Should Online Writers Follow the Page Views or Follow Their Heart?

Many online writers begin with hopes of making it big, but their dreams are soon dashed by a lack of page views or making mere pennies for their efforts. The reaction of new writers typically falls into two groups. Those who give up and those who give in. I was one of those who gave in. 

Now, you may wonder exactly what I mean by that.  It's simple really, I choose the path of chasing page views and doing everything I could to draw readers to my articles. I did my research, watched what other writers did and learned a thing or two about SEO and keywords.

I started making more revenue from my writing and my page views increased and that was good enough for me--for a while.

But,  I soon found myself writing about topics that really didn't interest me, or at least topics that didn't fuel my passion. I was making money online with my writing, but something was missing. That elusive thing that compelled me to write in the first place was gone.

I knew I had to make some changes, but I wasn't sure how. It was then that I noticed that some of my most successful articles were those that I wrote on a whim. They weren't those that took the most research, they weren't the best SEO'd, they weren't even the most popular topics. They were those that brought out my passion for the topic.

I'm not going to lie to you. I still do my research and I still strive to write about topics that will be highly searched and I still use high paying keywords when I'm writing for revenue share. It does, after all, make sense. But, I also write some articles on a whim about things I am passionate about. Sometimes they are very successful at bringing in readers and earning the proverbial dollar, sometimes they aren't. But, they allow me the pleasure of writing about things that are important to me--and that brings me personal success as a writer.

I'm not suggesting that you throw caution to the wind and ignore SEO by just writing anything that comes to mind. SEO is important to being found on the Internet. Keywords and search volume is important. What I'm suggesting is that you lighten up a bit and step outside the prescribed method of writing successfully for a online audience and enjoy the process of writing.

These are some of the ways I have discovered to do that.

• Start a Blog ~Although monetizing your blog is an option, not everyone chooses that route. One of my favorites is not monetized. I find it keeps me focused on the content of the blog and allows me to share my passion without concerns about page views and keywords. 
• Write About Your Interests~ Writing about topics you know will be popular is fine, but mix it up a bit with topics you find interesting. You may be surprised to discover a niche that you never guessed would be popular. Even if you don't, you'll enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you are writing with passion.
• Take Risks~ The truth is, to a great degree, we never know what will be popular with readers. Get in the habit of taking a risk with some of your work. The worst that can happen is that no one reads it.
• Have Fun~I'm a firm believer that writing should be fun. When we lose that playful quality, we lose a little of our self  as a writer. Choose fun topics to keep your writer's spirit alive.