I'm happy at the Yahoo! change over, don't get me wrong. And as the bugs are still being ironed out and things are slowly smoothing, I find myself more and more pleased at the opportunities now being offered. I'm sooooo excited about being a part of the Yahoo!TV Superfan program. I'm extremely pleased about being published on more and more Yahoo! sites and now I've just been accepted as a Featured Parenting Contributor. I've decided to seize these opportunities and do the best with them that I can.
But this change also brings out some things that few may have thought of. This integration has now made standard page view goals and subscriptions almost irrelevant.
When you publish on Associated Content, two things happen. First, a notice goes to those who've subscribed to your work. Second, at each daily page view update, you see your main page views go up. But some contributors regularly have articles that go to Yahoo! sites now. Those articles' page views are separate from our main page views. This makes a heckuva difference when you have thousands of views on the Yahoo! sites and your main views don't go up. That makes getting to be a PV Millionaire with the little badge of honor on your profile a bit harder to reach (as if it wasn't hard enough before). Also, for those articles, a notification doesn't go to your subscribers so they have no clue you've published new content. Not that it really makes a difference on page views (more views come from searches than subscribers with most content), but it could be a little disappointing for those fans who want to read specific topics of yours.
In any case, I'm not complaining, just pointing out a flaw. No longer can I successfully say "I'm going to reach 500,000 by July," when so much of my content is being shifted to other sites and page views are separated.
In any case, the same page view tactics apply to any site. This is not meant to say that anything is different regarding how to get page views on Associated Content, only that it's a different standard now.
Showing posts with label page views. Show all posts
Showing posts with label page views. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Which Article Topics Earn the Most Money at Y!CN?
As a journalist and writing peer mentor here at Y!CN and elsewhere, I get asked often which topics are the best to write. What brings in the best upfront payments? What topics pull in page views? What topics does Yahoo!
want to see before giving high paying assignments? Overall, which topics make the most money?
Read more
Read more
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2010 Year in Review on Associated Content/Yahoo! Contributor Network
A year of learning
It was around this time last year when I decided that I'd had enough of struggling through Associated Content. I'd been writing for them for about a year at that time and was making mere change. In that year, I'd gotten 56,000 page views. That's an average of 153 page views a day.
Today I have over 357,000. A huge leap, right? That's an average of roughly 825 views a day. So what made the difference?
I stuck with it and I continued to learn. It wasn't like I read a bunch of articles on SEO and suddenly my page views went up, it was a combination of listening to the advice of more experienced writers, reading material on the subject, and simply learning by doing. When you're just reading about SEO, page views, and all that jazz, the topic seems so daunting and frustrating to the inexperienced content writer. I, personally, learn better by just doing.
One main thing I learned, though, is that different tactics and methods work for different people. Some people find their best income is earned through upfront payment, others through page views only. Some people do well by on hitting on a lot trending topics, others by evergreen content, some by writing on a variety of topics, others by cornering a niche. It all depends on your style, what you enjoy writing, and a basic grasp of what content writing is about.
There is no one formula for success. Every person, every goal, every factor is different. You need to find what works for you. One proven way to fail is by giving up on it before you've allowed yourself enough time to get a feel for it. If you're impatient with it and expect to be making a descent chunk of change after only a few months, you're going to be disappointed.
My Goals for the Year
I'm not making any yearly goals, just short term. I'm going to continue to write, continue to work, and continue to learn. Happy New Year!
It was around this time last year when I decided that I'd had enough of struggling through Associated Content. I'd been writing for them for about a year at that time and was making mere change. In that year, I'd gotten 56,000 page views. That's an average of 153 page views a day.
Today I have over 357,000. A huge leap, right? That's an average of roughly 825 views a day. So what made the difference?
I stuck with it and I continued to learn. It wasn't like I read a bunch of articles on SEO and suddenly my page views went up, it was a combination of listening to the advice of more experienced writers, reading material on the subject, and simply learning by doing. When you're just reading about SEO, page views, and all that jazz, the topic seems so daunting and frustrating to the inexperienced content writer. I, personally, learn better by just doing.
One main thing I learned, though, is that different tactics and methods work for different people. Some people find their best income is earned through upfront payment, others through page views only. Some people do well by on hitting on a lot trending topics, others by evergreen content, some by writing on a variety of topics, others by cornering a niche. It all depends on your style, what you enjoy writing, and a basic grasp of what content writing is about.
There is no one formula for success. Every person, every goal, every factor is different. You need to find what works for you. One proven way to fail is by giving up on it before you've allowed yourself enough time to get a feel for it. If you're impatient with it and expect to be making a descent chunk of change after only a few months, you're going to be disappointed.
My Goals for the Year
I'm not making any yearly goals, just short term. I'm going to continue to write, continue to work, and continue to learn. Happy New Year!
Friday, December 3, 2010
November 2010, Month End Review
So for the past two months, I've been whining about my page views on AC. There's a sweet spot where if I pick a topic that gets good views and stick with it throughout the month, I do well. For September and October, I never hit it. November was a bit different and my page views once again increased enough for me to make a descent amount in performance pay before Christmas. I've even managed to get my Hot 500 badge back! (It now says "Hot 500 Yahoo!" and is no longer a cute little flame, but that's cool.)
But there were many more things that went on in November. First, entertainment contributors were offered the opportunity to apply for a regular Yahoo!TV gig. We opened an application window, told them what set us apart as television contributors, check marked what shows we kept up with on a regular basis and sent it in. A short wait later, we received descent paying assignments that would test our ability to write for those shows on a regular basis. For me, it included five shows, "Criminal Minds", "House", "American Idol", "NCIS", and "Blue Bloods".
As of right now, I've had the "NCIS" article and "Blue Bloods" article, which were both episode recaps, published on AC. Now, I'm not sure if that means that I won't get those spots. Recaps were allowed as part of the test articles but their timeliness in publishing is what makes page views. The staff did not get around to publishing them until they were a few weeks past air date so inevitably, they went on AC and page views suck because they weren't timely. Going to Yahoo! TV was more evergreen content. My "American Idol" article has already been published over there and my "House" article, which is a comparison of House on vicoden vs House on Cuddy, was delivered to Yahoo! TV yesterday but hasn't been published yet. My "Criminal Minds" article, which was a "best quotes" type thing, is still sitting in my queue waiting review. I'm anxious, as I'm sure everyone who applied for the positions is, to see who gets the gigs.
November also saw the change from our status as an Associated Content contributor to the Yahoo! Contributor Network (has a nice ring to it). There are still glitches to be worked out but I have confidence they will be remedied. As long as I can publish and I'm getting page views and am getting paid, I can live with the glitches without getting too upset. Annoyed at no notifications, yes. Angry, no. There's no point to it. This was a huge roll out and was inevitable. It still can't compare to the disaster that was Examiner.com's "upgrade". After that, I can deal with the stuff YCN is going through. (Once I hear back from Yahoo! about logo use, there will be a change in this blog's header, too, hint, hint!)
So November was a rising point for me. And I continue on.
Be looking for an upcoming special post within the next week or two about the Yahoo! Contributor Awards. Check your account page on YCN if you have no clue what I'm talking about. I am planning a day devoted to reading and nominating my choices for these awards and I will post my choices on this blog in case you'd like to nominate them, too. :)
I hope all the U.S. contributors had a lovely Thanksgiving. Hope your Christmas (or whatever you celebrate this time of year) goes well.
-Pamela
 |
| My Profile |
But there were many more things that went on in November. First, entertainment contributors were offered the opportunity to apply for a regular Yahoo!TV gig. We opened an application window, told them what set us apart as television contributors, check marked what shows we kept up with on a regular basis and sent it in. A short wait later, we received descent paying assignments that would test our ability to write for those shows on a regular basis. For me, it included five shows, "Criminal Minds", "House", "American Idol", "NCIS", and "Blue Bloods".
As of right now, I've had the "NCIS" article and "Blue Bloods" article, which were both episode recaps, published on AC. Now, I'm not sure if that means that I won't get those spots. Recaps were allowed as part of the test articles but their timeliness in publishing is what makes page views. The staff did not get around to publishing them until they were a few weeks past air date so inevitably, they went on AC and page views suck because they weren't timely. Going to Yahoo! TV was more evergreen content. My "American Idol" article has already been published over there and my "House" article, which is a comparison of House on vicoden vs House on Cuddy, was delivered to Yahoo! TV yesterday but hasn't been published yet. My "Criminal Minds" article, which was a "best quotes" type thing, is still sitting in my queue waiting review. I'm anxious, as I'm sure everyone who applied for the positions is, to see who gets the gigs.
November also saw the change from our status as an Associated Content contributor to the Yahoo! Contributor Network (has a nice ring to it). There are still glitches to be worked out but I have confidence they will be remedied. As long as I can publish and I'm getting page views and am getting paid, I can live with the glitches without getting too upset. Annoyed at no notifications, yes. Angry, no. There's no point to it. This was a huge roll out and was inevitable. It still can't compare to the disaster that was Examiner.com's "upgrade". After that, I can deal with the stuff YCN is going through. (Once I hear back from Yahoo! about logo use, there will be a change in this blog's header, too, hint, hint!)
So November was a rising point for me. And I continue on.
Be looking for an upcoming special post within the next week or two about the Yahoo! Contributor Awards. Check your account page on YCN if you have no clue what I'm talking about. I am planning a day devoted to reading and nominating my choices for these awards and I will post my choices on this blog in case you'd like to nominate them, too. :)
I hope all the U.S. contributors had a lovely Thanksgiving. Hope your Christmas (or whatever you celebrate this time of year) goes well.
-Pamela
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Where do my AC page views come from?
I never actually thought this would be such a sketchy issue but after a recent forum discussion, I'm inclined to post this bit of information just to clarify this for some contributors.
People who get a descent amount of page views get them from search results via Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.
There is a misconception around the block that the majority of page views come from other contributors within the Yahoo! Contributor Network and Associated Content family. If that were the case, the likes of the millionaires (displayed in the sidebar) would mean that they were superheroes when it comes to networking. Well, yeah, some of them might be, but you'd have to have millions and millions of followers to get those kind of results. It's just not feasible. Now, if you are slowly inching along on page views, this might be true in your case. How do you get better page views on Associated Content? You can always post your work in the "Workshop" section of the YCN forums. In addition, you can click here for the page views topic within this blog.
If you're looking for quick money and a sudden rise to fame on the Yahoo! Contributor Network, you're in for a big surprise. Networking helps, but ultimately, it's not gonna amount to much. Learn SEO, dig in and take advice from other contributors, most of whom are more than willing to lend their knowledge and advice.
People who get a descent amount of page views get them from search results via Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.
There is a misconception around the block that the majority of page views come from other contributors within the Yahoo! Contributor Network and Associated Content family. If that were the case, the likes of the millionaires (displayed in the sidebar) would mean that they were superheroes when it comes to networking. Well, yeah, some of them might be, but you'd have to have millions and millions of followers to get those kind of results. It's just not feasible. Now, if you are slowly inching along on page views, this might be true in your case. How do you get better page views on Associated Content? You can always post your work in the "Workshop" section of the YCN forums. In addition, you can click here for the page views topic within this blog.
If you're looking for quick money and a sudden rise to fame on the Yahoo! Contributor Network, you're in for a big surprise. Networking helps, but ultimately, it's not gonna amount to much. Learn SEO, dig in and take advice from other contributors, most of whom are more than willing to lend their knowledge and advice.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The New Yahoo! Contributor Network and Reaching Clout 10
 |
| My Yahoo! Contributor Profile |
So it's been a whirlwind of a weekend.
First, AC contributors knew that AC would be going down for maintenance Sunday evening. We were told there would be a big change. So I hung around Facebook between 8 and 9pm last night waiting for the word from fellow contributors while also checking Associated Content's site for any sign that we were kicking again. Not that I was waiting to publish anything. I just wanted to know what was going on. Pretty soon, Marie Anne St. Jean wrote, "AC is up!" and it was on from there!
My first stop was at the new Associated Content homepage. I was blown away. I really like the new front page (and hope at some point, I can make it on there).
Now, of course, there's gonna be a few glitchy parts here and there, for example, payment reports are a bit screwed up. They are still showing 0 for the month and I have a notice of 4 pending payments when I'm not owed anything right now. So definitely there's some adjustments to be worked out but all in all, I think this is a fantastic change.
And the best part is that contributors are now being offered performance pay on Yahoo! sites. Some of our previous Yahoo! published content have shown up in our accounts with back pay attached; even though we had a legal agreement that we wouldn't be paid page views for those pieces. This, in my opinion, was the step that I talked about in previous posts when Yahoo! was publishing our DO content.
At this point, I'm certain the forum is rife with questions and discussions of the new Yahoo! Contributor Network. I, personally, am avoiding the forum for now until I've caught up with work today because I know it will be a long read that will probably take some time to sift through.
On that note, if there is anything substantial to add after-the-fact, I will post at a later date. So far it looks great and the opportunities are exciting. I'd also like to direct your attention to contributor Lyn Lomasi's blog where she provides some good information: Associated Content and Yahoo! Reveal Yahoo! Contributor Network.
Great job, AC and Yahoo! team!
And on to a second note...
I reached Clout 10 this weekend!
I wasn't really expecting this for another couple of weeks. Getting to Clout 10 was slow going. My little percentage bar on my account page had been leisurely inching along. The last I looked, I was sitting at 95% and then suddenly, I had almost 10,000 page views in a span of two days! So I've topped out on AC performance pay. My next milestone will be the half million page view mark. Hopefully, it won't take me but a few months to reach it.
Enjoy the new AC and keep checking back here for any additional info when I come across it. As always, if you have a question, feel free to ask. If I don't know the answer, I'll find someone who does.
Monday, November 1, 2010
2 Year, 2 Months - Month End Review
October is over and I doubt very seriously that I'll get my Hot 500 badge back for October. My page views were even lower than September.
While this hasn't been a very good month overall for any $ project, I did get a one of my highest upfront offers ever for a general article (excluding Featured Contributor assignments). I got a good offer because my article relates to NaNoWriMo which actually begins today. I also believe that I got a good offer on it because of my personal and professional experience with the topic. If you care to take a look, click the title below.
There is No Such Thing as a Perfect Rough Draft
Another good thing that happened at AC this month was that I had another Yahoo! pickup. One of my FC assignments was flagged by AC for Yahoo! Editors to look at. While the article sits now in the "Partner" tab on my account page, I have to keep an eye out manually on the Yahoo! TV blog for when it might be published. If Yahoo! rejects it, it will be published on AC, and I get to keep the extra compensation, but I think with it sitting in my Partner tab, it might have already been accepted. Not sure.
In any case, I've had the opportunity to apply for a regular Yahoo! TV writing gig. I'm currently waiting to hear if they want me to send a sample article. I would be so psyched to write for Yahoo! on a regular basis!
In any case, here's hoping November will not only provide me more page views and upfronts, but also that I have more time to pursue those page views and upfronts. I seem to be caught up enough to do just that.
Have a great November, everyone!
Oh, for a tip, get your Thanksgiving articles wrapped up this week and then start working on Christmas articles. You want to have those Christmas articles up and indexed by the time the major searches start happening in order to take advantage of rising page views. :)
While this hasn't been a very good month overall for any $ project, I did get a one of my highest upfront offers ever for a general article (excluding Featured Contributor assignments). I got a good offer because my article relates to NaNoWriMo which actually begins today. I also believe that I got a good offer on it because of my personal and professional experience with the topic. If you care to take a look, click the title below.
There is No Such Thing as a Perfect Rough Draft
Another good thing that happened at AC this month was that I had another Yahoo! pickup. One of my FC assignments was flagged by AC for Yahoo! Editors to look at. While the article sits now in the "Partner" tab on my account page, I have to keep an eye out manually on the Yahoo! TV blog for when it might be published. If Yahoo! rejects it, it will be published on AC, and I get to keep the extra compensation, but I think with it sitting in my Partner tab, it might have already been accepted. Not sure.
In any case, I've had the opportunity to apply for a regular Yahoo! TV writing gig. I'm currently waiting to hear if they want me to send a sample article. I would be so psyched to write for Yahoo! on a regular basis!
In any case, here's hoping November will not only provide me more page views and upfronts, but also that I have more time to pursue those page views and upfronts. I seem to be caught up enough to do just that.
Have a great November, everyone!
Oh, for a tip, get your Thanksgiving articles wrapped up this week and then start working on Christmas articles. You want to have those Christmas articles up and indexed by the time the major searches start happening in order to take advantage of rising page views. :)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Profit Power of Writing 'Display Only' on Associated Content
Top contributor Will Stape talks about Diplay-only articles in the following article and why there is a lot of value in this "free" work.
Before I provide the link, though, I want to reiterate that while this is a good option (I should know because some of my biggest paid months have been when I've just published DO articles), you shouldn't also dismiss upfront payments just because it seems hard to figure out. Getting declined? Then head to the forum and place it in the Workshop where experienced contributors can tell you why.
While I don't always have time to write on AC as much as I'd like to, I still see the value of utilizing both the DO side and the upfront side of AC. Don't stop because you may be getting frustrated with it. Doing so will hurt the amount of money you could make.
If you want to read more about the "upfront" topic, look in the right column at the label cloud at the top and click on the word "upfront" to see more posts.
Profit Power of Writing 'Display Only' on Associated Content
Don't like giving it away? Hate the idea of dealing in freebies? Does the thought of publishing display only give you the chills? Here's why you shouldn't hate nor fear the 'free' on Associated Content.
Read More
Before I provide the link, though, I want to reiterate that while this is a good option (I should know because some of my biggest paid months have been when I've just published DO articles), you shouldn't also dismiss upfront payments just because it seems hard to figure out. Getting declined? Then head to the forum and place it in the Workshop where experienced contributors can tell you why.
While I don't always have time to write on AC as much as I'd like to, I still see the value of utilizing both the DO side and the upfront side of AC. Don't stop because you may be getting frustrated with it. Doing so will hurt the amount of money you could make.
If you want to read more about the "upfront" topic, look in the right column at the label cloud at the top and click on the word "upfront" to see more posts.
Profit Power of Writing 'Display Only' on Associated Content
Don't like giving it away? Hate the idea of dealing in freebies? Does the thought of publishing display only give you the chills? Here's why you shouldn't hate nor fear the 'free' on Associated Content.
Read More
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
I Lost my Hot 500 Badge :(
My overall freelance/contract earnings were lower than usual as well so it wasn't just AC.
In the meantime, while I hope I get the badge back next month, if I don't, that's fine because I know I have more to write than just AC articles. :)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
AC and Me (or is it AC and I?)
I realized as I recategorized my labels yesterday on this blog that I haven't done a random progress report in awhile.
So how am I doing on AC? For the last several months, I've been doing fantastic... this month, not so much. My page views this month are less then half what they usually are and I've been writing just as consistently as I always have. But I fret not. I'm going to take some advice at the end of this week and do some networking and such.
I have mostly recovered from the AC/Yahoo! blunder that I'd been stressing about the last couple of weeks. My payment for the test feed error came through Monday as promised. There are still questions surrounding the legality of the whole situation but for the most part, I think it is something that can be moved past.
I'm also gunning for a "Best of AC" award this month for television. I was nominated last year for the award but didn't get it so I'm hoping that maybe this year will be my year.
In any case, I would really love to write more for AC. I could kick some ass if I had the time to write as much as I want but I do have other obligations and I have little ones at home.
I hope your time with AC is fruitful and I'll see y'all next time.
So how am I doing on AC? For the last several months, I've been doing fantastic... this month, not so much. My page views this month are less then half what they usually are and I've been writing just as consistently as I always have. But I fret not. I'm going to take some advice at the end of this week and do some networking and such.
I have mostly recovered from the AC/Yahoo! blunder that I'd been stressing about the last couple of weeks. My payment for the test feed error came through Monday as promised. There are still questions surrounding the legality of the whole situation but for the most part, I think it is something that can be moved past.
I'm also gunning for a "Best of AC" award this month for television. I was nominated last year for the award but didn't get it so I'm hoping that maybe this year will be my year.
In any case, I would really love to write more for AC. I could kick some ass if I had the time to write as much as I want but I do have other obligations and I have little ones at home.
I hope your time with AC is fruitful and I'll see y'all next time.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
August brings more upfront pay but less page views
Examiner.com bit the dust for me this past month. By doing a site wide "upgrade" that wasn't tested properly, they've screwed up much of the site. After a few weeks, my pages (I wrote on two topics) are still messed up and not displaying properly.
So for the last few weeks, I've largely been ignoring this blog as I tried to salvage my readership from both my Examiner pages. I've been developing new sites and such that left me writing less for Associated Content than I did before. In the end though, while my page views have not been as great this month as they have been the previous two or three, my upfront payments were much higher than usual because I actively pursued topics that would get me an upfront. I still had my 3 FC assignments but I also lucked up on two assignments that were targeted to FC's in the Arts and Entertainment categories and I had a partner call from Yahoo!TV which you can read about in this post.
Now as I proceed this month, my goals for my content and overall writing is to at least double what I've made for August. I'm curious to see if I can make up for the Examiner.com loss through AC and my blogs. I'm also expanding my network to YouTube so that should be wonderfully fun.
Continuing on, I'll be seeing if I can actually make enough to support myself and my children. Right now, I'm borderline on being able to do that. But in light of recent personal things, it is a reality that I'm going to have to face within the next six to eight months. Can I reach my goal of being able to support myself and my children just with my online work? It will be interesting to find out! (Psssst, and that's why you should follow this blog!)
So for the last few weeks, I've largely been ignoring this blog as I tried to salvage my readership from both my Examiner pages. I've been developing new sites and such that left me writing less for Associated Content than I did before. In the end though, while my page views have not been as great this month as they have been the previous two or three, my upfront payments were much higher than usual because I actively pursued topics that would get me an upfront. I still had my 3 FC assignments but I also lucked up on two assignments that were targeted to FC's in the Arts and Entertainment categories and I had a partner call from Yahoo!TV which you can read about in this post.
Now as I proceed this month, my goals for my content and overall writing is to at least double what I've made for August. I'm curious to see if I can make up for the Examiner.com loss through AC and my blogs. I'm also expanding my network to YouTube so that should be wonderfully fun.
Continuing on, I'll be seeing if I can actually make enough to support myself and my children. Right now, I'm borderline on being able to do that. But in light of recent personal things, it is a reality that I'm going to have to face within the next six to eight months. Can I reach my goal of being able to support myself and my children just with my online work? It will be interesting to find out! (Psssst, and that's why you should follow this blog!)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Why Am I Not Making Money at AC? Page Views, Offers, and More
Another great one from Lynn Lomasi...
Why Am I Not Making Money at AC? Page Views, Offers, and More
Struggling to make money writing for AC? About to give up and decide it just isn't for you. Maybe you just need a quick refresher on writing for AC and the web in general. As an experienced AC Contributor and web writer, perhaps I can help.
Read More
Another great one from Lynn Lomasi... Why Am I Not Making Money at AC? Page Views, Offers, and More
Struggling to make money writing for AC? About to give up and decide it just isn't for you. Maybe you just need a quick refresher on writing for AC and the web in general. As an experienced AC Contributor and web writer, perhaps I can help.
Read More
Monday, May 31, 2010
How do I get more page views? Part 2
I told ya that I'm really not the one to ask that question to. After reading this article on the very same subject by Lyn Lomasi, it is clear to me who wears the pants in reference to knowing the ins and outs of writing online.
The article is an excellent reference that you should bookmark and keep on hand when you start building blogs and websites, also.
The article is an excellent reference that you should bookmark and keep on hand when you start building blogs and websites, also.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Q and A: How do I get more page views?
I recently got a question like this and the forum gets a lot of these type of questions. Almost all of them can be answered with, "Put your work in the Writer's Workshop section of the forum and more experienced and knowledgeable contributors will give you some pointers and constructive criticism."
I hate to disappoint but that's really what you need to do. Don't be afraid. It's all geared to help you better your writing and to help you succeed on AC. If you don't want to do that then be prepared for a long road of trial and error and you realize what works and what doesn't.
I know this is a super short post and I wish I could help you more on this subject but I'm not the expert of SEO and keywording that many of the others are. They can help you out more than I can.
ETA: I realized there was a vital piece I'm forgetting to explain. Forgive me. I was writing earlier with a two and a four year old screaming around me.
The main reason I say go to the Workshop is because everyone writes differently, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I can't (nor can anyone else) blanket a response like, "write better" or "use more keywords" or "don't be redundant" for your specific needs. I hope that makes sense and I hope you consider posting your work there.
I hate to disappoint but that's really what you need to do. Don't be afraid. It's all geared to help you better your writing and to help you succeed on AC. If you don't want to do that then be prepared for a long road of trial and error and you realize what works and what doesn't.
I know this is a super short post and I wish I could help you more on this subject but I'm not the expert of SEO and keywording that many of the others are. They can help you out more than I can.
ETA: I realized there was a vital piece I'm forgetting to explain. Forgive me. I was writing earlier with a two and a four year old screaming around me.
The main reason I say go to the Workshop is because everyone writes differently, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I can't (nor can anyone else) blanket a response like, "write better" or "use more keywords" or "don't be redundant" for your specific needs. I hope that makes sense and I hope you consider posting your work there.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tracking and Comparing Contributors (Info on New Sidebar)
First of all, I want to thank the readers of this blog for making it successful. I started this blog almost a year ago when I was relatively new to AC and had no clue what I was doing. It now ranks well with Google, has a good following, and has hopefully helped others. Having said that, let's move along.
If you're a regular follower or visitor to this blog, you'll notice that I've rearranged the sidebar a smidge. In one category, you have feeds from AC Millionaires, in another, you'll see AC Hundred Thousand-aires (for lack of a better word). Look a bit down and you'll see those who really want your page views.
The entire purpose of the new sidebar categories is for those who are considering AC or are new to AC and want to learn, to view, track, and compare various contributors, see which contributors get the most page views, what they write about, and over all help give a better rounded outlook on Associated Content in general.
I appreciate each contributor who has volunteered their feed for this. I was overwhelmed and flattered at the sheer number of contributors who have asked me to add them to the side bar. If you are a contributor and would like your feed on the side bar for this project, all you have to do is PM me from my profile and I will get you added as soon as I can.
Thanks and I hope you enjoy this new feature on Writing for Associated Content.
If you're a regular follower or visitor to this blog, you'll notice that I've rearranged the sidebar a smidge. In one category, you have feeds from AC Millionaires, in another, you'll see AC Hundred Thousand-aires (for lack of a better word). Look a bit down and you'll see those who really want your page views.
The entire purpose of the new sidebar categories is for those who are considering AC or are new to AC and want to learn, to view, track, and compare various contributors, see which contributors get the most page views, what they write about, and over all help give a better rounded outlook on Associated Content in general.
I appreciate each contributor who has volunteered their feed for this. I was overwhelmed and flattered at the sheer number of contributors who have asked me to add them to the side bar. If you are a contributor and would like your feed on the side bar for this project, all you have to do is PM me from my profile and I will get you added as soon as I can.
Thanks and I hope you enjoy this new feature on Writing for Associated Content.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
102,348 Page Views!
As of the update last night, I have over 100,000 page views, reaching my goal three months ahead of schedule. Here, take a look!
Now that I've made it, what am I to do now? Well, I'm not in a hurry to start anything new with AC right now as my plate is full with other projects. I will continue to write on the same topics and such but right now, I have an Examiner project going on focusing on the topic of short stories, I'm putting together a short story and photography contest for my website at DeKalbRamblings.com, and I'm on a creative writing marathon, trying to get some credits built back up before I start submitting my newly written novel. Whew! All in a day's work, I suppose.
So while I'll be steadily writing for AC, I'm afraid I won't have time for any new experiments or projects. However, items of interest I find around AC, I will pass along here on my blog.
Keep writing and thank you for reading!
Now that I've made it, what am I to do now? Well, I'm not in a hurry to start anything new with AC right now as my plate is full with other projects. I will continue to write on the same topics and such but right now, I have an Examiner project going on focusing on the topic of short stories, I'm putting together a short story and photography contest for my website at DeKalbRamblings.com, and I'm on a creative writing marathon, trying to get some credits built back up before I start submitting my newly written novel. Whew! All in a day's work, I suppose.
So while I'll be steadily writing for AC, I'm afraid I won't have time for any new experiments or projects. However, items of interest I find around AC, I will pass along here on my blog.
Keep writing and thank you for reading!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Tripling My Highest Page View Earnings
When I started this page view experiment, I thought it was a lofty goal to reach for 100,000 views within a six month time. Now, after the first month, it seems easier.
I've been writing on hot topics and let me tell you, I'm completely astonished at the staggering number of page views I've been getting. In December, my page view average was 140 views per day. In January, (drumroll please) I averaged 858 page views per day. Talk about a HUGE difference. I finally have a page view bonus coming that I'm freakin' excited about!
I started this with a meager 56,000 page views. Now I have over 81,000. I published 19 articles this month. Eighteen of them were Arts and Entertainment articles, seventeen of those being hot topic items. One was a humor piece and I published a poem. None of them received upfront but the page views were so high that I really don't mind.
The only reason I published a poem is because when the Short Story and Poetry Featured Contributor Categories become available, I'd like to apply for those as well, which is something I didn't know I could do with a Featured A&E title before. Why? Because creative writing is a topic that I am very passionate about. So that was the only deviation from my plan. And otherwise, that plan has worked.
If I continue to keep it up, I will have 100,000 views in just a few weeks. Thank you for keeping up with this experiment and my own race for page views. I'd also like to thank AC for allowing me to be a Featured Arts and Entertainment Contributor. It certainly helps!
I've been writing on hot topics and let me tell you, I'm completely astonished at the staggering number of page views I've been getting. In December, my page view average was 140 views per day. In January, (drumroll please) I averaged 858 page views per day. Talk about a HUGE difference. I finally have a page view bonus coming that I'm freakin' excited about!
I started this with a meager 56,000 page views. Now I have over 81,000. I published 19 articles this month. Eighteen of them were Arts and Entertainment articles, seventeen of those being hot topic items. One was a humor piece and I published a poem. None of them received upfront but the page views were so high that I really don't mind.
The only reason I published a poem is because when the Short Story and Poetry Featured Contributor Categories become available, I'd like to apply for those as well, which is something I didn't know I could do with a Featured A&E title before. Why? Because creative writing is a topic that I am very passionate about. So that was the only deviation from my plan. And otherwise, that plan has worked.
If I continue to keep it up, I will have 100,000 views in just a few weeks. Thank you for keeping up with this experiment and my own race for page views. I'd also like to thank AC for allowing me to be a Featured Arts and Entertainment Contributor. It certainly helps!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Start (and Stats) of My Experiment
To see how much of a difference this has already made, I calculated my average page views per day in December. I averaged 140 views a day. December was one of my worst months but I also didn't write as much in December with what being busy with Christmas and all. But all year, my page views have just kinda trickled along and I can certainly see how there are contributors who get frustrated at this trickle, coupled with declines of upfront offers and then just give up. I've often thought of just giving up myself sometimes. But hell. I've made it this far. Might as well keep going.
It just goes to show that some articles will take off and some won't and you don't always know which ones will hit it.
My daily page view average stands at 610 right now. I'm already within a dollar of my highest page view performance payment ever and it's not even half way through the month. This is a dramatic increase and I hope to continue the rise.
I will keep everyone updated!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Changing Things Up - Join Me on My AC Experiment
Can I get over 43,000 page views in under six months? After all, I only have 56,000 and I've been with AC for over a year now. Allow me to consider this a type of experiment. If I focus on one area of expertise and consistently write maybe three to six articles a week, can I reach those pages views? It's possible. If I don't get a spot of Featured Contributor, it will make things harder but not impossible.
If you'd like to keep tabs on this experiment, you can follow this blog or you can follow me on AC. Here's my link for clicking ease.
Let's roll! Go me!
Monday, November 9, 2009
My Very Own Twitter Challenge
Because I'm having surgery this week and I've been worried about maintaining my page views, I decided to do a challenge of my own reminiscent of the late AC Twitter Challenge. No, I'm not giving a netbook away so don't get excited. Basically, I'm asking for help in promoting my articles while I'm gone both preparing for and recuperating from my surgery. Those who tweet my articles while I'm out will get the same promotion from me upon my return.
If you'd like to participate in this challenge just read the mission statement by clicking below. The directions must be followed in order for this to go smoothly.
The 'I'm Having Surgery, Help a Sister Out' Twitter Challenge
I'm going to be out for several days this and next week. While I'm out, I decided to do an experiment to see if my page views can be maintained even when I'm not proactive in promoting them.
Read More
If you'd like to participate in this challenge just read the mission statement by clicking below. The directions must be followed in order for this to go smoothly.
The 'I'm Having Surgery, Help a Sister Out' Twitter Challenge
I'm going to be out for several days this and next week. While I'm out, I decided to do an experiment to see if my page views can be maintained even when I'm not proactive in promoting them.
Read More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)