eHow article sweeps got me. So I am done.

eHow has been "sweeping" their site, removing articles that do not comply with their terms of service. MANY folks have complained for the past few months about this. in most cases, I believe the articles are removed because the articles are of poor quality or don't meet the eHow format.

However, many eHow writers have complained that Demand Media, eHow's parent company, has been targeting high-earning articles from eHow writers, removing them, and replacing them with articles written by Demand Studios writers.

I was skeptical before, but now...eHow just removed my highest earning article.

I've been a Demand Studios writer for 18 months now, so I have the eHow format down. My article was up for about 3 weeks and made me $3.45--quite a bit, for only 120 page views!

There was no click fraud, no format issue, and absolutely no duplication of the exact keyword phrase I used. In fact, that keyword phrase was so popular, apparently, that I'm going to turn around and write articles for Suite 101 and AC using it, and see how they do.

So with 15 (now 14) articles on eHow, I'm going to take my time elsewhere. If I am building good quality articles there and the powers that be are just going to pull them to replace them with their own (and piggyback off my work), then it's not worthwhile if I have other options.

I *do* have other options. Suite, here I come...

Ack! Life got ahead of me!

I obviously missed a week (a week!) of posting here. I've picked up more work and began teaching and went out of town and and and...

This is my fear.

My fear is that I will let life get ahead of me and stop doing the 10K challenge.

I haven't stopped, though. I've been writing. I just haven't been writing in this blog.

So here are my latest:

Suite101:

Chilean Wine and U.S. Trade Policy

Uruguay's Ley de Caducidad - Expiry Law

China's Terra Cotta Warriors Tour

Associated Content

Health Benefits of Organic Coconut Oil

Wine of the Month Club for Christmas Gifts

I'm focusing on Suite 101 and AC this month and letting eHow sit on the bench for a bit. No offense to eHow; I just need to get 48 more AC articles to reach 200 and get to clout 10. Suite is turning out to be SWEET--I have about 540 page views and over $8 in revenue! I'm working on applying for a Feature Writer job there, which would give me a 20% revenue bonus and make it even better for residual income.

In the meantime, I teach, I write as a publishing consultant, and I prepare for birthday parties, cub scout meetings, and a 3 month old who thinks I am the center of his universe. :)

Newest articles

Suite 101:

Accelerated Nursing Programs

Douche With Lysol for Feminine Hygiene

(No--that's not a joke. Lysol used to advertise this way from the 1920s to 1960s. Read the article.)

November 3 is Cuenca Day in Ecuador

Associated Content:

Accelerated Nursing Programs

How to Get Swagbucks Codes

If you don't know what Swagbucks are, you're missing out! Join Swagbucks (shameless referral plug) and earn cash and Amazon.com gift cards and more.

eHow:

How to Find the Right Accelerated Nursing Program

How to Find Swagbucks Codes

Notice a pattern? In some cases I'm taking the same research and writing completely new articles for different markets. It's a test--let's see how each one does.

Each place has its strength. I'm testing them.

Keyword trick that boosts my earnings

I'll report back with a list of my new articles shortly. But here's a nifty trick I've learned that is one of those "duh" moments (imagine me smacking myself on the forehead with an open palm).

Let's say you're writing an article about Grant Writers. Your main keyword phrase is "grant writers".

But you have to talk about grants if you're going to talk about grant writers, right?

So how many times will you use the word "grant" or "grants" in your article? Will Google think you're keyword stuffing? Will it hurt your SEO for "grant writers"?

Maybe.

So I've recently been stripping out all uses of any word in the keyword phrase EXCEPT when it appears in the keyword phrase, with rare exception. Sometimes you have no choice and HAVE to use one of the words in the keyword phrase. But if not, strip it OUT.

Since doing this my upfronts at Associated Content have gone up nicely and everything I submit there has an offer within 24 hours. Lately I'm getting a $5.95 Associated Content upfront offer. Anyone doing better? If so, tell me how!

October 2009 earnings

OK, first month of the 10K challenge.

In September 2009 I made the following in residual income:

$21.65 from Associated Content
$.95 from eHow
$22.60 total.

In October I made:

$25.10 from Associated Content
$3.83 from eHow
$.90 from Suite 101
$.52 from Factoidz
$30.35 total

So an increase of $7.75 or 34.2% increase!

Am I going to get rich with numbers like these? Um...no.

But I only started the 10K challenge on October 15. I have plenty of room for improvement. :)

My goal for November is as follows:

10 articles for Suite101
16 articles for AC
16 articles for eHow

I chose 16 because Monday-Thursday I have more time. If I can end the month on these goals, I'll be WAY ahead. Hold me accountable! Comment and follow!

Latest articles

As you can see, I've added Suite101 and eHow widgets to my page--so you can see the latest articles I write for them. Please click and read!

There are so many articles I'm going to compile them into one post here and be done with it. Halloween is tomorrow and I have an Ironman, baby Yoda, and Optimus Prime to attend to :)

Suite101:

Argentine Government Restructuring Debt

Michelle Bachelet

FARC--Violence in Colombia

For Associated Content:

Top Grants for Women

Cheap Used Laptops

eHow:

How to Find oDesk Jobs

Productive day, yesterday was! I have another AC article that was approved but hasn't been published yet, and I wrote some flat-rate articles and did private client work. I'm not discussing my flat-rate work because that's not the focus of this blog. The focus is on making residual income.

Many writers balance both, and gradually decrease the amount of flat-rate work over time, as residuals increase. That's my plan, too!

eHow, Associated Content, and Suite101: A Strategy

So now I'm taking articles and spinning them in different ways for different sites.

Here's my latest eHow article: How to Rent Homeschool Tests , which is a different spin on my Suite 101 article on Homeschool Testing.

I also sold an article for $5.68 upfront, plus $1.75 per 1000 page views, to Associated Content on Cheap Used Laptops . You may recall that I wrote an article for eHow last week called How to Buy Refurbished Laptops Online. That article has earned $1.28 with 40 page views. That is a $32 per 1000 rate!

Each article is unique, but has different spin or different keywords for a similar topic, reducing the amount of research I need do to and also giving me an opportunity to evaluate the quality of each publishing platform.

AC's upfront money is nice--how long will it take to earn $5.68 in residuals at Suite101 or eHow? I don't know. On the other hand, I'll only get $1.75 per 1000 page views at AC, while I've made $1.28 for only FORTY on my refurbished laptop article at eHow.

I have picked up some substantial set-fee freelance work for the next 2 months and intend to continue with my 10K challenge. Check back to see how I balance a 3 month old, 10 year old, 7 year old, husband, college teaching, and freelancing.

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGHHHHHHHHHHHH.