Blogging - page-rank versus quality
Who would have thought that writing every day would be such tasking work? Not just opening up the lap-top and hoping that a topic of interest will transmigrate from brain via fingers to blog-post. If it were simply the case of plain, creative writing, the problem would be how to staunch the flow, not unplugging the dam.
No, I'm talking about writing for the same niche, day-in, day-out and keeping it fresh. I've come to realise how difficult it is to report 'news' in the sense of 'look what's new in our neck-of-the-woods' articles, regularly.
Neither are time nor application the issues - I have both in abundance. My issue is that there are hundreds of blogs in competitive niches pumping out, for example in the dating niche, re-hashed 'how-to-get-your-man' guides and 'ten-top-tips-for-online-dating' articles.
Although the posts to which I refer can hardly be considered 'news', and in a very real sense, many can neither be considered written in English, due to their population with all the right SEO tactics and keywords (used however inappropriately), they shine in page-rank statistics.
These are so obviously 'spun' articles: great swathes of transcript simply copied from a legitimate writer's work, dumped into a spinner and then churned out by the freelance mills as 'articles'. This practise really ought to be addressed by the digital copyright companies and the creators of the software charged with intent.
In an attempt not to be dragged down to that level, I'm constantly trying to find ways of picking through the headlines or reading between other lines that allow me to craft posts, which:
- don't drive readers into our competitors hands,
- maintain integrity to the post/language and look at each one from a different angle, and
- draw potential online daters to the site to provide quality, comprehensible information.
Okay, the pay is so poor a genuine writer would not envisage bidding for the project, but that surely raises another point: what protection do freelance writers get with relation to minimum pay?
There must be a minimum rate per 100 words for original content set, across the globe!
The fact that some writers work for peanuts depreciates the market for other, more talented, writers; employers get used to paying a below-value price and almost take it as an insult when you suggest a rate of $4/100 words.
No, something needs to be done – urgently!
If you agree, share this article if you know someone with whom it will hold sway! Thanks in advance, Zebedeerox.
