compelling, well-written content but are nowhere to be found on the first page of their main keywords.

Do you think this guy http://moneymakerinfo.blogspot.com/ has “readers” because he writes compelling content? All he has are rehashed stuff, articles that you will find all over the internet used many times in other blogs. He does not make money from RSS subscribers (no one does). He makes money from search engine users. How about this guy? http://www.makemoneyonline.com LOL!

I’m not trying to provoke anything, sir. I say my opinion and that is that. I don’t really play the game many bloggers play (link-baiting? LOL gimme a break) but with very limited results.

To NOOBS: If you want to make money online, you need to have a marketer mindset, not a blogger mindset. Go search “make money online”. Look at the top 4 sites and ask yourself why they are beating top honchos like chon jow and that problogger dude, and that taro syarak, along with our very own carlocab.

Best of luck to everyone.

sherwin_828

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Hesham @ FamousBloggers

- 23rd Nov, 09 07:11pm

Nice post, I came across through BlogEngage, MMO and blogging is what I do right now! we have created a new corporation blog called Famous Bloggers blog, it’s basically to add our experiences with making money online, I will never lose the hope of making money from that blog!
Hesham @ FamousBloggers´s last blog ..Blogging For Money – Beginners Guide #2

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Seo Writer Tony

- 24th Nov, 09 02:11pm

There are a hand full of MMO bloggers that have hit it big. But I’ll be honest, its not so much the MMO subject that has hit home to many readers, its the particular understand or approach that is used that attracts folks. Finding your own NICHE within the MMO bunch is key. My two cents.

Respectfully,
Tony Tovar
Seo Writer Tony´s last blog ..Spiral Marketing | Viral Marketing Group | Join Today!

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joel

- 25th Nov, 09 02:11am

..am running a new blog on humor and was wondering when is the right time to start monetising. And is there a quick way of getting my share of traffic in good time to quit my job

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Blog Tactic

- 2nd Dec, 09 02:12pm

MMO will stay for a long time unless everyone switch to barter trade (or when the internet dies)
Blog Tactic´s last blog ..Twitter rated Top Word of 2009

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Eau parfum

- 8th Dec, 09 03:12pm

The MMO is a trickly one because you need to know how to monitize it. People make most of their from from referrals. Adsense in the MMO niche doesn’t work because the readers are blind to adsense. Adsense only works if your MMO blog is geared towards search engine traffic.
Eau parfum´s last blog ..Hugo Boss Perfumes

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