How to find a good niche

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   sid_candidposted 14 years ago

   I have done a lot of research but unable to find a good niche for a website. Either they are too competitive or just don't have much profitability. Can you give some ideas to find good profitable niches which are easy to rank.

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sid, if anyone has an idea for a good keyword that's not already saturated, they're not going to reveal it in a public forum.  The minute they did, everyone would jump on the bandwagon!
      
      I think you're overthinking it, personally.  For the last 19 months you've had an ideal testing ground right here on HubPages.  You should already know which of your favorite subjects have money-making potential.
      
      You've got 320 Hubs.  Take a look at your Adsense stats.
      
      Pick your best-performing Hub in a subject you enjoy writing about.  Take a look at the Stats and note the keywords people are using to find that Hub.  Create a website on that.  It really is that simple.

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2. 74

   Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

   I still haven't found my niche yet. I can't just choose one just because it is profitable, I have to care about the subject.

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   1. 78

      Ms Deeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      My exact same problem, Uninvited Writer!

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3. 77

   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   80% Keyword research 20% luck. 
   
   I have found some of my best niches just by seeing sales on some of my sites.
   
   Most of the time though it is just delving really deep!

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I'm sure you're right, Oli, but I think some people miss the fact that by writing Hubs, you are already testing out keywords.
      
      Using keyword research tools is great for people who can get their head around it (and have the patience,which is my problem!).  But it sounds like Sid is struggling - and he has 320 Hubs' worth of "research" already, so I reckon he should be able to learn enough lessons from that to make a start.
      
      Remember, Sid, if you use a host like Hostgator, you're not limited to just one website.  And if you head over to Sunforged's Xobba forum, you can get a voucher to buy a domain name for less than $2. So if you start a site and it doesn't work, you haven't lost a whole lot - you can always try something else.

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      1. 60

         sid_candidposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Marisa for the useful advice. Yes I have over 320 hubs and have been at Hubpages for over one and half years but that is of little use to me. My best adsense month till date was January 2011 when I earned $38 so I have no real data to look back and decide on profitable topic.

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         1. 86

            Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Well, that still tells you something!  None of the subjects you've chosen on HubPages are worth pursuing - because pre-Panda, if a subject didn't work on HubPages, it wouldn't work anywhere.
            
            I notice you have a blog on cricket.  Why don't you start a blog on how to play cricket?  Don't worry too much about whether it's a big money-spinner or not:  you'll enjoy it, so it won't feel like work.  I wouldn't even bother with Adsense - instead, look for affiliate programs for cricket equipment. I Googled and found these straight away:
            
            https://www.seriouscricket.co.uk/shop/affiliates.php
            http://www.cricketgames.com/affiliate.htm
            http://www.cricketmerchant.com/catalog/ … e_info.php
            
            You can also feature (or review) products on Amazon.  Once you've had the blog established for a while, you can also apply to eBay.
            
            "Evergreen" advice on how to play the game, what equipment to choose etc, will stay relevant - whereas reviews of specific games go out of date too quickly.
            
            If I'd followed all the keyword research advice, I wouldn't have several websites on dance.  I would be writing about something I care much less about, and it would feel a lot more like work!  As it is, I'm not earning a fortune, but all my sites do earn a small, regular amount.  You have to start somewhere, so I'd suggest start with what you love - you might be surprised.

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            1. 60

               sid_candidposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Excellent advice yet again, Marisa. There are a very few quality hubbers left at Hubpages and you are certainly one of them. I will consider starting a blog on cricket but have no idea about affiliate marketing so once I have a reasonable number of posts may be 50 + I would seek your help. Thanks again and Have a great day.

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               1. 86

                  Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  I wrote a Hub about it, called "how to monetize blogger" - but the same principles can be used on any blog.   Scroll down past the info on Adsense, Amazon and eBay to see the explanation of affiliates.  And do PM me if you have any questions.
                  
                  If you've already mastered how to sign up for Adsense and Amazon you should have no problems.  You just sign up with the affiliate, then copy and paste their banners or links into your posts or sidebars.  Just make sure the links and banners include your unique code, so you get credit for the sale.
                  
                  Unlike Adsense, affiliate companies don't care if you don't make any sales, so you can put the ads on your site right at the beginning and it won't do any harm. In fact, it's a good idea to get the ads sorted first, because your site will benefit from the "freshness burst" Google gives a new site - it would be a pity to waste that first rush of traffic!

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                  1. 78

                     Ms Deeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Marisa, I'm relatively new to HubPages. I find your suggestions here very helpful. Lot's of things I didn't know. I'm struggling with finding a niche that I enjoy enough to write more prolifically. Like you say, if enough is put out there it will bring in a small regular amount of earnings. Finding an angle that inspires more prolific writing seems to be my struggle. Probably I'm the only one who can answer this question, but I thought I'd try bouncing it off you to see if you'd glance at my hubs and see if anything strikes you with regards to an 'angle', so to speak. Thanks very much!

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                     1. 86

                        Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        I had a look, Ms Dee.  You write a lot about current affairs and opinion pieces - and while those often attract a lot of readers and lively debate, they usually earn no money.  That's because you'll struggle to find advertisers to present relevant ads.
                        
                        Also, it takes time for a blog to be noticed by the search engines - and if you're writing about current events, by the time Google finds you, it's old news.  Plus you're up against a lot of big players.
                        
                        Your professional knowledge could be a source of good material.  I have a Hub on introverts, and it's one of my better-performing Hubs, which suggests advice on personality types and how they relate to careers/ finance could be popular.
                        
                        If you're struggling to create more material on those topics, you have enough in your existing Hubs to create a good website (each Hub making one or two blog posts).

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                        1. 78

                           Ms Deeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           Thanks so much for looking at my stuff, Marisa! These are VERY interesting suggestions. I will think together with my husband and then, if I may, write you directly with maybe a bit further questions.

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            2. 61

               jpwriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "None of the subjects you've chosen on HubPages are worth pursuing - because pre-Panda, if a subject didn't work on HubPages, it wouldn't work anywhere. "
               
               I totally disagree with that statement.  Hubpages has a terrible ad layout, a low rev share, and a low CTR for Amazon.  I don't have many hubs, but there's a reason.  It just doesn't pay as well.  Period.  Sure, some topics do better than others. 
               
               Anyone who has articles on here and wants to know a direction for a niche site should dig into their Google Analytics data to find out what IS working.  If you've earned, something worked.

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               1. 86

                  Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  But that's exactly what I'm saying, JP.   If something makes money on HubPages, it's a good niche to exploit. 
                  
                  Of course there are Hubs that don't earn money. But pre-Panda, HubPages was very favorably regarded by Google.  You could post a Hub here and if you picked a good niche, it would start getting traffic all by itself, without any promotion. 
                  
                  Try writing a blog and doing no promotion, and see how much traffic you'd get!
                  
                  Why do you think the super-Hubbers like Nelle Hoxie had hundreds of Hubs?  She had several successful websites before joining HubPages, but she identified HP as a great money-maker. And she was mainly earning from Amazon BTW.
                  
                  Of course if you pick the wrong subjects, you'll get no traffic in either.

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