Now you have your blog fully functional and AdSense added to your site, it is time to attract visitors to your site so you can start earning money. This can be a difficult task, however, it can be done without spending money on advertising if you have great content with excellent keyword optimization (contrary to what some people may tell you).
If you have completed the steps I mentioned in my earlier blog you will already have an outline or a road map on the direction you are going with your blog. Stay focused on your niche topic but don't be afraid to elaborate in your blog posting. Most people who land on your site are looking specifically for your topic or niche so give them something that is worth their time.
The title of your blog needs to catch the attention of a potential reader, so make it to the point. Also, a good tip for creating a title is to keep in mind that people who go to search engines like Google or Yahoo don't type in one word queries anymore. The advancement of search engines have made it advantageous for people to search for online, starting a blog a statement or idea to narrow the results instead of one or two words. Take this particular blog for instance. If I was writing this blog 8-10 years ago I probably would have gone with a two word title like WEBSITE TRAFFIC. However, people are more specific when using search engines now. Think as though you were the one looking for information and what type of phrases you would use in a search engine query. I would want to know how to attract visitors to my blog.
The content of your blog doesn't need to be long but it does need to be to the point AND keyword rich. If you are have trouble coming up with keywords to use throughout your blog a good tool to use is http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com. This tool is free to use (as the name would suggest) and will help you determine the best keywords to use for your topic. Simply type in your topic or niche idea in the keyword section and click the "hit me" button. A list of keywords will appear that are relevant to your topic. Once you have your keywords make sure you use them wisely. Most website gurus tell you that your keyword density should be in the range of 10-15% however, I would suggest you stay under 10% or it may seem like you are (what some would call) "keyword stuffing" your post. Keyword stuffing is frowned on by search engines and will most likely block your blog from appearing high in a search engine result page. My best advice would be to write your post, walk away for five minutes, come back and read it out loud. If it sounds like you are stuffing keywords in the content and the post just doesn't seem to flow naturally then I say you have over used your keywords and you need to do a rewrite.
I think I have armed you with the most important task to attracting visitors to your blog. Your title and content are extremely important so really put some thought in them. I will talk more on how to get visitors to your website in my upcoming blog posts so check back often.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
HOW TO ADD ADSENSE TO YOUR BLOG
I am assuming you have read my last post about deciding if AdSense is a feature you want to use to make money with your blog. I am also assuming that you have decided to add AdSense to your blog in order to start making money with your blog. Now that I have my assumptions out of the way, I will explain exactly how to apply AdSense to your Blogger blog.
Log into your Blogger.com account. You will see the same four tabs across the top of the page, however, today we want to click on the fourth tab which says "Monetize". This page will give you four choices on where you would like to place AdSense advertising on your blog. Read through the options and decide which placement suits you best. I chose the 1st option which is "Display ads in my sidebar and posts" but select the option you like best. Once you have selected your preference, click "Next".
The "Make Money with AdSense" page will come up next. Make sure the "Create a new AdSense account" button is checked. Click the "Next" button to go to the next page.
You are now going to create your new AdSense account on this page. There are several fields you need to fill out on this page starting with the "Account type". You have two account type options, which are Individual or Business. Choose the Individual option. Now choose your Country or territory from the drop down menu. The following section on this page is very important. You will fill out your "Contact Information". The "Payee Name" field has two very important disclaimers to note. I will quote them here:
• Your Payee name needs to match the name on your bank account.
• Payee must be at least 18 years of age to participate in AdSense.
Following the "Contact Information" section there are some extremely important "Policies" that are mandatory. You must click the box next to each of the following quoted policies:
I agree that I will not click on the Google ads I'm serving through AdSense.
I will not place ads on sites that include incentives to click on ads.
I agree that I can receive checks made out to the payee name I have listed above.
I will not place ads on sites involved in the distribution of copyrighted materials.
I will not place ads on sites that include pornographic content.
I certify that I have read the AdSense Program Policies.
I do not already have an approved AdSense account. (Click here if you do.)
You are now ready to click the "Submit Information" box. Your new AdSense account has been created and you are on your way to making money with your blog!
Let me end this post by saying that you are NOT going to see the cash rolling in just because you have added AdSense to you blog. Remember, you are just getting started with your blog and in order to make money with AdSense you need site visitors which you will not have just yet. In the coming weeks I am going to show you that your blog is only the beginning and small part of your freelance writing career. I plan on posting several other aspects of exactly how you are going to make money with freelance writing but in my opinion your blog is a very crucial first step.
Log into your Blogger.com account. You will see the same four tabs across the top of the page, however, today we want to click on the fourth tab which says "Monetize". This page will give you four choices on where you would like to place AdSense advertising on your blog. Read through the options and decide which placement suits you best. I chose the 1st option which is "Display ads in my sidebar and posts" but select the option you like best. Once you have selected your preference, click "Next".
The "Make Money with AdSense" page will come up next. Make sure the "Create a new AdSense account" button is checked. Click the "Next" button to go to the next page.
You are now going to create your new AdSense account on this page. There are several fields you need to fill out on this page starting with the "Account type". You have two account type options, which are Individual or Business. Choose the Individual option. Now choose your Country or territory from the drop down menu. The following section on this page is very important. You will fill out your "Contact Information". The "Payee Name" field has two very important disclaimers to note. I will quote them here:
• Your Payee name needs to match the name on your bank account.
• Payee must be at least 18 years of age to participate in AdSense.
Following the "Contact Information" section there are some extremely important "Policies" that are mandatory. You must click the box next to each of the following quoted policies:
I agree that I will not click on the Google ads I'm serving through AdSense.
I will not place ads on sites that include incentives to click on ads.
I agree that I can receive checks made out to the payee name I have listed above.
I will not place ads on sites involved in the distribution of copyrighted materials.
I will not place ads on sites that include pornographic content.
I certify that I have read the AdSense Program Policies.
I do not already have an approved AdSense account. (Click here if you do.)
You are now ready to click the "Submit Information" box. Your new AdSense account has been created and you are on your way to making money with your blog!
Let me end this post by saying that you are NOT going to see the cash rolling in just because you have added AdSense to you blog. Remember, you are just getting started with your blog and in order to make money with AdSense you need site visitors which you will not have just yet. In the coming weeks I am going to show you that your blog is only the beginning and small part of your freelance writing career. I plan on posting several other aspects of exactly how you are going to make money with freelance writing but in my opinion your blog is a very crucial first step.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Should You Utilize Google Adsense on Your Blog?
What is Google AdSense? "Google AdSense is a free program that enables website publishers of all sizes to display relevant Google ads and earn." This explanation is taken directly from www.google.com/adsense and it really does sum it up nicely. I have allowed Google to place relevant ads on my blog and they pay me a small sum every time someone clicks on one of these ads. The great aspect of AdSense is that Google places ads that are relevant to the topic of the blog. The ads you see on my blog are actually all on the topic of making money online, freelance writing, or glogging, so they are of value to my visitor because you wouldn't be ready this blog if you weren't interested in those things.
As you can see on my blog I have decided to utilize AdSense because it just makes sense, since I have an information based site. I don't feel the ads placed by Google cause too much distraction from my content and it doesn't hurt my feelings to earn a little extra money while my visitors click on the ads from my site. I have actually gone to other blogs and found some very interesting sites just by clicking the ads from Google. I think it is a win win situation for an information based blog.
The decision to apply Google AdSense to your blog is all yours. You do not have to use this application if you don't want to. However, if you feel you would like to learn more about this feature, I am going to post another blog tomorrow on how to add Google AdSense to your blogger.
As you can see on my blog I have decided to utilize AdSense because it just makes sense, since I have an information based site. I don't feel the ads placed by Google cause too much distraction from my content and it doesn't hurt my feelings to earn a little extra money while my visitors click on the ads from my site. I have actually gone to other blogs and found some very interesting sites just by clicking the ads from Google. I think it is a win win situation for an information based blog.
The decision to apply Google AdSense to your blog is all yours. You do not have to use this application if you don't want to. However, if you feel you would like to learn more about this feature, I am going to post another blog tomorrow on how to add Google AdSense to your blogger.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Step by Step Instructions on Creating Your Blog
Welcome Back!
Now that you have figure out your niche, we are ready to actually create your blog. There are many free blogging sites you can choose from but I am going to use blogger.com as my example considering it is the site I am using now. Go to www.blogger.com/start. Click on the orange box that says "CREATE A BLOG". This will bring you to a page where you enter you email information, create a password, and choose a display name. Your display name is what you use to sign all of your blog posts so don't make it too obscene. Enter the word identification in the box and click on "I accept the Terms of Service" box.
The next page is very important! You are going to choose the title of your blog and blog URL. When selecting these it is important that you use keywords in both. For example when I opened my blogger account I knew I was going to be talking about being a successful freelance writer. The obvious choice for me was http://makemoneywithfreelancewriting.blogspot.com/ with a title of Make Money By Becoming a Freelance Writer. They both clearly state my keywords...I guess you could say they kind of knock you in the face but I am definitely getting the point across. You may have to try several times for the blog URL due to availability but don't give up! When you have finally found your title and URL, click "CONTINUE".
Next you will be taken to a page with several page layout templates. Feel free to preview all of the templates and pick your favorite but keep in mind you can change the look of your blog at any time. You are not committed to the template you pick now. Choose a template and then click "CONTINUE".
Congratulations! Your blog has been created.
Now click the "START BLOGGING" and we will continue with the second half of set up. This page will have a title box and the blogging area but we are not ready for that just yet. There are four tabs at the top of this page and you will need to click on the "Settings" tab. This will take you to the sub-tab labeled "Basic". Here you will see your blog title and then a blank description box. In this box you will need to use your keywords a few times to help with Search Engine Optimization or SEO (I will discuss SEO in a later blog post). Briefly describe your topic here. There are several questions below the description box that have a default yes or no answer in them which you can leave the way they appear. Scroll down and click the "SAVE SETTINGS" button.
After you have saved your settings I want you to go to the next sub-tab which is "Publishing" and make sure the Blog*Spot address is the URL you choose earlier. Enter the word verification and hit "SAVE SETTINGS" again. You will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Next we go to the "Formatting" sub-tab. Here you can choose how many posts are shown on your main page. I chose 1 (one) because I know that I tend to be very wordy and a single post of mine would take a full page. However, if you plan to make short posts then you may decide to keep the default at 7...this is up to you. Most of the questions on this page are preference based so go down through them and see how you want your headers to look and set your time zone here as well. Leave all the default yes and no questions as they are. You can also leave the "Post Template" box empty. Click "SAVE SETTINGS" again and you will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Select the "Comments" sub-tab and change only the "Backlinks" section. It automatically defaults to Hide and I want you to change it to Show. Click "SAVE SETTINGS" again and you will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Go to the "Archiving" sub-tab and keep the Archive Frequency to Monthly and click yes to Enable Post Pages? Click "SAVE SETTINGS" again and you will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Now we have completed all technical aspects of setting up your blog site, you are now ready to start posting! Go to the "Posting" tab and select the title of your first blog. Make sure you use your keywords in your title. Write your blog in the text box and make sure you use your keywords there as well. Below the blog text box is a field for "Labels for this post:". Here you type in keywords separated by a comma. When you have complete your post click on "PUBLISH POST" button. CONGRATULATIONS! You have just posted you first blog entry!
Now that you have figure out your niche, we are ready to actually create your blog. There are many free blogging sites you can choose from but I am going to use blogger.com as my example considering it is the site I am using now. Go to www.blogger.com/start. Click on the orange box that says "CREATE A BLOG". This will bring you to a page where you enter you email information, create a password, and choose a display name. Your display name is what you use to sign all of your blog posts so don't make it too obscene. Enter the word identification in the box and click on "I accept the Terms of Service" box.
The next page is very important! You are going to choose the title of your blog and blog URL. When selecting these it is important that you use keywords in both. For example when I opened my blogger account I knew I was going to be talking about being a successful freelance writer. The obvious choice for me was http://makemoneywithfreelancewriting.blogspot.com/ with a title of Make Money By Becoming a Freelance Writer. They both clearly state my keywords...I guess you could say they kind of knock you in the face but I am definitely getting the point across. You may have to try several times for the blog URL due to availability but don't give up! When you have finally found your title and URL, click "CONTINUE".
Next you will be taken to a page with several page layout templates. Feel free to preview all of the templates and pick your favorite but keep in mind you can change the look of your blog at any time. You are not committed to the template you pick now. Choose a template and then click "CONTINUE".
Congratulations! Your blog has been created.
Now click the "START BLOGGING" and we will continue with the second half of set up. This page will have a title box and the blogging area but we are not ready for that just yet. There are four tabs at the top of this page and you will need to click on the "Settings" tab. This will take you to the sub-tab labeled "Basic". Here you will see your blog title and then a blank description box. In this box you will need to use your keywords a few times to help with Search Engine Optimization or SEO (I will discuss SEO in a later blog post). Briefly describe your topic here. There are several questions below the description box that have a default yes or no answer in them which you can leave the way they appear. Scroll down and click the "SAVE SETTINGS" button.
After you have saved your settings I want you to go to the next sub-tab which is "Publishing" and make sure the Blog*Spot address is the URL you choose earlier. Enter the word verification and hit "SAVE SETTINGS" again. You will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Next we go to the "Formatting" sub-tab. Here you can choose how many posts are shown on your main page. I chose 1 (one) because I know that I tend to be very wordy and a single post of mine would take a full page. However, if you plan to make short posts then you may decide to keep the default at 7...this is up to you. Most of the questions on this page are preference based so go down through them and see how you want your headers to look and set your time zone here as well. Leave all the default yes and no questions as they are. You can also leave the "Post Template" box empty. Click "SAVE SETTINGS" again and you will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Select the "Comments" sub-tab and change only the "Backlinks" section. It automatically defaults to Hide and I want you to change it to Show. Click "SAVE SETTINGS" again and you will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Go to the "Archiving" sub-tab and keep the Archive Frequency to Monthly and click yes to Enable Post Pages? Click "SAVE SETTINGS" again and you will see a small orange box in the upper left that says, "Settings Were Saved Successfully".
Now we have completed all technical aspects of setting up your blog site, you are now ready to start posting! Go to the "Posting" tab and select the title of your first blog. Make sure you use your keywords in your title. Write your blog in the text box and make sure you use your keywords there as well. Below the blog text box is a field for "Labels for this post:". Here you type in keywords separated by a comma. When you have complete your post click on "PUBLISH POST" button. CONGRATULATIONS! You have just posted you first blog entry!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
STARTING A MONEY MAKING BLOG
Starting a blog may seem like an overwhelming task but it doesn't have to be. Planning is the key to success in virtually everything in life and this is especially true in the world of blogging. If you truly want to make money by becoming a freelance writer you need to perfect your skill and as I said in my last post, a blog is a great tool to use in order to do so.
The first step in your blogging journey is to create a plan or, as I like to say, a road map to making money as a freelance writer. Sit down with a pen and paper...I know it may sound archaic to some of you youngsters, but writers of yester year use these prehistoric tools to actually write! Now that you have your tools (it's okay your fingers will get used to the feel of the pen soon) make a list of things you enjoy or are interested in. This list will be the start of what we call your blog niche or topic. I want you to really put some thought into this list because you are going to be dedicating quite a bit of time to your subject matter.
Once you have a list of ten to fifteen niches or topics I want you to look at each of them very carefully. There are two aspects you want to keep in mind when you are narrowing down your list. First, and foremost, you MUST be interested in your topic. If you are not at least a little excited about what you are going to be writing about your blog is sure to be short lived. You are going to be doing a lot of research and exploring in this topic so you better find something you aren't going to get bored with easily. Your niche is what is going to make you money, so be excited about it! So narrow the list to your top five favorites.
Making money online as a freelance writer is the name of the game here folks. So once you have narrowed your list, we are now going to take a look at your final five from a different angle. It is time to put your money making hats on! You have to think about what other people are thinking about. Huh?! What are people looking for? What are people interested in? Can I put an original spin on my topic so I stand out in the pack? Do people really want to learn more about my niche? Once you have answered your questions, it is time decided on your perfect niche...Choose wisely!!!
Back to the pen and paper! Write your topic in big bold letters at the top of your page and circle it a couple of time for good measure. Below your topic I want you to start brainstorming about several categories that fall in line with your niche. For instance I will use myself as an example. My niche is freelance writing so I would write FREELANCE WRITING with several categories underneath. Some of these categories could be "starting a blog", "SEO content writing", "article writing", "e zine newsletters", "ghost writing", and so forth. Leave enough room under each category to break these into sub-categories. Sub-categories are actually your future blog posts. Since my blog is brand new you can see I am working from my road map. I have several post topics under my "starting a blog" category that I will be writing about in the days to come. I will then move on to my next subject which will be "SEO content writing", which will have several related posts as well.
I know this blog seemed like you were sitting in a 9th grade creative writing class but I wanted to stress the importance of planning ahead and putting forth some serious thought to this process. If you thought this was going to be easy and you could just open a free blog, write a few post and the money would start pouring in, I suggest you stop now. Being a successful freelance writer means you have to put in the work and preparation. If you are willing to do this, then by all means, come back to my site and I will give you the road map for your journey.
The first step in your blogging journey is to create a plan or, as I like to say, a road map to making money as a freelance writer. Sit down with a pen and paper...I know it may sound archaic to some of you youngsters, but writers of yester year use these prehistoric tools to actually write! Now that you have your tools (it's okay your fingers will get used to the feel of the pen soon) make a list of things you enjoy or are interested in. This list will be the start of what we call your blog niche or topic. I want you to really put some thought into this list because you are going to be dedicating quite a bit of time to your subject matter.
Once you have a list of ten to fifteen niches or topics I want you to look at each of them very carefully. There are two aspects you want to keep in mind when you are narrowing down your list. First, and foremost, you MUST be interested in your topic. If you are not at least a little excited about what you are going to be writing about your blog is sure to be short lived. You are going to be doing a lot of research and exploring in this topic so you better find something you aren't going to get bored with easily. Your niche is what is going to make you money, so be excited about it! So narrow the list to your top five favorites.
Making money online as a freelance writer is the name of the game here folks. So once you have narrowed your list, we are now going to take a look at your final five from a different angle. It is time to put your money making hats on! You have to think about what other people are thinking about. Huh?! What are people looking for? What are people interested in? Can I put an original spin on my topic so I stand out in the pack? Do people really want to learn more about my niche? Once you have answered your questions, it is time decided on your perfect niche...Choose wisely!!!
Back to the pen and paper! Write your topic in big bold letters at the top of your page and circle it a couple of time for good measure. Below your topic I want you to start brainstorming about several categories that fall in line with your niche. For instance I will use myself as an example. My niche is freelance writing so I would write FREELANCE WRITING with several categories underneath. Some of these categories could be "starting a blog", "SEO content writing", "article writing", "e zine newsletters", "ghost writing", and so forth. Leave enough room under each category to break these into sub-categories. Sub-categories are actually your future blog posts. Since my blog is brand new you can see I am working from my road map. I have several post topics under my "starting a blog" category that I will be writing about in the days to come. I will then move on to my next subject which will be "SEO content writing", which will have several related posts as well.
I know this blog seemed like you were sitting in a 9th grade creative writing class but I wanted to stress the importance of planning ahead and putting forth some serious thought to this process. If you thought this was going to be easy and you could just open a free blog, write a few post and the money would start pouring in, I suggest you stop now. Being a successful freelance writer means you have to put in the work and preparation. If you are willing to do this, then by all means, come back to my site and I will give you the road map for your journey.
Monday, October 5, 2009
What is freelance writing and can I make money doing it?
Let me start by explaining exactly what a freelance writer is...
A freelance writer is simply a writer who works as an independent contractor, works at his/her own leisure, and can pick his/her own assignments. There is a huge demand for freelance writers, especially online. I prefer to make money online so I'm a strictly an online freelance writer and this is the category most of my post will be in...how to make money online as freelance writer.
The most important aspect of a freelance writer is a portfolio. You must have good content in order to win jobs, be approved for e zines, or article writing. You must perfect your craft, so I would suggest your first step be starting your own blog. Write about anything that interests you because writing should always be a source of enjoyment and not merely for monetary purposes. If you do not enjoy what you are writing about it will reveal itself in your words.
So, with that said, my call to action today is to start your blog. Blogspot.com is a great free site to use and it has an easy set up. You could be making your first post in 15 minutes! Once you are up and blogging feel free to post your link in the comment section of my site and I would love to see what you have to say. You will be taking your first step to making money online as a freelance writer!
A freelance writer is simply a writer who works as an independent contractor, works at his/her own leisure, and can pick his/her own assignments. There is a huge demand for freelance writers, especially online. I prefer to make money online so I'm a strictly an online freelance writer and this is the category most of my post will be in...how to make money online as freelance writer.
The most important aspect of a freelance writer is a portfolio. You must have good content in order to win jobs, be approved for e zines, or article writing. You must perfect your craft, so I would suggest your first step be starting your own blog. Write about anything that interests you because writing should always be a source of enjoyment and not merely for monetary purposes. If you do not enjoy what you are writing about it will reveal itself in your words.
So, with that said, my call to action today is to start your blog. Blogspot.com is a great free site to use and it has an easy set up. You could be making your first post in 15 minutes! Once you are up and blogging feel free to post your link in the comment section of my site and I would love to see what you have to say. You will be taking your first step to making money online as a freelance writer!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Make Money By Becoming a Freelance Writer Welcomes You!
Thank you for joining me at www.makemoneywithfreelancewriting.blogspot.com. My goal here is to help you to start making money online by becoming a freelance writer. Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money quickly and IS NOT in any way one of those get rich quick schemes that have inundated the Internet.
I have tried many ways to make money online but none have been as rewarding or profitable as freelance writing. I will be updating my blog with tips, advice, and ideas to ensure you make the most money possible with your freelance career.
I will be updating my blog daily so check back often for my input on how to make money by becoming a freelance writer. I look forward to helping you and hearing some of your feedback as well.
I have tried many ways to make money online but none have been as rewarding or profitable as freelance writing. I will be updating my blog with tips, advice, and ideas to ensure you make the most money possible with your freelance career.
I will be updating my blog daily so check back often for my input on how to make money by becoming a freelance writer. I look forward to helping you and hearing some of your feedback as well.
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