While we accept guest posts here at InkwellEditorial.com, we don’t pay for them. But, there are quite a few sites that do – and it’s pretty decent money. Following are five.

Note: I “blog for free” all the time. I do it for PR purposes and have appeared on some of the most popular blogs in freelance writing, eg, CopyBlogger and FreelanceWritingGigs to name just a couple. For me, it’s paid off handsomely. I point this out to say, IMO, there’s a time and a place for writing for free.

Get Paid to Guest Post Site #1: WritersWeekly.com: Rate — $60 for 600-word articles. Get their guest post submission guidelines.  

Get Paid to Guest Post Site #2: BloggingTips.com: Site accepts unpaid guests posts, but also pays a roster of frequent guest posters. I wrote for this site for about a year and a half starting in early 2008 on into 2009. See all of my posts on the site.

Posts can be any length you want and you can write on whatever you want, as long as it’s about blogging/making money online.

When I wrote for them, the rate was $50/month for a post a week (so about $12.50 per post); it could be more now. I wrote for them for the exposure though, as I was getting into creating minisites and ebook publishing. As they gave free reign on what to write about, I could usually knock out 400-800 word posts in less than half an hour. I enjoyed writing for this site and only stopped because I got too busy with my own projects.

I couldn’t find the “write for us” link on their site anymore, but I do know that they pay guest bloggers. Send an email to info[at]bloggingtips.com requesting to be a paid guest poster if you’re interested in writing for this site.

Update: Thanks to freelancer Audre who sent in the link to this site’s guest post submission guidelines.

Get Paid to Guest Post Site #3: FreelanceSwitch.com: Rate — $50 per post. Can be about anything that has to do with freelancing (eg, freelance writing, web design, graphic design, etc.). Get their guest post submission guidelines.  

Get Paid to Guest Post Site #4: MakeaLivingWriting.com: Rate — $50 per post. What type of guest posts does this site like? In the webmaster’s words:

Some particular areas where I am always looking for guest posts include specialized writing niches, time management, and the technical end of blogging and writers’ Web sites. I also like success stories about how a writer broke in, or got a great client.

Get their guest post submission guidelines.  

Update: The site’s webmaster, Carol Tice, sent in the following info hours after this post went up.  

I’m all booked up with guest posts through the end of 2011. Folks should try me again in late December for Jan/Feb post ideas.

Get Paid to Guest Post Site #5: OneSpoonAtaTime.com: Rate — $50 per post. Type of guest posts this site looks for? In the publisher’s words:

. . . video marketing, infoproduct creation, ways to write more effectively, ways to write more productively, creating pillar posts, unusual blogging tactics . . .

Get the site’s guest post submission guidelines.  

35 More Get Paid to Write/Guest Post Opportunities

Here’s a list of 7 blogs that pay for guest posts (we covered a couple above before finding this link).

Here are 28 more get paid to write/guest post opportunities. Note:  Be careful of the “shared revenue” model. Look for get paid to write opportunities that pay you actual dollars, not some portion of revenue earned for traffic your writing generates.

How to Increase Your Chance of Getting Paid to Guest Blog

Here are some great guest blogging tips; really a mini “guest blogging tutorial” – that will increase your chance of getting paid for your posts.

Enjoy, and happy guest blogging!

Two years ago when I realised how many hours I spent on the net researching, surfing, googling etc., I decided it was time I put this love to my advantage. I needed to find ways of making money either surfing, researching or writing and this was how my journey began.

And oh what a journey it has been!

I am still not yet anywhere where I’d like to be in terms of making money but I’m somewhere; at least, I have a website (Win Against Odds) and I have a hubpage Beauty Foods hubpage, an e-book which I soon will be uploading and I am awaiting approval of articles I’ve written for Ezine Articles.

Getting Started Making Money Online — 2 Years of Being Overwhelmed!

It’s a start. But, for those of you just starting out, green as I was, it does get overwhelming because there is a plethora of information out there, scams, and a mass of gurus and experts out there too. I spent the first two years just researching the ‘Make money on line’ option and it was scary.

An Online Blogging Mentor Materializes

As I persevered, my searches kept leading me to articles written by the same authors and eventually one authors’ article kept hitting a chord with me until I finally landed on her website, read about her, read more of her articles, googled her and found that she was the leading SEO writer.

Through this SEO guru and webtrepreneur (web entrepreneur), I have learnt so much, taken some of her courses, bought several of her e-books (you don’t have to do all this) taken part in her e-book tourney so I could write my own e-books and more. Through her newsletters and links and my continuous researching, I have stumbled across other credible webtrepreneurs whom I also follow.

The web can be a daunting place. Unlike the real world, you take risks without seeing or ever meeting the people behind the websites. I have never met Yuwanda Black but she writes with integrity and honesty that I have yet to find online.

Beginners’ Rules for Finding a Blogging (Freelance Writing) Mentor Online

Note: These are my rules.

1. Keep your search simple: Find the one area that interests you the most online and ‘Google’ (research) it. Read as many articles as you can on the topic and take note of the authors and their websites. Bookmark them.

2. Read the “About” page on the websites you visit to learn more about the author.

3. On your potential mentor websites, take note of their references and links because these will lead you to articles and information that will truly help you or to other mentors who might lead you to exciting niches.

4. Don’t give up. There’s something out there for everyone.

Web mentors are extremely busy people, follow them through their newsletters, websites, articles and so on and only contact them via email if you have a truly pertinent concern and can’t find the answer online.

Good Luck!

About the Author: Esayo Tetteh is an SEO/Freelance writer and a Communications and Public Health Consultant. You may contact her at winagainstodds[at]yahoo.com. Visit her online at http://winagainstodds.com. 

Editor Note: First, I (about)  did not pay for this post (although, I’m certainly tempted to!). Thanks Esayo for the kudos.

I just wanted to shed a little more light on this post.

Secondly, successful webtrepreneurs (love that word!) are extremely busy. I wake up each morning to an inbox full of emails that I simply can’t get to on a daily basis anymore. I do try to eventually answer, but if it is an obvious question (eg, how do I get started as a freelance writer), I probably won’t because that’s what this site is all about.

And, if you haven’t taken the time to do basic research (like what you’ll find on InkwellEditorial.com that I’ve written about a bajillion times), then I can’t tell you anything “new” to get you started.

Finally, I love to answer questions from those who write in — especially if it’s one that you’ve searched the site for and can’t find an answer to. And, that’s why so many of this site’s posts start with:

 Last week/yesterday/etc., I received the following email from a fellow / new freelancer writer . . .

But, it has to be specific.

I’ve only achieved some modicum of success. And some of you have outgrown this site and my advice, so as Esayo so astutely points out, check out links to others on the web that I reference. These are most likely MY gurus; the folks I’m learning from.

Hope this additional insights help. Following are a couple of related posts for more info on this topic.

Additional Reading on Mentors/Mentoring

Laid Off? Out of Work? 5 Tips for Transitioning to a Career as a Freelance Writer

SEO Copywriters: Advice on Finding a Freelance / SEO Writing Mentor

P.S.: Get Inkwell Editorial’s latest ebook, Freelance Writers: Why You Should Self-Publish Your Own Ebooks — 12 Reasons That’ll Change Your Career … and Your Life!

P.P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.

33 Traffic-Generating Blogging Tips for Freelance Writers (and Anyone Else Who Wants to Succeed at Blogging)

Following are 33 things I’ve learned since I started blogging over six years ago. Whether you’re new to blogging or are more experienced but still aren’t where you want to be, the following blogging tips will help you get more traffic (which leads to more leads and sales).

1. Get a professionally designed blog using up-to-date web design technology.

For years, this site (my blog) was designed using FrontPage, a now-obselete software. Today, the online blogging software of choice is WordPress. In three years, who knows what it could be. The bottom line is, you need to stay abreast of technology and move with it.

2. Get your own domain name; don’t blog on free domains like Blogger and WordPress.

Why? As I recount in the post, 7 Things You Must Know Before Moving Your Blog, you could one day log on to find all of your content – and your hard work – gone. This creates a slew of actions you have to take – most of the time consuming, and some of them expensive.

If you continue to blog on free platforms, you run the risk of being suckered out of a helluva lot of time and/or money. Just trust me and register your own domain name and have it hosted independently with your own host company. You’ll be so happy you did.

3. Blog on a schedule.

Much like brick-and-mortar businesses have regular business hours, your blog is an online business. Hence, keeping “regular business hours” (ie, blogging on a schedule) will help build readership/a blog audience faster.

4. Gather subscribers.

To do this, sign up with a newsletter distributor like AWeber. One reason you want to do this is you rely less on traffic from sources you can’t control (eg, search engines) to traffic you can control, ie, those who’ve freely given you their information and WANT you to contact them.

I learned how valuable a lesson this could be when I was falsely accused of copyright infringement and had my sites taken offline for almost two weeks. As I make my living completely online, I was able to get notices out to my subscribers about how to contact me, how to continue to purchase Inkwell’s products and much more.

I would have been royally screwed if I didn’t have this “backup measure of traffic generation” in place.

5. Create original content.

I used to post my content on places like AssociatedContent and EzineArticles. I stopped doing this a while ago. And boy am I glad I did. In light of Google’s recent algorithm search change (ie, the Google Panda Update), all content on your blog/website should be original (and in depth, and useful and a whole bunch of other stuff).

Learn more about SEO writing guidelines according to Google in the Web Pro News article subtitled, 23 questions to ask yourself about your content quality.

6. Create more in-depth posts.

Short, regurgitated articles won’t cut it anymore. As stated in tomorrow’s blog post (5/11/2011) on SeoWritingJobs.com entitled, SEO Copywriting Tips: 23 Questions Google Says SEO Copywriters Should Keep in Mind When Creating Content:

While length is not the sole indicator of quality content, it is one – one that Google is paying attention to. In fact, some blogs/websites require short posts by the very nature of their subject matter (eg, a blog that posts stock updates) . . .

BUT, in general, it is hard to give “helpful specific” in 50 or 100 words. This is why some internet marketing experts state that blog posts should be at least 400 words, with 500 or more becoming more the norm for many.

If you comb through this site, you’ll see that many of the posts run to 1,000 words or more. A rule of thumb to follow is solve a problem for the reader; don’t just rewrite stuff that can be found on a zillion other sites on the web.

7. Quantify what you say in your blog posts by citing noted industry sources.

One of the SEO writing guidelines outlined in the Web Pro News post cited in #5 here goes to the heart of this. It states, “Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research (emphasis added), or original analysis?

Don’t just state something – back it up with quantifiable research. This gives readers value because they don’t have to just take your word for it. They can dig deeper if they choose to.

8. Monetize where you can – but don’t overdo it.

Readers are accustomed to being advertised to on the web. But, they don’t take too kindly to having the ads shoved down their throats. Your ads should not distract the reader from what they came to your blog for – to get information.

Always remember this.

9. Realize that blogging is part of your job as a freelance writer.

I had an epiphany a couple of weeks ago – and I’m embarrassed to admit that it just occurred to me because I’ve been blogging since 2005. What was it? Quite simply that blogging is an important part of my job. Why was this such a realization for me?

Because for the longest time, I thought of blogging as something “I’ll get to if I have time.” But, particularly as I’m a product producer (ebooks/seminars/workshops) and promoter (affiliate marketing) – the dispensing of information is a critical part of the internet marketing sales cycle for me.

In fact, one could argue that web marketing begins and ends with content creation. And when I say content, I don’t just mean the written word; I mean video marketing, podcasts, newsletters, special reports, etc.

And I see it in my sales – if I don’t constantly create useful content, my sales reflect it.

So as a freelance writer, when you sit down to blog, don’t think of it as a side activity. Think of it as giving current and future customers the information they need to make critical decisions about your product/service.

10. Don’t be afraid to go “off topic.”

What I mean by this is, yeah, you may be a freelance writer and your blog may talk about freelance writing, but, that doesn’t mean you can’t talk about other stuff sometimes.

It keeps life (and your blog) interesting. It gives current and future clients more insight into the person behind the blog. And you just never know, one of those quirky posts that have nothing to do with freelance writing can be just the thing that lands you a new client/customer.

Note: Be careful not to go off topic too often. Keep the primary goal/niche/target market of your blog front and center.

11. Put YOU in your posts.

What I mean by this is, give a tone to your blog. I touch on this in a guest post I did for Copyblogger entitled, 3 Things to Consider When Deciding How Long Your Blog Posts Should Be, writing:

Bloggers usually blog for a while before they think about an intangibles like setting a tone for their blog. However, if you’re serious about making money from blogging, then you are going to have to eventually turn your attention to this.

Tone is important to how long your blog posts will be because they determine how you talk to your audience, not just what you talk about.

More important than this when it comes to tone though may be more aptly referred to as “setting a tone” for your blog. I tend to write like I talk and also from personal experience. This makes my posts wordy, usually no nonsense, sometimes quirky and sometimes with a potty mouth.

See what I mean?

12. Don’t strive for perfection.

If you’re pumping out blog posts on a regular basis – AND writing for clients AND perhaps writing and self-publishing your own ebooks AND responding to comments AND engaging in social media (see what I’m getting at here) – you’re going to have errors.

I ran across a post ([Why] Writing Without Typos is Totally Outdated) on the uber popular blog BrazenCareerist.com by Penelope Trunk that put it best. She wrote:

Will everyone please shut up about the typos on blogs? Show me someone who is blogging every day and also complains about someone’s typos. Just try. See? You can’t. Because anyone who is trying to come up with fresh ideas, and convey them in an intelligent, organized way, on a daily basis, has way too many things on their plate to complain about other peoples’ typos.

Some people take pleasure in pointing out the mistakes of others; it happens to me a lot. So when I read the post by Penelope, I thought, “Thank goodness someone said this.”

I mean really, if you’re writing 3,000 to 10,000 words a day (which I do on a regular basis), you’re bound to make mistakes. Every blog post is not going to be perfect, so don’t kill yourself trying to make them so.

Related Post: Freelance Writers: Why Being Perfect Can Sabotage Your Success

13. Ignore the “rules of blogging” – there are no set ones anyway.

If you’re a freelance writer, you’re already somewhat of a rebel because you’re defying the “traditional” routes of employment. Don’t be afraid to continue that “life theme” when blogging. When you blog, YOU set the rules.

‘Nuff said.

14. Read the blogs of other freelance writers – especially those you tend to disagree with.

Again, it keeps life interesting and is great fodder for inspiring posts for your own blog – eg, I respectfully disagree with what [insert blogger name] said because of the of the following.

Some great blogs to start with (and you’ll probably agree with almost everything they have to say) are GetPaidtoWriteOnline.com, CopyBlogger.com, FreelanceWritingGigs.com and FreelanceSwitch.com.

15. Keep an idea file – you never know when you’ll be hit by a brilliant idea for a post.

Ideally a tape recorder you carry with you everywhere; keep it by your bed at night, in your purse during the day; and/or in your car at all times.

16. Write down ideas for blog posts as soon as you can.

Piggybacking on #15, I don’t care how much you tell yourself you’re going to remember, you just won’t – especially if you’re over 35 (sorry my generation; you know it’s true).

*************************************

Post Continued Below: Copyright Violation Notice. If you’re reading this entire post (snippets are fine) on any site other than InkwellEditorial.com, it is stolen content. Scraping content (eg, using software to illegally copy and paste copyrighted content from websites and blogs) is becoming a common practice which affects every website owner. So if you see this content someplace else, please take a quick moment to send an email to [info]at[InkwellEditorial.com] (remove brackets, of course) so that we can take the appropriate action. Thank you in advance for your help.
*************************************

17. Don’t be afraid to take a break; but let your readers know why and for how long.

Sometimes, life dictates that you be away from your blog – birth of a child, honeymoon, vacation, etc. It’s okay. Your readers don’t mind. But, respect them enough to let them know you’re going to be away for a while.

This is particularly important if you take the suggestion in #3, which is to blog on a schedule. Even if you don’t want to give a formal explanation, just let them know you won’t be posting for a while and an approximate date of when you will start posting again.

Just because blogging is a new medium doesn’t mean you shouldn’t employ old-school manners, no?

18. Link to other quality blogs as often as possible.

This can not only help your search engine rankings, it’s just good blogging technique. The reason is, you can’t possibly cover every scenario/topic/nuance of your niche – I don’t care how qualified you are, how great your team is and/or how popular your blog is.

Practically no topic under the sun is new; hence, there’s going to be some blog post by some other blogger in your niche who can add value to a post you create – if you have the foresight to link to it.

19. Use social media to promote your posts – it’s no longer an option y’all.

It took me forever to get into the swing of social media. I was blogging three years before I opened a social media account (Twitter). Now, I can’t imagine NOT engaging in this medium.

Like quality content creation, social media is a vital part of blogging. And it all boils down to content distribution, as in, it’s another way to distribute your blog’s content – and it’s free, quick and easy. For example, I have over 3,000 followers on Twitter.

Would you miss a chance to have 3,000 or more prospects be exposed to your blog if it took you less than 10 seconds to reach out to them? Of course not.

Well, this is how easy interacting on social media is. Of course, it’s a bit more involved on an ongoing basis, but this is how easy it is to get the word out about a new post when you engage in social media.

Related Post: Freelance Writers: 5 Reasons to Add Social Media to Your Service Offerings

20. Know your audience.

The first rule of knowing your audience is that your audience is not “everyone.” Decide who you’re talking to before you begin your blog (if you’re starting a new blog); it’ll make it that much easier to write content.

A Note about Your Target Audience: If you’ve already started your blog and can’t answer right off the top of your head who your target audience is, then it’s time to put some thought into it and start crafting content that speaks to this base. Otherwise, your content is likely scattered, which means it’s probably not getting read a lot (and you’re not generating leads and making sales — or at least not as much as you could).

Let me give you an example from personal experience.

When I first started my minisite, ForeclosureBusinessNews.com, it was just to promote an affiliate line of products. But when I decided to expand the content beyond this product line, I had a hard time figuring out who to talk to, eg who the blog’s audience was going to be beyond foreclosure cleaning business owners.

Then one day a slogan hit me, “Foreclosure News the Average Joe Can Use!” THIS was my target audience – homeowners who were going through or facing foreclosure. Once I honed in on exactly who I was talking to, it was easy to figure out what to say.

21. Solicit guest posts.

It’ll cut down on the writing you have to do, and give your blog some much-needed variety.

FYI, this site accepts guest posts. I look forward to reading yours.

22. Don’t be afraid to turn down guest blog posts if they’re not up to par or are off topic.

Following up on the last point, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached by those who want to submit a guest post that has nothing to do with freelance writing. This is especially true since the recent Google algorithm change, which has forced webmasters to focus on creating unique, quality content like never before.

It’s like writers have come out of the woodworks offering to “write for free;” all they want is a link back to their site to be included. And of course, this is fine. But I’m always wary when I get one of these “form letter” requests to write for free for my site. Why?

In the last two months or so, I’ve turned down way more guests posts than I’ve accepted because the quality of writing is poor and they are so off-topic that I wonder if they even read Inkwell Editorial’s guest post submission guidelines – which are pretty straightforward.

One of the Best Guest Post Submission Tips I’ve Ever Run Across

Submit your best stuff; don’t hold on to it for your blog. As James from MenwithPens.ca explains in Guest Posting: Finding the Motivation to Write:

It isn’t as much fun to write guest posts. It creates pressure. It can be a chore. Many writers feel they shouldn’t give away something that good, either – a truly great post should benefit their blog, not someone else’s. . . . [but] Aim for that fulfilling moment that occurs when you sit back, look at your work and realize, “Wow. This is good. Damned good.” That’s your guest post. [emphasis added] Give that work away.

23. Keep reader interests front and center.

If you know your audience – and keep their needs front and center – it’ll be easy to discern what and what not to publish.

When I publish content on Inkwell Editorial, it’s my (and my site’s) reputation on the line. My readers have entrusted me to keep their best interests at heart. So if the content can’t help them and/or is not relevant to their lives, then it doesn’t get published – period.

It’s also why the site doesn’t accept just any type of ad and won’t just publish just anything submitted by a guest blogger, no matter how well written it is.

24. Don’t be afraid to blog about your failures.

As I say in our guest blogging guidelines, your failures are usually a heck of a lot more interesting than your successes; for, they allow readers to learn from your mistakes. They also “humanize” you and make you more approachable – one of the first steps to building a community on your blog.

25. Ask for reader feedback when you blog.

Just in the last month or so, I’ve started to get more comments on my posts. And, you know what — it’s exciting! As Marcus Sheridan from the TheSalesLion.com says (his posts receive tons of comments) in the comments section of his post, 10 Ways to Get Tons of Massive Comments on Your Blog Every Time:

Don’t See Comments as a One-Way Street: Many bloggers see comments as a simple exclamation point, confirming their article’s greatness. This makes no sense to me at all. Personally, I don’t think the ‘learning’, in most cases, starts until the comment section. The comment section is the place where the community converges and a synergy of diverse thought mixes.

26. Recycle old blog posts.

Don’t be afraid to go back and tweak old blog posts. As I talk about in a post I wrote for BloggingTips.com entitled, Blogging: How to Get New Life Out of Old Posts, it’s a great way to save time while breathing new life into old content.

Some reasons to recycle old blog posts:

Update them with new information, eg, software updates, recent legislation; ideas that no longer work;

A change of heart you had about something (don’t ever be afraid to say you changed your mind, but be prepared to explain why);

Put a different slant on them because of something another blogger said;

Etc.

This not only revives old blog posts, it’s good from an SEO perspective as well because it encourages deep linking (eg, intrasite linking) on your site.

Learn more about how to recycle blog posts effectively.

27. Write guest posts for other blogs.

Refocusing on guest posting, this is one of the easiest, free ways to grow your own blog’s traffic. I’ve been fortunate to be featured on some high-traffic blogs in my niche, eg, Copyblogger, FreelanceSwitch and FreelanceWritingGigs to name a few.

This lends credibility to my blog, and also brings new readers.

28. Have seamless site navigation.

When I had my blog redesigned a few years ago, one of the first things I did was create site categories. This makes it easy for visitors to find info.

See more on this in Blogging Tip #30.

29. Always have a miscellaneous category.

I don’t care how hard you try to make all of your blog posts fit into pre-defined categories, there’s always going to be a few that don’t, especially if you follow the advice dispenses in #10 here, which is don’t be afraid to go off topic.

So, when doing your site navigation chart and creating your content strategy, remember “Miscellaneous” is just a synonym for living – fitting in the stuff that happens that makes life . . . well . . . life.

29. Keep your site categories up to date with fresh content.

One of the reasons I wrote this blog post is because I clicked on the “Blogging” category of InkwellEditorial.com and realized that I hadn’t written anything on this topic in a long time. I’m embarrassed by it, but hey, it happens.

But when I did my site categories, I obviously created this category because it was a topic I know my readers want to know about. Note: If I thought it was no longer relevant I might have posted a notice saying I wouldn’t be creating posts for this category any longer.

But, blogging is a huge topic of conversation in freelance writing, my niche. So I said to myself, “Tsk, tsk young lady – time to sit your bootie down and create a post for the blogging category.”

Hence, this monster post. Hope I’ve made up for the neglect to some degree.

30. Have a blog content creation strategy.

FYI, many web design experts state that if a visitor has to click more than twice to find info they’re looking for, then the site is considered to have poor design. I know site design/navigation is one factor search engines like Google use to rank a site.

So, it pays to pay attention to this. And really, when you think about it, it makes sense because it goes to foundation of your business (ie, the niche you’re in, knowing your audience, what content appeals to them, what to write about, etc.).

I submitted a “site plan” to my web designer when I had my site redone, and figuring out the categories was one of the most tedious parts of the process for me. But, it forced me to focus on what I should be writing about, why, why my audience needs/wants to know about it, etc.

In short, it’s a critical part of your blog’s content creation strategy.

31. Create timeless content.

As in, evergreen content. This will drive traffic for years to come. An example of this is the post entitled, The Work-Flow Cycle of the Editorial Industry. At the end of the post, you’ll see that the post was first published in 2001; it was republished in 2009.

It’s still relevant today, a full 10 years later.

32. Create time-sensitive content.

While this may seem to contradict the above, it doesn’t. An informative, in-depth blog will have both types of content. Life is not one or the other. And, blogs are a reflection of life – no matter what your niche is. Hence, your blog’s content should reflect this.

33. Learn at least the basics of search engine optimization (SEO).

This will help you not only land more clients as a freelance writer (as many companies are pouring more money into web marketing and seek to hire SEO content writers), it will help you get more traffic to your blog.

SEO involves knowing about concepts like keyword research, anchor text, web content strategy, etc. If you don’t know SEO, it’s like blogging in a vacuum. You may be putting out great content, but if the search engines can’t find and categorize it, you’ll find it harder to rank in search engines.

Note: SEO is only a part of getting blog traffic. It’s not the be all and end all. In fact, some successful bloggers don’t care for SEO (and SEO “experts”) in particular. But if you’re starting a new blog (or a newbie to online marketing), learning the basics of SEO is critically important – in my opinion.

Blogging Tips: What Have You Learned?

When I came up with the idea for this post, it was 7 tips. Then, I kept adding to it as ideas popped in my head. I know there are tons more, but I figured I’ve gabbed enough.

Which tips on blogging did I NOT mention that you’ve learned? Share them in the comments section below.

Here’s our Twitter Exchange

@InkwellEditor (me) Tweeted: RT @SHurleyHall RT @bigbrightbulb http://is.gd/dymQc Times loses 2/3 of readers w/pay model. [IMO this is the wave of the future; bout time]

@bigbrightbulb Tweeted: The thing is, if they care more about earnings than reach, losing 60%+ of their readership may be just fine… @SHurleyHall @InkwellEditor

@InkwellEditor Tweeted: @bigbrightbulb Writers will benefit from this & while readership may decline periodically, it’ll return more targeted prospcts 2 advertisers

@bigbrightbulb Tweeted: Wise words! RT @InkwellEditor: Writers will benefit…and while readership may decline…it’ll return more targeted prospects 2 advertisers

I read an update today that said the Times has lost 90% of its internet readership. And you know what, I STILL think this is a good business move on their part. Following is why.

You must be a subscriber to read the rest of this post. Don’t worry, it’s free! See subscriber details below.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its sister site, SeoWritingJobs.com, now accepts guest posts.   Get the guest post submission guidelines.

P.S.: Want to start a successful career where you have the mobility to live and work where you please? Visit our freelance writing bookstore for a ton of opportunities (freelance writing and internet marketing) to get you started.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day? Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

Note: As of April 6, you must be a subscriber to read new content on InkwellEditorial.com and its sister site on SEO writing, SeoWritingJobs.com. New content includes all posts written after 4/6/2010 (4/7/2010 on SeoWritingJobs.com).

To subscribe, simply look for the subscriber box to the top right-hand side of the page. There’s one on every page of the site.

Of course, your contact information is protected — it is never sold, rented, leased or compromised in any way. It is used solely to send you information from InkwellEditorial.com (and its sister site, SeoWritingJobs.com) about freelance writing.

Why Subscribe? Get Real, First-Hand Advice from All Types of Freelance Writers

Week in and week out here, you get first-hand “freelance writing stories from the trenches.” I routinely relay my freelance writing experiences — everything from setting rates, to how to market, to knowing when to say no to a project. Also, I answer questions – in great detail (no fluff here!) — from other freelancers writers (new and experienced).

Recent posts you may have missed by not being a subscriber include:

Why I Turned Down a $2,000 – $3,000 Freelance Writing Job That Could Have Led to Even More Work and

How to Land More Clients by Making Your SEO Writing Stand Out from Others.

I look forward to having you as a subscriber.

Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

SEO Copywriting Training.  You’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers and sign up today.

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

Why Submit a Guest Post to InkwellEditorial.com

Traffic: Site gets over 3,200 visitors/day (almost 100,000 per month). [Source: Statbrain.com]

Alexa Rank: In U.S., breaks the Top 100,000 (click graphic to see larger image).

 
Top Blog Appearances: Inkwell Editorial has appeared on some top blogs in the freelance writing niche, eg, CopyBlogger.com, FreelanceSwitch.com and FreelanceWritingGigs.com, to name a few.

Social Media: Inkwell Editorial has over 2,100 Twitter subscribers.

Noted Industry Site: Inkwell Editorial has been online since 1999. It is well-known in freelance writing circles. If you strive to reach this niche, it’s a good place to appear.

Note: All stats current as of September 2010.

Guest Posting Guidelines for Inkwell Editorial

Following are a few simple guidelines for submitting. I look forward to reading your submissions.

a) Must be pertinent to the freelance writing niche: This is broad (eg, blogging, white papers, SEO writing, case studies, article marketing, ebooks, etc.) so you shouldn’t have a problem writing a relevant post.

b) First-hand: What I mean is, don’t submit generic content that even a little research on the web will reveal. If you read through this site, you’ll see that the vast majority of it is from my first-hand experience. That’s what I’m looking for. And, it doesn’t have to be a “success story.”

Recounting your failures — and how you overcame them / are working to overcome them – is just as insightful (and a lot of times a heck of a lot more interesting).

Update: September 2010. Please, please don’t submit general content that can be found all over the web. It will not get published.

This is why I ask that first-hand accounts be submitted, for, even if it is on a general topic (eg, a blog is great for freelancers because it serves as an online portfolio), if it is told from a first-hand perspective, it can be enlightening. For example, you can explain how having a blog landed you an assignment, what attracted the client to it, what writing samples you had on it, the content management system you use (eg, Joomla, Wordpress, etc.).

Again, personal experience rocks here at Inkwell Editorial. Everyone has these; just share your freelance writing success/failures with us so we can all learn from them. This is all I ask.

c) Well written: Please do the minimum like running a spell check and using good grammar.

d) No overt promotion: Of course, you’ll get a three to four-line byline with a link to your site/blog, so don’t feel like you have to overpromote/overlink in your post.

e) Original content: Your post can’t have been published any place else. I only publish original material here. I don’t even submit my own posts to other places, ie, article directories like I used to.

f) Guest Post Length: 400 -1,200 words. Why at least 400 words? Because I’ve found that it’s hard to really get an insightful point across (teach a lesson) in articles shorter than this.

HTML Coding

The only tags allowed are Bold, Ital, Underline and Header Tags (eg, H2 tags). You should also include links (ie, use the <a href> tag). Don’t submit photos or any other docs with your content.  Submissions that include these will automatically be deleted.

File Submission

Submit as .txt or MS Word doc.

How to Submit Your Guest Post

Send to info*at*InkwellEditorial.com. Put “Guest Post Submission” in the subject line.

That’s it; pretty standard stuff.

FYI, if I decide to use your submission, I’ll post it first and then send you the link to it. I’ll try to respond to all who submit, but that depends on how many I receive. If you haven’t heard anything after a couple of weeks, feel free to send me a touchbase email (info{at}InkwellEditorial.com]. But I’m extremely busy, so please be patient.

Good luck,
Yuwanda

So, enjoy today’s ”Throwback Thursday” post, which explains the difference between a website and a blog.

On a personal note, I’m trying to finish up early so I can get to the salon to get my hair braided. Lord, lord, can’t even fathom going to the beach without having some braids up in my head. My hair requires way, way too much upkeep without them!

Get Advice to Help You Transition Successfully to a New Career

Note: As of April 6, you must be a subscriber to read new content on InkwellEditorial.com and its sister site on SEO writing, SeoWritingJobs.com. New content includes all posts written after 4/6/2010 (4/7/2010 on SeoWritingJobs.com).

To subscribe, simply look for the subscriber box to the top right-hand side of the page. There’s one on every page of the site. Of course, your contact information is protected — it is never sold, rented, leased or compromised in any way.

Why Subscribe? Get Real, First-Hand Advice from All Types of Freelance Writers

You get first-hand “freelance writing stories from the trenches.” I routinely relay my freelance writing experiences — everything from setting rates, to how to market, to knowing when to say no to a project. Also, I answer questions – in great detail (no fluff here!) — from other freelancers writers. Recent posts you may have missed by not being a subscriber include:

Why I Turned Down a $2,000 – $3,000 Freelance Writing Job That Could Have Led to Even More Work; and

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs Advice: How a New Freelance Writer Landed a $150 Gig with No Experience, No Samples & No Website – 4 Things She Did Right.

I look forward to having you as a subscriber.

Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

Get SEO Copywriting Training :  In addition to learning how to start an SEO writing career and earn $50,000 to $75,000 your first year, you’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers. Class has limited enrollment.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day?

Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

Today’s tip walks you through the pros and cons of minisites. I agree with a log of what this web expert said about them.

As I mentioned in the post I linked to above, I decreased the number of mini sites I wanted to start. Why? Because no matter how much you read about it being one of those “easy, quick ways to make money online,” building them is not as hands off as much of what you’ll read on the web makes it seem.

Learn How to Get Money Quick – Or Not

If you don’t remember anything else from this Freelance Friday post remember, there is no such thing as easy ways to make money online. While there are simple procedures you can follow to make extra money from home (which is the goal of many starting out with minisites), it is not simple to make easy money online.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to figure out how to make money on the side, minisites are ideal because they contain many of the foundational facets of making money online – eg:

How to market for free online (eg, article marketing); 

Website design (ie, minisite design);

Content creation;

How to make money blogging (many minisites are just simple blogs);

How to make money with Adsense;

How to track and mine data;

Etc.

With all of these lessons learned, if you decide to quit making minisites, you will have learned a great deal just by dabbling in this multi-faceted “making money on the internet” idea. So you can take these skills and apply them to other ways of making money online.

The Main Thing to Consider When Deciding Whether to Invest in Minisites

In my opinion, the number one thing to consider when trying to decide if you should start a “minisite empire” is  . . .

Subscribe to find out not only the most important thing to consider when trying to decide whether to invest in minites, but how much time to invest in them — and why.

Get Advice to Help You Transition Successfully to a New Career

Note: As of April 6, you must be a subscriber to read new content on InkwellEditorial.com and its sister site on SEO writing, SeoWritingJobs.com. New content includes all posts written after 4/6/2010 (4/7/2010 on SeoWritingJobs.com).

To subscribe, simply look for the subscriber box to the top right-hand side of the page. There’s one on every page of the site. Of course, your contact information is protected — it is never sold, rented, leased or compromised in any way.

Why Subscribe? Get Real, First-Hand Advice from All Types of Freelance Writers

You get first-hand “freelance writing stories from the trenches.” I routinely relay my freelance writing experiences — everything from setting rates, to how to market, to knowing when to say no to a project. Also, I answer questions – in great detail (no fluff here!) — from other freelancers writers. Recent posts you may have missed by not being a subscriber include:

Why I Turned Down a $2,000 – $3,000 Freelance Writing Job That Could Have Led to Even More Work; and

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs Advice: How a New Freelance Writer Landed a $150 Gig with No Experience, No Samples & No Website – 4 Things She Did Right.

I look forward to having you as a subscriber.

Have a good weekend!
Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

Get SEO Copywriting Training :  In addition to learning how to start an SEO writing career and earn $50,000 to $75,000 your first year, you’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers. Class has limited enrollment.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day?

Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

On average, I write between 3,000 and 5,000 words a day – at a minimum. Some days I turn out 10,000 to 12,000 words. This is between client projects and my projects.  That’s a lot of material.

Usually, once a freelance writer/web publisher publishes a piece of content, that’s it – they’re done with it. But as I do with my Throwback Thursdays posts, you can repurpose, and/or recycle if you will, content and get much more web traffic out of it – leading to increased traffic and increased sales.

One blog post or article can literally bring you double, triple, or quadruple the traffic you’d get if you just posted it to your website and forgot about it. To explain how I do it with one of my minisites to increase traffic and sales, I’ll walk you through, step by step.

How I Repurpose Content to Increase Website Traffic and Sales

Yesterday, I updated ForeclosureBusinessNews.com. The post was on Florida foreclosure law. As you’ll note, the post is long – over 1,100 words. And it’s meant to be, because it’s foundational content.

You must be a subscriber to read the rest of this post. Don’t worry, it’s free!

Get Help to Get Paid to Do What You Love

Note: As of April 6, you must be a subscriber to read new content on InkwellEditorial.com and its sister site on SEO writing, SeoWritingJobs.com. New content includes all posts written after 4/6/2010 (4/7/2010 on SeoWritingJobs.com).

To subscribe, simply look for the subscriber box to the top right-hand side of the page. There’s one on every page of the site.

Of course, your contact information is protected — it is never sold, rented, leased or compromised in any way. It is used solely to send you information from InkwellEditorial.com (and its sister site, SeoWritingJobs.com) about freelance writing.

Why Subscribe? Get Real, First-Hand Advice from All Types of Freelance Writers

Week in and week out here, you get first-hand “freelance writing stories from the trenches.” I routinely relay my freelance writing experiences — everything from setting rates, to how to market, to knowing when to say no to a project. Also, I answer questions – in great detail (no fluff here!) — from other freelancers writers (new and experienced).

Recent posts you may have missed by not being a subscriber include:

Why I Turned Down a $2,000 – $3,000 Freelance Writing Job That Could Have Led to Even More Work and

How to Land More Clients by Making Your SEO Writing Stand Out from Others.

I look forward to having you as a subscriber.

SEO Copywriting Training — Class is Now OVER Half Full. The next SEO writing ecourse starts this coming Monday, the 26^th.  There are still 7 slots left, so even though the deadline to pay was yesterday, you can still sign up by paying the full price of the course before Monday.

What You’ll Learn in the SEO Writing Ecourse: 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired SEO writing skills. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers.

Here’s to a productive rest of the week!

Yuwanda
P.S.: Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.

P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day?

Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’ve been pumping out info for years — literally over a decade. But, I didn’t start blogging until 2005. I started on blogger and have over 500 posts there — 4+ years of material.

Freelance Writing Help: Breathing New Life Into Old Posts  

From time to time I’ll get comments on the blog, which I have to go in and approve or reject. Usually, I wind up reading a few posts as I’m updating the comments and I find myself saying, “There’s a lot of relevant information here that’s buried.”  

So that’s why I’m implementing “Throwback Thursdays.” It’s to bring you relevant info about freelancing you may have missed if you discovered the blog/website say, only a year or two ago.  

A second reason is, it gets me on a schedule to finally migrate all of the pages still stuck in the old design and on the old blog into this site’s new design.  

So enjoy today’s throwback post, which is Do You Make More Money as an Editorial Freelancer When You Specialize? It was written in Feb 2005, but is still relevant – as I talked about in a more recent post, Freelance Writing Job: One Secret to Becoming a Six Figure Writer (Dec 2009).  

Note: As of April 6, you must be a subscriber to read new content on InkwellEditorial.com and its sister site on SEO writing, SeoWritingJobs.com. New content includes all posts written after 4/6/2010 (4/7/2010 on SeoWritingJobs.com).  

How to Subscribe to Inkwell Editorial & SEO Writing Jobs

There’s a sign-up box on every page of InkwellEditorial.com — right-hand side of the page. Use this to subscribe to both sites (InkwellEditorial.com and SeoWritingJobs.com). When you subscribe, you immediately receive the most recent posts from both sites, as well as all previous posts.

Recent posts you may have missed by not being a subscriber include:

Why I Turned Down a $2,000 – $3,000 Freelance Writing Job That Could Have Led to Even More Work and

How to Land More Clients by Making Your SEO Writing Stand Out from Others.

I look forward to having you as a subscriber. 

Enjoy today’s throwback post!

Yuwanda, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
SeoWritingJobs.com

 Find this post informative? Follow Inkwell Editorial on Twitter.
###
SEO Copywriting Training — Class is Now OVER Half Full.

P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, easily earning $50, $100 or $150/day?

Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com).   If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I’ve personally sold tens of thousands of dollars of e-products (my own and affiliate products) doing this since January 2009.

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

Following are three methods you can use to find out what your customers are thinking so you can increase your blog traffic.

1. Poll: With free online software offered by sites like CoolSurveys.com and PollDaddy.com, all you have to do to poll your readers is cut and paste a snippet of code into your site and you’re done.

Polling Tip: Don’t get carried away. Ask maybe one or two questions – tops. This will force you to really think about what area of your business you want/need to know more about. Hint, hint: the area that leads customers to take action (ie, purchase your product service).

2. Comments Section: The comments section of your blog will yield a lot of information. Have some posts garnered more comments than others? Was there a particular posts that generated more heat than others?

Even when your readers disagree with you (perhaps especially when), you should pay attention to them. Dig deep into negative feedback to see if you can find the kernel that can be turned to your marketing advantage.

For example, a reader visited my site from an article of mine posted to a social bookmarking site. The reader had some unkind words about the design of my site. While the comment rankled, I knew that the foundation of what they were saying was correct. A new design was something I’d been putting off for a while.

And, while it took another year to get around to redesigning my site, that comment stuck with me because it was, in essence true.

3. Reader Feedback: Are your readers constantly asking you for things you don’t have? Then maybe it’s time you provide it.

How One Website Owner Listened to Reader Feedback & Literally Had a List of Customers Anxiously Waiting to Buyer Her New Ebook — Before She Ever Wrote It!

A Prime Example: A friend of mine who is a realtor started a very successful side business. Realtors and professionals from other states were emailing and calling her practically every other day wanting to know how to start the same kind of business in their state.

Instead of trying to dispense information to each one individually and/or simply not responding, I advised her to write an ebook about it and sell it on her site. (The business included a lot detail that couldn’t be dispensed in a 2-minute or even a 2-hour phone conversation).

She now has a waiting list of people who are lining up to buy it once she’s done. She plans to sell it for between $39.95 and $49.95. I advised her to charge much more because what’s she’s really selling is a “business in a box” to a niche market (realtors) who are looking for other ways to make money in an economy that is slumping. I think this deserves a premium. But, that’s her call.

My point here is, if you go back over three months to a year of reader feedback – whether it was a question, a congratulations or a not-so-nice comment, you will get a handle on what your readers want more of. Then, all you have to do is figure out how to give it to them.

If you take the time to find out what your customers want, driving more traffic to your blog is not difficult.