20. 06.
SEO for Adsense
If you’ve been using Google’s AdSense on your pages you obviously feel the need to somehow generate even more traffic for your website, which in turn would translate to more AdSense click and a higher income.
But who do you do this? Well, the major way you’ll get visitors to see your website (other then using AdWords, which is encouraged as well) is to use some techniques to have search engines send more and more users towards your page, by ranking high in search results for your topics of interest.
Believe it or not this is a technique, better known as search-engine optimization or simply SEO. So here are a bunch of tips that come handy under every amateur or professional optimizer’s belt.
The first thing you need to take care of is the actual source code and layout of your page. This has to be kept as simple as possible. The problem comes when AdSense and the search engines themselves begin to have troubles in extracting the most relevant keywords on your site because of a too complex layout.
Secondly, try to have each one of your pages target only one specific topic. This way it is a lot easier for them to get indexed properly and for the AdSense ads to be consistent with the content of the site itself.
Also, try not to include too many hyperlinks in your page as well. This also means you should try not to use too many AdSense ads on your page either.
If there are certain keywords you wish to target, make sure the word you wish to target is present in the title, in the first paragraphs as well as in the name of the file. While you’re at it you might want to ensure the word springs up in the page’s last paragraphs.
And of course, it’s very important for your content to have original and compelling content. How do you do this? Well the easiest way to do it is to find something you’re really passionate about. That way, providing you give it a lot of effort you’re bound to have a great page quite fast.
If the content you use in your site is in the public domain (which is highly discouraged) make sure that you at least give it an original title, and add an opening and a closing paragraph of your own.
This takes a little while, but if, after waiting, you still can’t find your page near the top, you should try rewriting your title and your first and last paragraphs. It doesn’t take much, often just changing a few words will give you the right results.
And of, course there’s the use of keyword tools that may aid you in finding some good keywords to include on your page that will drive visitors to your site more and more.
So those are about the basic techniques in search engine optimization. You can find a lot of computer tools to aid you in doing this, and of course, Google is a great place to search for this.
In the end, you’ll find that SEO is a complex topic, and entire books have been written on the topic as well. You might find that you have a lot of optimization you need to do in order to get more and more visitors to your site and clicking those precious AdSense banners.
5. 06.
There are so many REO (Real Estate Owned) properties with banks that they are trying to sell them off at very deep discounts. These properties are obtained when the owner is not able to pay the mortgage and the bank decides to foreclose on the properties. These foreclosure properties are a great opportunity to make some money! What if you are not interested in buying the properties for you but you would like to make use of this opportunity to make some money for your self? It is possible and without any money of yours. There are two proven ways to make this happen.
The most important thing in real estate property - Location, Location, Location!!!
The first step is to identify a property in a good location and a reasonably good condition with repairs less than $15,000. Typically, properties that sell quickly have three or more bedrooms, one or more bathrooms, basement, yard and garage. This rule applies to properties anywhere After you identify the property, negotiate with the bank and bring down the price to at least 40 cents on the dollar. Your intention to flip it immediately should not be revealed to the bank. While some banks don’t mind that you are flipping “as is” (i.e., without any remodeling or fix up of repairs), others do.
Typically, a real estate is flipped “as is” using an assignment contract. Assignment contracts are written by adding the clause “and/or assigns” after the buyer’s name (either the individual buyer or the company’s name). For example, John Doe wants to flip a property “as is”, then the offer to purchase property for $40,000 will contain buyer’s name as “John Doe and/or assigns”. This clause gives the John Doe the authority to assign/sell the purchase contract to anyone for a fee (for example $10,000). So, now John Doe makes $10,000 by selling the contract Mary Smith and she can purchase the property for $40,000 from the seller. But the problem with banks is that they will not accept an offer to purchase document that has the clause “and/or assigns” after the buyer’s name.
So, how do you flip REOs “as is” without using any of your own money? You have two options:
1. Purchase Property to Land Trust: Land trust has several parts to it. The important parts for this article will be the Trustee and the Beneficiary. The trustee can be a reliable relative, friend or an attorney. The beneficiary has all the powers to this property and hence the owner. You have to inform the bank that you will be buying the property to a land trust. Normally, they will agree. If you (John Doe) are buying property at 123 main street, then in the offer to purchase, you will write the name as John Doe, 123 main street Trust, Trustee, exact vesting TBD at closing. The phrase “exact vesting TBD at closing” allows you to assign the beneficiary rights to anyone who pays you an assignment fee. You can tell the bank that you are not sure how many investors will be partnering in this deal and that’s why you have not mentioned the beneficiary. So now, they will allow you to purchase the property even though you do not have a beneficiary listed. The Trust does not have to be created before making the offer to purchase as long there is an intention to create a land trust later. If this is the first time you are using land trusts, then it is best to get help from a real estate attorney who has experience in land trusts because the rules can be different in different states in the US. The two keys to flipping properties successfully using land trusts are finding the right title company and the right attorney.
While you are negotiating with the bank, you can also start finding a buyer of this property. One of the easy ways to find a buyer is to post an ad in free websites like Craigslist and others. For example, you are purchasing a property that is worth $100K in its present condition. You managed to negotiate the price $40K. From Craigslist ads, you find your end buyer to purchase it from you for $50K. Request the buyer to pay you $10K so that you can add his/her name as the beneficiary. Tell the bank your buyer is your investor partner. After you receive the $10K from your buyer, put his/her name as the beneficiary. So, now you have made $10K profit without using any of your own money!
2. Double Closing: Double closing is when you are closing the seller and the buyer on the same day i.e., you are using the money from your buyer to close the property from seller and the difference between your purchase price and your sale price will be your profit. In one or two states, land trusts are not allowed and in a few others land trusts are frowned on. In such state you have to use double closing method. As mentioned in method 1, while you are negotiating you have to find a buyer using the same methods.
Here, you may lose some money in fees for closing costs and also if you have to bring money for a few hours from hard money lender, they (hard money lender) will charge you around $2000 to $3000 for this service. If you search on Google for money for a few hours until you close with your end buyer. To obtain these funds, there are no credit score and history checks. To summarize the two fees involved in this method of flipping: a) there are closing costs of around 3% of the sale price. b) The double closing funds fee of $2000 - $3000. You have to negotiate with the bank and your buyer in such a way that you make up for the loss in these two fees. It is good idea to inform the title company that you will be double closing. First, bring/wire the double closing funds to the bank/title company and pay for purchase of the property from the bank and get the title in your name. Next, have the buyer bring funds for the purchase of the property from you for a higher price. The difference between your purchase price and sale price minus closing costs minus the double closing funds will be your profit!
While banks frown on “as is” REO flipping, they are badly in need of clearing the properties from their ever growing inventory so sometimes they do not mind at all unless you make it too obvious by using the clause “and/or assign”. So it is best refrain from using this clause. Also, it is best to refer to your end buyer as your investor partner instead of making it obvious that you are selling your property to the end buyer. REO flipping is a great real estate opportunity with low risk. The banks are badly in need of selling their foreclosed properties so start contacting banks’ loss mitigation departments for REO properties in your area.
