Google AdSense just sent me an email.
We’re writing to let you know that we’ve identified an issue with the Canadian dollar electronic funds transfer (EFT) payment issued to you on Friday, March 26, 2010. We used an inaccurate exchange rate, but we’re currently working on a solution and will have more information for you in the next few days.
Will their exchange rate correction work in my favour or against me? I could take a peek inside my Adsense account and figure it out, but I think I'd rather be surprised.
People with blogs often ask me if they should have advertising on their sites. I always give them the same advice. First get the traffic, then worry about monetization. Without the eyeballs, it's a moot point.
I waited years before I introduced ads on this blog. Google doesn't pay you until the amount they owe you exceeds $100, so it wasn't uncommon for me back in the day to go 4 or 5 months without seeing a dime. I won't tell you how that broke down in terms of daily revenue, but we're only talking a Timbit or two.
Two things happened that took me from a Timbit or two to a coffee and donut a day: traffic increased substantially and I redesigned the site with Adsense in mind. In addition to the sidebar of ads, I added a banner ad to the bottom of every entry on the permalink pages.
I now get money from Google each and every month. It's not enough to quit my day job, but it fills the gas tank and leaves me with a little walking around money.
And a coffee and donut a day. After all, here in Canada, we measure revenue in terms of what it will buy us at Tim Hortons, eh?
