How to put together an original article after doing research?

1. 70

   BennyTheWriterposted 14 years ago

   Hey everyone,
   
   This might seem like a silly question, the answer to which is probably glaringly obvious to my more experienced fellow hubbers, but I'm truly at a loss here. 
   
   I'd like to know how you come up with original hubs to write after doing research on a proposed topic.  Nearly every time I do some keyword research, or even simply search Google or HubPages for a topic I want to write on, I find that the very topic has already been covered in excruciating detail, more thoroughly than I could have hoped to discuss it. 
   
   You might say the trick is to put my OWN spin on the topic, or zero in on one aspect that hasn't been covered in detail.  Logically, I thought that would be my solution.  Well, in my attempts to do just that, I do some keyword research only to find that practically nobody is searching for that "small" aspect of the topic that I'm interested in covering.  And then I lose interest in that idea, and I'm back to the drawing board with nothing.  (I am trying to make some money at this, after all...)
   
   All in all, I'm feeling like I have little or nothing to contribute to the Internet universe that's both original AND profitable.  It seems like all the "good" articles and hubs have already been written...
   
   Has anyone else felt like this?  What are some of your strategies for finding relatively unexplored, profitable niches?

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      Sally's Troveposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Benny, I've been here for more than two years, and I'm still looking to hit my stride.
      
      I started out writing about what interested me. As I followed traffic to my Hubs and looked at what seemed appealing to the Internet audience, I then spent more time looking at SEO and all that other stuff. So I started taking a serious look at keywords and social networking.
      
      Sometimes I made good decisions, and sometimes I didn't. But the bottom line that remains for me is that my traffic has increased dramatically in the last year, my AdSense earnings are beginning to pay off, and I'm happy enough to be a slower learner / earner in this scheme because I'm doing what I like to do.
      
      Someday I'll "get it" about what makes a 100-dollar-a-day Hub, and I'm ready to work toward that day.
      
      I am unique, as you are, and your uniqueness is what you have to offer to this adventure. You are going to see a topic that's been written about a million times, but you will have a view about it that is your own...that's the ticket to going forward.
      
      Hope my thoughts help.

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         BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks; your thoughts really do help.

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      Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think you need the best keyword research software on the planet.
      
      Seriously - don't worry about it. If you can string a sentence together - you are most likely writing better articles than 99% of the competition. Still - that leaves a rather large 1%... LOL

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         BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Mark, I appreciate the encouragement.

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         Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, do a little HubHopping and see if you still feel so out of place.

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      ryankettposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You should write comedy Ben....
      
      BennyTheWriter who doesn't have any idea what to write about, could come straight out of a sitcom.
      
      It sounds to me like you just have writers block, consider searching for hubpages on the topic of overcoming writers block rather than going round in circles and getting yourself in a muddle.

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         BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         You'll see that my original question isn't at all about writer's block.

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            ryankettposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You seem to have taken my light hearted response as some sort of dig, which suggests any sort of comedy career is probably out of the question unless you want to become the next Jack Nicholson. If you want my honest opinion then it is this....
            
            Just write about whatever comes into your head, whatever you want to write about, write 100 hubpages on whatever you want to write about. Develop your interests.
            
            I did that by the way, wrote my first 100 hubpages without any consideration to cpc. I used the keyword tool for inspiration sometimes, but never paid attention to cpc.
            
            I learnt more doing that then any SEO article or keyword tool. I built the SEO techniques and keyword selection in later.
            
            That approach never served me too badly, one of those hubpages still makes me a fortune. Do you need to go any further than finding a title on the keyword tool? And does the cpc have to be high?
            
            My highest earning hubpage has a title incorporating a 13 cent cpc keyword phrase. Sometimes a whole load of small clicks will far outweigh the profit from an occassional big click, and the competition is scarce. Everybody is running around fighting to win $1 click a day on a competitive niche, ignoring those subjects with a cpc of 10 cents, 15 cents, 20 cents. Yet they tend to have a much better chance of getting you to the top page of Google.
            
            I get 20,000 page views most days. This month will be my first $1000 month, not bad after 14 months of publishing. I leave the big boys to fight over the impossible and concentrate on micro-niches. Works just fine for me. $1000 per month for 1500 page views per day, $1000 per month for 20,000 page views per day, same thing in my eyes.
            
            Also consider taking up the 12 day free trial of market samurai and watching the videos. I believe that you could quite easily achieve revenue on ANY topic that interests you. Just ignore those false promises of riches. You just aren't going to rank highly for a high traffic $5 cpc keyword.
            
            There you go, perhaps you could take this one as being helpful? I like to think that I know what I am doing http://hubpages.com/hub/My-Hubpages-AdS … -Disclosed

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            BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks ryankett, for both clarifying your disposition and providing a helpful, thorough answer

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      ofmelancholyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      All in all, I'm feeling like I have little or nothing to contribute to the Internet universe that's both original AND profitable.  It seems like all the "good" articles and hubs have already been written
      
      I sometimes feel exactly the same, this is world wide web, nothing to do much about that, the way you present the information, your writing ability counts probably. There are so many articles but at the same time so many readers on net..

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   Pcunixposted 14 years ago

   If you really feel you have nothing to contribute, you don't have enough ego to succeed or you just need to stop caring about that.
   
   I bet a big pile of people just don't care if somebody else wrote about it.   They intend that THEIR take is going to outrank the others by whatever means required and that's that.  Better, worse, phhtt.  That's not what it's about.
   
   The rest of us (and maybe some of the first group too) always think we can do a better job.   Whether we actually can or not is unimportant: we think we can.  I see posts constantly and instantly think "Nice try, but I can do far better".    You might call that confidence, ego or arrogance, but it doesn't really matter what you call it, because I'm writing it anyway :
   
   So - stick out your chest or stop caring.  Or forget about writing.

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   1. 70

      BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I'll never forget about writing.  I wouldn't be here if I were ready to give up.  It's just that I seem to have hit a brick wall in terms of finding both original and profitable things to write about. 
      
      Of course I can "not care" and write something that's been covered a million times in a million different ways already, but I actually want to stand out from the crowd.  I'm trying to reach my goal of earning a small supplemental income as a freelance writer, and I'm still very much a beginner. 
      
      In any case, thanks for your advice, which I'm sure was given with good intentions.

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         Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Well, I'm sorry that you might feel insulted by what I said, but it is reality.
         
         Who was it that first said "There is nothing new under the sun" ?
         
         You need some ego.   Maybe writing is just too hard, as your "Why the Heck Is Writing So Hard?" hub poses.
         
         Let me put it to you another way:  why do you think you CAN'T do a better job or at least present a unique take on a subject you want to write about?
         
         Why do you think that anyone who wants to learn about that subject can't learn it from you just as well as they can from someone else?
         
         You know, we are all different.  Some people like to read Joe Friday, Just the Facts.  Some people like a more conversational style.   Surely you don't think there is no one who likes YOUR style?
         
         Also, we all sometimes need a different slant.  You might go read one of my hubs on XYZ (I write a lot of stuff about XYZ).   It's a good hub, but there's something you just don't get.  I explained it well, but it just didn't bump your knobs at the right angle.  So you go read Relache's hub on the same subject.  Eureka!   You understand now - but if you had read her hub first, you still needed mine or someone elses to get it really straight in your head.
         
         Now see what you've made me do?  You've made me use enough words that I could have made a hub about it.    You could too.  So can anyone reading this.  I'm going to do that, too, not today, but sometime.  And it will be a good hub.  A helpful hub.  A hub that will help someone like you in the future.
         
         Nw why don't you go write the same hub and not worry a bit about what I or Relache or anyone else might do?

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            BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Well, after reading your hub "Why I don't use keyword research tools," I understand and appreciate your perspective much more.  Thanks for clarifying your insights.  It really is helpful.

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   Website Examinerposted 14 years ago

   You seem to be having some identity issues (I am referencing your recent hub below). Sounds like you are essentially a creative writer, so how can you expect to feel comfortable writing based upon keywords research?
   
   The best advice I can offer is to consider getting a mentor and/or editor for the creative writing. As for the commercial writing, give it some time between research and writing; allowing the material to sink in. You can always write reviews, and use your writing techniques to say the same thing but more interestingly.
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-the-Heck-Is-Writing-So-Hard

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      BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      What do you mean, "identity issues?"  That hub, especially towards the end, was a prose poetry piece about the difficulties I experience in ANY mode of writing, be it literary, academic, commercial, etc.  I also wrote it with a view towards encouraging other writers who run into the same roadblocks, as if to say "you're not alone."  Some will be able to relate; others won't, and that's OK.
      
      Thanks for your good advice about the commercial writing.

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         Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         If I understood correctly, in your hub you said that writing can be such a struggle for you and that you are debating yourself whether or not to quit while still young and capable of taking up a more conventional profession. So a writer-or-not identity issue, not too dissimilar to the theme for this thread. Hopefully, I didn't misunderstand you entirely.

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            BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            The original question, specifically, is about finding a profitable niche for which I can produce original content.

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   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

   hmm, actually I write about topics that I'm knowledgeable about already and feel I can give it my own personal touch.
   I do keyword research to a degree, but not to the point where it would discourage me from writing on a topic. If you've ever clicked on half of the searches that come up on page one, many aren't worth reading.
   
   Why not pick 2 or 3 topics you're familiar with or passionate about and concentrate on writing a series of hubs on those topics?

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      BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks a lot, that's a neat idea.  The only thing is, when I think of writing a series of hubs, I do some keyword research to find that it wouldn't be very profitable.  I'm new to SEO, so I'm trying to learn as much about it as I can.  Usually I click on those searches and find that they ARE worth reading...in fact, the first few results cover the topic so completely that I can't think of anything new to add.

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5. 71

   thranaxposted 14 years ago

   Everything doesnt have to be completely original. Another writer wrote about how to get textbooks cheap for instance, she even links to my top 50 sites on where to get them. It doesnt mean she will get any traffic or if I will get any.
   
   Just write what you want, not copying the format or sentences - write it yourself. Sometimes I use other articles about the same topic to help put down my ideas then just add a little to it (an extra section for instance.) Just because we wrote similar setups doesnt make my content less original. I wrote everything differently from my take on it making it original.
   
   Almost anything someone writes can be found elsewhere on the net. Not the same words or sentences, but the same topic with the same answer.
   
   Remember your essay writing angles from school like if you want to write about Christmas wreaths, why not try a comparison between fake and real instead of just about Christmas wreaths?
   
   ~thranax~

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      BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Good idea, thanks.  I try to think of original angles like that, often to find that either (1) they're taken and too popular for me to compete or (2) nobody else cares; they're not popular enough.  Finding that happy medium is a real pain...I guess I'll have to keep my thinking cap on.  Thanks again.

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   Sally's Troveposted 14 years ago

   PS: 10 Hubs is nothing, and neither is 48.

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      BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't say anything about the number of Hubs I've written.  I know that I'm still a beginner and it'll take a long time to pay off, but I'm trying to learn as much about SEO and writing original content as possible.

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         Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Well, you might think about something else an awful lot of writers have said:
         
         The more you write the easier it gets.
         
         Some people advise just writing.  Good or bad, lucid or confused, just write.  Constantly.  Incessantly.  Always.
         '
         Because, the more you do it, the easier it gets.
         
         I've been writing at a 1 hub/article/post per day rate for almost 20 years now.   I don't even think about HOW to write anymore, I just do it.  It's as close to automatic as it can ever get.
         
         Honestly, I think you worry too much.  Just do it.

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7. 84

   Polly Cposted 14 years ago

   BennyTheWriter, I just took a very quick look at a couple of your hubs, and to me, the writing comes across as perfectly original.  And that's all that matters, really. You're a good writer, and your hubs flow well and are easy to read. Of course, it would be difficult to write about something that has not been written before, but your style of writing should ensure that your work does not come across as a copy of some other article.
   
   Though I am better at the writing side of things than all the technical stuff, I am wondering, however, if your titles are very search friendly. And if you want to write about more profitable things, you could write about the things you use, the things you know already, any hobbies you know a lot about. Sometimes you just need to stop thinking too much and get on with it, I guess.

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      BennyTheWriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Polly C!  I know some of my titles aren't totally search-friendly...I've been writing mostly what I want to write, whatever struck me in the moment.  But I'm improving my SEO savvy little-by-little.
      
      But thanks again, will keep your good words in mind.

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   Aficionadaposted 14 years ago

   Hi, BennyTheWriter -
   
   I hope you're aware of what great advice you're getting here - whether it's the warm and fuzzy, sympathetic type or the prickly, kick-in-the-seat, Dutch uncle style - it's really all good.
   
   A bunch of us have been where you are.  I was doing research one day for a Hub, and I ran across a site on my subject that was so wonderful and terrific and truly perfect, that I felt ready to give up completely - I could never come up to that standard.  I moped a bit in a forum, and the biggest help to me was a reminder that each one of us has our own voice.  You may say things that are similar to others, but it will be with your voice, and there will be people who will listen to you.
   
   Think of your writing as a job, and schedule yourself accordingly.  Some of your time will be spent with more creative, reflective writing; some will be more commercial.  Some of your time will be for the research or the nuts and bolts; some of it will be for tweaking existing Hubs (titles? keywords?) to help bring in more traffic.  [Marisa Wright has a great Hub on tweaking existing Hubs to bring more traffic to them.]
   
   Every time you come across an idea that interests you, write something about it, without worrying about whether it will be profitable. Just the act of writing a lot will help you find where you fit best as a writer.  Check the keyword stats in your Hubs to see what keywords people are using to find the things you write about, and let those inspire you to write other hubs.  If/when you experience writer's block, use that time to take care of some of the more business-oriented aspects of hubbing.  Then get back to writing as soon as possible.
   
   Two months is not a long time here.  Think of yourself as a seed sprouting underground.  Even when it appears nothing is happening, there may still be a lot of life ramping up and getting ready to break through and blossom!
   
   But this all begs the question of finding a profitable niche.  The most experienced hubbers talk back and forth in forums about how to do that. Read some of their previous forum posts about the subject.  Also, read through titles of hubs written by some of them to see what a variety of niches is available. Honestly, it's truly amazing.
   
   [I took so long to write this, I didn't see ryankett's answer.  Sorry.  I am one of the first members of mega1's OOOA.]

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   mega1posted 14 years ago

   the best writers here, in my opinion, aren't looking arbitrarily for ideas - they have sincere interests in things, people, places, jobs, entertainment, the ecology -etc.  Then they write about what they find out - or they write about what they already know on those subjects.  It's commercial, but its sincere, and that's what makes their hubs appealing.  I can easily tell when people are just trying to capture searchers - they're saying "buy this" and they its obvious they're just looking at stuff and describing it and quoting others - they don't really know about it.  If you really don't have that many interests - get out there and develop some!  and you'll see how easy it is - in fact, like me, you'll find it hard to keep the wordcount down to a reasonable 1,000 or 2,000 per hub!  If you have no interests of your own, really I find that hard to believe - you can always interview others about theirs.
   
   meanwhile you could change your name to "Benny, the would-be writer"  (joke)
   
   oh, and we changed that to the OAOAOA!  on and on and on ANON.

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      Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Spot on.
      
      I never really understood the people who have to go searching for things to write about - there is so much that interests me I can't ever run out, and there are new things every day!
      
      Commercial, not commercial, whatever.   Some of the things I thought would never earn me a dime have surprised me completely.  I have one silly page that brings me close to $200 every month and it has been doing that for years.   Complete accident and completely unexpected.
      
      Like I said before, he should just write.  He CAN write, so he should.

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10. 70

    BennyTheWriterposted 14 years ago

    Thanks again everyone

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    Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

    Hi Benny, your very first post said that nobody seems to be searching for that particular thing you like, but you don't really know that until you write it.  There have been times when I'm just surfing and a title catches my eye and it gave me a completely different perspective on a subject. And it wasn't even something I was looking for but after reading it I was glad I did.
    
    The other thing is that there are millions of people out there and there's tons of information.  Most of the time people can't connect to the information because of the style the information is written in.  It could be that your style is what will help people to understand that information.
    
    You never know.

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       sofsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I just read this whole thread and found so many useful suggestions. I just wanted to thank Benny for starting of this thread.

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