blog

Taking on Panda in 2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:56:38 +0100

Like many affiliates, you probably felt the effects of a rough economy mixed with the ongoing not-so-cuddly Google Panda updates that have occurred last year, you might have noticed your sales slipping from where they previously were during the end of Q3/beginning of Q4 of 2010.

From research I've been doing, it appears that Google will be continuing to roll out new updates, so don't be surprised if you continue to see the ranking of your website in flux as Google changes their search algorithms over time.

I wish I had a cure all answer for you if your website(s) is/are one of them that has see rankings drop this past year, but since I don't - here are a few tips, that with any luck, will get you back into Google's good graces or keep you there if your site is performing well.

Keep your content relevant, new, and not spammy

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use duplicate content. Don't copy content from someone else's site - it won't help you. If you're not sure what content on your site is duplicated, check out www.copyscape.com. You may also find that people are duplicating your unique content, in which case, you may want to take action to get the matter resolved.
Check your analytics and look into which pages and keywords have been most affected.
When checking though your analytics, consider pages that are getting high bounce rates. If you find them, work on making them more relevant to what your readers are searching for. Otherwise, your site will be given less importance in Google's eyes, since people just keep leaving it.
Pay close attention to Google's webmaster guidelines, which you can find here.
Make sure your site offers value for your readers. If the site is intended to only generate you a few extra bucks, you're probably not going to rank very high.
Continue updating. If you have a website that you populated several years ago and have just been letting it run without changing a whole lot on it, now is a perfect time to do some massive updating. It might be a lot of work, but it should pay off...literally.
Do keyword searches in Google for your niche and see which sites are ranking high. There is a good chance when doing this you're going to find large corporations like Disney, Martha Stewart, etc. But take note and see what you need to do to stay competitive and make your content just as relevant as these heavy weights.
Be very selective with banners and ads. Google is penalizing sites with large quantities of banners. Although banners can create sales for affiliates, in general, links within your content will work better. So make sure if you use banners, to keep them relevant and use them wisely.
Think about your target audience, your customer, and what they are searching for. Be sure to take the time to tailor your content around that.

Use Social Media To Your Advantage

Fri, 06 May 2011 17:25:42 +0100

It's been a while since I last posted here and so I thought it was about time! Here is this month's "Tip Of The Month" which was featured in the monthly newsletter that was sent out yesterday, just in case you missed it!

The internet is a powerful tool and with technology like Facebook and Twitter at your fingertips, you might want to take advantage of these great Social Media gadgets to promote products, if you don't already. Here are a few helpful hints to get started!

Make your post relevant & unique - With so much online competition, you don't want to post the same thing as everyone else, so use your 140 characters wisely.
Utilize the different third-party tools for Twitter like HootSuite and Tweetdeck to see what others are posting so you don't post the same things.
Post about games relevant to the season or holiday.
Post about new games.
Make it personal - tell your customers why YOU love the game or would play it, not just that it's for sale.
Shorten your tracking code so 1) users don't know it's a tracking code and 2) it will fit within the context of the post
Have fun with hashtags! Have a fun new game your promoting - let the masses know! #partygame

Example Tweet/FB Post: What happened first? The TV was introduced or Disneyland opened? Find out by playing one of my fave Family Reunion games! #partygame (you would insert your unique tracking code in where the link is)

From Food To Games - Preparing And Hosting Your Family Easter Party

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:35:12 +0100

Not only is Easter celebrated as a religious holiday throughout the world, but it's also a time when families get together. Often times, being the host or hostess at one of these family get-togethers can be a bit stressful, so to make your mind a bit more at ease, here is our recommended agenda to keep the kids and the grown-ups entertained, and to keep the day flowing smoothly.

Prep The Food:
Since many people attend church during the morning of Easter Sunday, you'll want to make sure to get as much of the food prepped either the night before or early in the morning, before heading off to worship. Notify guests to arrive about an hour or two after you plan to be back from church, which will give you enough time for the finishing touches and to put your Easter ham in the oven.

Prep The Space:
You'll want to make sure there is enough seating for everyone. The day before, be sure to set out additional chairs, if it will be necessary. You may even want to get the table settings ready - for not only the adults, but possibly the "kiddie" table, too.

Prepare and Play Games:
Most likely as your family and friends begin to arrive, they will want to converse and mingle for a bit. What you want to avoid is any awkward pauses in conversation while the food is finished getting prepared. This is when having a few games handy can come into play. For instance, Easter Picture Bingo is one of our favorites because the entire family can play, not just the adults. You can also have various games laid out with Easter-themed gift baskets for the winners. Not only will this keep your guests entertained, but it will also allow extra interaction between them as they try to figure out the answers to games like Easter Bible Trivia and Names Of The King Word Search. Also, be sure to have a few additional games set up for the kids, like Pin The Tail On The Bunny and Bunny Tic-Tac-Toe.

Serve Dinner:
By the time guests are finishing playing games, dinner should be ready. Allow guests to relax and enjoy their Easter dinner, because afterwards, it's time for the Easter Egg Hunt!

Play more games:
Weather can often be temperamental during Spring, so having a back up plan for the typical outdoor Easter Egg Hunt is always a good idea. We love Egg Hunt, which is a spin on the typical Easter Egg Hunt. Your guests will break into teams of 3-4. Only one team member has a basket and the other team members are egg hunters. Egg hunters keep their hands behind their back, and when they find an egg, they must cluck like a chicken until their team member with the basket comes to collect the egg. The team who collects the most eggs wins a prize.

Serve Dessert:
After all the games are played and dinner has had a bit of time to settle, feel free to serve up dessert and let your guests finish mingling before they go their separate ways.

Wrap Up:
Just remember, a little bit of pre-planning, some prepared games, good food and good company will surely make this Easter holiday a celebration to remember.

News Announcement - February 25, 2011

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:02:37 +0100

Please read below for 4 IMPORTANT AND EXCITING news announcements!

1) New Products
We have just launched 3 new products on PrintableGamesAtoZ.com! They are:

The Deluxe Educator Classroom & Bingo Games Collection - Includes over 250 games for 15 holidays/occasions for $39.95.
The Deluxe Bingo Games Collection - Includes every Bingo game we sell on the site for $24.95.
The Deluxe Christian Games Collection - Includes over 35 Christian related games for $19.95.

I have added 5 new banners in sizes 88x31, 468x60, 125x125, 120x60, and 160x300 for each game collection. Visit the New Banners page to view them and/or copy the code into your site or you can find them in ShareASale. If you would like a banner in a different size, please email me.

I have also added several new links for the 3 new game collections, which are located on the Links page and ShareASale.

2) Launching 2 New Product Lines!!!

Printable Partyware & Table Decor and Printable Invitations & Thank You Cards - Estimated End of February

PrintableGamesAtoZ.com is continuing to grow and expand! We will be launching a new product line with an estimated launch date of February 28th for Printable Partyware & Table Decor and Printable Invitations & Thank You Cards! Check the Affiliate Edge or ShareASale for new creatives including banners, links, and widgets within a few weeks of the new product line launch. The datafeed will also be getting updated with the new products. I will send out an official news announcement when they are launched and the creatives have been updated.

3) Free Gift With Purchase
The Planning Guides that are currently included within the Deluxe Baby Shower Games Collection and The Deluxe Bridal Shower Games Collection will now be promoted as a Free Gift With Purchase of either of the collections. After the promotion ends, these items will no longer be included within the collections. Please update the verbiage on your site to reflect this if you currently advertise the Planning Guide as being included in either collection.

4) We're Now On Facebook & Twitter
I'm very excited to announce that our affiliate program is now on Facebook and Twitter. "Like" us on Facebook by searching the group "PrintableGamesAtoZ.com Affiliate Program" or follow us on Twitter: @AffiliatesAtoZ for quick, up to date news and happenings with the PrintableGamesAtoZ.com affiliate program.

Celebrate Being Green - St. Patrick's Day Games For Your March 17th Party

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:58:14 +0100

It's that time of the year to think green, shamrocks, pots of gold, rainbows and all that is Irish...including what St. Patrick's Day games to play at your party!

In what was originally a religious holiday honoring St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland), the holiday now is celebrated throughout the world by Irish and non-Irish alike; usually involving large quantities of alcohol, parades, partying, and everything green!

If you're going to take part in this annual March 17th tradition, you may want to have some fun St. Patrick's day games on hand while you enjoy the festivities! Here are a few of our favorite St. Patrick Day game suggestions!

St. Patrick's Day Bingo - ~~$7.99~~ SALE $6.99

A great St. Patrick's Day game to play with adults or children. St. Patrick's Day Picture Bingo features colorful graphics on a bingo classic. This is a perfect game to play for a child's classroom party or a St. Patrick's day party where entire families will be in attendance.

St. Patrick's Day This & That Trivia - $6.99

Start thinking green because only the player who knows the most about this green holiday will be able to answer these little trivia facts about St. Patrick's Day and Ireland!

Color Me Green - $6.99

In this fun St. Patrick's Day trivia game, players have to match the green-themed item with the appropriate clue. A must play for older children or grown-ups to test their green knowledge!!

Big News Announcement - 61 New Games!

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:16:05 +0100

February 7, 2011

We have just launched 61 new games and 11 new product categories on our brand new "Everything Else" section of the PrintableGamesAtoZ.com line of products!!!

We also have uploaded sets of 5 new banners for the following categories: Anniversary, Football, Christian, and Office Team Building. More to come soon for the additional categories!

Here are all of the new games broken out by category along with links to our website so you can check them out! Also, these products have all been added to our datafeed which you can access directly through SAS or through Popshops.

Anniversary Games
Who's got Gold?
Who's Got Silver?
Right Left Which Flowers Will He Pick!
Simply Say It With A Rose
Gold's The Color Of The Day
Silver's The Color Of The Day

Football
Sweets For The 'Sweet' NFL Challenge
Football Bingo
And The Heisman Winner Is...
Ready, Set, Hike!

Christian
All About Love Bible Verse Race
Faith Hope & Love Songs
Books Of The Bible Bingo

Family Reunion
Big News, Back Then
Left Or Right? Choose Your Side
Best & Worst Comic Movie Characters
Your Autograph, If You Please!

Office Team Building
Seriously Funny Workplace Oxymorons!
That Don't Impress Me Much!
Bottom Line Bingo

Summer
A Day At The Beach Scrambles
Beach Word Find
What's In The Garden
Animated Animals Scramble
Yellow Is The Color Of The Season
Pin The Sunglasses On The Sun
Summer Bingo
4th Of July Bingo

Decade & Retro
80's Blockbusters
As Seen On 80's TV
Name That 80's Song
This & That 1980's Trivia
Straight Up 80's
Hit Parade The 80's Way!
Back In The Day Famous Catch Phrases
Celebrity Kingpins - 50's Style
1960's Toast Of The Town!
All Star 70's Revue!
Name That Over The Hill Host
Oldies But Goodies TV Theme Songs
TV Theme Songs 80's & 90's Style
Love That Baby-Boomer That Is!

Retirement
Honk If You're Retired
Well I'll Never Retire!
Oh, The Things You Can Do! Retirement Taboo
Pin The Gold Watch On The Retiree!

Father's Day
Father's Day Bingo
Father's Day Word Search
Father's Are...
Dear Daddy
So Glad You're My Dad

Mother's Day
Mother's Day Bingo
Mother's Day Word Search
Mother's Are...
Dear Mommy
Mom's The Bomb

Housewarming & Hostess
Fruits & Veggies Imagine That!
Gift Exchange Fun
Healthy Expressions
Healthy Living!
Over The Rainbow

Whether You're Staying In To Celebrate or Going Out - Bachelorette Games For Any Bride-To-Be

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:55:33 +0100

Whether You're Staying In To Celebrate or Going Out – Bachelorette Games For Any Bride-To-Be

If you are close with a bride who will be getting married soon, it means there will be plenty of partying before (and during) the big day! Between the engagement party, bridal shower, wedding party luncheon, and even the reception dinner, there will be several events to keep you busy. But one event that should most definitely not be left out is the Bachelorette Party! From pre-outting warm ups to games to-play-while-you’re-out with, these games are sure to be fun for the whole group of ladies!

Bachelorette Bingo - $6.99 (Play it before going out)

This is your classic Bingo game pre-filled with "Naughty" items to get the Party started off with a bang. Second and third versions included which allows you to customize the game and choose your own words or have blank squares!

Who Knows The Bachelorette - $6.99 (Play it before going out)

The only way to win is if you know the most dirt, the most embarrassing moments, and the most personality quirks of the Bride-to-be. But there's a twist! The last question YOU get to ask the Bride-to-be, and she has to either answer truthfully...or take drink!

Drink If - $6.99 (Play it while you're out)

It's time to get started drinking! As you read a list of criteria like "Drink if you are wearing pink", any girl who has done that, or is wearing that, or can be considered qualified - has to take a drink! Multiple rounds included, over 100 different reasons to drink!

I Dare You! - $6.99 (Play it while you're out)

A bachelorette party MUST! Get all the girls mingling and doing fun, silly and daring things that will make this a night to remember! The girl with the most points at the end of the evening, wins.

Start A New Valentine's Tradition - Play Games With Your Coupled Or Single Friends

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:23:43 +0100

If you're in a relationship, the monotony of planning what to do with your special someone can become a tedious yearly endeavor. Inviting other couples to a Valentine's Day get-together can be a new way to add something new to the holiday, while still allowing you to be a bit romantic while spending time with your sweetheart. Valentine Bingo, Lefty's In Love, and Movie Love Quotes are fun games to play with a bunch of other couples, so be sure your friends bring their SO along.

Valentine Bingo - $6.99

Your classic Bingo game with a new twist - you can totally customize each square! Choose your own words and a message for the top, or use the pre-filled option with Valentine items already in the squares, such as kisses, candy, and lovebirds. And with the Game Card Generator, you get a different Valentine Bingo Card for each guest - even if you have 200 players!

Movie Love Quotes - $6.99

A very challenging game that will have even the biggest movie fans scratching their heads! Which movie did we hear the famous romantic line, "You make me want to be a better man?" This game works very well when played in teams with your other half.

Lefty's In Love - $6.99

This crazy gift passing game will have everyone scrambling as they listen for you to say right or left while you read about Little Lefty Wright in love. The players who end with the gifts get to keep them - and this makes for 100% participation and 100% fun!

If you're not in a relationship, spending V-Day alone often feels like rubbing salt in an open wound. That's why having your other friends who are also single over can make the reality of the day not seem quite so depressing. Doing something different and having a Valentine's Day game night can be a fun new tradition to start. To curb your possible loneliness, here are a few game suggestions to play with other single friends: The Topic Of The Day Is Red, My True Love Is Made Of, and Two Become One, Oxymoron That Is!.

The Topic Of The Day Is Red - $6.99

It's Valentine's Day and everywhere you look it's red! This game will have players scrambling as they try to match up clues to the correct 'red' titled thing like Red Lobster, Red Tape and even the Red Hat Society.

My True Love Is Made Of - $6.99

Can you guess what part of the body these clues are referring to? Just what part of your true love is also a part of a potato, anyway? The eyes, of course! When completed, you will have all the body parts for your true love.

Two Become One, Oxymoron That Is! - $6.99

This game is 'seriously funny' for any age. Split up players into teams or in groups of four and they'll be laughing out loud as they realize these very common statements are really foolish contradictions!

Baby Shower Games To Play While Your Guests Are Arriving

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:21:51 +0100

Besides the gifts, food, and drink, baby shower games are a necessity for the new mom-to-be in celebration of her bundle of joy on the way!

In all your planning, you may have specified a time for the shower to begin; but that doesn't mean that guests will all arrive on time. So to accommodate the fashionably late without sacrificing the start of the party, playing games with no time limit can be a fun way to get the festivities rolling.

Three games that are sure to keep your guests entertained while everyone is filtering into the shower are New Baby Advice, Guess Baby's Birthday, and Baby Shower Fundamentals.

New Baby Advice - $6.99

Everyone wants to pass along their best-kept baby secrets! Help them out and give guests a place to write their best wishes and best advice for Mom and Dad. Collect the advice after the shower for a memorable addition to Baby's scrapbook..

Guess Baby's Birthday - $6.99

This fun baby shower classic is now easier than ever! Just print out the cards and let guests take their best guess for Baby's date of birth, time of birth, weight, length, eye and hair color. There's even space for each guest to write a special note to Mom and Dad-to-be...it makes a perfect collectible for the Baby Shower album or Mom's scrapbook, too!

Baby Shower Fundamentals - $6.99

This game has several different options for play and comes with 4 different designed game sheets depending on the activity you choose. From Poopy Diaper Guess to The Price Is Right - as the party hostess, you'll have plenty of activities to choose from for your guests to play with only one game!

December - Tip of the Month

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:34:39 +0100

Don't be afraid to make changes and updates to your site if you're not happy with how customers are responding to the products you're selling.

Not getting as many shoppers clicking on our products as you'd like them to? Then change what you're doing! The great thing about operating a website is you can continually update, change, and troubleshoot how you're displaying information on your site. If a page isn't working for your customers, you can change how the information on that page is displaying. Or you could create a page with similar content but in a different format. Maybe instead of having an article all about our Deluxe Christmas & New Years Games Collection you make a storefront displaying the Deluxe Christmas & New Years Game collection and our top New Years products. Your customers are going to dictate the best way to display information on your site, so know that this is just an example of how to change things up a bit. If you do decide to make changes, be sure to keep a backup of how your page was displaying previously, just in case you decide to revert back.