How I obtained Google Adsense 14 Blog post into the game! #monetization

People inquire through various channels of the internet on the qualification process for Google Adsense. I am proof that the qualification is not a drawn out process, and I was denied on my first attempt. On my first attempt I went for approval through my top level domain that was not connected to my blog when I had only 5 or 6 blog post. My blog was embedded on my top domain.

Google told me I needed more content and to try again in the future. I read on various forums that one needed at least 30 high quality blog post over a period of one year. So, when the button for Adsense lit up on my blogger account after my 13th post (6 months of posting) I was in shock!

Yes, the sign up button for Adsense lit up one day after my 13th post, but clicking on the button did not load the form for sign up. Immediately after my 14th post the button/link to sign up for Adsense was usable. I did not have a top level domain on the blog and the other links on the blog mirrored the info on the website of my top-level domain that had at that time.

So, let my first 14 blog posts be the guide for quality, guide for the length, and guide for the content that Google is willing to monetize. The potential was there fairy early for advertisers to benefit from my blog and it will be fully realized as time progresses.

Dilution is NOT the same as a Stock Split!!!

A stock split does not change the ownership percentage of investors. A stock split is simply an increase of shares outstanding by a set multiple. However, dilution is "a reduction in the ownership percentage of a share of stock caused by the issuance of new stock. Dilution can also occur when holders of stock options (such as company employees) or holders of other optionable securities exercise their options. When the number of shares outstanding increases, each existing stockholder will own a smaller, or diluted, percentage of the company, making each share less valuable. Dilution also reduces the value of existing shares by reducing the stock's earnings per share." ( http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dilution.asp )


ex. If 10 people own 2 shares each of a company (100% of the available shares) and 20 addition shares are authorized; the shares for the original holders has an ownership decrease of 50%.

Reverse Stock Split.

A reverse stock split is simply a decrease of shares outstanding (shares that can be traded by the public + restricted shares for insiders/executives) by a specific ratio that is made possible by a company reducing its authorized outstanding shares. 10-billion outstanding shares at a price of $20 = 5-billion outstanding shares at a price of $40...aka the market cap is still $200 billion. If one owns 100-shares before a 1:2 reverse stock split one will own 50-shares at the same market value after the reverse stock split.

"In the vast majority of cases, a reverse split is undertaken to fulfill exchange listing requirements. An exchange generally specifies a minimum bid price for a stock to be listed. If the stock falls below this bid price, it risks being delisted. Exchanges temporarily suspend this minimum price requirement during uncertain times; for example, the NYSE and Nasdaq suspended the minimum $1 price requirement for stocks listed during the 2008-09 bear market. However, during normal business times, a company whose stock price has declined precipitously over the years may have little choice but to undergo a reverse stock split to maintain its exchange listing. " 

( http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/reversesplit.asp )

Stock Split: Lipstick on a pig?

A stock split is simply an increase of shares outstanding (shares that can be traded by the public + restricted shares for insiders/executives) by a specific multiple that is made possible by a company pulling additional shares from their treasury stock and/or voting to authorize more shares. 10-billion outstanding shares at a price of $20 = 20-billion outstanding shares at a price of $10...aka the market cap is still $200 billion.



But is a stock split simply cosmetic? Well...in terms of market cap a stock split is cosmetic. However, a stock split increases the liquidity of the stock as it becomes more affordable in terms of price, which tends to facilitate more people to enter the market...and facilitates current holder to sell some shares in order to enjoy some of their gains without losing significant positions.

So NO...a stock split is not lipstick on a pig. From a company perspective a stock split can unlock value of a stock because the liquidity leads to more trading which may raise the share value, and hence raise the market cap. A stock split from an investor's perspective is simply cooking a pig...splitting it up in to pieces...and possibly selling some of the pig you are willing to do without in order to see an immediate cash benefit.

Don't Go Chasing Dividends!!!

*sing* Please stick to the evaluations that you used to, I know you gonna have it your way or nothing at all... *sing* (I can't sing)

Falling prey to dividend yield is a common way smart ...but uninformed people succumb to a value trap. And a value trap is "stock that appears to be cheap because the stock has been trading at low multiples of earnings, cash flow or book value for an extended time period. (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valuetrap.asp)" Dividend yield on its own does not indicate the health of a company. Granted, consistent dividends that have increased over a long period of time are a good sign of company health, but it is one of many factors to help identify an undervalued stock.

Many investors want dividends because they provide which many investors consider a stable source of income and at times higher yields than CD's and T-Bills. However, without the potential of capital gains you may end up losing money from your investment. When a stock price lowers dividend yield will be higher (all fundamentals remaining the same) so a stock looks more attractive from that aspect, but the smart investor does not simply rely on dividends because you need to understand the reason (is it simply institutional sell-off ?) for the price decline. And with that said...a stock's fundamentals is only as good as industry averages, industry comparison, and CEO competencies.