How to Make Money Writing on HubPages

There are all kinds of ways to make money online, but for me the most satisfying is when I make money writing about things that interest me. I've been a writer for years and even have my own website content company but it wasn't until I discovered blogging that the writer in me truly merged with the entrepreneur. Sure, I was able to make money writing for clients. But that's not the same as being able to generate income with no clients in sight and only your creativity and some simple Internet tools.

How I Learned to Make Money Writing on HubPages

Okay, that's enough about how Icouldn't make money. I'm only sharing my own experience -- and revealing a good bit of my own ignorance and stubbornness -- to let you know that if you have been wanting to learn how to make money from home and had a similar reaction to search engine optimization and using seo software, you're not alone. I also want to tell you that if you want to learn how to make money writing on HubPages, keep reading. This hub is filled with tips and resources to move you well down the road toward making money online by using nothing but your talent and a great free resource. Although some of the following information pertains to ways you can earn money blogging or implementing other forms of Internet marketing, most of the advice is geared toward HubPages.

One final note before I go through my step-by-step approach that will help you make money writing on HubPages: If you already have hubs that aren't earning a cent, don't despair. With only a few exceptions, all the tips below can be applied to older hubs too. One of the first things Grizzly taught me was that it's never too late to turn a page into a revenue source by making it more search engine friendly!

STEP 1: Keyword Research

Keyword research is the most critical aspect if you want to make money writing online or in any form of Internet marketing. In a nutshell, keyword research will tell you which keywords (they're called that but they're usually actually "key phrases") people are searching for in Google. Other search engines use keywords as well but Google is where most of the traffic comes from.

There are many keyword tools out there. A good free one is AddMe's keyword suggestion tool. To use it, enter a term that fits the subject of your hub. When you click on the "Search" button, you'll be given a list of keywords that are variations on that theme, along with the approximate number of recent searches. These numbers may not be accurate but they will give you an idea of how one stacks up against another.

Choose one of the keywords that have a decent number of searches, and then enter it into a search engine to see how many sites are competing for that term. Many times it's actually better to choose a keyword with fewer searches if there are also significantly fewer competing sites.

Here's an example of why you need to check the competition: Let's say you're going after the keywords work from home or payday loans. The searches and ad revenue are probably off the charts for those terms -- but so is the competition. Do you really want to spend years trying to get them to number one in Google when you could easily choose other keywords that are easier to rank and could make you even more?

The explanation above is just a brief summary of the keyword selection process. I strongly suggest you learn more about how to choose the right keywords and implement them properly by subscribing to The Keyword Academy's Crash Course program. (See the Valuable Resources box for a link.) It costs only $1 for the first month and you'll get access to powerful training videos and other resources that can make a HUGE difference in your earnings. They also have a guest posting system called PostRunner and other link resources that will help you get the links you need to have Google notice your hubs. I was blown away by how good their guest posting system is. This is a serious resource that can fast-track your earnings -- not just for hubs but for all Web properties.

STEP 2: Incorporate Your Keywords and Categories into Your Hub Content

Once you've decided on one or more keywords you want to use, you'll want to incorporate them into your hub. Some people prefer to "keyword snipe" and just use one keyword, but you can also use multiple, related keywords.

2a. Write your title

The first place you'll want to place your main keyword in your hub title. Doing so will automatically place whatever words you enter in that field into your hub URL. If you enter your keyword in the title field but the HubPages system says it's already taken, alter the text a little (without altering your keyword phrase) until you find a name that it will accept. Initially use all lowercase when you create your title. You'll have the chance to change it to initial capitals later. You want to use all lowercase at first because that's how it will appear in the URL HubPages will create for you. It's a minor point but it looks neater and more professional to have it in all lowercase.

2b. Choose relevant categories

Once you're happy with the URL, you'll want to choose one or more categories. In fact, the system will force you to choose categories and a few tags. I discuss tags further down the page, so for now just enter a few keyword phrases or choose some of the HubPages suggested tags so you can meet this initial requirement. You'll focus in more on this area later.

To choose a category, begin by pulling down the menu, which will reveal the major categories. When you've chosen a major category, another pull-down menu will appear. Look through this to see if there are any subcategories that accurately describe your hub. If not, you can just leave the hub categorized under the major category. If you see a subcategory that works, though, choose it. That will cause another subcategory pull-down menu to appear, so look through that as well. In some cases, there will even be a fourth pull-down menu. No matter how many menus appear, the only one you're obligated to choose is the major category. If you can find relevant subcategories, however, you should. That will help even more people find your hub. Here's a screenshot of the category pull-down menu before any categories have been chosen:

Click to see a larger version of this image

2c. Pick a starting layout

Next, you'll want to pick a starting layout. If you want to make money with AdSense, I recommend the option indicated with the red border around it below. That will give you a text box at the top, which is appropriate if you want AdSense to appear at the top of the page. This will be explained below under the AdSense section.

You'll see that this layout also has a photo capsule. You don't have to use it (any unused capsule in a layout won't appear in the live version of the page) but there is some advantage to having at least one image in your hub. HubPages lists hubs under categories, on the By Topic page, on your profile page and in other places, and there's an image next to every listing in each location. Those images are pulled from the first image in every hub. If there isn't an image, your profile image will be used. If you don't have a profile image, the image area will be blank next to every hub listing. Since most hubs have images associated with them, your page will be more competitive when people search HubPages if you have a relevant image associated with it. It's just human nature that people like to see what they're going to get before they click, so having an image that illustrates your hub topic can only help. There is one caveat though. You won't want that image to conflict with the AdSense display. Read below under the AdSense section to learn how to position the text and photo boxes for maximum effect. And if you need free image resources, see the Valuable Resources sidebar.

Afterthought: In this hub I violated one of my own rules about images. The image that appears next to listings for this hub is a chopped-up version of the "Valuable Resources" image above the blue sidebar box. Truthfully, it doesn't do much to show people what this hub is about. But I had limited room because of the hub layout, so I opted for my top image to be one that serves readers when they're on the page, as opposed to one that draws them in. So the bottom line is that you should do as I say, not as I do! ;-)

4-16-2010 update: Over time the layout of this hub changed, so I was able to add the orange graphic that I think will entice readers when they see it as an icon in the HubPages navigation.