HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE

1. Build a foundation of 10 websites targeting $500/month each

Generating an online passive income won't happen overnight and takes a lot of hard work, but going through the process is completely worth it and having an exact plan of action is the best only way to ensure success.

Start with a solid plan. The goal is to create 10 websites, each targeting $500 per month in passive income. This diversified approach spreads risk and allows you to experiment with different niches and monetization strategies. Each website should have at least 10 posts, with each post targeting a specific keyword that has potential earnings of $50 per month or more.

Commit to the process. Building a successful online business requires patience and persistence. It may take several months of consistent effort before you start seeing significant results. However, the potential for long-term passive income makes the initial investment of time and energy worthwhile. Remember, this is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a sustainable business model that can provide financial freedom over time.

2. Master keyword research for profitable niches

Everyone knows that there is LOTS of money being made online by people all around the world on a daily basis. Every year the amount of money made online grows exponentially and hasn't showed any sign of slowing down, even during this terrible recession.

Understand search intent. Keyword research is the foundation of a successful online business. Use tools like the Google Keyword Planner to find keywords with:

• High monthly search volume
• Low competition
• High commercial intent (indicated by Cost Per Click)

Calculate potential earnings. Use this formula to estimate monthly earnings for a #1 ranking:
(Monthly Searches) x (Cost Per Click) x 0.42 x 0.68 x 0.04

Focus on keywords with at least $20 potential monthly earnings. Remember that this is just an estimate, and actual earnings may vary. The key is to find a balance between search volume, competition, and commercial intent.

3. Optimize website structure for search engines

The heart of Google's entire search engine algorithm is links. The more links a website has pointing to it from other websites, the more powerful and authoritative it is in Google's eyes.

On-page SEO basics:

• Use target keywords in titles, headings, and throughout content
• Create descriptive, keyword-rich URLs
• Optimize images with relevant alt text
• Interlink your content strategically

Technical SEO:

• Ensure fast loading speeds
• Make your site mobile-friendly
• Use SSL for security
• Submit a sitemap to Google Search Console

By optimizing your website structure, you make it easier for search engines to crawl and understand your content, increasing your chances of ranking well for your target keywords.

4. Monetize with Google Adsense and Amazon Associates

If you charge $30/month to be a member of your website and you have 100 members, that's a steady $3,000 per month, and depending on the type of site you run, you may not have to do anything but maintenance.

Google Adsense setup:

• Place ads in high-visibility areas (e.g., sidebar, above content, below content)
• Experiment with different ad sizes and formats
• Use the "Ozh Who Sees Ads" plugin for easy ad placement

Amazon Associates strategies:

• Write product reviews and comparisons
• Use product images as affiliate links
• Add a prominent text link in the sidebar for your niche's top products

While Adsense and Amazon Associates are great starting points, don't limit yourself. As your traffic grows, explore other monetization methods like sponsored content, digital products, and membership sites to maximize your earnings potential.

5. Develop a strategic link building campaign

Every time a website links to another website on the web, that means that the website is essentially giving a positive review of that other website. The more links a website has from different sources, the more authoritative that website becomes.

White hat link building tactics:

• Guest posting on relevant blogs
• Creating high-quality, shareable content
• Broken link building
• Participating in industry forums and discussions

Link building ratio guidelines:

• Homepage: 25% brand name, 25% keywords, 50% naked URLs
• Individual posts: 20% post title, 20% target keyword, 20% related keywords, 40% naked URLs

Focus on acquiring diverse, high-quality backlinks from relevant websites in your niche. Remember that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to backlinks. Avoid black hat tactics that could result in penalties from search engines.

6. Create high-quality, targeted content consistently

Make sure that each article is informative and useful — ideally the best information related to that blue keyword and worthy of the #1 spot in Google.

Content creation best practices:

• Write comprehensive, in-depth articles (500+ words)
• Include relevant images, videos, and infographics
• Structure content with clear headings and subheadings
• Provide unique insights and valuable information

Content planning:

• Develop a content calendar
• Research trending topics in your niche
• Address common questions and pain points of your audience
• Update and improve existing content regularly

Consistently producing high-quality, targeted content not only helps with SEO but also builds trust with your audience and establishes your authority in your niche.

7. Analyze data to focus efforts on top performers

Now with this Adsense and Analytics data, we will find out exactly which websites in our portfolio Google likes the best, and which posts of each website Google likes the best, and put all our effort into those places!

Key metrics to track:

• Traffic sources
• Page views
• Time on page
• Bounce rate
• Conversion rate
• Revenue per visitor

Data-driven decision making:

• Identify top-performing pages and keywords
• Double down on content topics and formats that resonate with your audience
• Optimize underperforming pages
• Allocate link building efforts to pages with the highest potential

Regularly analyzing your data allows you to make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts for maximum impact. This targeted approach leads to exponential growth in traffic and revenue.

8. Scale your business through outsourcing and automation

If you want to outsource your writing, there are resources for doing that on my resources page. Even if you aren't financially ready to start outsourcing the writing, I would recommend everyone eventually do it at some point. That is the way to eventually grow this business exponentially and on auto-pilot while freeing up your time.

Tasks to consider outsourcing:

• Content writing
• Link building
• Graphic design
• Social media management
• Technical website maintenance

Automation tools:

• Social media scheduling (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite)
• Email marketing automation (e.g., MailChimp, ConvertKit)
• SEO tracking and reporting (e.g., SEMrush, Ahrefs)

As your business grows, focus on high-level strategy and decision-making while delegating time-consuming tasks to others. This allows you to scale your operation and build a truly passive income stream.

9. Prioritize white hat SEO for long-term success

The practices I teach are white hat SEO. These practices are the ones that Google encourages. They will bring you slower earnings and traffic numbers at the beginning, but they will make you the most amount of money over time.

White hat SEO principles:

• Create high-quality, valuable content
• Earn natural backlinks through outreach and networking
• Focus on user experience and site usability
• Stay up-to-date with search engine guidelines and best practices

Avoid black hat tactics:

• Keyword stuffing
• Cloaking
• Hidden text or links
• Link farms or paid links

While white hat SEO may take longer to show results, it builds a sustainable foundation for long-term success. Black hat tactics may provide short-term gains but risk severe penalties and loss of traffic in the long run.

10. Diversify income streams beyond Adsense

There are several third party credit card processing companies you can use to do this (including PayPal), but I personally like to use ClickBank and this is why: ClickBank allows other people to become an affiliate for you very easily.

Additional monetization methods:

• Create and sell digital products (e-books, courses, software)
• Offer coaching or consulting services
• Develop a membership site with premium content
• Explore affiliate marketing beyond Amazon
• Sell sponsored content or advertising directly to brands

Benefits of diversification:

• Reduces reliance on a single income source
• Increases overall revenue potential
• Provides stability during algorithm changes or market fluctuations
• Allows for testing and optimization of different strategies

By diversifying your income streams, you create a more resilient and profitable online business. Each new revenue source has the potential to compound your earnings and provide additional value to your audience.

Last updated: November 17, 2024