The Shape of Things to Come: Search Engines and Web Content

The world of web content on demand has changed the way we communicate. Some would say it's a positive change, while others lament the downfall of language as we know it. From content farms to commercial websites, the search engine rules the web content universe.

Maybe because I create web content as a ghostwriter in addition to penning articles on subjects I choose, I'm both fascinated and repelled by the way writing for the Net has altered communication. The supply-and-demand factor that once mostly affected retail now guides the way we write.

Whether we're devising web content for clients' websites or writing articles, writers working online are generally guided by the public's demand for certain kinds of information. From how-to articles to "about us" pages, keyword choices and placement are our gods -- especially if we write for money.

So what does that say about those of us who come up with all that web content? It all depends on your perspective. One of my professors said -- and I'm paraphrasing here -- that if we're not communicating with our audience, we may as well not bother writing.

That might sound like a given, but it really isn't. I grew up writing short stories, journal entries, and essays for fun. I never showed them to anyone, because for me, that wasn't the point. I just enjoyed the activity of writing, and tried out different formats to give my brain a workout.

The concept of providing web content for any purposes other than the pleasure of having strung certain words together in my own style -- well, that and money -- would have probably struck me as odd.

And that might strike you as odd. But the joy of seeing words take on a life of their own had nothing to do with usefulness, and everything to do with creativity. When web content is your livelihood, that all goes out the window. Communicating with the other humans is key, leaving you with less control over your creation.

Of course, communication is a wonderful thing, and there's almost as little room for self-indulgent writing in print as there is in the land of web content. Print publications must offer something useful and interesting, or no one will buy them. But while topic selection and tone are important in print, the almighty keyword that lords over web content isn't so crucial.

Some argue that keywords come naturally in a well-written article, but sometimes the demands of web content creation can hamper a writer's intentions. Because a certain number of people typed a phrase into a search engine in a seemingly logical way, the web content creator must use these words to convey the original meaning, and incorporate them in a way that makes sense.

So, the person doing the searching not only gives retailers a clue about their shopping habits via unfiltered Googling; he or she also shapes the online universe by revealing their innermost desires.

From Christmas shopping to asking an embarrassing health question, the searcher has unwittingly determined, at least partially, the web content that will be available for his or her next search.

Some content farms cull these searches to come up with automated batches of titles for their freelance writers. Others offer the results as suggested topics that just might bring in a lot of page views, i.e. money.

"Real" journalists and writers upset at the demise of the newspaper and the rise of user-provided web content find this change of events appalling. Say what they will, it's actually a good thing for consumers.

Digital journalism is all about providing what people want. Unlike focus groups and surveys, though, our searches offer up our true desires. From researching a major purchase to drunken late-night queries, search engines provide the fodder for the web content people really want to see.

This might be frustrating when we can't write an article exactly the way we want because of SEO considerations. It is the way web content creation works, though, and coming up with something good based on some oddly-arranged words can be an exercise in creativity itself.

And when all else fails, you can just churn out the web content people want, then have fun writing a blog or poetry just for you.

Switching Gears: Staying Inspired While Writing Online

Despite the fact that I love writing online, some days I just have a hard time getting into it. Whether I'm exhausted after a bout with insomnia, distracted by something going on in my life, or lacking inspiration, sometimes I'm just not feeling the writing online thing. Or I hit a brick wall after a couple of hours of feverish productivity. That's when I find it's best to switch gears.

Switching gears might mean writing online in a completely different format, doing some other online activity, or tackling a household chore just to get away from the computer for a while. Often, I come back completely refreshed and ready to write again. Sometimes, it's best just to throw in the towel, at least for a while, because any hope of writing online productively is futile.

Usually, though, I get back into the swing of things and avoid guilt if I stick to writing online in some shape or form. That's when this blog comes in handy. Or maybe I'll whip up a fun list or two for best5everything.com. Often, writing online purely for enjoyment -- financial considerations aside -- kicks my brain into gear and I'm ready to crank out some articles again. In fact, I sometimes get article ideas from these exercises, mainly from getting lost in the information labyrinth that is the Internet. For example, I might write an article expanding on a list I devised of the best five 70s detective movies or the best five ways to maintain a healthy digestive tract (don't look for these lists --- they're not there).

Writing online for multiple sites also helps me maintain some semblance of sanity. When I need a break from creating web content for a Textbroker client, for example, I might write a Factoidz review of an inspiring documentary. After writing about taxes or skincare for Demand Studios, switching to local articles for Associated Content provides a nice change of pace.

The resulting productivity is pretty satisfying. Just knowing that I was able to stimulate my brain to keep producing content is a little -- yes, I know this word is overused, but I'm gonna say it anyway -- empowering.

We freelancers spend our time writing online because we enjoy it. Although it's difficult to completely avoid boredom, I never want writing to feel like just another job. Mixing up my routine a bit allows me to get the most out of the writing experience, even if the subject is "How to Avoid Athlete's Foot" or "Choosing the Perfect Laundry Detergent." Switching gears reminds me that writing online, no matter what the topic, beats just about any job I've ever had.

Choosing A Home For Your Web Content

I'm a big believer in not putting all my eggs in the proverbial single basket. I'd get bored providing web content for one or two sites, for starters. And if there's anything my online writing experience has taught me, it's that each site has its strengths and weaknesses. Experimentation is one of the best ways to find the best sites.

Choosing from all the online writing gigs out there can be overwhelming at first. It's hard to know which web content providers are legit, and beyond that, which ones are worth your time. Articles, blog posts, forums and reviews of online writing opportunities will quickly reveal a sort of "top 10" of web content mills. Don't stick with that list; you'd be amazed at the sheer number of quality sites willing to publish your work or hook you up with clients in need of web content.

I'm not putting down the content mill concept. Sites that churn out amazing amounts of web content (with or without the benefit of editorial guidance) provide easy entry into the world of online writing.

But some sites for freelance writers are better than others. The trick to finding the best fit for your online writing is doing your research. Just as you would research the facts for your articles, thoroughly checking out potential homes for your web content is essential.

Even though it seems like a given, I'll mention this anyway -- don't pay anyone to display your work. There are plenty of online writing sites that will pay you for web content. Of course, many pay less than what your writing is worth, but welcome to the world of digital journalism.

If you're interested in more information on choosing the best online writing sites, check out "How to Make Money Writing Online by Choosing the Best Freelance Writing Sites."

What I Wish I'd Known Earlier About Online Writing

At the beginning of my online writing experience, I was mainly interested in sites offering upfront payment for articles. I couldn't have cared less about revenue share, and I didn't know anything about Google Adsense or other affiliate programs. Passive income was some vague concept that didn't satisfy my craving for quick, easy money. I knew nothing about SEO or article marketing, and blogging seemed like too much work in addition to my other online writing projects.

Of course, easy money is hard to come by, especially with online writing. But sites like Factoidz and Associated Content provide passive income -- "easy money" for work you've already done.

Associated Content offers additional small upfront payments for articles with page view potential plus a percentage of ad money earned from your online writing.

Factoidz pays small bonuses for all new articles in addition to passive income in the form of revenue share. Apparently, Factoidz allowed writers to incorporate Google Adsense at one time, but currently offers passive income only for ad clicks.

Not only do these sites offer valuable sources of passive income; they also teach you the importance of SEO and article marketing. Factoidz provides SEO data on every article you write so you can see what topics work.

As you learn more about SEO and get comfortable with article marketing, you can go back and edit older articles for SEO, then re-tweet them and use other forms of article marketing to boost your passive income.

Editing your published online writing is only possible after you've achieved Factoidz staff writer status. Staff writers have written 20+ articles that meet Factoidz' very reasonable quality standards.

I'm just dipping my toes in the blogging waters, mainly because there's so much to learn. SEO and marketing are extremely important in the blogging world, and blogging requires extra work that you don't have to do when articles are your main source of online writing passive income. Blogging means posting frequently, marketing AND working Google Adsense or other affiliate programs.

The instant gratification of upfront payment for your online writing is great, but balancing this type of payment with passive income streams is more profitable in the end.

Blogging and online writing sites providing passive income via Google Adsense, affiliate programs or some other form of revenue share can also help you write better web copy for clients and other online writing sites.

Maximizing your passive income means improving your online writing skills, as well as learning about article marketing and SEO. As Factoidz blogging whiz Pinar Tarhan puts it, passive income may not be so passive. That's why your other online writing clients value these skills as much as you do. After all, they're paying you not just to provide quality content, but to garner as much traffic as possible. Sites providing passive income enable you to become an online writing expert.

The Trials and Tribs of a Freelance Writer

Writing online is a lot different than the essay writing we did in school. Going back to finish my English degree was a good experience, but didn't even begin to prepare me for writing online. In fact, it hurt my chances of making money writing online at first. After all, SEO wasn't even in my vocabulary!

Those exercises in essay writing for Victorian, postmodern and women's lit classes were several times longer than the average online article, and using a variety of words was actually considered better than repeating certain phrases (you know, keywords) in strategic places.

As a beginning freelance writer, I thought writing online would be like essay writing. Boy, was I wrong. SEO, backlinks, article marketing -- I had no idea how much legwork went into finding an audience for my writing.

I knew keywords were a necessity, but I had no idea how, when or where to use them. In fact, keyword placement and other SEO issues are still the bane of my writing existence some days.

Search engines change their parameters constantly, making it hard to stay on top of the right keyword percentage du jour.

Article promotion on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace was a mystery to me, since I'd never had any interest in creating accounts with any of these sites for personal purposes. Imagine my surprise when I learned about RedGage, StumbleUpon, Reddit and the plethora of other important social networking sites for article promotion.

I'll admit that I'm still testing the waters with social networking, and I only started a Twitter account a few months ago. I refuse to register with Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg is so proud of violating users' privacy, and friends tell me not to bother with MySpace because no one uses it.

Although I haven't worked too hard at developing backlinks -- I'm always nervous about being spammy -- I've come to appreciate, and even enjoy experimenting with SEO and article marketing.

Whether we like it or not, knowledge of online article marketing and SEO is key for freelancers writing online. So why not have fun with it?

I plan on sharing helpful info about writing online as I find it. And if you have any social networking or SEO tips, I'd love to hear them! Here's a great article by Factoidz writer Sam Montana to get you started.