By Brandi Rhoades

Web content writing is one of the fastest-growing areas in the writing industry. It helps potential writers from living the "starving artist" life, but it requires a huge commitment of time and a willingness to put aside one’s creativity for the sake of the client's wishes. There is a way you can live both dreams, however, but you will need to work hard and be willing to make an investment to do so. You can self-publish your web content and reap all of the financial benefits from your writing!

That sounds great! How do I get started?

Well, the first step is to select a project. Brainstorm a few ideas that interest you. If you’re an animal lover, put that on the list. If you have an eye for decorating, put it on the list. Once you have compiled a good list, visit a keyword tracker site. The easiest one to find and use is Overture. It tracks how many people searched Yahoo! for a particular phrase in the last month. You can find the site at http://inventory.overture.com/. Type in the basic topics you picked and see how often they’re searched.

The target numbers depend on how much you want to make with your site. Select the topic you want based on the hits it gets. At this point, you want to think about the selected topic. You will need to be able to create at least 100 pages, or articles, about the topic. Jot down some ideas. If you can come up with a good 40 to 50 ideas, then you’re in business.

Now that you have a topic, it’s time to create the site. Look around for a web host. If you are new to creating sites, let the host do everything for you. Try to find a hosting company that charges less than $10 a month for their service as you will not need the luxury services available for higher prices. When you sign up, you will need to pick a URL. Think about your site’s topic and select something catchy, short, and easy to spell. Have a couple of ideas in mind just in case your first choice isn’t available.

Once you are set up with the web host, then you can begin building your site. Many hosts have free site builders, but it is rarely advisable to use these programs. First, many of them limit your design possibilities, and second, if you decide to change hosts later, you often have to rebuild your site. Either learn HTML coding by hand through free online tutorials or purchase design software, such as Front Page.

You will make money through your site by using advertising links. Look online for tutorials on affiliate marketing and Google AdSense. These tutorials will walk you through the process of setting up step-by-step. You will be offering your visitors good content and making money through your own site. Be careful, though. Content sites are addicting, and you may find yourself overwhelmed with the possibility of creating your own host of sites!

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