Great post Kevin.
I have helped out a few webmasters and see this happening…only a couple succeeded using basically the same tools.
Those that failed threw up a site and expected to suddenly make money in the short term.
Discouragement won out for them.
Admittedly I am a little jaded on the 1 on 1 help of late due to one webmaster consistently copying our content word for word after a lot of help. Much off that is so far out of date that he still wonders why he is making little to no money.
Anyway, that leads me to attitude…
Then there was the odd gem that took an idea, improved upon it and looked outside the box.
They are still in the biz today.
I view it as not just making money. Websites are almost like kids. A bi of advice a long time ago I remember was set a goal to what you want to make. Some people are happier with oodles, some less, basically how much PA would make you happy?
For some paying the bills and enough to live comfortably is well, enough.
Set your goal at wherever you fit on the scale , it is amazing what is achievable.
We’re all paying for traffic, so sharing it is actually a great idea, rather than letting the traffic wander to an unknown site which doesn’t link back…….horrors of horrors, maybe even to a .md site!
LOL. I had the idea a long time ago for webmasters to exchange traffic. The initial pitfalls were most did not understand (or chose to ignore) the basic concept:
Sharing traffic for the benefit of all that would be the highest quality gambling traffic on the net on a 1:1 return ratio.
This would bypass the diluted traffic quality of other exchange programs which make them worthless.
Unfortunately some saw it is a way to get bulk traffic by sending in crap, that was disappointing.
They were all thrown out of the program and today, some 3 years after launch, there are still 30 or so webmasters actively sharing traffic. There have been no complaints so I assume they are all still happy campers.
As to PR snobbery. PR doesn’t mean jack if you are still not listing for keywords or getting traffic. 😮 I have a PR 5-6 (depending on how google feels) that is getting minimal visitors yet another non ranked tht gets oodles.
Google, as most of us are aware is on shaky ground and in the long term need to place the eggs in more than one basket.
The googlenannigans have certainly effected us but not as much as many. in hindsight am rather glad I targeted lots of lesser terms as these remain relatively stable.
It is nice to have a few number 1’s for major terms but ego doesn’t necessarily earn you $ does it?
Sharing IS important. Ellen and I have our own mini CAP and since getting together have vastly improved our income. By mini CAP I mean she is great at somethings I suck at and vice versa.
So I may be able to expand on an idea she has or she can refine mine.
Either way, we rarely stop thinking of how to be original, work angles and implement them effectively.
I guess that is the secret to our success.