Exploring Web Content and Web Content Sites

Web content gets a bum rap. So much so that I know a few freelance writers who are embarrassed to tell others they write content. They feel they’ll be ridiculed or stereotyped. Although there are those who believe all web content is low paying and not worth the time, the truth is not all web content is the same. You can’t compare a residual based website to a site that pays a flat rate per month or per post. You also can’t compare some scammy $3 content purveyor to a site employing thousands of people

Some types of web content are lucrative, others are best to be avoided. Let’s explore web content a bit…

What is web content?

Web content is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the writing you see at the different websites. It can be informative articles, blog posts or those little captions under funny pictures. There are different reasons writers are hired to write web content. Some clients are looking to promote a product or brand. Other clients only wish to get to the top of the search engines to earn advertising revenue. Regardless of their intentions, if they want to make money online, they’re going to need web content writers.

What is a web content site?

A web content site is a website dedicated to hiring writers to write content for them. Some sites take on clients and outsource to their writers, others only want writers to stock their website. Some examples of web content sites are Associated Content, Demand Studios, LoveToKnow, WiseGeek and Examiner. Though these are all lumped together as “web content sites” they’re all very different in regard to how they pay, how they hire and what they expect from their writers.

Types of Web Content

As stated above, not all web content sites are the same. You couldn’t compare a site like LoveToKnow with a site like Today.com because they’re entirely different. One pays $1 per article and one pays $20 per article. One has a strict hiring policy, the other hires almost anyone. One is a blog site, the other is a Wiki. To say all web content sites are the same only means you don’t know a thing about this type of writing.

Let’s explore some of the different types of web content and the people who hire web content writers below.

Private Clients

Many writers find private clients to be the most lucrative. Private clients might be from a business looking to use web content to lead seachers to their site or build buzz around a brand, or they can be individuals who are looking for writers for any number of reasons. With private clients it’s easier to set and negotiate a higher rate. Most web content sites have a set, non-negotiable rates. With private clients there’s more of chance for pay raises and to build a long-lasting working relationship.

Blog Networks

Blog networks are clients that hire bloggers to build traffic and community. Blogging is a more relaxed form of content writer. It’s nichier and designed to create a discussion around the day’s topic. This blog is part of the Freelance Writing Jobs network. Some other blog networks are b5Media, Today, Examiner, Sparkplugging, Creative Weblogging and Splash Press Media. Each blog network has a different set of rules and payment terms. For example, Today.com pays writers $1 per post while b5Media pays bloggers a negotiated monthly fee.

Residual Sites

Writers for residual sites earn a certain amount of money depending on how much traffic their article receives. For instance, $1 per 1,000 views. If an article doesn’t receive many page views, it’s not going to earn a lot of money. Residual writers provide content centered around popular topics using keywords in order to bring in the traffic. Writers for these websites say the appeal is that their articles continue to earn over time as opposed to articles that receive a flat rate. Some examples of residual based sites are Examiner, eHow and Suite101.

Performance Based Sites

Performance based sites also receive pay per page views,  but unlike residual sites their articles or blog posts don’t continue to earn over time. They earn a monthly sum based on the amount of traffic their site, blog or online column received – for only that month.

Pay per article sites

Pay per article sites pay a monthly fee for each article.  Writers are able to choose their favorite topics, and, in most cases, titles are assigned. Some sites pay as low as $5 for their content but the average is $15 to $20. Private clients generally pay a higher per article rate than web content sites, but the right web content site can also be a lucrative opportunity. Some examples of pay per article web content sites are Demand Studios, LoveToKnow and WiseGeek.

Web Magazines

There are plenty of web magazines hiring writers as well. Their content is different in that they’re not blatantly obvious about bringing in the search traffic. Some web magazines are accompaniments to popular print titles while others are web based only. Some web based magazines pay a very good per article or word rate, while others accept free content only.

PLR and Article Spinning

PLR stands for “Private Label Rights”. This is a different type of content. PLR writers create packages of content around a popular search theme, for example, window installation. They sell these bundles of window installation articles for, say, $60 for the ten, to 20 or 30 different buyers. These buyers can then post this content to their website as is, or they will hire writers to rewrite or “spin” the articles by changing them around to appear original. If you see a writing job ad for “rewriters” this often means the client purchased sets of PLR articles and is looking for a rewriter to give them a spin.

Red flags

Just because all of the different types of content sites pay, doesn’t mean they’re good places to work for. There are different levels of pay; some good, some not bad and some very good. The important thing is to make sure you’re being paid adequately for the amount of work put into each article or blog post.  How can you spot a bad opportunity? There are some good warning signs in writing jobs ads:

• Ridiculous expectations – Anyone with unrealistic expectations should be avoided. These clients are easy to spot. They usually want something like 100 articles  on the same topic in a week – all for $2 or $3 each.
• Seriously little pay – $1 or $3 for an article? You wouldn’t work in fast food for less than minimum wage, why would you do so for a writing client?
• No pay – Enough said.
• Not enough detail - Vague job ads can lead to some shady opportunities. Never sign on the dotted line without all the details.
• Lots of exclamation points - The more exclamation points, the faster you should run.
• Promises of riches - Saying you can earn “up to $10,000 a week!!!!!!” usually translates to a couple of dollars a month.
• No experience needed – Content purveyor speak for “looking for cheap content”.
• Perfect for… – Jobs touted as being perfect for work at  home moms, retirees or college students are usually anything but.
• Exposure or resume boosters - You can get a byline with your own blog. If you’re going to work for free in exchange for exposure do it for yourself and keep all the revenue. Working for Joe’s No Traffic Content Site for no pay won’t boost anything.

Good choices

Being a successful writer is all about making good choices. You know the best choices for you, so I won’t go there. I like to suggest writers make sure the end justifies the means. For example, if you’re working for a residual site, take the amount of articles you wrote over time and divide it by your monthly earnings. This will give you your per article rate. If you’re only earning $3 for every article, it might not be a good deal. Likewise those $3 articles from content purveyors. Say it takes you an hour to write an article, $3 per hour isn’t a rate anyone would accept for any job.

If you’re a beginner and want to make a start with a content site, try finding the sites paying a better hourly rate. $10, $15, $25 or $50 works better than $2. Many writers find these rates to be too low but they’re a good, livable wage and a better starting point.

As you can see, not all web content clients are the same. A $25 per article web content site can’t be lumped into the same category as a $3 PLR guy. To compare the two makes absolutely no sense. Find the jobs offering the best opportunities and stay away from the shady deals. Taking the time to compare rates and work out your best hourly wage, can mean the difference between a lucrative career and writer’s burnout.