I've Lost My Incentive For Creating New Pages!

Is Anyone Feeling the Same? How Do I Get My Mojo Back?

[HuskyPup]

Firstly, my B&M business sales are doing fine however my secondary beer income, i.e. AdSense, has taken such a pounding that I'm finding it hard to concentrate and create new B&M pages.

I've a new 320 page site that requires a further 80 pages of unique content to complete, all the images have been done, but I just don't seem to be able to raise my enthusiasm and I know it's entirely due to extremely poor AdSense returns and a fubard Google SERPs.

Is anyone else feeling the same?

How do I get my mojo back?

[icedowl]

I really feel your pain. I just went a year without adding any new pages to any of my sites. Just a couple of days ago I got back into it, added a few new pages and plan to add several more each week. I think it's a variety of burn-out and you just sometimes have to take a break and come up for air.

One thing I've decided is to just ignore what any SERPs do, not just Google's, and just do my personal best with my sites. Let the chips fall where they may. I have other pieces of my life that sometimes need more attention. And I have a need to have fun whenever I can.

Set yourself a personal goal, even if it's as little as one page a month, and find time to enjoy yourself. We may not be kids anymore but we still need to play.

[jpch]

I usually add new pages first thing in the morning before I look at anything else. If I don't get distracted I can actually get something done. If I don't get depressed by the state of world affairs I can get something done. Once I start checking emails and looking at news sites my motivation starts to go downhill. So, the only advice I can give is to try and find the time of day that works for best you and try to create those new pages.

[netmeg]

I just created a new page today - offering direct advertising to interested parties.

[jmccormac]

@HuskyPup There's a quote from Churchill that might be apt: "if you find yourself going through Hell, keep going". If you give up, you let the twiddlers win. If you keep going, the world benefits.

@Netmeg The important thing is whether more sites start doing this.

Regards...jmcc

[koan]

Consider maybe starting a new web project on a radically different subject if a family of web sites based on the same topic seems to deteriorate over the years. They may be affected by the actions of the same pool of advertisers.

[thatjen]

I know what you mean. A few months ago I realized I can no longer count on my websites supporting me, so I pretty much gave up adding new content, unless it's something I really want to write about. So I may add an article here or there if I feel like it will help someone, but that's it. But now I desperately need to get a job and have no idea what I want to do next, because what I wanted to do for a living was to continue working on my sites full time.

[Leosghost]

@HuskyPup..Consider brewing your own beer ..;-) and write about the experience..

[Atomic]

I just created a new page today - offering direct advertising to interested parties.

That sounds like an excellent idea!

[andrewshim]

How do I get my mojo back?

Lost my mojo waaaaaay back last year and am paying the price for it. Down in the serps and down in the CTR, RPM dumps for all sites. I just got tired of working hard and leaving it up to an ever-morphing Google to decide whether they like my site or not. I'm tired of playing a game where the big Goog seemingly randomizes the size and shape of the field, the rules and the shape of the ball EVERY other day/week/year. 2 kids and bills keeps me struggling at it, but it's like whacking a dead hamster, errrr... horse.

[Spyder_Cat]

I felt the same as you Husky; I had a few days where I was questioning what I was doing. My revenue has taken a big hit.

However, I am still motivated. I enjoy producing new content; doing the research and then writing about a topic which I think will be useful to others whilst creating revenue. I enjoy analysing my stats, trying to decide which topics to tweak and which topics to target next. I enjoy seeing an article get its first 'like' 'tweet' or '+1'. I find this stuff addictive.

I enjoy the lifestyle passive income has given me; I will fight to keep this, I do not want 'a job'.

[martinibuster]

I realized I can no longer count on my websites supporting me, so I pretty much gave up adding new content, unless it's something I really want to write about. So I may add an article here or there if I feel like it will help someone, but that's it. But now I desperately need to get a job.

No offense, but it sounds like you may be your own worst employee. Adding a page of content now and then for the past few months? No offense intended but what your post describes is you sitting at home not working very much on your site. You say your option is to get a job but wouldn't you rather be spending those eight hours a day plugging away on your own site?

A partial list of things to do to get your mojo back:

• Expanding it to add a forum
• expanding it to add a blog
• expanding it to make it mobile friendly
• expanding it by creating sister sites on related topics
• you could be posting useful tips on forums that allow signature links
• you could be spending twenty minutes a day on a link beg campaign.

That's just a partial list. :) Expanding in a new but related direction can help get the mojo back.

I'm not commenting on the OP or anyone else on this thread, but if you put in virtually no work for the past few months and are steadily declining and not doing anything to stem the decline, then further decline is a sure bet in the future.

AdSense isn't a set and forget it program anymore. My experience is that the sites I work on the most are the ones that are keeping up with earnings. The ones I neglect are the ones that are falling behind.

We can get a job and work in the cubicle and plug away or get back in the comfortable chair at the office and work on our own stuff. I prefer to work on my own stuff so I keep busy every day.

[andrewshim]

You're right MB. I want a "set and forget program" what will run on its own while I work on my B&M business. Adsense isn't that anymore. I find the economy pushing me to rev even harder just to maintain the status quo in my B&M business, which leaves me completely pooped at the end of the day with no motivation to work on my site(s). Laziness has got me where I am today, double work is what's going to take to get me out, but my mojo is on stuck on slo-mo.

[buckworks]

my mojo is on stuck on slo-mo

There's a lot of that going around! ;)

[martinibuster]

...double work is what's going to take to get me out...

I hear you and feel it, too. I have found that delegating some of the low level or time consuming work to someone else helps feed the momentum and keeps the mojo turned on. The more you can afford to offload the better because it frees you up to do the higher level tasks related to long term strategy of identifying where the money winds are blowing, to know the gainful direction to head in.

[explorador]

I find it hard to create new quality content as well these days. I feel is something that comes and goes, not like a few years back where I worked a lot, constantly adding new content and doing lots of research : / (I have my official job besides hobbie sites).


Earnings? worries? I stopped worrying last year and despite the problems, my earnings went up actually. I followed the rules for creating quality sites posted here (yes that old thread). And yes it works.


What do I do? what works for me is taking advantage of the moments I feel like writing, but instead of keeping muyself vigitant and posting, I configured my own CMS to autopost, so I just write and leave the drafts ready to be posted on certain dates. That saved me from last year -depression-, I just stopped posting but the sites kept the updating schedule. That's regarding my own CMS, but Wordpress and Drupal also allow to do that. Make the most out of moments of inspiration and work on something else when the mojo goes away.


Martinibuster:

No offense, but it sounds like you may be your own worst employee. Adding a page of content now and then for the past few months? No offense intended but what your post describes is you sitting at home not working very much on your site. You say your option is to get a job but wouldn't you rather be spending those eight hours a day plugging away on your own site?

Really, thanks for that post. Yes I know the idea it is pretty obvious because I even talk like that to my friends, but the way you wrote it turned a lot of things upside down in my mind. I need to work more, I'm working but perhaps I would fire myself regarding my standards. Very motivating post! even the first line is material for a whole article.

[Frost_Angel]

One thing I've decided is to just ignore what any SERPs do, not just Google's, and just do my personal best with my sites. Let the chips fall where they may. I have other pieces of my life that sometimes need more attention. And I have a need to have fun whenever I can.

This is exactly my philosophy these days. It's not burying my head in the sand or anything like that - I just feel like if I make everything about how I rank in Google - it will and has almost destroyed me. Not worth it.

Google will eventually fall like Rome. I really believe that. FaceBook's new search engine will eat Google like a little snack. LOL

*edited because I forgot quotes.

[thatjen]

Martinibuster,
I had been doing all of those things you said - I used to work on my sites up to 80 hours a week from 2007 until the end of last year. Within the last 4 1/2 years I got so fed up a few times that I quit working on my sites for a few months at a time and didn't notice a change in income. I gave myself until the end up 2011 to hit a certain Adsense income goal, and I didn't even come close to it, so that's when I gave up - at least for now. It frustrates me spending so much time on something, not knowing if I will make any money from it or not. That's why I just work on my sites now to help people. I switched to selling stuff on Ebay, which has helped support me since then, but I don't see myself being able to live off my Ebay/website earnings either, thus the career-crisis.

[sftriman]

Oh my gosh, how timely this post was for me. I was thinking to post something along the same lines: "Do you ever just want to give up?" 2 years running, fighting to get that glorious G***** traffic back on my white hat, generally beloved site, and I feel for the first time this week like just punting and moving on to something else. I've done everything under the sun, seemingly to no avail. I didn't read all the replies, but did read thatjen's just above where I'm posting, and what she says pretty much echos my work and where I'm at. Thanks for the post, I feel ya', and now I'm going to read responses.

[iordakis]

Husky,
I find it easier to continue adding to those sites if I have a priority list - knowing what; how much; when and how to update, and being aware it can be in vain, but at least it does not sink.

Martinibuster,
Thanks for the great reply, will be useful for many in our position struggling to make a living online.

Could you please add some more tips on expanding a regular (hobby-like) website? Thanks

[tonyolm]

martinibuster

AdSense isn't a set and forget it program anymore. My experience is that the sites I work on the most are the ones that are keeping up with earnings. The ones I neglect are the ones that are falling behind.

We can get a job and work in the cubicle and plug away or get back in the comfortable chair at the office and work on our own stuff. I prefer to work on my own stuff so I keep busy every day.

That pretty much sums it up...

Do fun stuff... I've been doing adsense since 2004. If it is interesting to the writer it will prob be interesting to readers.

Something happened in Jan until mid March that boinked my revenue. I just kept on plugging away.

This week I made a test video on a topic I use for adsense. A spider was turned into dinner and I made some cool HD video. The page I am working on will not pay me mortgage this week but the time I invest will pay off over time.

[tonyolm]

I should proof read before posting.

[rajivatre]

Expanding it to add a forum
expanding it to add a blog
expanding it to make it mobile friendly
expanding it by creating sister sites on related topics
you could be posting useful tips on forums that allow signature links
you could be spending twenty minutes a day on a link beg campaign.

Noted down.
Thanks MB for Excellent post.
Starting to work on those from today. Especially Point #1,3,5 on priority basis.

Thanks
Rajiv

[explorador]

This doesn't apply to everyone but I had to remember that none of my reasons to create my websites had anything to do with money (as many members of this forum that I remember).

It became difficult to "work" thinking on revenue and why I couldn't earn more despite my efforts, or why other low quality sites were performing better, and it was hard for me to get back to that fact: that in my case it was never about the money (but yes I need it and find it useful). But yes, why do it for free, just get rid of it.

I'm confused if it was you Husky who posted a while back how refreshing it was to loose something and find out one can be prisoner of that thing, can't remember who posted that.

[HuskyPup]

I'm confused if it was you Husky who posted a while back how refreshing it was to loose something and find out one can be prisoner of that thing, can't remember who posted that.

That sounds interesting, I definitely don't recall it:-)

[Leosghost]

Rocknbil

[explorador]

Leosghost: Rocknbil

Thanks, it was Rocknbil then right?

It was an adsense thread about low earnings and anxiety checking the stats, and the post talked about owning things, not letting things own you, and how after you loose those things... it becomes kind of refreshing. I hate not being able of quoting the text and giving credit but it is a nice concept worth spreading. I'll try later

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Build for your visitors, not for Google.

[MikeNoLastName]

"Build for your visitors not for Google"

That's ALMOST exactly what I always say, except my saying ends in
"... and you'll never be found by either." lol

This thread caught my eye as I'd been going through the same thing. After 17 years of doing this (I was burnt out from a real programming job when I learned html one weekend and started doing the internet) barely keeping up with G and slipping further behind multiple competitors with hundreds of employees vs ONE of me (these days - can't afford to pay employees like in the old days), I've been wondering if it isn't time to take what I put away that GAdsense generously earned us in the 05-08's and get out of the exponentially ever more crowded online space and maybe open a subway shop or a bar, 'cept I hate dealing with people... Maybe a doughnut vending machine route.
I agree with the person who said about working on new and technical stuff first thing in the day when you're fresh. Once I get to answering e-mail and studying depressing logs and reports, all I want to do is procrastinate.
I did find, a while back, when I was getting particularly perplexed and frustrated with G and realized I hadn't taken a break from the computer in months, that just playing hookey from the office for a day or two really made a difference in morale. Just say 'screw it today' and go out and do something fun or practical that you've been meaning to get to (mow the lawn, get the car registration renewed, skydive, visit a brothel - YPMV [Your Priorities May Vary].) Before you know it you'll be having all kinds of new webpage ideas and theories of how to beat G and won't be able to WAIT to get back to putting them on the net.

[Leosghost]

It was an adsense thread about low earnings and anxiety checking the stats

I don't ( fact I'm sure )think rocknbil posted about adsense ..but he did post the philosophical point of "owning things, also means, they own you"..and the, what I'd call "the lightness of being"..

Many here have posted on this subject.."Grandpa", "hairycoo", many others..

I say it frequently..

Beware of Maya..