Writer Fox Interviews Barbara Kay
Insights from a Crafter and Photographer
You started one of your personal websites ten years before you joined HubPages. Why did you decide to start your first website?
After selling craft patterns on eBay for a few years, I thought why not start my own site? I offered free patterns and pattern links for my customers and sold books there. Back then there was not the competition we have now and my site came up as #2 on Google immediately. Now, that so many large companies have craft sites, it is harder to place well. I still get good traffic, because I have so many followers I have gotten over the years. The site now works more like a blog. I no longer sell patterns.
The Internet has changed so much since you first became an online publisher. Many of the Hubs you write are in highly competitive topics such as gardening, recipes and Bible studies. Today, how do you do your keyword research and what do you look for when deciding which keywords to target?
In the past, I used the Google Keyword Tool. Now I just check the competition at Google for the keywords I want to write about. If the competition is too stiff, I’ll either not write the Hub or change my keywords. What I have found is that it helps to narrow down the subject. For instance, I changed my title from “How to Make Pasties” to “How to Make Northern Michigan Pasties.”
I wrote one Hub about “How to Grow Lilies” and it did not do a thing. When I changed the article a bit and changed the title to “How to Grow Asiatic Lilies”, it took right off. This summer it did really well.
I also try to outdo the first few results at Google. Either I offer more information or more photos than they do.
In three years you have published 179 Hubs which have received over one million views. You have mentioned before that you reach payout multiple times every month. That's an impressive track record. How have you accomplished this?
I set goals for myself at the beginning of every year. After setting the goals, I look at them often to remind myself to stick to them. The Hubs I write are meant to help people and are from my own experiences. If I have a problem, I figure others will need the same help.
Patience is a virtue needed if you want to earn money online and get views. I give my Hubs some time to age. Some will do well right away and others take some time. Not every Hub is a winner.
In the beginning, I studied every article I could find about SEO and getting traffic. I still do and every online writer should. Using Pinterest has been a big help to get traffic to gardening and recipe Hubs. The people there love these types of Hubs.
You have several websites and contribute to other sites as well. Is writing on the Internet your full-time career and do ever plan to retire from online publishing?
I write as much for the enjoyment of it as for the money, so I don’t do it full-time. The content I have is from years of writing online. I like the challenge of earning money and the bank account that is growing for my husband’s retirement. I don’t ever plan on retiring from writing, because it is a hobby as much as anything else. Doing it full-time would ruin it for me.
I notice that you take many of your own photos for your Hubs. What camera and photo editors do you use?
I use a Fuji S3280 digital camera. Photography is not one of my specialties. It is an area I plan to learn more about. Since I use a digital camera, I take several shots and then choose the best. Only on rare occasions do I use a photo editor.
Will you ever put a real photo of yourself on your Profile?
I like remaining anonymous. Barbara Kay is my first and middle name. Maybe someday I’ll change my mind and post a photo.
If someone could only read two of your Hubs, which ones would you recommend and why?
I would recommend the Hub “Unusual Ways to Get Free Traffic.” Hopefully, writers will find some new ideas there. I’d also recommend “Can You Earn a Living Writing Online” for a realistic look at the possibility of it.
I have other Hubs about SEO and writing online, but these are two I’d most recommend.
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