OK so I’m not sure if you’ve noticed lately, but there is this thing called . It’s kinda popular and people are getting quite into it. AI And those of us who work in content and SEO, well… It’s been a bit of a shock to the system. Now, I’m not gonna say that the work has gone and everyone is using AI content because that isn’t 100% true. There is still plenty of work out there for skilled content writers or copywriters. And this is the thing. You now need to focus more than ever on your USP (that’s a unique selling point if you’re not down with the jargon). And what is your USP if you’re a content writer going up against the might of a FREE chatbot that can do your job for you? Have you read my article: ? Why AI content isn’t a bad thing Getting those skills that pay your bills Most modern bloggers actually don’t have a blog of their own. At least not one that they pay attention to or that anyone reads. And to me, this is both crazy and, actually, to my personal benefit. Perhaps it’s obvious to state that a blog is important for a blogger. It’s like saying a racing car driver needs to know how to drive. But here is a thing I see with a lot of content writers. Firstly, they are hungry for clients and paid work. Secondly, they don’t really have the skills or understanding of what makes a good piece of internet content. I’m referring to about 95% of content writers I’ve ever worked with here. The reason is that they’ve simply decided to be a blogger and start hustling for clients on the usual sites; , , etc. Fiverr Linkedin But have they ever written a blog post for themselves? Do they understand what makes readable online content? Have they built a website from scratch? The answer is usually a pretty solid, ‘Nah mate’. I work with some really good writers from around the world. Currently on my roster, I work with a Hungarian girl, two Indian guys, and a fella from Nigeria. I’ve also worked with Romanians, Kenyans, Brits, Americans and South Africans. Now you might think the native speakers stand a better chance of success. But actually, they’ve not necessarily been the best at what they do, simply because they don’t really understand the craft. And this brings me to…. Learning on the job Now you might have a masters in English lit or have studied 3 different content writing courses online. But frankly, if you haven’t slaved over your own personal blog, then you’re missing out. Honestly. Bin the online course and just build a niche website from scratch. Why? By building a website you need to do a number of things that will help you progress as a content writer: You research your niche You’ll improve your understanding of what content works, plus Improve your understanding of SEO and how to generate traffic And you’ll actually have a platform that could generate you money Yes, owning a quality blog is not just priceless. It could pay you too. How? I currently run, oh, I dunno… About 8 blogs (ish). On a good month, these sites will pay me more than my clients do, simply in advertising, guest posts, and affiliate revenue. But this is the thing. You don’t want to create one of those shitty link farm spammy guest post sites that seems to be made solely to host obviously keyword-stuffed posts about SEO firms from Hyderabad. It’s all about quality. Because you are a top-notch content writer with an understanding of how to speak to your niche audience - you know how to write a top-quality blog. Right? But what are you gonna write about? How to find your content writing site niche When it comes to getting the skills as a content writer, you will have heard how the ‘riches are in the niches’ (that phrase doesn’t work so well in British English, ‘cos we say ‘neesh’, not ‘nitch’.) But it is true, that focusing on a subject will help you attract the right type of client rather than general clients. As a content writer starting out, you might be tempted to go for a general blog or something about content writing or marketing. Let me stop you there. If I was starting today, I would pick something that I have an interest in, and that I believe I could write with passion, if not authority. When I started out as a blogger a few years back, I was working on a friend’s travel site. It made sense at the time, as the site already existed and had zero content. Working on that site I made a shit ton of mistakes and made no money. But I learned a lot, and I also got to go on some cool travel trips for free. I then set up a , with a fairly broad niche. Probably too broad. But… I consistently posted, focused on quality, and turned down low-grade guest posts. And today that site is probably one of my two best performers. men’s lifestyle magazine My other sites include a two local news sites, a niche travel site, a snow sports-focused site, my personal blog (which is kinda dead tbh), and a new site for which I’m not sharing the niche. Write about what you know and/or love Having made a bunch of mistakes here, my latest site, which is currently pumping hard in the SERPs, is based on one of my passions: snowboarding. In fact, this site has been an idea for a long time and it’s been really fun to get set up because, well… I love snowboarding. It’s easy for me to write loads of content about snowboarding, about the places I’ve been, the trips I’ve been on, and even the places I want to go. Check out my to find out how passionate I am about snowboarding. review of Les Deux Alpes Anyway, if you’re wondering about how to make money online in 2023 and beyond, this kind of focus is going to be a major help to you. That said… Some of the best-performing niches online revolve around: Money Health Relationships Travel If you specialize in a niche within one of these subsets, you’ll do very well. By a niche within these, I mean, don’t write about money management, write about how to save money on your food shopping. Don’t write about general fitness, write about how to lose your mid-life crisis weight as a mum with a sedentary job. And don’t start just another travel blog, write about a place you know and love, or a particular style of travel that you are well versed in. You see what I’m saying here…? How to succeed as a blogger When it comes to success on your blog, and as a paid blogger, there are a few things you’ll need to master. Be good at writing. But then you already are, right? You’re reading this. Step one: Get a basic idea of SEO to help you level up your skills. There are a million courses you can take, but Google offers a which is excellent. I also recommend the . Step two: free SEO course Hubspot free SEO course Write consistent top-quality content. Step three: Easy. Right? Actually, it isn’t. It’s a long, difficult road to success. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll fail a few times and you’ll maybe realize that it’s not as easy as you thought it was. But is it worth it? Well, that’s for me to know and you to find out. Good luck!

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