Words (to SEO experts like me) are just tools – tools used to acquire links. It’s not that I don’t appreciate great writing, a clever turn of phrase or an insightful comment. But blogs, guest posts and articles are a means to an end – getting higher page rankings for our clients. At least, that’s the way it has been for most of my SEO career. Writers treat links in much the same way they regard footnotes and bibliographies – drudgery required to get their amusing stories and searing commentaries published. At least, that’s the
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Agent X
Agent X is the name many mysterious and intriguing people take on when they guest post at our site. Their mission is to slip in like a thief in the night, leave you with entertaining, valuable and useful content, and slip away again - without getting caught.
How Not to Mess Up Guest Posting on Your Dream Blog
Written by Marya Jan
So your guest post pitch has been accepted by THE blog you’ve always dreamed of posting for. You’re on cloud nine – and deservedly so! You’ve been working up to this moment for a long time. You’ve learned the craft, improved your skills and honed your style on your own blog. You knew the moment was right – you were finally ready to make the pitch. And you nailed it. Then you get hit by something you never saw heading your way: Performance anxiety. Perhaps you recognize the signs: Your excitement turns to fear. You
> Read MoreThe Hard Work Myth: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Written by Ramsay Taplin
So you have your blog set up. You have a great idea and some business direction. You’re excited about this! You’ve seen the big guys (and girls!) raking in massive incomes… now it’s your turn. Right? Well, sort of. A lot of success stories gloss over an important piece of the puzzle – and that’s a real shame, because you need to know about it. You also need to know about a few other myths revolving around how long it takes to make money with your blog. Here’s the first: It’s not about “hard work”
> Read More9 Often Overlooked Ways to Market Your Freelance Business
Written by James Chartrand
Marketing your freelance business can often be frustrating. You’re already busy trying to make ends meet, and it just seems like there’s not enough time to do everything you know you need to do. There’s no “magic formula” to making marketing easy – you just have to do it. But lucky for you, there are simple, often-overlooked techniques you can use that take just minutes to put into practice. Here are 9 of them. Have you tried everything on this list?
> Read MoreHow to Supercharge Your Writing by Changing Up Your Personal Life
Written by Michael C. Deaven
If you want to improve your productivity, creativity or energy, one of the biggest faults is forgetting to change up your personal life. Being too wrapped up in work often causes chaotic schedules, poor diets and missed sleep. Remember: To be great at what you do, you need a strong foundation. That foundation is YOU. You have to take care of yourself to produce excellent work. And if you feel like your professional creativity is lacking lately, try making these changes in your personal life. I guarantee you’ll be amazed at how much your writing
> Read MoreHow to Deal With Writing Criticism
Written by Anne-Sophie Reinhardt
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. – Winston Churchill Dealing with criticism is one of the most important skills you have to develop to be successful in writing – and in life. I used to get really hurt and instantly defend myself if I received any type of hateful email. And in the beginning of my podcasting days, these weren’t uncommon. I remember being crushed every single time I read one. I
> Read MoreWhy Do You Write?
Written by Tom Bentley
Think of your favorite book. Better yet, go and get your favorite book, feel its heft in your hand, flip through its pages, smell its bookness. Read a passage or two to send that stream of sparks through your head, the alchemy that occurs when the written word collides with the chemicals of your consciousness: Delight is the fruit of that collision. When I was seven or eight years old, I’d walk to the nearby public library, and go into the section on dinosaurs. I would lie in the aisle for hours, surrounded by scattered
> Read MoreWriting Tips from Blackbeard the Pirate
Written by Steff Metal
Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard, is perhaps the most notorious pirate that ever lived. As pirates are a generally notorious bunch, that’s no mean feat. Blackheard captured a French merchant vessel, renamed her Queen Anne’s Revenge, and outfitted her with more than 40 guns. He set about terrorising merchant ships around the Caribbean and South Carolina. He plaited his long black beard and tied it with ribbons, then went into battle with a three brace of pistols hanging from a sling over his shoulders and lighted matches under his hat. Charles Johnson, author
> Read More5 Common Mistakes that Even Great Writers Make
Written by Chris Banks
Writers make hundreds of mistakes, but most writers end up making the same mistakes over and over again – often without even noticing. These repeated stumbles leave your writing dull and lifeless, and they eventually cause your readers to think your work always sounds the same. So here are 6 ways you can avoid common writing mistakes – and what to do to really make your work shine:
> Read MoreHow to Achieve Your Freelancing Dream – Without Quitting Your Job
Written by Tommy Walker
Right now, you have one idea with the potential to change the world. You know the one I’m talking about – it’s the one you’ve been putting off. The one you don’t have time for. The one that’s too hard. The one they’re all going to laugh at you for trying. While you’re sleep, this idea lingers at the foot of your bed like a creepy 5-year-old, watching you shift, prodding you to get up and research. You succumb to the pressure – but we both know you’re not going to do anything about it,
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