Written on April 20th, 2008 at 01:04 am by Darren Rowse
AdSense Secrets 4.0 Launches
update: please note the update at the bottom of this post.
It has been a big week for bloggers launching products and making special offers.
AdSense guru Joel Comm has this week also announced a new product (or rather an update of an old one) called AdSense Secrets 4.0.
Joe’s written many resources for those wanting to improve their AdSense earnings and his book on the topic has been a best seller on Amazon.
This week he’s launched his 4th version of the product.
Before you visit his sales page - take a deep breath. It’s long, its full of sales talk…. but the product is only $9.95 (his previous ones have been $97).
Joe’s AdSense resources are always a great resource for those starting out with AdSense - so if you’re wanting to improve your AdSense performance or want a good introduction to it a $9.95 investment is definitely worth it.
If that’s you just scroll to the bottom of his sales page, skip the sale and click purchase - you’ll save yourself 15 minutes of reading an watching videos in the process!
update: friends I want to make a couple of clarifications to this post after reading the comments left so far.
1. I have bought the product and believe it contains useful information to those starting out with AdSense.
2. Joel Comm’s previous versions of this product were helpful in my own journey with learning about AdSense. Yes I learned some of what I now know about AdSense through my own experimenting and the reading of free information online about it but his books have helped me - as a result I am mentioning this latest version.
3. In signing up for this product there are a few ‘catches’ that I didn’t realize. As I mentioned in the post the long page is very salesy and as I encouraged you to skip through it - I skipped through it. This was a mistake on my part and I apologize for this. Please do read the sales copy and understand that there’s a membership program/monthly report with this that costs $29.95 a month which you are subscribed to when you sign up for this. You can unsubscribe at any time if you don’t want to be in it. I’m a little surprised and disappointed to see Joel doing this to be honest but it is mentioned in the sales page (see the ‘free’ bonuses).
I am sorry for not pointing this subscription cost out in my original post. It was a dumb mistake from me. Having said this I think Joel’s product here remains a worthwhile resource for those starting out with AdSense.
update 2 - Joel’s seen the error of his ways and has changed the process again meaning you’re not automatically subscribed to the ongoing reports. All seems to be good now.
66 Responses to “AdSense Secrets 4.0 Launches”
Thinkjayant
April 20th, 2008 1:14 am
Thanks darren for the info. I think i will spend the 10 dollars on this book. Yeah i am saying this after reading the sales page and watching the video.
By the way thanks also for the preview chapter on “Blogging for dollars” from your book. It was a great read. You can actually be a good author, if you give some thoughts to it. he he.
c ya.
Shannon
April 20th, 2008 1:15 am
FYI - By default you’re signed up to a membership site which you’ll have to cancel if you’re not interested.
An interesting dicussion on this is at ClickNewz blog under the comments here:
http://www.clicknewz.com/1449/download-joel-comms-97-guide-for-under-10/
~Shannon
Neil
April 20th, 2008 1:18 am
Ya as Shannon said be aware that you are also signing up for a 30 buck a month member ship site. here is a video post about it: http://www.45n5.com/permalink/adsense-secrets-scam-alert.html
David
April 20th, 2008 1:36 am
Mark from 45n5.com talked about the automatic subscription too. I am surprised you didn’t highlight that issue Darren.
Its bad marketing practice, and shouldn’t be promoted because of it.
“Buy this book for $10, and be automatically subscribed for $30/m to a service that you now have to cancel!” What the heck!?
Joe
April 20th, 2008 1:42 am
Why are you promoting this without mentioning the hidden continuity program that people are signed up to? — false advertising, and you obviously haven’t bought this product yourself…
jhay
April 20th, 2008 2:10 am
Pretty sneaky, me thinks.
I’ve seen a similar practice wherein a premium WP theme was once offered for sale but it’s for free - but users have to subscribe to mailing list first before actually getting to download the theme.
JC
April 20th, 2008 2:11 am
I’m a little disappointed Darren, I thought you were better than this.
Shane
April 20th, 2008 2:22 am
Just click cancel on the checkout page to be given a “wait, before you go” offer where you can buy just the ebook for $9.95 and not the monthly membership.
Snh
April 20th, 2008 2:30 am
This looks to be interesting, will check this.
Arhi
April 20th, 2008 2:36 am
my commons sense says to me that if the first product was sold for 95 and second for 9, it means that it doesnt have success. and the fact that you promote a hidden subscription…not nice at all
Blogthority
April 20th, 2008 2:54 am
Wow, I was going to take a look at the book but I’m just not into “auto” memberships…
Alanna
April 20th, 2008 3:14 am
There’s also the very nasty signing you up for THREE different e-mail lists without permission. You can opt out — but I’ll tell you, I’m sorry I spent $10 — and that WAS the come on, right — and then was abused by the sales pages, and then the e-mails. I swear, I spent 15 minutes opting out of stuff I didn’t want, just so he could do his middle-of-the-night hardsell. Bad blogging, bad business if you ask me. I hope it bombs so that the practice is removed from the blogging gene pool.
Alanna
April 20th, 2008 3:19 am
One more thing — when one of the e-mail subscriptions said to “let me know if you have any problems” by sending an e-mail — I forwarded an e-mail complaint and received ANOTHER e-mail forcing me to identify myself as a non-spammer.
I HATE THIS.
Adam
April 20th, 2008 3:25 am
site looks like a spam-site, darren - did you really link us to this?
no thanks…im buying your book though - NYT bestseller isnt a selling point to me - demonstration of knowledge is !
Caroline Middlebrook
April 20th, 2008 3:30 am
Yup the sneaky bit is in BONUS 3. Watch out for that if you consider buying.
esvl
April 20th, 2008 3:35 am
Darren please make people aware of the $30 monthly subscription when they join.
Mark Mason
April 20th, 2008 3:38 am
Darren — strongly recommend you revise your post to warn about the subscription.
Diane
April 20th, 2008 4:36 am
I am currently working on my first few AdSense sites, and was anxious to purchase this until I heard about the subscription deal. What a bummer.
Michael | University Scholar
April 20th, 2008 4:37 am
I really don’t think it was even worth $10. You can find all the info in the book free on the internet. I have only been blogging for less than 2 months, and the book didn’t even teach me anything new.
xorsyst
April 20th, 2008 5:30 am
I hope Darren didn’t realize this when he posted it. From his trackrecord, I think this was just an oversight. When does the sun rise in Australia again?
Skip D
April 20th, 2008 6:21 am
The “adsense secrets” web site is an example of what stinks about the internet. It’s a little disheartening to see someone like Darren promote something like this. Whether his book is helpful doesn’t matter because the way he’s going about selling it is so scam-a-licious.
DefogMyBlog
April 20th, 2008 6:48 am
The link is http://tinyurl.com/4kj92a for the low down on this product. I went on to Twitter to alert you to this YouTube video and find you are promoting the product. i can only think that llke myself you skipped the long copy. We live and learn.
Steve
April 20th, 2008 7:31 am
Why on Earth are people promoting this crap? I would expect this on a new ‘make money online’ wanna-be blog, but not from Darren.
Diane
April 20th, 2008 7:37 am
What bothers me is that a bunch of websites are pushing this product, using affiliate links may I add, and are saying things like “just hit the sales button” because they know that the only place this $30 add-on is mentioned is about 3/4 down the page, and not on the order confirmation page. Now THAT is exactly how people make money with internet marketing…
The product really intrigues me…it’s that lack of transparency that turned me off.
Jon Moss
April 20th, 2008 8:20 am
Agreed - VERY shoddy practice with the sneaky newsletter :(
Michael | University Scholar
April 20th, 2008 9:21 am
I have run into at least 5 blogs promoting this so called “great deal”
Internet Business Blogger
April 20th, 2008 10:21 am
The book is good, I have read an earlier copy. And the membership site…well a snakey kind of thing to do but I have no problem with joining, testing membership sites and then quitting them.
Try out some of these sites. Often a membership site is a good group of people that will open up because they have common interests and money on the line.
About Joel Comm’s membership site? I have no idea. Never looked at it before, anyone else have any input about how good/bad it is?
Atul Karmarkar
April 20th, 2008 11:58 am
Thanks for posting the update, Darren. I’m sure we (all 47K of us :) are glad it was just an oversight and not an “active hard sell” from you.
I do intend buying YOUR book, though… and soon !!
Pachecus
April 20th, 2008 1:35 pm
Hey Darren.. Do you believe in this product? as you know, the unique way to make money with adsense is fresh content and big traffic.. nothing more…
Tony
April 20th, 2008 2:53 pm
I have one of Joel’s ad sense books it wasnt 97 dollars bought it at amazon.
Jimson Lee
April 20th, 2008 2:54 pm
Sort of reminds me of the “7 Dollar secrets” where you build your email list AFTER they purchase the product - but THREE subscriptions?
mr.eims
April 20th, 2008 3:11 pm
I have the older version and I realy recommend this book too.. :)
Jon Moss
April 20th, 2008 6:19 pm
Thanks for the clarification Darren :)
Fadzuli
April 20th, 2008 10:17 pm
I’ve bought the book and browse through it. Its almost the same as version 3 which i paid for $97. Actually I’m surprised that it is selling at $9.95. Anyway for that price I believe it can help more beginners to start with adsense. The monthly subscription can be opted out, so just skip that part.
Bill Parlaman
April 20th, 2008 10:27 pm
You guys crack me up. Look, people make mistakes. You must ALWAYS do your own due diligence…
And suppose you joined Mr. Comm’s membership site which helped you make some extra money with your blog using adsense….would that be so bad?
People are so quick to judge others–meanwhile most of the posts here are how to make money with you blog…if you’re in it to make some money, you guys need to get over this kind of stuff.
DefogMyBlog
April 20th, 2008 11:40 pm
@Fadzuli The book may be fine but if people did not realise they were signed up for the subscription could not be opted out of and they might not know for several months. I think it is disgraceful way to behave to just hide it in extremely long copy. In fact the copy was so long Darren unwittingly advised people to skip it.
nemetral
April 21st, 2008 12:42 am
Price keeps on changing because there’s just no price for that stuff. I wonder who would buy it anyway. Come on this guy is selling words and dreams. Time to grow up or take a break from the webrealm.
Michael | University Scholar
April 21st, 2008 1:17 am
It is amazing at how much power people like Darren have though. Usually when I come across a site that like the one for this book, I say to myself “SCAM!” But just because Darren suggested it I decided to get it anyways.
Information Portal
April 21st, 2008 1:51 am
AdSense Secrets 4.0 is quite fabulous. I have gotten my own copy! I did’t hestitate to buy the book aparently because of the reduction in the price. But what I don’t know is if it contains the same information that the earlier edition contain. Or is it just an update.
Darla
April 21st, 2008 4:48 am
It was all over Twitter updates that Joel Comm was “practically giving away” this Adsense thing and leading everyone to various internet marketer blog sites [alarm sounds] … and his page looks like a Clickbank page…so most people know immediately that it’s a referral link that they just clicked on, and the “review” they just read in a blog or whatever was not a review in the 100% honest sense of the word. I think this can make the bloggers who directed their readers to the site look like he/she does not have the best interests of his/her blog’s readers in mind. But I realize in your case how you missed the recurring deal, and you have done everything you could possibly do to let everyone know, and that’s completely understandable.
The way Joel’s set up the intro offer and then the recurring charge is actually good sales and marketing… if it’s done really well. I’m personally very against things that put recurring charges on credit cards. As a business owner, I’d love to have recurrent charges to my clients, but as a shopper, I absolutely hate recurring charges. People are so busy, they forget to get the recurring charges canceled. If people will actually use and stay committed to the training and the Adsense program, it would probably be worth it.
But do most people have websites that generate the amount of traffic to make big money with Adsense? No, I don’t think most of them do. I think their money would be better spent on improving every aspect of their website that they can, and improving their site’s SEO. But if you have a website with a lot of traffic like Joel Comm’s DealofDay.com , then by all means, you definitely want to boost your Adsense profits.
My Adsense account is at $70 after more than a year of doing it, and I’m happy with that, after all it was free. So take my comments with a grain of salt, but that’s where my brain (my WHAT?!?) is right now.
DefogMyBlog
April 21st, 2008 5:02 am
@Bill Parlaman I disagree. Someone will have to get over it and my money is on all the marketeers that follow in his wake.
Make Money Online
April 21st, 2008 6:02 am
Uh oh, this doesn’t look too good. Big mistake. Advising your readers to “skip” the sales page and go straight to the buy page is very unethical, specifically for reasons like this one - Hidden charges or fees. This is not going to look very well on your track record. And this “AdSense Secrets” book is your typical “info” product, there is nothing and I mean nothing in this book that you can’t find for free on the Internet. If anything the $10 is only worth saving you the 3 minutes it’s going to take to search for the same info for free.
Overall it was a bad move trying to recommend this book, Obvious affiliate link, but the worst part was telling people to skip the sales page. Hope this doesn’t damage your credibility, you seem to be a really good guy.
PS Blogger’s are in Guru’s are out, Don’t affiliate yourself with them anymore. They have the track record of scam artist, even though they’re not, but to an average person they’re marketing tactics come off as a “scam.” Blog in Guru out!
Dennis Edell
April 21st, 2008 6:17 am
It’s not a membership site, it’s a physical newsletter, and Joel’s already amended the sales process and made public apologies regarding the confusion.
Diane
April 21st, 2008 6:42 am
If what Dennis said is true, I may go back and actually buy the book. I appreciate the professionalism with which Darren approached this issue as well.
John W
April 21st, 2008 7:13 am
In the interest of full disclosure, Darren should also mention his links to the product are affiliate links.
John
April 21st, 2008 7:33 am
Why can’t people make advertisement sites look a bit more professional? after clicking what looked like an affiliate link ^^ from this site. You get hit with the thing. Trying to exit the site seems to only anger the beast even more, and sales boxes with pretty women with headsets come leaping out at you, asking you to wait a min, boxes then start flying up asking are you sure you want to quit this site… Just really bad sales spam with a product to match, wonder if it’s PPC?
Joel Comm
April 21st, 2008 8:25 am
Hey Gang,
I am terribly sorry for what took place, especially to Darren who believes in me and the product I produce.
I have posted a public apology page at:
http://www.adsense-secrets.com/apology.html
GW
April 21st, 2008 9:59 am
Darren has never let me down with his advice, tips and techniques, so I’m not going to think any less of him because of one, I believe honest, mistake. I do feel though, that Darren is selling a bit much lately. My guess is, that he trusted Joel’s word (because he read his previous book) without really looking at the sellpage itself and just went ahead with it. Darren, please don’t become some sort of Oprah “and you get a car, you get a car”. Although I do actually want to know what your favorite things are… :-) But “and you get traffic, and you get traffic!” sounds rather good actually… Keep your chin up Darren!
A reader from Holland
GolfSpy X
April 21st, 2008 11:22 am
Why do people try to trick customers? Where does in get you in the long run….once you lose your core customers trust you have NO legs to stand on.
Mark Mason
April 21st, 2008 11:25 am
@GW — if we get to the point where we cannot trust Darren, I give up.
GolfSpy X
April 21st, 2008 12:25 pm
I have an offer for this POS Joel Comm.
Offer $25,000
Boxing match
Joel Comm
vs
GolfSpy X
He wins = $25K
I win = $1 ans satisfaction of beating up a marketing bully.
PLEASE CONTACT ME
golfideas@gmail.com
Darren Rowse
April 21st, 2008 12:43 pm
thanks for everyone’s thoughts on this. You’ll have noticed that I updated the post yesterday with some more thoughts and information.
Thanks Joel for the apology - I’m glad you’ve changed your approach on this.
If anyone purchased the ebook through my affiliate link and feels ripped off in some way feel free to email me. I still think it contains good information that you’ll learn from if you’re at the beginning of your journey with AdSense but if you disagree shoot me an email using my contact form and I’ll sort something out for you.
blizme
April 21st, 2008 1:14 pm
Word! no secret besides keyword stuffing and traffic. Had the book been titled how to use and get the most out of adsense it might have credibility.
Pachecus said:
Hey Darren.. Do you believe in this product? as you know, the unique way to make money with adsense is fresh content and big traffic.. nothing more…
Ling
April 21st, 2008 1:37 pm
I bought the book without going through the salespage when it first launched.
didn’t realize about the membership site policy.
how do i go about cancelling it off?
:X
Darren: ” Thanks for the valuable info”
Make Money Online
April 21st, 2008 4:56 pm
I actually see no reason whatsoever why Joel should apologize. He did nothing wrong at all, everything WAS included in the sales page. People need to know to read everything before they buy, that’s shop online 101. In my opinion it is not Joel’s fault at all, If it was then every other Internet marketer should apologize for a “long” sales letter too. It makes no sense to blame him. If you’ve payed attention to everything that’s happened you will see I am right. Everything was include in the sales page, it’s your job to read it, that’s why he bothered to write it up.
Sockmoney
April 22nd, 2008 1:49 am
Holy spam. I did watch the video (for entertainment value)… I almost thought the whole thing was a joke on how NOT to market your product…
I would never recommend something like this to friends and family… or on my blog.
But I respect that you gotta make a buck… and Joel probably needs a new car…
Subash
April 22nd, 2008 2:05 am
To tell you the truth, there are more good things to write about than this clumsy marketing website.
Carson Ding
April 23rd, 2008 6:05 pm
I thought there are two options - the premium and the basic. The premium comes with the monthly subscription and the basic is just the book. No?
I bought the basic for $9,95… heck, is there a subscription later on that I am not aware of?
Anyway, I have logged a ticket with them to say that I want to cancel any subscription that will come later. I don’t want any surprise and it’s really bad marketing for Joel.
Ling
April 23rd, 2008 11:14 pm
@Carson: If you were like me who bought the book last week, there is only 1 order button.
Joel added in the 2 separate buttons for basic and premier package perhaps due to feedback.
Carson Ding
April 24th, 2008 1:12 am
Thanks Ling. I wrote to Joel and here’s the reply from them.
“You didn’t order the subscription. You got the book only and you won’t be billed.
You may still get a free issue in the mail though.. we’re giving them to everyone.”
Cheers.
Justin
April 30th, 2008 3:31 am
I think the BIGGEST lesson to be learnt here is to NEVER promote a product that you haven’t bought yourself.
As for Joel, I think he’s a greedy lieing git. If he makes that much money why does he see the need to deceive people?
And I don’t buy his apologies….he should have known better, and he probably knew EXACTLY what he was doing when he put the sales letter together.
i unsubscribed from all of Comm’s lists ages ago as all he ever did was try to sell me stuff and actually never taught anything useful. I’m glad I did and it shows I was right all along.
Joel Exposer
May 20th, 2008 12:44 am
I bought the eBook. I’m sorry I did.
I chose the “basic” purchase option. The text on the button naturally led me to believe that I would not be “subscribed” to anything.
I was automatically opted in to a $29/month subscription. I didn’t appreciate that and I do consider it to be deceptive regardless of whether or not it was included in that obnoxious sales page.
Who would read the whole thing anyhow? I’m confident that Joel was counting on most folks speed reading and missing the auto opt-in.
I really don’t think that the basic purchase option should have required a physical address either. Another unethical tactic…boooo!
If that wasn’t enough, when I emailed my displeasure at these things, Joel was sarcastic.
Joel clearly lacks character and ethics.
I don’t believe a single word of his “apology”. Obviously, he is not to be respected or trusted.
Joel, I hope you get beat up several times by many different disgusted customers and non-customers. You’re a piece of crap.
Shannon
May 20th, 2008 2:13 am
“Joel, I hope you get beat up several times by many different disgusted customers and non-customers. You’re a piece of crap.”
I’m sorry that statement doesn’t reflect well on your character either.
Joel may have used a poor marketing tactic, but come on, it’s not the end of the world and I’m sure if you were charged he refunded it upon request.
~Shannon
LadyKaldi
June 13th, 2008 6:42 am
Here’s some information on what it’s like to get OUT of the Joel Comm snare.
1) I was in the early batch — didn’t even KNOW I’d ordered the recurring newsletter.
2) When he ‘fessed up and “changed” his ways, he promised that we’d get something in the mail and it would be REALLY obvious.
3) Weeks later, something did come in the mail. It looked like junk mail. I almost threw it away which is what I do to 95% of the snail mail.
4) The return address was not a company. It was someone named Joel Comm. I had no idea who Joel Comm was, just that I’d ordered a book on AdSense and knew to watch out for something ELSE about AdSense that I didn’t want.
5) Something DID arrive via e-mail a company called InfoMedia which I’d never heard of but it said my credit card had been charged for something about AdSense. Finally, the culprit, SIX WEEKS later.
6) I responded to the e-mail. No response.
7) I went to the Joel Comm website. There was no way to reach him except in an AskJoel thing. I did and instantly got a message saying he doesn’t read them and this is not a help desk.
8) I went to InfoMedia. Nothing there, really, except that there would be something on the actual newsletter — obvious it said — that would make it easy to cancel.
9) Right. On the top of the newsletter in one of those little Post-It note looking things, the kind of thing you know to ignore because they’re selling you something you don’t want, in very small type, it says to call this number — 970.278.0011 to cancel.
10) So I called the number and instantly got into voicemail hell, including — finally — an option to cancel the thing I didn’t even order. But wait — they want to tell me the BENEFITS of this thing before I cancel. NO. I want to cancel and I want my money back.
11) After listening to all this, the voice robot says there’s a website for unsubscribing, bytegrabber.com/unsubscribe. I go there but it’s down.
12) I go back.
13) So it took an e-mail, a newsletter, a phone call AND a website to cancel something we didn’t even order???
WHAT A SCAM. No “nice guy” (as he claims) would treat people this way. Frankly, given the way we’ve been treated, I don’t expect a cancellation and that I will continue to have to fight this for months.
And the book I bought for $10 bucks? Never read, never even opened. I don’t want ONE WORD of advice from someone who would go to such lengths to trap people out of their hard-earned cash.
Dennis Edell
June 13th, 2008 7:11 am
Odd. i waited for the newsletter, called the number, spoke to a very nice woman who canceled the order.
DefogMyBlog
June 13th, 2008 8:38 pm
I thought I had cancelled way back and have an email to say so. I’m now worried because I received that newsletter with post it note too.
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