Blogging is widely becoming known as the best way for the average Internet user to earn extra money online. Its benefits are numerous: technical web design knowledge is not a requirement, you can blog about any subject that interests you, and there's no need to spend any money. With nothing more than your time and motivation, I can walk you step by step through the process of creating and monetizing your very own blog.
Step 1 -- Register for Your Blog
The best way to get started is with a free blog host -- Blogetery (wordpress platform), Blogger, and BlogSpot are all excellent choices. I personally use a self-hosted version of WordPress because it's highly customizable via plugins, there are many free themes available to download, and the CMS (Content Management System) just makes the whole thing easier than a conventional web site.
Simply head over to the blog host of your choice and register a free account. They all require a valid email address, but don't worry - these are reputable sites, they won't cause you to get spammed.
Step 2 -- Keywords are King
The theory behind making money with blogging is to create the blog based around a series of keywords that are both profitable and well-trafficked. ("Keywords" are what people type into search engines like Google.) Pick out 5 - 10 keywords related to any subject that interests you - avoid common terms like "money" or "blog." Instead, think of a string of 3 - 4 words, like "easy online money" or "how to monetize a blog."
Once you've got your keywords, run them through Google's Keyword Tool to search for keywords with a CPC (Cost per Click) of >=$1 and more than 3,000 searches a month. Don't worry if your original phrases don't fit the bill; the keyword tool gives you suggestions and related keywords to work with. Keep looking until you've got half a dozen good ones. (Google's Keyword tool can be found here.)
Step 3 -- I Hope You Like to Write ;)
This is the fun part. Now you add content to your blog, which mainly consists of writing articles. Write a separate article for each of your keywords (they don't have to be long, 400 - 750 words) - these will be individual posts on your blog. When writing, make sure to:
A) Use the keyword in the title, and
B) Incorporate the keyword naturally into the text 3 or 4 times.
This helps your pages perform better in search engines. Make sure your articles are informative, well-written and uses correct grammar and punctuation. Feel free to include related pictures, videos and other media as well. Don't publish your articles onto the blog just yet though.
Step 4 -- AdSensification
Most people are probably wondering by now, "How does all this make me money?" The answer to that question is: Google AdSense. AdSense is a program that allows you to place sponsored ads on your blog, and get paid a small amount every time someone clicks on one. (This is where the high CPC comes into play.) Head over to the Adsense website and sign up for a free account, create a new ad, and paste the code into your blog.
You can have up to three ad units per page.
Step 5 -- Now You Add Your Articles
You've got your blog, you've got your AdSense, so it's time to publish your articles. You don't want to publish them all at once then never touch the site again, though, it doesn't look natural. I recommend posting one article a day or every other day (WordPress has a great feature to automate this.) Once you've posted all your keyword targeted articles, it's up to you how often you continue to post.
The final variable of this easy online money equation is of course getting people to view your blog so they can click on the links, the specifics of which are beyond the scope of this article. Your blog can be promoted almost anywhere you're active online: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit and Stumble Upon, forums, comments on other blogs, Yahoo profiles, email signatures - this is where creativity comes in handy.
Remember, the more unique, informative and interesting your articles are, the more people will link to them and the more popular they'll become. It's as easy to promote three or four blogs as it is to promote one, so don't hesitate to synergize your efforts. Having multiple streams of easy online money is definitely a good thing!
Author Resource:
CB Michaels is a professional producer of digital content and an expert word slinger, and presently deals with subjects such as metal patio covers and retractible awnings .
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