How to Work Online as a Ghost Blog Writer

(& 3 Easy Steps You Can Take to Get Started Today)

If you have a passion for words, a love of all things spelling and grammar, and a curiosity about all sorts of topics, you could earn serious money working online as a ghost blog writer.

Blogs are great tools for building an audience and driving traffic to websites – but writing isn’t a skill that comes easily to everyone! Many business owners would much rather hand over the task of churning out new blog content every week to someone who’s an expert at it and LOVES doing it. This could be you!

If making money online by writing sounds right up your street, here’s how to get started working online as a ghost blog writer.

What Exactly Does a Ghost Blog Writer Do?

A ghost blog writer creates compelling blog posts in their client’s voice. A key part of the job is mastering your client’s tone and voice so that no one knows that they haven’t actually written the post themselves!

Your client might give you the titles and topics for the articles, or you might do some research and suggest great, relevant topics to cover for their blog. A good ghost blog writer has some understanding of on-page SEO so that the blog does well on Google and other search engines.

You might spend some time finding the best long tail keywords that your client’s audience is searching for, and then naturally working them into the article. The last thing you want is for the writing to sound forced!

Ghost blog writers have deadlines to keep to, but you really can do this job from anywhere (so long as it has a good internet connection!). You can choose your hours, set your own rates, and work to your own schedule. If you want to work from a hip café in Paris or a sunny beach in Bali, there’s nothing to stop you!

You can totally work just as a ghost blog writer if that’s what you want to specialize in. Many Virtual Assistants like to offer blog writing alongside other services like social media management or site maintenance, too. (Want to find out more about working online as a Virtual Assistant?

I have a free class about how to get started – save your spot here.

Who Hires Ghost Blog Writers?

There is a huge demand for ghost blog writers right now. The obvious candidates to hire ghost blog writers are the big bloggers and influencers who have built massive online audiences and want to provide them with top-quality, consistent content.

But it’s not just the big names who hire ghost blog writers. Blogs are one of the best online tools for boosting traffic to websites, so anyone with an online business or e-store will benefit from having a great blog. Even bricks and mortar businesses are coming to see the value that a blog can provide.

How To Combine Ghost Blog Writing With Your Passions

Ghost blog writers are sought after in every niche you could think of, from parenting to travel, beauty, gardening, tech, and more. The beauty of this is that you can get paid to write about what you love – your passion or hobby.

You can really niche down as a ghost blog writer and offer your services to businesses in the area you choose. When you write about a topic that you feel strongly about, your passion and expertise will shine through!

If you’re a real animal lover, you could be the perfect ghost blog writer for a dog trainer, an animal non-profit, or a vet, for example. On the other hand, if you live for creating stylish new looks and keeping up with the latest trends, you’ll have the up-to-date knowledge of the fashion industry that would be vital for a clothing brand or a fashion designer.

What Skills Does a Ghost Blog Writer Need?

Anyone who wants to work as a ghost blog writer needs to have an exceptional command of the English language, a good understanding of grammar and spelling, and a way with words.

But you’ll also need to know how to get into your client’s voice so that the blogs you write sound just like your client is speaking directly to their audience. This sounds scary at first, but it becomes much easier with time and practice.

Top Tips to Help You Get Started as a Ghost Blog Writer

1: Try to learn as much as you can about your client. Read their previous content (check their blog, website, and social media) and note down any phrases they use frequently. You should also get to know who their intended reader is, so you can write in a way that speaks to them.

2: A helpful tip is that any time you write something, you should read it back to yourself aloud. Then read it out again. Seriously! Even put on their personality – anything that helps you leave behind your own style of writing and get into your client’s voice. (Don’t worry, no one can see you – but your client will be wowed by how you’ve captured their voice!)

3: A certain amount of organization and self-motivation is vital because you won’t have a boss peering over your shoulder, making sure you keep to your deadlines.

No Degree Required

Did you notice that nowhere did I mention needing a degree to work as a ghost blog writer? YOU DON’T! Excellent writing skills and killer samples mean so much more than a degree in this industry.

If you feel like you don’t have the skills necessary to work as a ghost blog writer yet, check out the 90 Day VA course. You’ll find complete modules which walk you through the process of creating compelling blogs for clients, completely from scratch.  

As part of the course, you actually write a blog for a dream client and receive detailed feedback on your blog post. It’s a great way to upskill and make working online possible, even if you have no prior experience.

3 Steps To Getting Started as a Ghost Blog Writer

Here are 3 things you can start working on today to jump-start your career as a ghost blog writer:

#1: Brush Up On Your Grammar and Spelling 

Blogs do tend to have a more relaxed style of writing compared with formal papers or books, but your writing still needs to be clear, free of errors, and well-structured. 

It’s been a while since high school English class, but it’s time to brush up on your grammar and spelling! One way you can do this is by putting pen to paper (or typing, cos ya know, it’s not the ‘80s!).

The more you practice, the more your writing will improve. You’ll begin to notice which mistakes you make again and again, and you’ll start to catch yourself before you make them.

Make sure you run your writing through Grammarly every single time you write something. This amazing, free software picks up on any grammar and spelling issues in your writing. You can download the app for your laptop, use the website, or add the Chrome extension to your browser.

You should also read your work back to yourself out loud – it’s the best way to notice any mistakes. Try to write your blog post one day, then sleep on it and come back the next day with a fresh mind to check it over. This a trick that even top authors use when it comes to editing!

#2: Learn SEO

Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is important for any blog if you want to get traffic from Google (and of course you do). Google and other search engines scan sites to check how reliable they are before pointing searchers towards the most helpful websites.

Ideally, you want to rank near the top, because that will mean more traffic to your client’s blog.

To wow your client, you should learn how to research the top, relevant keywords to use in their blog posts. There are free tools like Google Adwords Keyword Tool to help you with this.

You should use these keywords throughout your blog post, making sure they flow naturally rather than sounding forced. Another hot tip for SEO is to include keywords in the alt text of any images in the blog.

You can find tutorials and courses on SEO online if you want to dig in deeper. The 90 Day VA course also covers SEO for blogs so you can just jump straight in and do this for your clients.

#3: Build a Portfolio

Once you start looking in the right places, you’ll start to see ghost blog writing jobs ALL over the internet. But one thing you’ll notice is that almost all blogging jobs will require you to have a portfolio or writing examples when you apply. This might leave you feeling deflated and stuck. 

YOU know you’ve got the skills, but with nothing to demonstrate this, potential clients won’t know this. 

That’s why you need to start creating some ghost blogging samples! 

Choose a dream client in the niche you’re interested in working for, and create some sample blog posts for them. Make a Portfolio folder in your Google Drive that you can link to when you apply for jobs, and pop in your best pieces that are sure to wow potential clients.

Many of the 90 Day VA program members have scored amazing writing positions this way, just using their killer portfolios that they made during the course – so we KNOW this works!

You don’t need to have shiny pieces published on top websites. You just need to show a potential client that you can write excellent, relevant pieces that will perform well on their site.

Where To Find Ghost Blog Writing Jobs

So now you know exactly what you need to get started, but you’re not sure where to actually find ghost blog writing jobs. 

Job Boards

• Included in our 90 Day VA program is a private, exclusive job board where we post 20-30 relevant jobs every week to help you get started working online. (And if you join the program, you’ll build ALL the skills you need to qualify for these top virtual jobs!)
• Some of our favorite resources include ProBlogger and Remote.co.
• Another great way to find jobs is to discover where your ideal client hangs out online, in Facebook groups or on LinkedIn. Start showing up in the groups, providing value, and connecting with business owners. Reach out to offer your services when you see a need – you’re sure to find clients this way.

Cold Pitching

You can also try cold pitching dream clients in your niche. Research them and then reach out with your remote-ready resume and your portfolio of relevant samples. You’ll be surprised how often the answer will be YES! 

Small business owners are nearly always overwhelmed with ALL THE THINGS – many would jump at the chance of taking on a reliable and competent blog writer, so that they can focus on the core of their business.

If you need some more inspiration on pitching to clients, check out our blog all about the secret sauce of crafting a killer pitch over here!

Ghost blog writing can be a lucrative and rewarding career for creative types with a real love of words. You can niche down and spend your days writing about what you love, for your dream client.

Do You Have the Skills to Be a Ghost Blog Writer?

If you love the sound of working from anywhere as an online blog writer, but you’re just not sure whether you have the skills, check out the 90 Day VA course.

It guides you through the key skills that ghost blog writers need, like writing captivating blog posts for clients, creating killer graphics to go along with your posts, and more. Building your own portfolio packed full of samples is all part of the process, getting you set up to landing clients of your own!

You can find the full program syllabus plus testimonials and enrollment here or sign up for my FREE class to find out how you can get started working online as a Virtual Assistant or ghost blog writer.

Are you ready to create your dream life, doing work you love, when and where you want? It’s time to join the Work From Anywhere movement!