Myth:  You need to bid for work to make money writing articles.

Fact: Sites like guru.com, elance.com and several others require writers to bid for projects.  However, you’re bidding against thousands of writers from around the world that are willing to work for pennies on the dollar.  Have you been put off by the idea of bidding for low-paying jobs? Good.  I’m glad you’re not willing to write for pennies.  Fortunately, there are many sites that don’t require you to bid for assignments.  Associated Content is one of them, and is one of the best sites for getting paid cash, upfront for your work.  Best of all, you can write on any topic you choose.  You don’t have to be a the mercy of some foreign company or individual who is trying to get the lowest price for their project.

Myth: There’s too much competition.

Fact: The nature of the web is that anyone can set up a website, blog or other publishing outlet and start making money.  If you’re only looking for jobs on Craigslist or some of the freelance writing boards, stop!  Look for sites that will pay upfront for your work; these include Associated Content, Demand Studios, and HubPages.

Myth: The best jobs are already taken/companies don’t hire freelancers anymore.

Fact: Hundreds of companies are looking for freelancers, especially if they’ve downsized recently and still need help to manage their publishing projects.  If you have a significant amount of experience publishing online, have basic HTML skills and are open to writing on a variety of topics, you could be a great candidate for these types of positions.  Sites like Problogger list available opportunities every day; start looking in the right places and you can secure some great projects!

1. Use Superlatives

Hyping up your headline will help to create interest, but you don’t have to turn your title into an infomercial. Use emphasis whenever possible so that people understand the value they will get when they read your article. Use words such as ‘worst’, ‘best’, ‘surprising’, ‘incredibly easy’, ‘most effective’ and ‘greatest’ to emphasize your point.

2. Keep it Short and Sweet

The ideal headline is no longer than 55 characters, so try and limit your message to just four to five words at most. If you can’t condense your main point, consider using a subheadline to support your point.

3. Generate a ‘Top 10’ list.

Lists are a great way to draw attention and get those clicks. Web readers are usually looking for a quick read, and lists fit the bill. Be specific when you explain what the list is about, and use the number, not ht word, to describe the amount. Lists of 5 to 10 work out great for most niches, but you can also draw attention with odd numbers (e.g. Top 7 or Top 11), or over-the-top (think Top 50 ___) to serve as linkbait.

4. Ask a Question

Sometimes posing a question will generate more attention than a direct statement. Consider rephrasing your original title into a question so that people who may be looking for a very specific answer will be drawn to your article.

5. Use Keywords at the Beginning of your Article

If you really want to rank high on the search engines with your article, use your primary keywords and key phrases at the beginning of your title rather than at the end. Keywords at the beginning of the title may have more weight with the search engines, and will be easier to find.

Understanding keyword density when writing articles for online publication is important, because many clients may ask you to use a particular phrase or word with a specific keyword density.

Keyword density is measured by a percentage. The recommended range for web articles is 3-5% keyword saturation, which means about 3 to 5 keywords or keyphrases for every 100 words.

The important thing to remember when using keywords is that your article or content shouldn’t read like spam. If you’re guilty of ‘keyword stuffing’, or overusing certain words and phrases throughout your article, you’ll not only turn off the reader, but your page or article may be deemed search engine spam.

It can be tricky to find just the right balance of using keywords and keyphrases for your articles or web content, but using a variety of sentence structures and using more than just a primary keyword or keyphrase throughout your copy can help.

1. Increased opportunities for Assignments. Active writers on the site have the chance to pick up special Assignments on a regular basis. Successfully fulfilling the requirements of these Assignments can help you pick up higher-paying projects down the road.

2. Improve your writing skills. Writing is a skill that you can develop simply by writing more often, even on a schedule. Some of the most successful writers on Associated Content set a personal quota or monthly goal of articles. This strategy can help you become more disciplined about writing, and helps you improve your skills in the process.

3. Increase your Clout Level. Your Clout Level on Associated Content determines the amount you are paid per pageview as part of the performance bonus program. It’s calculated based on the number of articles you’ve published, and the amount of pageviews you’ve received. Publishing regularly will increase your Clout Level and may even give you a chance to earn more for every person that reads your article.

You earn $1.50 for every thousand views as soon as you start publishing, and then get a bump to $2.00 for every thousand views when you reach a Clout Level of 10.  Clout Levels are assigned based on the number of articles you’ve published, and the number of pageviews you generate.  It’s AC’s scoring system, and you can start climbing up that Clout Level ladder when you know how to write quality content, and write about topics that generate lots of interest.

If you’re serious about making a great income online with Associated Content, pick up The AC Source Book, your resource and guide to getting starting and being successful with AC.  It’s a quick-start guide that will help you jump right into publishing articles and submitting content, and getting paid fast for it!

AC DOES pay up to $20 per article, but the average you can make is between $3 – $10 when you’re first starting out.  This is a wide range because there are some very specific things the content managers are looking for.

You can go through a long-winded trial and error process to figure it out, or you can do some research to find out what exactly is going to get you a high offer.I’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you understand the entire article submission process and write some high quality content that attracts great offers.

Don’t be left wondering how the thousands of writers on the site are making hundreds of dollars every month.  Pick up your copy of The AC Source Book and start publishing great content as soon as this week!