Due to a poor economy and loss of jobs, more websites are launching that pay writers to write content into their sites.
Called revenue sharing websites, these sites allow the writer to make money on each article posted by sharing advertising revenue with site members. Over time, the money accrues and creates a stream of passive (residual) income where the money continues build day and night.
eHow is a fun and interesting paid content website where the aspiring writer can make money by writing short step-by-step "how-to" articles. The website also features a social networking component where the writer can meet new friends and share information regarding tips and tricks of the trade.
This article explains how to make money writing on eHow and provides the prospective writer with insider tips for success on the paid content website.
Writing the How-To Article on eHow
eHow bills itself as the premiere spot on the web for information on how to do just about anything. As such, writers can write on a variety of topics.
While eHow members display amazing creativity and diversity in the topics they cover in their how-to articles, the ones that fare the best in terms of money and popularity are invariably practical instructions on how to perform everyday tasks.
For example, the writer could develop an eHow article on how to grow tomatoes or how to polish silver. Or if the person is into cooking, how to cook rice or how to make hummus from scratch.
Generally speaking, food and household articles tend to attract more page views on eHow. These include how to bake an apple pie, how to use a tape measure, how to make southern grits, how to clean a kitchen, etc. To reiterate, these are everyday ordinary tasks that people type into an internet search engine to learn how to do.
All About Search Engine Optimization
When the writer signs up with an account to begin writing how-to articles on eHow with the intent of making money, he or she should have a rudimentary understanding of search engine optimization (SEO).
Basically, SEO is a methodology for placing specific keywords and keyword phrases both in the body of the article and in the Keyword field on the last page of eHow's article submission process. Because the search engine titan Google has now taken a 90 percent share of all U.S. search growth, SEO is aimed primarily at Google's search metrics.
Here is how Google finds web pages. Google search bots eventually discover the writer's eHow article and filter keywords from both the article body and keywords the writer placed into the Keyword field during the article submission process. The idea is to choose keywords and keyword phrases that give the writer's article a high Google page ranking so it gets read, and the writer gets paid.
How to Get Started Writing for eHow
New writers should carefully read eHow's Terms of Use, located at the bottom of every page on their website. The writer should especially take note of his or her rights as a contributor to the site.
Generally, writers license their work to eHow and allow eHow to display and use their articles however they see fit. Writers retain all rights to their work non-exclusively, which means eHow does not own the work and the writer can use the work anywhere else.
When writers register on the site, the first step is to complete their member profile and start making new friends. During the process of writing their first article, members should keep in mind that the most successful writers on eHow write "how-to" articles for everyday, ordinary tasks, perhaps with a new or novel approach.
Writers also need to keep in mind that they won't strike it rich overnight. eHow is a revenue-sharing website, and the idea is to accrue a small amount of money per article that, collectively and over a longer period of time, will make more money when the person has written between 50-75 articles.
One thing is for certain: eHow is a fun, unique website for writers who want to sharpen their writing skills while making money on the side.