So I tried signing up for Google AdSense. The only thing I’ve discovered is that it doesn’t make sense.

From google.com/adsense, while signed into my Google account, I see this:

“You’re signed into your Google Account but this is not a valid AdSense login. If you’re an AdSense Publisher, try signing in using your AdSense email and password.”

Then, I clicking the link that says “New to AdSense? Find out more information here.” and go to http://www.google.com/adsense/start/#utm_source=ww-en-et-storefront_adsense&utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=et&subid=ww-en-et-storefront_adsense.

Next, I click “Get Started Now” and go to the 3 step signup page.

The screen says “You are currently signed into the Google Account [email protected]
Would you like to use this account to sign in to AdSense?”

I click “Yes, use [email protected]”

Then I get an error message that says “You are currently signed into the Google Account [email protected], which is already in use with AdSense. We only support a single AdSense account per a business or an individual (learn more).
To sign in to your existing AdSense account, visit google.com/adsense.”

You spin me right round Google right round…

Does anyone have any tips on solving this? I posted the question in Google’s product forums, but from all of the other copies of the same message that I’m seeing, I don’t have high hopes that any useful answers are forthcoming there.

I actually haven’t seen an episode of Glee for months, but as soon as I typed “New Directions”, all I could see in my mind’s eye was singing high schoolers.

Kind of frightening, to be honest.

The site’s going to start going in a new direction. I’ve been using it as a sort of a part-time SEO consulting business platform, but in case it’s not obvious, I don’t end up with a lot of time to post about SEO. It’s incredibly facinating to me, and I live it every day, but by the time I get home I’m just hungry and ready to let the brain wind down!

So, as of now, you’ll start to see a little more of me coming through when I post. I’ll come here when I have a thought that’s a little more involved than a Facebook post or Tweet. I may post about politics (won’t that be fun!), or whatever random thought is running through my head (and wow are there a lot of them), or some funny story. But expect a little more of my personality to come through.

So what is my personality? In a word, qwirky. You might say I’m “not quite right.” Because I’m not. I like to have fun, I like to learn about the world around me, and I like to challenge myself. I also like discussion and debate, so don’t hesitate to throw your two cents in.

Worst case, I delete your comment and ban you

And now, a cat playing fetch.

I had one of those embarrassing ”Duh” moments a few minutes ago. I sit here, every now and then, and write about SEO and conversion tactics. I talk about how important calls to action are, and how they should be clear & direct, etc.

Then I happened to actually look at my own site. Oops.

Since I don’t really have this anywhere else, I figured I might as well put it up as a post. What is the purpose of this site? Basically, it’s my playground. When I get an itch to write, or play with HTML, or see what’s up with WordPress, this is where I come to experiment and play. I can do whatever I please because I know it’s not an income driver for someone’s business. I can goof up here and say “Oops… oh well” and start over again if I want. Online Marketing is also a subject that I really enjoy, so it gives me an outlet to write and maybe, just maybe, help somebody out. I like helping people out. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

So if you were wondering why I’m not taking my own advice, now you know!

People coo over them. Politicians kiss them. Hallmark makes millions off cards with pictures of them. Babies – you have to love them, right? So what happens when you look into a stroller and see this?

Okay, little extreme, but if you haven’t clicked the back button in sheer fright, I still have your attention.

Website owners love their website. It’s a labor of love, and takes considerable time, sweat, effort, and usually money to get launched. So how do you tell someone that their new website, their baby that they’re bringing to you for guidance on how to help it grow, is a hideous little monster from a hellish plane of existence?  You either make someone else do it (coward) or you engage in the fine art of diplomacy.

The key thing to remember is that everyone has the same goal. Everyone wants the website to grow big and beautiful and strong. If someone on the team doesn’t share that goal, get rid of them. The way you grow strong isn’t through one huge action, it’s a mountain of small ones. You eat your veggies, you work out, you don’t drink yourself into a stupor every night.

Yep, lost some of you there. Sorry. But it takes effort to get the results you want. Ask any personal trainer. SEO efforts shouldn’t be considered any differently. Take everything one small step at a time. Present small changes that, individually, don’t seem like much. But as time goes on, those changes start adding up, and that ugly baby starts to bloom.

Here’s a very, VERY generic checklist that can help you break things down:

1. Call to action – make sure every page tells the visitor what you want them to do.
2. User Navigation – Can any random visitor find what they want?
3. Clean code – Take things pieces at a time. Clean up the header, then the left side of the body, then the side bars, then the footer, etc.
4. Get social – Make sure your social media efforts help drive attention to your site.
5. Your friends are guinea pigs – Usually willing, but if not, find their weakness and use it against them. I’m talking a pizza or a bottle of wine to share, not brittle bones. Ask them to give the site a spin and give you feedback. Then thank them for it and use it, don’t get insulted.

So, you’ve spent all this time (and money) to build a new website. It’s beautiful. Friends love it. Designers show it off like a new baby. You send out Press Releases, hold a launch party, and settle in for sales or leads.

And then nothing happens.

What could possibly have gone wrong? You’ve probably made one of the most common, and least understood, mistakes of any website owner. You’re lacking a clear call to action.

What is a call to action? It’s some indicator on your website of what it is that you want customers to do. It’s great to get visitors, but you’re presumably putting up a website in order to provide some piece of information, sell a product, or get leads for a service. It’s important to remember, though, that we’ve become an extremely attention deficit society. If we can’t find what we need in the first few seconds of looking at a web page, we hit the “Back” button and look elsewhere.

Your call to action will vary according to your website’s intent. For example:

• Information websites : You want people to share that information. Maybe you’re making money with ads. Maybe you’re building a reputation. Whatever the case, you need your visitors to become your supporters. Make that easy by letting them know how they can share your information with others. Facebook extensions are available for a variety of platforms, and there’s always the straight-up HTML route. The same exists for Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. You can also find services like “AddThis” that make it easy for you.
• eCommerce websites: In the Call to Action field, you’ve got it easy. Your goal is simple: “Buy this!” Make sure the customer’s attention is drawn immediately to your “Add to Cart” button. Images and Video will help improve conversion rates, but your conversion rate will be zero if customer’s can’t figure out how to add your product to the shopping cart.
• Services: Most likely, you’re looking for a lead. This can come through a number of venues, including phone calls, lead forms, or email links. Make sure you make your preferred contact method as clearly indicated as you possibly can.

There are a number of online resources for creating effective calls to action. I’m a fan of SEOMoz, and they have many great posts on this topic. I also try to keep up to date on the thoughts of Tim Ash, a leader in the field.

So when you’re reviewing your site, make sure your visitors have a very clear indicator of what it is that you want them to do.