This is what passive income (really) looks like.

Are the popular posts on your site the ones that bring you revenue?

Or mailing list signups? Or Facebook likes? Or retweets? Or whatever it is that you’d like them to do?

WARNING: the screenshots in this article may not be glamorous, jaw dropping or even inspiring. But they’re making (real) passive income. You’ve been warned. Shield your children’s eyes.

The posts that are popular aren’t the ones I pushed to be popular. The popular posts are the ones that (duh!) the people want. They’re the posts with the most value, with the most relevant information, the ones that help people achieve what they want to achieve.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]

Google search will help people find what they want to find. So why not help them out?

I noticed that for my marketing business (over at Likoma.com), the searches that were landing on my site had little to do with my core business (marketing, WordPress, etc.). But most people were struggling with setting up their email, finding a good email host, etc.

If you want your website to earn passive income, this is what the popular pages should look like. [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][see screenshot]

So rather than push back and post more and more about marketing and WordPress (well, I did that, too … ), I gave in to the pressure and posted more and more about helping people get their email set up.

I wanted to write about WordPress, but my audience wanted me to write about Google Apps. OK, you win!

I’m a huge fan of Google Apps for Work which is basically hosting your email at Google. But instead of your email being [email protected] (which, dumb as that one is, probably isn’t even available), you use your own name and domain name, e.g. [email protected]. To me, having a Gmail or Yahoo or anything but your own domain is like having a P.O. Box–it’s just not very professional.

Would I rather write about Gifts for People who have Everything? Or maybe How to Starve Your Children and Be OK with It? Sure, but those aren’t going to make me passive income. Write what your audience wants.

Because I had a (really) old post about how to set up your email client (e.g. Outlook, Apple Mail) with Google Apps, Google contacted me and let invited me into their reseller program. Hey, I was already providing a sought after service by helping people set it up, why not save those users some money and make me a commission to boot?

“But I want to write about what I love and I want to pay the bills! What can I do?”

Keep at it. Find a way. Get creative. Discover those who are doing just that. Be active. Test. Try. Experiment. What do you have to lose (well, time, money, fame, sweat, tears … )? Ach! Get over it!

Passion. Perseverance. Patience.

• Possible: write what you love
• Impossible: get paid for everything you write
• Repossible: write everything and see what sticks

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]