Google PageRank, among other things.

A lot of changes happened while I was floating in outer space, one of them being that my Google PageRank (PR) flunked from three to ZERO. Yep. Now my page is unranked. It should be irritating me, I know, with all the effort I've invested in whoring for exchange links and signing up with all the online directories I was able to find that time when I was desperate for even a PR1 and didn't know any better. As it happens, I don't have much energy these days to even bother. Anyway, I was already kind of expecting it to drop ever since I signed up with Text Link Ads (TLA), which I have read a little while back has issues with Google.

Also, and I think this is a big factor in my i-don't-give-a-shit attitude is that TLA was able to bring in more than five times the amount of money that Google Adsense was able to give me in the same period of time. Plus it does not require me to constantly change how my ad units look every damn time I change layouts just so my readers will notice it. You may be thinking, she is crazy, PR is important! Maybe. Especially if you are being paid to blog about products/services. But gone are the days when PR matters highly to advertisers, like PR is the only thing that can save them. It is now a well-known fact that it those days are past. Or maybe I am just sourgraping. You decide.

Here's a surefire sign that Adsense is not working for me. You, ALL of you, didn't even notice that I don't have Adsense units here anymore. I am right. You know I am. I removed it and nobody even noticed. So I know I made the right decision in dumping my loyalty on TLA's lap. TLA, by the way, does not even ask that their ads be clicked. And that's the beauty of the system. You earn money (although not much, but money is MONEY nowadays) without doing anything (except of course sign up and put a teeny weeny code in your site to allow TLA to place ads in there). Go ahead and sign up with TLA. Unless you love your PR so much, which I don't.

Next stop, Helium. I have written fifteen or so articles for them already. I dropped out for a month, I go back, eager to write some more when bam! I tried to log in and was surprised when they did not allow me inside the site anymore. I thought it was a site bug, because I definitely did not do anything that's not in accordance with their freaking site rules, so I emailed Helium support. Here's what they have to say:

Thanks for your ongoing interest in the Helium site. Unfortunately, Helium.com is not set up to provide an optimal experience for writers from every country. At present, our audience is predominantly US-focused. To prevent frustrations from all writers and to limit staff time spent trying to accommodate, we are not accepting submissions from some locations at this time. Readers from around the world are welcome to enjoy Helium’s articles. In the future, we are hoping to offer different versions of Helium that will attract and best suit all writers. We are currently evaluating the impact this has on a few existing members, and we will settle with them on an individual basis in the coming weeks. Regarding any upcoming sites I have no specific information on that at this time.
Nice. Very... diplomatic. And full of shit. I almost thought we had something good going on, Helium. I honest-to-goodness did. I even have plans laid out, you know. *sighs* Like my PR, once they take it away, you can never get it back. I wonder if those were punishments for the MIA stunt I pulled off. Hmmmm...Nah. I am not that special. It's the same for everyone everywhere, at least in the case of PR. I have not checked if I was the only one booted out of Helium. Share your experience. Please do.

Lastly, this Mturk thing that's been paying almost all the bills lately was also messed up. They used to have a satisfactory reward system. Last time I checked, I am convinced that the Askville administration folks are seriously deranged because they implemented a new reward system like that. I won't go into details. It has been discussed (and I have read it) in the Turker Nation forum a lot of times already that I even dream about it some nights.

Oh boy, oh boy. I'll need new sources of income. And an Advil.

16 comments:

pehpot said...

hehe it is not just you.. binago talaga ng helium.. na aning yata na ms madami at mas magaling ang international writer LOL

sinabi mo pa adik talaga si kayil..
hinid pala globelines may problema, may virus windows ko.. buti may linux ako hehe

try mo kaya sa payperpost hehe

Make or Break

Nadine Camille said...

tsktsk. ako nga wala pong PR! haha. never ko naekzperience ewan kung bakit sa dami ng links sa site ko. e kea tinatamad na tuloy ako magblog. haha. kayang kaya mo po ibalik yan!! ilang blog hop lang.. balita ko marami daw na biglang nagzero baka nagloko talaga pr..

Michele said...

Sure I'll exchange links! Do you have a button? mtracy18@gmail.com

redamethyst said...

ganun din pala sa mga review sites noh, nawawala din sila pagkatapos pagkakitaan ng mga pinoy. hehehe

zoan said...

anong helium?

Chris said...

my PR was 3 and now its 0... how did you get your PR back?

Sherry Go Sharing said...

no worry now as you have pr 3 now

Sherry Go Sharing said...

@chris, I guess with the hot contest and constant blogging :D

Sherry Go Sharing said...

yeah I know no pr less work and even no work :(

Sherry Go Sharing said...

I think everyone having their lunch now, me not yet.

Sherry Go Sharing said...

any idea how to get pr 4? lol..

Genefaith said...

wow marce one of the wrters ka pala ng Helium...too bad, they don't know tey just let go their best asset..they don't deserve you marce...don't worry...

Genefaith said...

I have PR 1 before but now still 0 ..i could relate with you here marce from PR 3 ba yon to 0! I couldn't understand PR changes every now and them

Genefaith said...

i think now you have PR 3 na ba marce?...

Genefaith said...

i'm not yet familiar with TLA

Genefaith said...

i see now that you have adsense marce, how about TLA?