The way I came across the articles section of the Directory Journal blog is one that is a little long winded and wasn’t simply me stumbling on it accidentally or randomly(but directly) through a search engine or being provided with the direct link.

When are things ever that straightforward?

A few months back I was recommended to take a look at the photo blog section of Directory Journal (http://www.dirjournal.com/info) which features some extremely interesting photos and information on topics of all varieties. This, as those who have read previous posts on Find A New Blog will realise, is something that I particularly love – there’s not many things better than reading up on all things, well, weird.

Clicking around the blog to discover more, I came to the main website, which is a directory of some very interesting and useful websites and from here I realised that the website had a range of other useful sub-sections.

Enter http://www.dirjournal.com/articles.

It’s difficult to summarise the blog into one section, as it is more of an amalgamation of everything related to internet marketing, social media and Search Engine Optimisation. The topics may be relatively broad, but the information is extremely useful, particularly for those who are new to the entire industry.

The blog started on 5 June 2007 with a post on ‘What is a feature?’ (in relation to PR writing) and over the last 3 years (almost), has featured posts on everything from whether or not you should offer a mobile version of your website to how to spot problems with your website by using Google Analytics.

Speaking to Hasan Saleem, the owner of the entire network, he explained that “Our visitors love the posts and our subscribers are rising every month”, the first part being something which is obvious by simply reading through the comments made by the community.

Largely due to the writers and experts that the blog utilizes, the blog has featured in many credible websites lately, including http://www.toprankblog.com and the more specific http://www.toprankblog.com/search-marketing-blogs/.

http://www.dirjournal.com/articles is a blog dedicated to providing the latest social media news, search engine optimisation tips, design trends and internet marketing, as well as throwing into the mix a whole host of other subjects and topics under its internet marketing / social media / SEO umbrella. For the vast majority of people online, whether they work in the SEO field or simply have their own website, a visit to this blog will almost always be of substantial benefit.

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Well, the first Interview With A Blogger went live a few weeks back and was with Jennifer Mattern, freelance busines writer and blogger (the review can be found here) and this is the very first in the series of the Featured Blog section.

Name of blog: Get Paid To Write Online
URL: http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com
Owner: Sharon Hurley Hall

I was first made aware of Get Paid To Write Online when Sharon contacted me in January through the contact page, asking if I could review her blog. Enjoying what I read, I posted the review in late January (which can be found here) and have made the effort to return every few days to check out what’s new.

The blog is actually a progression of a now defunct writing blog that Sharon setup and maintained when she was first starting out freelancing herself five years ago. Whilst the content may have remained the same throughout these years, the name has actually changed three times, with most agreeing that the current name is the most suitable and attractive.

If you didn’t check out the initial review I did of Get Paid To Write Online, the aim of the blog is to provide as much assistance as possible to new and aspiring writers who are looking to setup their own writing business. As mentioned above, Sharon began this blog originally when she was starting out as a freelance writer herself, meaning that the information and resources on the blog are all as relevant to new writers as they can possibly be, as the content has grown as Sharon’s career itself has grown.

Over the five years that Get Paid To Write Online has been active, it has received a substantial amount of praise from various people in the writing community.

The well-respected owner of the Freelance Writing Jobs blog, Deb Ng, has praised Sharon and her blog on numerous occasions, most recently in a list of blogs that Deb Ng was personally thankful for.

In addition to Deb Ng’s praise, Get Paid To Write Online has been mentioned by oDesk in their ‘Top 100 Freelance Blogs’ post last year in 2009, ranked as the fifth best blog for freelance writers.

Speaking to Sharon directly, she said “”This blog is a labor of love for me. I keep it updated because people keep reading and responding. Of course, I don’t have as much time to work on it as when I was a new freelancer, so now it’s become a more collaborative effort. Dana Prince posts there once a week and we have regular guest posts. I like to think that it keeps the perspectives fresh.”

“What readers get from the blog is my no-nonsense view of freelancing issues. Yes, it’s my personal perspective, but I’m always up for a good discussion, and we’ve had quite a few on the blog, especially on the issue of freelancing pay, writing samples and scams. I know that people have used the advice on the blog to handle tricky freelancing issues and I’ve done a bit of mentoring by email too. “.

With so many different freelance writing blogs, it can be difficult to setup a new one and see it progress to become one of the main players. However, there is a phrase that is mentioned on many freelance writing blogs – ‘there are no competitors, only like-minded colleagues’ and Get Paid To Write Online is a prime example of what can be done if you set your mind to a task, take advice and most importantly, believe that you can be a success.

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