ScratchBack – Alternate Way to Sell Links on your Blog

TopSpot Widget Google’s recent crack down on paid links made quite a lot of publishers to break their ties with Text Link Ads. Soon, Text Link Ads came up with an alternate cost-per-click advertising scheme called ShoppingAds.com. A new service called ScratchBack has emerged, which allows publishers to accept "tips" in exchange for links or images. Founder, Jim Kurkal, calls it as "cross between textlinkads and blogads, but more fun and more options for publishers, and more fun for readers (who become your best advertisers)."

Publishers can sign up on ScratchBack.com and place TopSpot widget in their blog. Your readers can use the widget to show links and image ads in a very cost effective manner. When buying a link, your visitors will have to fill-up description which will appear as a tooltip when hovered over their link.

Publishers set their own price for tips and earn money. ScratchBack will take a small portion of your money and pay you (publishers) via PayPal. Here’s a short video tour of ScratchBack done by Shawn Collins:


Apart from using ScratchBack for receiving exposure to your site, you can also use it to show your appreciation towards the blogger. Nowadays, we find those "buy me a beer" links almost everywhere, so this can be a nice way to show some appreciation as well as get some decent exposure. Win-win for everybody!

ScratchBack totally sticks to Google’s terms by adding hardcoded "nofollow" tag to the links and the widgets are built in javascript. So publishers won’t have to worry about being penalized by Google.

[Via: TechCrunch]

This post was published by on November 1, 2007

About the Author: Thilak Rao works as a Social Media Expert. He is one of the first professional bloggers from India, and he loves to write, travel and click photos. Follow him on Twitter @thilak

  • http://www.yearwear.info/ jacket

    penalized by Google!!! did not surprise!!

  • http://www.smackall.com Harishankar

    But nofollow links can save you only from normal links from commenter but do you think it will sound good for ads?

  • http://techroach.com/ Tech Roach

    Wish WordPress.com allowed us to do this. :(

  • http://tech-buzz.net Thilak

    Harishshankar: Actually, it’s more of a tipping platform than advertising. So I guess, it’ll work out!

  • http://www.crawlthenet.com Searh Engine

    This can be an excellent work around for selling link. Hope google does not start punishing blogs using this widget

  • http://www.proxynetwork.i.ph Myspace Vtunnel Proxy

    very thanks for i also seen one of this.. did anyone of you seen clixsense i think they have the same concept. well selling links is pretty one idea of earning from the internet that’s why i’m not agreeing on google’s act.

  • http://www.neotrepreneur.com Neotrepreneur

    Great widget but wouldnt this be useless for people seeking to gain PR by buying links?

  • http://www.camerasalesonline.com Buying Cameras

    I can see Google getting on to this soon aswell

  • http://techroach.com/ Tech Roach

    Wish WordPress.com allowed us to do this. :(