So I cant stop it…. the AdSense check in my gallery keeps getting more links every day. Its by far the most trafficked page on this site and also the highest converting for me – meaning – through Google Analytics Goal Tracking I can tell users who start or “land” on that page convert better to a RSS Subscriber then any other page on this site.
Yahoo reports over 1300 total links and 494 unique domains linking to it
I get at least 1 email a day asking me something about it – “can you teach me?”, “did you make it from shoemoney.com”, “is it real?” – and at least 1 interview request a month that ask questions about it. I do not think I have ever publicly talked about which company or website it came from and those that know me also know I hate to talk about my own websites. As much as I am labeled this self promotor I own 5 corporations now that I bet most of you cant name one other then shoemoney media group and those that even know that dont even know what we really do. Hell most people think I blog for a living 
Anyway it has truly been a phenomenon and seriously an amazing marketing tool. Someday I will tell the whole story (once the statue of limitations has passed, JOKING).
Now some people get really pissy about it and say I am just a showoff or braggart… whatever for every 1 person that says that there are seriously over 500 that say seeing that check changed there life… some tell me they made it there desktop background or printed it out and put it next to there computer to drive them to do better.
So some have noticed that I have been posting other people with there checks and a link to there site in my Check Picture Gallery As you can see they get quite a number of views (most were recently added) and they are very inspiring to users. If you would like to post your picture with your check (can be from any company) I also will give you a link to your site and you can feel free to watermark it (I HIGHLY recommend watermarking) so people wont steal it and label it as there own.
It must be a picture of you with your check… not just a check.
About the author...
Jeremy Schoemaker – who has written 2416 posts on ShoeMoney.com.
Hi I am Jeremy Schoemaker and ShoeMoney.com is my blog. 99% of the post here are done by me but you will see others occasionally make guest posts. This blog is fun to write but for my day job I run several online companies.
Images provided by ShutterStock
The Pursuit Of Happyness 
Movies That Motivate Me 
The Accidental Millionaires 
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice idea. Most of my income tends to come from clients and not adsense. Im assuming these have to be high paying cheques?
Anyone who makes a check like that deserves to show off and brag a little. Those that get “pissy” are probably just envious. If I had a big check to take a picture with, I’d send it to you, but alas, I’m not there yet. But you give me hope, so keep showing off!
Doh! Two problems… I’m anonymous, and my biggest payouts are direct deposit.
People still get checks???????
What about a checkstub from months ago when we got checks will that do
I always thought it took guts to post earnings online, especially when you have a real name and face to go with it. No question about it, big checks are the ultimate linkbait.
Its really interesting to hear that the image is your best converter to subscriber subscriptions. I recall seeing it back in 2005, and I went back and read all your blog posts. So yeah, I guess I was a conversion!
What about direct deposit
Screw anyone that would ever talk down to you for posting your success. Later this year I’m buying a Lamborghini and I’ve read all kinds of stories from other owners that they have had people cuss at them, spit on them, scratch their car, etc – all because they are jealous. Sometimes it makes you feel like we live in a sad world.
I aspire to be able to get on this page.
However, I am a direct deposit person as most of the others. I still aspire to get something worth posting.
My wife freaked out when she saw that check. Then she asked if it was real. Then she asked how long it took to make that amount. Then she asked me why I couldn’t make that much cash since I spend so much time at the computer.
Geez, thanks Shoe for boosting my self esteem as a provider.
Well would you look at that. It seems that my picture has the LEAST views! I guess because it is kinda new! Thanks for the oppurtunity though shoe I think it is a big achievement just to be linked from shoemoney!
I don’t think I want to embarrass myself like that, I don’t have nearly as many commas every month from Adsense, but it’s a great idea on your part, got my attention
My guess is that NextPimp.com is the site that was the source of most of the check.
You should start selling small posters of the unwatermarked picture. I’d buy one. It definitely is motivating.
Damn! Why did I choose EFT on my $30K adsense months grr! Would of been nice to get a link from here.
We are all capitalists… it’s part of the game!
mp/m
I remember when I first saw the check I didn’t believe it. Then I did after a couple of months lol. I know a 14 year old who runs 10 sites in my area, and makes 10k a month. He wont tell me anything about what he does or what sites he runs. Everyone has there secrets I guess.
ya its wild I have met several kids under 15 who make over 100k a year..
Adpotion.Now.
I must say that I have a lot of respect for those who keep their stuff close to their vest (and won’t reveal their web sites for that reason). The honest truth is that there are a bunch of people out there who would just as soon steal your idea and try to make it theirs as look at you. I won’t comment on them. I guess different people are raised different ways. For me, I would want to learn what I could, then apply it to what I am good at or strong in…the thought of stealing would never cross my mind. But it happens a whole bunch of times every day.
The check is inspirational to me. Screw the haters. I would take a check 1/100th that size!
No doubt about it for me. That picture got me reading your blog. I first came across it through a search on Google back in November. I couldn’t have found it at a better time. I was just about to throw in the towel and totally quit try to do anything on the web on my own.
Screw those who accuse you of being egotistical. In this business a big check means success…and that is what I read when I see it…success. That is of course unless you spent 140k buying clicks to arbi through.
I think you should post something about this check at least once a month. I post something about your check on my blog and to my surprise some people never even seen it. I thought everyone have seen it by now. It has inspired me even though I have yet to reach $100 but I am not giving up. I know practice makes perfect and with more training I know I can succeed.
Any time someone talks about adsense checks, your name is definitely mentioned as an example.
Yep, your pic definitely inspired me on a level.
I’ve never done paticulary well with Adsense and still to this day need to get down to work but lately i’ve gotten alot of website deals to design for people… pays well!
And i’m really gna get down to creating some pure quality monster sites to integrate the big A into over these next months.
But how much did you have to spend to get that check? I know you made money on the deal, but what was the profit?
Shoe, are you sure people aren’t linking to that photo because of your dreamy eyes….. kidding
When I first saw that, I was inspired also..
I’m guessing that most of the cheque is from arbitrage. Depends on the ROI as to how much was spent initally.
But it might have taken $50k to make that $100k. Maybe Less.
I can’t see how a kid that young would take a formal education with any sort of seriousness at that point. Imagine if YOU had seen the light that early, Shoe. You could forget about those 3 years sitting in lecture halls
Hey there Jeremy,
I guessing that my comment didn’t make it past your filters. Anyways, here’s another attempt.
http://www.bryanle.net/images/google2-wm.jpg
Let me know what ya think!
Because you then become educated because you want to improve yourself. Not because you want to be taught how to get a job.
How many of those emails commenting on your check are death threats if you get on average one a day?
Instead of checks, have people print out their bank deposit from google (covering the bank number of course
)
FOr that particular check, was it all free search engine traffic or did you spend some to make it?
Unfortunately, taking a photo with monitor will be difficult a lot.
actually the check is fine just the pic is so small nobody can read it =(
You should write a post about your businesses and how you set them up, why you chose cooperations, etc. A lot of us are interested in the business end of things and you dont need to go into specific personal details of what your actual companies do. I know I am in some similar positions now and many other as well might find this info useful.
LOL! Always surf away from what you are viewing when you see or sense your wife approaching.
Geez! I feel so old at 28.
15 and already making 100k?!
Shoe, your 4th paragraph reminds me of an old Seinfeld debate:
Kramer: Anyway, it’s been two years. I mean isn’t there like statue of limitations on that?
Jerry: Statute.
Kramer: What?
Jerry: Statute of limitations. It’s not a statue.
Kramer: No, statue.
Jerry: Fine, it’s a sculpture of limitations.
Kramer: Just wait a minute…Elaine, Elaine! Now you’re smart, is it statue or statute of limitations?
Elaine: Statute.
Kramer: Oh, I really think you’re wrong.
Nice. I like the Azoogle Ads check. LOL it’s funny seeing the shadow and reflection different.
I am going to take you up on that! I have a little check from google due any day now.
The second picture in the gallery is a spoof with TonyRocks and an adbrite check for seven bucks.
I was a conversion too, saw the check i think on digital point and have been an addict ever since.
Well then, that’s an easy fix. I’ll take another later today. Thanks!
I wouldn’t mind throwing one up there but the only checks i get any more are the small ones under 10K all the rest are EFT or wired….
Hey… some of us are older than that. But at least I got to that mark, even if it took me longer.
According to the post, that check was before he was doing PPC.
Can you discuss this in further detail in terms of how that is setup?
“through Google Analytics Goal Tracking I can tell users who start or “land” on that page convert better to a RSS Subscriber then any other page on this site.”
lol, i would def. have anything over 500 wired
Well your cheque inspired me too. it makes us believe that net can be a strong business platform and we can earn alot through it.
I have one for $600 from my site…lol will that due its adsense?
I have never understood – Why 5 separate companies? Is it because you have various partners in project?
5 companies = 5 lines of credit = 5 adwords accounts……….
My payouts are all direct deposit too. But maybe when I start getting big ones, I’ll change them to checks instead..
That’s what happened to me too. I saw the check and started reading.. I’ve learned a heck of a lot of stuff and starting to see some results too.
I’ll be sending a pic of my google check. Its small time compared to yours, but hey, it’s decent and pays for way more than my hosting.
So I’m not the only one who printed that pic and hung it by the computer?
“seriously an amazing marketing tool”
Now that is the biggest understatement ever.
People print out the cheques past it on the wall, talk about kicking our asses etc. None of these people give a damn about us or our companies etc. These cheques just provide something real for them to want to beat. Its sort of a goal that they can see, it makes it real for people.
Inspired by the check or the dreamy eyes?
Have you looked at the gallery? That’s bigger than some of the checks there.
It also compartmentalizes liability.
Well 5 adwords/lines of credit I can see. Since I imagine most of Shoe’s companies are solely owned, piercing the corporate veil wouldn’t too hard at all. It does limit likely liability on any one company. Hmm. That makes better sense thanks.
Why not print out a copy of the Payment information page?
Is there any easy way to see what the most popular and or most linked to page is on your site? I’m guessing you can use Yahoo Site Explorer to do this….
I do you SiteMeter for stats, but I’d like to know specifics on most linked pages on my soccer site.
Enjoy your blog – keep up the good work.
Thanks,
John
Likewise here….I came across one of the many threads on DP talking about ‘the cheque’ and discovered this blog from there.
Darn, mine are all direct deposit now. I should have taken a pic of my first check, but it’s been cashed.
Ok.. not sure how to give you the pic, but here ya go:
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/2879/gugmoneytt4.jpg
Most of the earnings come from my site and not my blog (the watermark has my blog), but you get the idea..
My pic is up there!! Thanks for fixing the link, if you are ever in Hawaii I’ll take you surfing…http://www.surfguidehawaii.com
I am not getting almost any checks these days. I get only wire, paypal and epassporte. Check will come only from sites which I even dont know that I am using them and there is usualy just $xx.xx and not like your so it wouldnt be interesting for other or would it?
cool. I loved Azoogle check.
Half million $$$
Very Inspiring
http://www.shoemoney.com/gallery/v/misc/AzoogleAds_Check.html
that Azoogle check doesn’t look real.
Its a trick I think
but congrats on your adsense
lol
that Azoogle is a photoshop trick
This isn’t mine, but Shoe you’ve been beaten
http://plentyoffish.wordpress.com/2006/06/07/small-companies-google-adsense-is-the-future/
Thats pretty damn impressive, even if it is CAD.
To the people discussing the Azoogle Cheque, you can see its not real, look at the reflection on the Hummer.
I have $46.57 on account with Google, waiting to be sent to me when I reach a $100.00.
Cheers
Come on! that was the image from which i came to know of this site.
I have 69.88$ as on date. I made that in over 6 moths ! BOY! when will WE get to see adsense checks like that one ?
I am constantly looking online for articles that can help me. Thanks!
Hopefully individuals will take this knowledge and actually do something about it. It is always such a tragedy when individuals do not use good information to make a difference.
A cool website!
I have been browsing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be a lot more useful than ever before.