Hey everyone, The Side Hustle University is back with another review for you. This time I will be talking about Appen, an online search engine evaluation site.
As I said in my review of Rev, I feel that Appen will not be a site that will suit everyone out there, but it is another great example of a quickly growing method to make money online.
Like many of you out there, I used to worry about finances quite a bit. Not knowing if I was going to have enough money at the end of the month to afford rent, or only having enough money to feed my kids pasta and butter for dinner every day was just one of the worst feelings I have ever had. I couldn’t take it anymore and I decided to figure out ways to make more money.
Luckily, I was able to start a blog, The Side Hustle University, to help people who are going through similar situations to me and looking for ways to make money whether online or on the side.
One sustainable side hustle is something I came across called Search Engine Evaluation. Search Engine Evaluators are people just like you who determine if online searches are relevant to the search query. So when someone goes to Google and types in “ The Side Hustle University”, they would be expecting to see results about my website, and not some random results like “the sky is blue”. They validate the results found on the search engine used.
It sounds like a pretty easy task, and it is for the most part. However, there are steps and detailed guidelines that you need to take in order to find work as a Search Engine Evaluator. You need to apply and qualify for these tasks, which turns out to be harder than the task itself.
In this article, I will describe the work that is involved, and how realistic is it to make some decent money from it.
What is a Search Engine Evaluator and what do they do?
A Search Engine Evaluator would be people who measure the quality of results on the search engine results pages. These are real people like you and me, who provide real time feedback about the search results and work on improving their quality so that they are relevant to the users.
For the most part, you are given a set of detailed instructions to follow, and criteria to use to critique the results of a web search. The primary task of a Search Engine Evaluator is to evaluate whether the searches are relevant to the user’s query and whether they are accurate for the search term.
The beauty of being a Search Engine Evaluator is that the position is remote, and work from home. You only need a computer, a mobile device, and a decent internet connection. This is perfect for people like us who want to find side hustles online.
The key job responsibilities of a Search Engine Evaluator would be as follows:
- Analyzing search results on different search engines
- Evaluating different types of search results like videos, images, news, business hours, and so on (just think of the things you would ask Google)
- Using the supplied guidelines to create a common type of measurement of search results
- Suggest ways of improving the quality of search results and queries
How do you become a Search Engine Evaluator?
This is really simple, to be honest. Just follow these steps.
A quick google search will yield you all the information needed on sites that are looking for Search Engine Evaluators. The most trusted one that The Side Hustle University has come across so far AND tested and actually use is Appen. (I still use it to this day.) It’s very simple to register, so don’t stress too much about that. You will be accepted for work once you apply. And really that is all you have to do at first. Take that first step and just apply and see where it takes you.
Search Engine Evaluators do not require previous work experience to apply for, at least for the jobs that are found on Appen. Every single job The Side Hustle University has applied to on Appen provides training and its own versions of qualification tests. One job that I applied for provided over 160 pages of information and a number of different presentations and practice quizzes for me to read over and study. Once all that was done, I had to take a qualification exam before getting accepted to work for them. This is what I mean by the qualification for jobs can be a bit hard.
The necessary skills to become a Search Engine Evaluator are probably skills you already have. For the most part, you should have great research skills. As you are going through results to evaluate, you will need to do side searches to make sure that the information and feedback you are providing are accurate and truthful.
“Having the ability to perform thorough online research and look for undesirable results is an important skill. Since search engine evaluators analyze search results for several phrases and terms every day, analytical skills can help them quickly analyze multiple search engine results pages.” – indeed.com
You should also have a knowledge of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. This will help you to identify certain aspects of queries that need improvement. There are a number of YouTube videos explaining what SEO is and how it works and how to understand it. It is not a difficult concept to grasp and if you are even here reading this article, you already know about it, you just don’t know you do yet.
Of all the skills needed to be a Search Engine Evaluator, time management and the ability to follow instructions are the most important. Most of the projects/jobs have a specific set of guidelines they expect you to follow. As with any type of job, this is really just to keep a consistent standard of quality of services that they provide to their clients. Lastly, time management. Time is money as they say. Each task you are given will have a time limit. This is not something to worry about because more than enough time is given anyway, but it is definitely something to keep in mind. Most importantly, if you manage your time well, you will be able to do more tasks. The more tasks you do, the more money you will make, and that is the goal of all this.
A tip that I can offer you here is that YouTube is your friend here. There are many videos and tutorials available to watch and master the skills needed. Find a YouTube channel you like and works for YOUR learning style and learn what is necessary to succeed as a Search Engine Evaluator.
Once you are qualified and accepted by the project, you can begin working and making money.
How much can you earn as a Search Engine Evaluator?
Well, that is entirely dependent on how hard you are willing to work. As an example, The Side Hustle University is currently working on a campaign that pays anywhere from $0.01 to $1.00 per task and each task really does not take that long to complete. It can range anywhere from 5 seconds to a few minutes, so it is entirely possible to make anywhere in the range of $20 to $30/hour if not more. Depending on the company you find work with, this can be made into a full-time job, or a part-time one, again depending on how much effort you are willing to put into it. You can also work as a freelancer.
Conclusions – The TL;DR Version
Being a Search Engine Evaluator can be a great and very lucrative way to earn money online. It is a great start, it is also free to start, and it is 100% legit. Appen is one of many sites that you can try. We only mentioned them specifically because it is the first site we tried and had genuine success with.
Anyone can start this method of earning money online. It can also be quite fun and rewarding since the work you are doing is actually meaningful.
It’s worth noting that this type of work offers a great deal of flexibility. Since the job is remote, you can work from anywhere with an internet connection, making it ideal for those who need to fit a side hustle into their busy schedules. Also, many Search Engine Evaluation jobs are part-time, which means you can choose to work as much or as little as you want.
Again touching on the fact that this is a side hustle that is free to start as well. As mentioned earlier, all you need is a computer, a mobile device, and a reliable internet connection. You don’t need to invest in any expensive equipment or software, which makes it a low-risk way to earn some extra money by working online.
Lastly, Search Engine Evaluation is a skill that you can apply to other areas of your career as well. And if you’re interested in pursuing a career in SEO or content marketing, working as a Search Engine Evaluator can be a great way to gain experience and build your skills in the industry.
Overall, Search Engine Evaluation can be a lucrative and rewarding side hustle for those who are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the skills required. While it may not be for everyone, it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a flexible and low-cost way to earn extra money. With the right training and guidance, you could be well on your way to becoming a successful Search Engine Evaluator.
What do you think? Is Appen something you would try as a way to make money online and help you achieve your financial dreams and freedom? Let me know in the comments.
As always,
To your success,
I’m a huge fan of your post, and without exception, I diligently implement each of its recommendations every time there’s a new one. Not only that, but I excitedly share it on all my social media platforms, and my audience always show their support by liking and engaging with it. Keep up the outstanding work and inspiring posts coming! By the way, I found an interesting piece from sites.google.com/view/career-shift/makethfate on how to earn income through the internet after being made laidoff, and I would like to share my own experience how I have managed to overcome my money problems in just a fortnight with this 3 pronged effective strategy and guidance that didn’t cost me single cent!
Thank you, will check this out.