One of the reasons why Google Adsense has become popular is because it has changed the lives of most people who started using it. For instance Jeremy Schoemaker get started because of his $100,000+ cheque from Adsense. Some of my close friends do also get started with Adsense. After getting their $100+ payments, they reinvested it and luckily grew their business. In that way Adsense has not just become a money-maker, but also sort like an “inspiration”.
For me it’s no different except that it goes completely the ironic way. As what you can read from my about page, I started blogging 2 years ago primarily because ‘we were told’ Adsense can make us rich. The truth is it didn’t! Because earning from adsense is so hard when you a have website that has 10 pageviews a day, I became so impatient that I started clicking my ads and telling everyone (indirectly) to do the same instead of focusing driving traffic . Ok, luckily I was able to get my first adsense payment after 4 months for $102. I thought that was the best back then!
So I continued being a douche and still clicked my ads (and told everyone too) on computer shops and stuffs. I got two warnings then from Adsense about it but still continued. In the next 4 months I saw I have $140+ in my account, there’s every reason to be ecstatic for me (oh poor guy~!). Then the dreaded email from google telling me that I am banned from using them and they are going to reverse that $140 and blah blah. I pleaded my case to no avail. Of course why would I win the case if it’s obvious I was clicking it my own?
That had probably changed everything. That time I was really depressed not only with $ 140 but also expenses I have spent on renting comp.shops everyday just to pretend I’m a different people clicking my ads. It was all boggling my mind. Back then I haven’t received any payments aside from Adsense! So what I did was start working on what’s their and not on what isn’t there. I had accounts in Kontera, Moreniche, SponsoredReviews, PayPerPost, stuffs and stuffs. One common thing about it is I still haven’t reached the amount for minimum payout so I worked hard on it!
Long story short, I’m now here w/this blog that somehow people respect. I’m here with craploads of knowledge on affiliate marketing. Here, slowly but surely understanding the whole online business thing. That wouldn’t probably happen if not for Adsense banning me. Sure I’m not like other marketers who grew their business big time up to 6 figures but who cares? I’m far more happy w/where I am and how i’m doing things.
Every time I tell this story to people they were kinda wondering how I got lucky getting an Adsense payment while clicking the ads fraudulently. To be honest I don’t know either. Maybe i just really have done it patiently and carefully or Divine Intervention?LOL! But anyhow I’m far more happy w/how I got optimistic despite being banned and losing all the money I thought would be the money I could all make, how I became focused despite being a douche in an online world, and everything.
Sure its not the “better-hearing” story you could ever hear but it’s still nice story for me. How about you, any inspirational three-paragraph story to share? 😀