I'd be one of the first to agree that thinking positively and having a vision are an important part of launching and building any business or career venture.  But at some point, the numbers have to work.  

When I first heard about Google Cash I thought it was a great idea -- if it worked.  The idea behind Google Cash is to buy ads from Google and other search engines at low prices, about a nickel a click.  These ads are used to induce Internet users to take a certain action -- buy a product or fill out a form.  You sign up as an affiliate, so that every time someone does the required action, you get a commission.

Now this works great if you make more than you spend.  But it makes me very nervous to be buying thousands of nickel-clicks unless I can be sure that I'm going to get a return on my investment.

Here's the very, very good news.  Most affiliate programs, like Commission Junction, show you exactly how much each click is paying, on average, for each program.  This is shown as "EPC": Earnings per Century, or the average amount earned for every hundred clicks.  Commission Junction currently (as of August 25, 2006) shows this statistic for their entire network:

3 month EPC:

$6.19 USD

This means that, over the last 3 months, every hundred clicks ($5.00 at 5 cents per click) yields $6.19.  That a 24% profit (not per year but per click!)  Not too bad, is it?

But you can do even better.  The numbers above are averaged over all of their merchants.  But you're free to just pick their best programs.  So take a look at these numbers:

	3 Month EPC (USD)	7 Day EPC (USD)
Zurich	$366.77	$286.46
GetSmart	$321.50	$164.29
US-Mattress.com	$319.91	$87.17
MediFast Diet	$291.82	$292.16
Capital One UK	$275.59	$230.92

When I first saw these EPCs, they left me breathless, and when you understand what this can mean for you and your future, it will send you reeling too.  For instance, every time over the 3 months that an affiliate sent a click to the Zurich website, they were paid, on average, $3.67.  Better yet, the EPCs above are actually underestimates of what you can achieve with Google Cash methods.  The figures above are lowered by test clicks -- most affiliates are going to click through a few times on their own ad just to make sure it works properly.  They also include clicks that are not highly targeted.  People click on Google ads after they have searched for exactly what the merchant is offering.  Google ads are the most highly targeted ads on the Internet.  This means the conversion rates, the chances that the click will become a sale, is very high.

Google Cash FAQ

Q. Will Google Cash methods eventually become ineffective?

A. The Internet is constantly changing and this influences the effectiveness of any Internet technique.  Google has changed some of these policies, and these changes are well addressed in every Google Cash update.  I really do think that well-targeted Internet ads are a new force in advertising that will only become more popular as time goes on.  Newspapers are television networks are already feeling the effects and are losing advertising revenue to the Internet.  Affiliate marketing is the new wave in advertising, and it's here to stay.

Q. How much does it cost to get started?

A. Fifty dollars Five dollars to open a Google Ads account and $50 $67 to buy the Google Cash e-book (that's right, the eBook went up, the sign-up fee went down).  Signing up as an affiliate is generally free.  You need a computer with any kind of Internet hookup (but you could actually use the computer at the public library if you didn't have one at home).

Q. Does Google Cash require a lot of  technical or programming knowledge?

A. None at all.  Any high school graduate (or literate dropout) can do it.

Q. Do I have to pay taxes on what I make with Google Cash?

A. Yes.  It's a real business, with real profits, and the affiliate programs are required to report earnings above $600 to the IRS.  As with any business, you can deduct any business-related expenses.  That means that if you go to an affiliate marketing seminar in Las Vegas or Hawaii you may be able to deduct your transportation, hotel, and registration costs!

Q. How do I get paid?  Will I get a lot of little checks, one for every time someone buys something?

A. Some programs mail a check every two weeks, some deposit your earnings directly to your bank account.  The checks consolidate the earnings you made from all merchants at that program (Clickbank, Commission Junction, etc.).  The direct deposits are great.  It's so much fun to be on vacation, log into my bank account, and see the balance go up while I'm relaxing on the beach.

Q. Why are you talking about a program like this?  Aren't you a psychologist?  Shouldn't you stick to doing psychotherapy?

A. Google Cash is something that worked for me.  I wouldn't put my reputation on the line if it didn't.  Many of the marital and personal problems I've seen could be solved if people had a simple way to improve their financial condition.  That's why I wrote The Couple's Guide to Love & Money and it is why I'm promoting this e-book.

Return to my Google Cash Review