Sunday, 30 September 2012

Tips to Become a Successful Online Writer



Why have you made the decision to become an online writer? Do you like the idea of working from home? Do you want financial freedom? Whatever the reason, you will want to succeed and here are some tips to help you succeed writing online.

Research Keywords

Before you write a piece for the internet, you will need to make sure you have a list of keywords and know how to research them. Keywords are used by search engines to determine whether your content is relevant to someone’s searches. The more relevant you are, the higher you will be on the searches.

If you write for clients or websites, you may be given the keywords to write around. However, if you are writing for yourself or for residual income, it is likely that you will need to think of topics and find the keywords. You need words that are highly searched for but low in competition. This will help you reach the top quicker as there are fewer people using the same keyword as you.

Choosing Directories

There are plenty of directories for posting articles. You may choose to post on one of these directories or start your own blog. You may also decide that you want to sell your content to others. This will all depend on whether you want to retain the rights or sell them to someone else.

Article directories are a great way to get your name out there and develop an online reputation. This is extremely important to succeed as an online writer. With a reputation, clients will be able to find you easily and get in contact for more content. As you build your reputation, you will then be able to create your own blog and put your content there so you can do as you wish.

Make Articles Informative

When writing online, it is important to be informative. Keyword stuffing is not recommended and you should include your keywords naturally. This will help to attract real readers instead of writing for the search engine. Informative posts are the things that Google is after and that is the main search engine that people use.

If you are opting for affiliate marketing, you should not create sales ads. Instead, opt for a well-rounded review on the product or offer information on something connected to the product. This will help you attract readers and make them want to click on your affiliate link.

Read the Guidelines

Whichever site you write for, look at the style guidelines before you start. Some websites insist that you write in third-person only while others will allow you to write in the second- or first-person. You may find that some websites allow you to post fictional pieces, such as short-stories and poems, as well as factual content.

The guidelines may also state how to use SEO and whether you can include affiliate links or not. Some sites will not allow affiliate links since they offer residual income through advertisement revenue; on the other hand, some welcome affiliate links as well as paying upfront for the pieces.

Edit and Proofread

There is nothing worse for a reader to read something that is full of spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Proofreading is important, whether you are writing for yourself, ghostwriting for a client or providing content for a website. Spelling mistakes and grammar errors are an embarrassment and show that you are not as professional as you claim to be.

Research the Topic

You do not need to be an expert to be an online writer. There are many clients who simply want a short blog piece on a topic that is easily researchable. Make sure you do your research and never make something up for a factual piece. While researching, keep the content on the other page and go back and forth. This will prevent you from directly copying information and help you write something in your own words.

Becoming a successful online writer will take time but with the above tips, you will be able to start your journey. Remember that this is not something that will happen overnight so take your time to build your portfolio and get your name out there.

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