Lost In The Words

I will be the first to admit that I am one of those people. You know the ones - must check my traffic stats forty-seven times a day. Most of my traffic doesn't surprise me. But every now and then, I end up scratching my head.

I haven't had any time to blog or check stats in the past couple of weeks. We have been passing a bad cold around our house and then I had to play a big game of catch up to get all of my work caught up.  I finally reached a point today where I feel like I can take a break.

Tonight, I went digging through my most recent stats to see who had been around. I saw the usual clicks from BlogCatalog, Twitter, Entrecard, and other networking sites, which were no real shocker. Then there were the Google search clicks. Now that is where things got interesting.

I have seen plenty of hits from Google for various work at home and freelance writing searches. I get people searching for my name, which is not so common. That always makes me wonder who it is and why they are looking for me. Tonight though, I had a couple of interesting search clicks that made me laugh out loud.

I am proud to say that this blog post is ranked fourth in Google Canada for the search phrase "good cliche." How's that for SEO! Another unusual search click was "Words To Do With Eggs," which again, I ranked fourth with this post, this time from Google UK. I must say, I am quite proud of my optimization skills!

So how is your blog's SEO working for you? LOL

This has been an exciting week for me, with some great new projects in the works and some old ones coming to fruition. Here's a little rundown of what has been going on:

• Received payment from client that had seemed to have disappeared. Woo! Paranoia got the best of me in this case, I guess.
  
• Alternative Health website that I have been writing for has finally launched. Have to love the expert status I get through this one!
  
• Picked up a great new gig through a client, that could be a huge deal for me in the future. I'll share more about that whenever I am able. VERY good stuff though!
  
• Started a new blogging gig with the Today.com network. I'll be talking about cooking with kids. Not much to look at right at the moment, but I think I'll have some fun and exciting posts that many will enjoy
• I now have hosting and have arranged to buy a laptop very soon. Two major goals met! Up next, building that elusive professional site.
  
• On a more personal note, my baby turned one on Tuesday. It really has me feeling a bit sad, but happy at the same time. He's getting so independent now. I just can't believe that it has been a year already.
  

I feel like I have closed out the month of April on a very positive note. My business has grown tremendously and I have hit some short term goals that have been just out of reach for awhile, thanks to the help of some wonderful friends. Diane and Nikki, you girls rock! Hoping that the month of May brings even more exciting news and accomplishments!

Over the past week or so, I have decided to try a couple new approaches to finding clients. I have a solid client base at the moment, so branching out and trying some new tactics is something I have room for. When things are tight, I usually go with the tried and true client searches, afraid of losing opportunities that will keep my head above water, but right now I feel as if I can take chances and not lose out on anything.

I have signed up for Entrecard, which so far has increased traffic a bit, but they are in the middle of updates and changes, so I'll reserve commenting on its effectiveness for awhile. I haven't yet posted on their network offering my services, but I plan to in the future. For now, I'm finding new writing blogs to read, as well as dropping cards on blogs in other markets that may have the need of a writer.

I've also jumped on Twitter, though I haven't quite figured out how that is going to get me business. Quite a few freelancers are testing these waters and if nothing else, it is a lot of fun for the camaraderie and banter between us. Laura, at Writing Thoughts, is journaling her Twitter experience on her blog, so follow along to see what influences it has for her.

Should things continue to go well, I plan on working on my own professional website within the next month or so. If anyone has recommendations on hosting services that have easy to use design templates, I'm all ears!

I'll keep you all posted on my new experiments in stepping outside my daily routines!

Getting paid to blog is becoming huge in the world of freelance writing. I admit that I am always writing for other people's blogs, often neglecting my own. (Sorry guys, the clients pay better than the adsense clicks have been!)

Two amazing professional bloggers have come together to provide a plethora of advice for those who earn their living as bloggers and for those who are just starting out. Deb Ng and Jennifer Chait, both successful bloggers with major blog networks, have started Network Blogging Tips, to help answer the big questions that many of us have about finding blogging jobs, driving traffic to your blog, and deciding if the pay is right.

I have read through quite a bit of the site and have found loads of information and tips that I plan on putting to use in the very near future. If you blog for pay, or are considering applying for a blogging position, do yourself a favor and see what these ladies have to say!