How to Make Money with a Website: Writing Content
Content writing might be the easiest part of your niche website creation, or the hardest, depending on how you look at
it. For those who love writing and to whom words come easily, writing the content can be a breeze, even if it is time consuming. Conversely, some entrepreneurs dread the writing part and prefer to focus on SEO, building traffic and monetizing the site.
I like to do all of it — each part of website building is fun to me in some way. The only part I don’t like about writing my pages is how long it can take to write each page, especially if I need to research the topic, and when I have a list of 20 titles I want to get on my site ASAP, it can be frustratingly slow to make it happen.
So far, I’ve written all of my content myself. I’ve considered hiring freelancers, but haven’t done so yet in part because of the initial cost and also the almost-certainly-erroneous feeling that I wouldn’t be able to find anyone afordable whose writing I liked. I’m building my passive income on a budget, and investing little other than my time.
My method to writing content for my sites is simple:
- Create a list of titles based on keyword research for the niche topic.
- Group titles into categories, with an overall topic page title that has a popular keyword phrase.
- Write a couple main topic pages, using hard copy books and online sites for research.
- Create a few articles under each topic page, linking them to the that page as they are uploaded.
If I were to hire freelance writers to create content for me, I would simpy give them topics/titles and then add the SEO keywords myself. This way, the writers would be focusing on creating good pieces and not on writing for SEO.
Tips for hiring freelance writers:
- Research going rates on writers’ forums, or check out freelance writers’ websites.
- Expect to pay in the range of $15 to $50 for a typical 500-800 word article.
- Articles 250-500 words will cost about $10 to $30.
- More established, professional freelancers will charge higher rates.
- Look for professional writers with experience in your niche topic. The WAHMs Who Write folder is a great place to connect with writers.
- Review the first few articles and let the writer know what you liked and didn’t like.
- Communicate your future needs with writers you like and stay in touch between projects.
For your niche sites, do you write all of your own content, or hire writers to increase your production?
Great tips! I also appreciate you looking out for your fellow writers with these tips. I’d love to read more about the best ways to do keyword research.
Diana’s last blog post..Pieces – A Collection
I currently have no niche sites at the moment, but they have long since been part of my business plan for future revenue streams.
I intend to write myself, always, but I like to hire for rough drafts, research, etc. Mostly, I like to do the final copyediting for any Web site that I own.
By the way, I am loving the new(ish) blog. You are definitely a great role model for the writing and Web, and especially Web writing, communties.
Cove Writer
Jessie Fitzgerald’s last blog post..covewriter: @YolanderPrinzel Do you accept freelance submissions OR are you taking applications for writers at the moment? I would love to be involved!
I have been writing my own content for the most part. I have dabbled into hiring freelance writers, but that’s tough to do when you’re first starting out so I’ve just been concentrating on writing my own content for now.
I like the methods you use for writing your web content.
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Great read, you make it sound so easy! Where do you do your keyword research?
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I am a big supporter of using free techniques to generate page rank, viewers etc. I am a firm believer that if you write great content, then sooner or later people will start visiting your site. Remember, if you write only for SEO then you would get a lot of visit, but few PEOPLe would stick to your site.
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I use cyberhub for niche content – its not great literature but well enough written for the purpose and the price is insane currently 0.006c / word. And no its not exploiting writers the work is done by college kids in return for school donations. The turnaround times are little optimistic sometimes too cyberhubonline.com
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I’ve been working on writing content for Constant Content for a several reasons.
1. Practice to perfect my writing
2. Creating a library of articles that will sell over time (sometimes several times for use)
3. Understanding better and better writing for niches
4. Establishing myself in a community of freelance writers.
If you are looking for articles that are error free and well written I think Constant Content is a very good source. Your budget numbers are pretty accurate for what the CC writers charge.
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