by Kerry Hosking

Created on: February 23, 2011

SEO is an acronym for search engine optimization. Put simply, writing articles for the web is not the same as writing academic papers and essays. Whether you are self-publishing on your own blog or publishing through other sites like Helium, your article must incorporate specific words and phrases people commonly type into their Google search bar.

To attract visitors to your content and make your article writing pays well, it is important to know what people are searching for. How can you know this? To get a general idea, go to Google's homepage, Bing, or Yahoo! search, and type in the question "what is SEO?" On the search return page you will notice (under the bar with your text in it) just how many people are searching for information on the topic "what is SEO?" The result will no doubt be many millions, and Google has a great web tool to help you analyze how many people are searching exactly, where they are from, and what synonyms you might like to use as an alternative. (search for the words “keyword research tool” to find a good, free tool) With millions of people searching for the topic you want to write about, the competition will be tough. So what can you do to get started and grab some of that action to convert your articles into cash?

Get a Thesaurus

Get a thesaurus, or use the one in MS Word. You already have it, and it pays to make use of it. By using a thesaurus you can quickly and easily come up with alternative phrases and words to research so you can see where there is less competition. When you figure out which of those words you want to use, go back to the keyword tool and enter them to see how the competition is for them too. You'll want to know there are a few less people searching for your phrases and words, but that they are looking for exactly the same information. Be sure to pepper these words throughout your article. Don't overdo it, though. People hate to read articles with repetitive words and phrases, especially if you're not  teaching them something that will be useful later.

It doesn't matter how professional your blog looks or how much it cost to have it built, nobody will visit your website or blog unless you are writing about something they are looking for. Learning SEO takes time and patience. The most valuable advice is to be persistent. When you don't understand something, ask questions. Some people pick up on the concept quickly while others may take months or even longer to fully grasp the significance of good SEO practice, and why it is so important to your freelance writing pursuits.

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