Guest Post by Shaun Connell

I get emails all the time from people asking me to summarize exactly the steps I take to make money online. This is mostly because I built an online income that was enough to pay for college in less than a year. I used the business model called "keyword marketing".

Keyword marketing is where you build a website about a specific topic, and then rank it on Google results for that keyword. This website, for example, is built around the keyword "make money online" and might be how you got here.

Here's exactly how I do it, step by step.

1. Get a Domain and Host.

Every website needs a host. A host is basically the place that your website is located. It's the "address" of your website -- a home for the articles and posts. Hosting can be as cheap as $3.95.

Your domain needs to focus on a keyword that people are searching for. For example, my website targets "how to make money online."

2. Get a usable website design.

Install WordPress or Blogger on your domain. This can usually be done by your host in just a few clicks. Make sure your design makes sense and is easy to use.

3. Plan out 50 articles.

Plan out the top 50 things you need to say about the topic that you've chosen to write about. You don't need more than 50 to start with, though more never hurts.

You can either write the articles yourself (they need to be at least 350 words long), or you can outsource the word to a cheap article writing service. I pay for most of my articles, and pay roughly $5 per article.

4. Place ads and affiliate programs.

This is the fun part. Sign up for programs like AdSense, Commission Junction and ClickBooth. Add the advertisements to your design, find a few products to make sales pages around, and then link to those sales pages from most of your other articles/posts/pages.

This means that you basically have a money-making machine. The more traffic you get, the more you make money.

5. Build Links.

The best source of traffic to get is straight from Google. These visitors are more likely to click ads, buy products and earn you money.

To get Google traffic, you need to have links pointing to your website. Guest posts, article marketing -- find at least 10 different ways to get links, and then build at least 10 links per day. Within a few months, your income will be considerable, if you picked the right topic.

Conclusion

It's not easy to make money online, and most people give up before they get where they are trying to go. But if you follow the above steps to the letter, you'll be able to build an income.

It takes hard word, dedication and will-power. But you can do it. I did it in less than 6 months, and am paying for college this way.

Author Bio:
Shaun Connell manages a dozen websites, and likes to teach people how to make money online.