Internet Writers Walk a Fine Line

As all of my readers know, I love the idea of making money with my internet writing. I've been a professional writer for over 20 years and that is what I do. I also love helping other internet writers make money with their internet writing. It is my way of "giving back" to those who helped me get where I am today. However, there are certain causes and issues that are close to my heart. As a "niche-less gut writer," I write about those causes and issues. I make money off the internet article I write about them.

"How do you justify taking advantage and exploiting of the victims of the Westboro Baptist Church by writing about them and making money off them?" an email I received recently asked.

Excellent question. I am writing about their horrible encounters with the Westboro Baptist Church. I am making money off those encounters. How can I justify that? It is a fine line that internet writers (and all writers) walk. The purpose of writing is to educate, inform and entertain. And, of course, to make money - for those of us who write professionally.

That question has made me pause and consider my true motives for writing about the Westboro Baptist Church as well as other issues and causes that make up my writing portfolio. Is making money off the pain and suffering of others my main objective when I write about the causes and issues I feel strongly about? If it isn't my main objective, how heavily does the money weigh in my decision to write about them? Thankfully, I didn't have to ponder those questions too long. I know my heart and I know my motives.

Truth be told, I made a huge mistake in writing about the Westboro Baptist Church. I never really considered the money I would be making. I got mad. I thought about what they were doing and I got even madder. My anger at those "failed humans" completely overrode the business side of my brain. I knew I would page views. I knew that people would be reading my articles, but that is where it ended. I wanted the truth to be told and so I wrote.

I am going to continue to make mistakes when I write about the Westboro Baptist Church. I'm going with my gut and with my heart. I won't go back and tweak the keywords which is what a good internet writer would do. Whatever travels from my brain down through my arms and fingers onto the screen is what will be published.

That, too, is a fine line I must walk. I know that when I write straight from the heart that is shows on the screen (or page) and there is nothing I can do about that. Those "straight from the heart articles" usually do better than my others. I call that "accidental and unintentional money."

I suppose I could stop writing about things I feel passionately about to maintain some sense of integrity as a writer. If I did that, I would no longer write about politics, animals, my family, the elderly, my faith...The list would be never ending. I would become a "fluff writer" without any substance. That is when I feel I would lose all sense of integrity as a writer. I make no apologies for writing about those topics. Whether money is made off those internet articles is not the reason I write about them. I write about them because I'd go (even more) insane if I didn't. 

This blog has been about making money as an internet writer. I am also ashamed to say that. Not once have I addressed the emotional side of writing. It has been all about writing for money. I truly apologize for that. I have left out the real reason that real writers write. That real reason is because we have a thought or a feeling we can't get out until we put it into words.

Despite the fine line between writing from the heart and making money off those causes and issues, that is what we must do as internet writers. Writing fluff is fine; there are reasons to write internet articles like that. Writing those heartfelt internet articles and making money off of them is also fine. We must each find our own moral compass and go where it leads.

Promoting Your Internet Articles with Twitter Just Got Easier

Promoting your internetwork isn't always easy, but I came across a handy a little tool that will make it a bit easier. This is especially true for those who use Twitter. When is the most opportune time to tweet? Knowing that can keep you glued to Twitter, trying to use charts and graphs so you can tweet your internet articles at the best times. No more.  I just found When To Tweet!

This little jewel is wonderful. I don't even have to explain how to use it. If you can spell and type your Twitter name in the only space available on the page, you can do this. It is truly that simple. That isn't entirely true, you also have to click on "When should I tweet?" to get the results. Type in your Twitter name and click on "When should I tweet?" and wait for the results. The more followers you have, the longer it takes. I have quite a few followers and it took less than a minute.

I did find one problem with it. It is in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). But, I've solved that problem. My readers in the United States need to visit this map of the United States and then click on the state where they live. For my international readers, visit the same site (different page), select your city/country and GMT will be converted for you.  I've written "-6 hours" on a Post-It Note and stuck it to my computer screen. I'm in the central time zone - for those of you who do not want to check out the GMT converter page.

I would love to say I found this great tool on my own, but I didn't it. A Facebook friend posted it and I am running with it! Remember to check back with the When To Tweet tool often because it will change as you add followers and your followers' patterns change. Despite this, it is a great guide to knowing when is the best time for you to get the most out of your tweets.

Big Changes for Internet Writers: Google's New Algorithm

I would love to say that Google's new algorithm hasn't changed anything for me and other writers. That would be excellent news for all of us. Unfortunately, it has changed things. As internet writers we must learn to adapt to Google's new algorithm and all of the changes it has brought about.

This changes in the way that Google is indexing and ranking internet articles were meant to cut the spam and poor content that many writing sites are publishing from their search engine. This makes sense. Google wants those who use their search engine to find only the best information. Like me, they are preaching "quality over quantity."

Unfortunately, quality writers who produce quality internet articles are finding it harder to be indexed and ranked with Google. Because we write for those writing sites, our page views and our earnings are down. Google is not using their vast resources to go after "hacks" on those writing sites, but the all the content those sites publish.

What can internet writers do to adapt to these changes? I wasn't sure if there was much we could to work with these changes. Boycotting Google isn't going to help much. Throwing in the towel is definitely not an option. There are several things we can do to make sure our earnings do not decline, "drop" and "disappear," as some of my readers have explained has happened to them:

• Look For Other Writing Websites -Find writing websites that have not been as drastically effected by the new Google algorithm. Do your research and find new websites to write for. Revisit writing websites that you considered before, but decided against. Consider re-applying for writing positions you were turned down to write for in the past.

• Be More Selective -  Choose carefully which of your current writing sites you write for. Spread yourself a bit thin and write for several different websites. As with most internet writing, trial and error is probably the way to go. See which writing sites will pay off for you. Write for the websites that have haven't been as as hard with the changes in the Google algorithm.

• Increase Your Quality -If there ever was a time to do your best work, it is now. Use reputable sources. Include links to websites that have the highest quality of information as well as the highest page rank. Although I am not a fan of sending readers away from you own work, I am willing to make this sacrifice to help increase my own ranking, page views and, hopefully, getting indexed on the front page of Google and other search engines.

• Write More -Increase the amount of quality internet articles you are writing. It is a numbers game, I hate to say. The more internet articles you write, the more chances you have of being indexed on Google. DO NOT sacrifice your quality though! I understand. We are already as much as possible. However, if we could produce just one more quality internet article per day, it could make a difference in our earnings.

• Find Your Niche - Consider finding your niche. Look for something that you are a wealth of information about, love writing about and others are not writing about. Carve out your niche. This is the area where I will be putting a lot of my effort into. I'm not a niche writer, but I'm working hard to become one. When you (and I) find a specific area of internet writing that others aren't writing much about, the more likely we are to be indexed by Google.

• Watch Other Writers -  Pay attention to what other internet writers are doing. Which writing sites are they writing for? Which ones are they writing less for or have quit using completely? Read the internet articles that are on the sites that you write for. If you notice problems with the internet articles, follow the sites guidelines and common courtesy to help the writer improve their work. If you are alerted to problems with your internet articles, do not take it personally and do all you can to fix those problems.

• Hang On Tight -Yes, hang on tight. It is unsure exactly how much the new Google algorithm with change how we "do business," but we have to keep an open mind and keep writing. This isn't the time to throw in the towel. We are writers and that is what we do. For many of us, it isn't just a career - it is who we are. Do not give up your love and passion for internet writing simply because things are getting tough.

• Stick Together - Internet writers, more than ever, should stick together. We need to share information. Let other internet writers know what is working for us and what isn't. If nothing else, lend a compassionate ear when our internet writer friends tell us things are looking bleak for them.

The only thing constant in life is that it is always changing. We must learn to adapt to those life changes. Just like we must learn to adapt to Google's new algorithm. It isn't the end of the world. We will weather this storm and come out on top. It may not be easy and it may take some time, but we will do what we do best - write quality internet articles that get indexed with Google, get the page views and make our money. I know we can do it

The Secret Formula for Internet Writers

"...I am just about desperate here....I have been reading and re-reading your blog. I have been writing online (feverishly) for over 2 years. I get that residual pay takes time. What I don't get is what I am doing wrong....I try writing about timely/popular subjects...excuse me for mostly writing from my heart but that is what I do. Can I not expect to earn money unless I figure out the "secret" formula for success?"

The above is a message I received yesterday from a fellow internet writer. My heart went out to this writer. I've been there, frantically looking for "the secret formula for success."  The one thing I have learned from years of internet writing is that there is not one secret formula. There are several formulas, none of them secret, that must be mixed and matched with each other to fit each individual internet writer and their internet articles. These are just a few of those formulas I've discovered:

• Write Every Day - Internet writers must write every day. Whether it is published or not, we must produce new content every single day. This is part of honing our craft - improving our work. As internet writers write each day, we must see improvement. Internet writers must learn from their mistakes and not repeat them.

• The Devil is in the Details - Yes, it is true that the devil is in the details. No one is writing "War and Peace" or "Gone With the Wind" for the internet - it is all short snippets that will fit into our hectic lives and crazy schedules. Despite this, internet writers must weigh the details that will fill their "snippets" and make their concise and clear internet articles even more concise and clear.

• Original Only - Internet writers must produce original internet articles. We can't being writing duplicate or "almost the same" content as others. With millions of internet writers out there, we must put our unique spin on everything we write. The personality and spirit of the individual internet writer must shine through. The only way I know to do this is to write from the heart. If you aren't writing from the heart, you are missing the boat and the potential of a profitable career of an internet writer.

• Trial and Error - All writing, especially internet writing, is trial and error. My "writing philosophy" is quite simple: Throw everything against the wall and see what sticks. What works for one internet writer may not work for another internet writer. Yes, there are rules all internet writers should follow. Think of the old Air Supply song..."I know all the rules and I know how to break them and I always know the name of the game." The name of the game is "Making Money" and, as internet writers, we must break some rules to win that game.

• SEO - Always have SEO on your mind. I have Post-It notes on my edges of my computer screen, reminding me of SEO. Internet writers can't forget that SEO is what gets their internet articles indexed by search engines and increases your page rank. Without both, you will struggle with earning a living as an internet writer.

• Keywords - As with SEO, internet writers must be mindful of keywords. Use them and use them wisely. Use the keyword tools available to internet writers online. Pay attention to the specific keywords you use and their ratio in your internet articles. Avoid using too many different keywords in individual internet articles. Use trial and error to find the mix that works best for you.

• Branding - Internet writers must brand themselves and their work. This is key; an internet writer must be remembered by their readers. Develop your specific brand and stick with it. Use that brand to increase your readership. As your readership increases, so will your earnings.

• Promotion -Internet writers must promote their work! Never count on getting indexed on the first page of major search engines. This does happen and it happens often, but you must promote your work to help the search engines pick up your internet articles. Use Twitter, Facebook, Digg and other forms of social networking sites to increase your page views. The more page views you have, the more like you are to make money.

If I had "the secret formula," I would have it in bottles on shelves everywhere and the internet would be saturated with this formula. The formula would have a pretty bow on it and a nice price tag. I don't formula. Personally, I don't think it exists. You will see so-called formulas all over the place. Many of them will have giant price tags on them. Please don't fall for it. The internet is always evolving and changing; our internet writing should do the same. Because of that, those secret formulas are often outdated and obsolete. What what last year or last week may not work today, tomorrow or in six months. As internet writers, we must learn to adapt and change. We must hone and craft, constantly "putting it out there" for the world to read.

Limiting Your Keywords

For internet writers, it is all about keywords. We need them to survive. Without keywords, search engines would not index our internet articles. We would not be able to have a great page rank. The SEO would sink. Internet writers would be writing for themselves - with few readers and little revenue. Despite the need for internet writers to use keywords, those keywords need to be limited. No, I'm not talking about keyword density. I am talking about too many keywords in an internet article.

An internet friend of mine recently asked, "How do we get 'win no fee,' 'Coffee AM,' and 'wrongful death attorney Los Angeles' in one article?" For the record, as of the date publication, the CPC for "win no fee" is $241.35; the CPC for Coffee AM is $127.73 and the CPC for "wrongful death attorney Los Angeles" is $73.73. She was joking, of course, but it did bring up an interesting topic - limiting the individual keywords in an internet article.

How do you do it? Well, you don't. Unless you are writing a schizophrenic internet article that is "all over the place." Instead, you would write three different internet articles. Each on of those articles would concentrate on of those keywords. Even though you could mix "win no fee" with "wrongful death attorney Los Anglees," your internet article would do better only one keyword.

I'm sure your thinking "But this blog post has lots of keywords in it." It has a few - keywords, internet writer and internet articles. However, my goal with my blog is to have it indexed according to several keywords. I am not particularly concerned with this one post being indexed. That is a luxury a blog has as opposed to one internet article.

The tip of the day is to limit your internet articles to one keyword and limit your blog to several similar keywords. This will help get indexed by major search engines, increase your page rank and the internet article's SEO. Please don't think of it as more work; think of it as helping with the quantity and quality of your work.

SEO - On-The-Page Help

One of the ways that search engines decide how to rank your internet articles is by what they find in your internet article. Improving your page rank can be as simple as editing your internet article to improve it's SEO. These are just a few ideas that will help you increase the SEO value of your internet article:

• Keywords - Remember to always use keywords in internet articles. It is best to plan your internet article ahead of time so you know which keywords you will be using. Use these keywords as "tags" or "labels." This will help the search engine "spiders" to find and index your internet article and increase the SEO value of your internet article.

• First 50 Words -Search engines love the beginning of your internet article. In fact, many search engines pay more attention to the first 50 words your work than the rest of it. It is important that you include your keywords at least once in the first 50 words of your internet article. Those first 50 words not include the the title or the header of internet article.

• Keyword Density - Keyword should be between three and six percent. That means you should use your keywords three to six times in every 100 words. Check your keyword density to ensure that you are getting the best SEO available. I wrote more about this topic in a previous post entitled Keyword Density-Finding the Right Mix for Your Online Article . I also wrote about using Keyword Analysis Live in this earlier post.

• Internal Links -As you can see from my previous paragraph, I used the keywords of this blog post in the actual hyperlink. This will increase your SEO. Instead of the typical "click here" hyperlink, I used my keywords to direct my readers back to a previous post. Search engines will notice that and it will increase the chances of my posts being indexed by search engines and the page rank of my entire blog.

• Original Content - The best way you can take advantage of SEO is to use original and quality content in your internet articles. Search engines work hard to "weed out" duplicate content. Despite what you might have heard, there aren't really penalties for duplicate content - other than not getting indexed and lower page rank. With all of the internet articles it can be difficult to create completely unique copy. When you write for a writing site where the articles often have the same titles, use synonyms as often as possible. Move your paragraphs around to make your internet article as different as possible. Whenever possible, change the title as much as possible.

These SEO tips may seem quite basic, but many internet writers forget to use them. I am guiltiest of not using my keywords as my hyperlinks. So, we all have specific areas that need a little work. Use these tips increase your SEO and see how much it will help you get your internet articles indexed by search engines. Then, watch as your page rank increase.

Curve Your Competitive Nature

Writers are a competitive group of people, especially internet writers. As internet writers, we all want the "good keywords" that are the most "searchable" and that will attract the highest paying ads. We want our internet articles to listed first on search engines and have the highest page rank. I have a little news flash for you...The internet is big place and there is enough room for all writers. Writers, yes; hacks, no. There is not enough room for hacks anywhere in the writing world, but that is completely different topic. With the limitless possibilities of topic we can write about, we should learn to curve our competitive natures and do all we can to help to help other internet writers.

I love sharing what I have learned along the way of my writing career with other writers. I also love it when other writers share their thoughts, tips and tidbits of advice with me. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have in the writing world, especially the world of internet writing, if not for the help I received along the way.

I am writing this in response to an email I received. I was asked why I share my writing secrets with the world and if I thought that could damage my future as a writer. I share because it is the right thing to do, a sort of "pay it forward" for all the help I've gotten in the past. And, to make money, of course. You didn't think those Google ads and links to Amazon products just showed up on their own, did you? I'm not kind and wonderful! As for damaging my future as a writer, I have done the best I can to brand myself and my work. I have a unique voice. I am not a niche writer so no one can push me out of a particular "slot" in the writing world.

As internet writers, we need do all we can to perfect our craft and to help other internet writers do the same. The better we all look, the better the world of internet writing will look. That is a win/win situation for everyone. Instead of hoarding the information we have that will improve our internet writing, we need to pass it on to any and every internet writer that will listen and learn from it.

It Isn't Writer's Block

If you think writer's block is bad, you must have never suffered from "Don't Wanna Write Syndrome." That is the worst. With writer's block, there are techniques that can used to overcome those temporary problems.  With "DWWS," it is nothing but forcing yourself to do it.Trust me, I know. I'm having a severe case of DWWS at this very moment. Contrary to "my norm," I am as interested in writing as I am in giving birth to a blue hippo.

For the record, writer's block is physical problem. Your brain is unable to think of things to write about. And, this is complicated by "blockage" between your brain and hands that stops ideas from getting to the paper or screen. DWWS is a psychological and emotional problem. You are physically able to write and you have ideas to write about, but you can't seem to get it together.

At this moment, I have oodles of ideas to write about. I just don't want to. I can think of hundreds, if not thousands, of other things I could be doing beside writing. I could watch it snow and blow during what is being called "the storm of century." It is historical; I can't miss it. I could clean out the litter box. Okay, I just did that. The entire Egyptian protests/revolt/uprising is very interesting. Even Rupert Murdock talking about his newspaper created just for iPad is fascinating. Yesterday, I was disciplined writer. Today, I am ready to scrap it all for no particular reason.

What am I doing about it? It is a painful procedure. I am forcing myself to write. I have become an evil dictator and will not allow myself out my chair until I am finished writing what I need to write. I am not a big fan of myself now, but I am getting it done. I should also mention the "dictator mentality" was the last resort.

What did I try before this? I thought of you, my readers, and how disappointed you would be if I didn't pass on some sort of information about online writing. I thought of my goal to provide new content on a daily basis. I thought of all the money I would be losing if I didn't write any internet articles today. I finally had to lump all of these together, become a dictator and get to writing.

You are probably wondering why I am bothering to post this. Well, I want you to know you aren't the only one who has days like this. Internet writers need to know it is possible to push through DWWS and get something accomplished. It takes discipline and, at times, sheer stubbornness to do what is necessary. We are internet writers. This is our job and we must do our job. Good luck. I hope you handle DWWS better than I do.

Internet Writing: Your Never-Ending Job Interview

Internet writers must understand that the internet articles they post can remain online for as long as the world wide web exists. Readers can access internet articles for decades, centuries perhaps. Internet writers must always produce internet articles of the highest quality.

Of course, there is a learning curve. As internet writers grow as writers and hone their online article writing skills, their articles will improve. In fact, every internet article must be better than the last. This is a daunting task. It isn't easy to produce ever-improving internet articles.

I consider internet writing to be a never-ending job interview. Readers will begin to notice you and your work. This is especially true if you have properly branded yourself and your work. Readers will judge your work based on your other work and other internet articles they have read as well as by their own standards. Based on their opinions of your work, they will be deciding if they want to continue reading - hiring you as their "personal internet writer."

The quality of your internet articles must always be of the highest caliber. There is little, if any room, for errors. I am a firm believer that it is best to have one quality internet article than several low-quality internet articles. Those low-quality articles may earn your money and readers in the short-term, but do all sorts of long-term damage that can not be corrected. Internet writers must remember that they are only as good as the worst online article they have written.

Google Keyword Tool - Just the Basics

I have mentioned the Google Keyword Tool in previous posts. I have gotten several emails about this. Many of my online readers have never heard of it and, if they have heard it, they don't know how to use it. Internet writers are missing a wonderful opportunity when they aren't using "the tool." This tool will help internet writers pick keywords to use in their online articles.  Sit back, take a deep breath; it isn't as hard as it might sound. These are just the basics to using the Google Keyword Tool.

Think of a topic you would like to create an online article about. It doesn't matter what it is. Concentrate on the words that you know you will repeat in the online article. For the purpose of this post, I will use "coffee" as the topic of the article. Pull up the Google Keyword Tool and type in "coffee," without the quotation marks.

On the far right of you computer screen you will see a rectangular box entitled "columns." Click on that box. You will see all sorts of options as how to customize your columns. I recommend that internet writers only click on "global monthly searches" and "estimated avg. CPC."  Remember that "CPC" stands for "cost per click." This is NOT the amount you will be paid when someone clicks on the ad. This is the amount that the advertiser pays Google when someone clicks on the ad.

To the left of the columns box you will find "sorted by." Click on the box next to it and check "estimated avg. CPC." This will allow the results for coffee (the topic of our pretend internet article) to be sorted from highest CPC to lowest CPC.

Now click the "search" box which is located beneath the "word or phrase" box. The results for the keyword coffee will pop up. At the time I am writing this, the results from the Google Keyword Tool list "coffee am," "green mountain coffee" and "green mountain coffee roasters" as the three words (phrases) with the highest CPC.  The highest CPC is $117.10 - for "coffee am." Scroll through the search results for coffee and find the keyword(s) that will best work with your internet article about coffee. Remember that at the bottom of the page you can also add more rows, up to 100.

Start thinking about the internet article you will be writing about coffee. How can you incorporate the keywords you found? Keep in mind that you want to use the keywords with the both the highest CPC and the highest global monthly searches. If you were going to write an internet article about where to buy coffee, "coffee am" is the the obvious choice.  Coffee AM is a website that sells coffee.

Not quite what you were wanting for your online article? It is time to brainstorm. Try "expresso," "caffeinated beverages" or "hot drinks." Keep brainstorming different options until you find something that will work for your internet article. You can even change the slant of your internet article to fit a more profitable and more "searchable" keyword.

Keep in mind as you use the Google Keyword Tool that you want to write a quality internet article! Internet writers should always write about what they feel passionately about and not what is most profitable. (Look at me! I'm writing about internet writing and internet writing. I feel passionately about it. If I was only "in it" for the money, I would have chosen a blog topic that is more "searchable" and more profitable.) Your passion will shine through and draw readers in. Also, you need to remember that Google is personalizing the ads - the subject of ads your readers have clicked in the past will follow them to your internet article no matter your topic. Internet articles will still have some content-based ads, but as many as before.

Now write your internet article. Remember to use Live Keyword Analysis to get the correct ratio. For more information about this, please read my previous post about using this great tool. Do not force the keywords. Let them flow naturally. You can always go back to the Google Keyword Tool to tweak the keywords you have used in your internet article.