5 Ways to Earn Money by Working From Home on Hubpages

So far, I've earned a little over $70 on Hubpages through trial and error. Although I've been a member of the site since 2010, more than 70% of my earnings have come from the past 2-3 years! I hope this helps future hubbers, and feel free to comment any tips or suggestions might have.

Before I started writing, I knew nothing about keywords or how they show up in Google searches. This is probably one of the most important areas for you to brush up on if you intend to get your clicks! SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which sounds more complicated than it actually is. You can get into the logistics of it later on with Google Analytics, but you're essentially just trying to find the words and phrases that will grab the most hits.

When you pick a subject to write about, the first thing you should be doing afterward is making a list of keywords to include.

Take a look at:

• The top 100 most searched words in Google. If you aren't sure which niche you want to do your writing in just yet, test the waters with one of the searches on that list. Out of 100 options, there's got to be a topic that you have expertise in.
  
  
• How popular the subject actually is, and whether or not it will be relevant in the future. People are always going to look for hair care and makeup tips or advice on childcare, but the newest Avengers movie will eventually lose its popularity. Write about it if you want to, just remember that Google filters out unpopular searches.
  
  
• How many niches you can realistically write about. A lot of people assume that they need to stay within one specific area to make money. While this may be true to start off with, I've been able to cover 3 to 5 different topics at a time.
  
  

Make sure you take a look at examples of SEO writing and try to model your articles accordingly. You can't just randomly shove as many SEO phrases into the piece as you want; it should flow in an aesthetically pleasing way so that the reader isn't turned off.

We live in a time where people don’t want to read long, boring paragraphs. If your blogs and articles don’t aren’t quick to capture attention, you’re losing out on potential repeat-readers!

What Keeps People Interested?

• Strategically places photos and GIFs might get a chuckle out of someone or recapture their interest when they start to zone out.
  
  
• Polls, videos, quizzes give readers an opportunity to put their two cents in. Polls and quizzes ensure that they stay on your page longer and transition to other articles you've written.
  
  
• Respond to comments! Most of the time, people leave comments just to write down a passing thought. When the author actually takes notice and acknowledges the reader, they become more relatable.

It doesn't matter who you are, we all want to be heard! Give your viewers a chance to give you their opinion, and let them know that you appreciate them taking time out of their day to check out your writing.

People today aren't going online and doing Google searches because they want to read an entire novel. They want quick, to the point answers to their questions, and you can't get that when there is line after line of textual verbiage.

Avoid greeting your readers with the dreaded "wall of text" and keep paragraphs to a minimum. You should be writing 3 to 4 sentences tops before you hit that enter button! Additionally, make certain words and phrases pop out at viewers with multiple headings and the use of italics and bold features.

Reference links can also take you a long way, which is something I learned from a college professor. There is absolutely nothing wrong with listing credible references! It makes you more trustworthy as an author and keeps people returning to your page because they know that you're providing good information.

Don't assume that social media is simply a waste of time and has no use for you. The real problem with social networks is that people are using them the wrong way. Sure, you can use Facebook or Instagram to connect with your friends and family, I certainly do!

However, if you hope to become a well-known and often-viewed blogger or freelancer, you've got to learn how to promote yourself. You are a business and so is your writing, treat it as such! Update your Instagram wall and stories with links to your Hubpages or ask your Facebook friends to check out your new blog. By doing so, you grant yourself unlimited traffic, and viewers that you wouldn't have had before.

Share them on other sites and let people know that you've got something worth reading. No one will believe in you, if you don't believe in yourself.

There's a saying in life that goes "there's always room for improvement," and this couldn't be truer if you're passionate about your writing. That dusty old blog that you published two years ago might still be receiving views, but it might not be in the best shape. Always take the time to go back and check on your articles to see what needs updating or improving.

It's worth revamping, especially if you plan to use it in your portfolio later on.