How to Start AI Writing, SEO & Ghostwriting With AI, Step by Step
Built only from the steps described in 15 sourced AI Writing, SEO & Ghostwriting cases. Each step is attributed to the case it comes from; we do not add steps of our own.
How they started
Voice interview
A 30-minute call to capture each client's tone and stories.
From Sean, Provo, Utah (Side Hustle School episode 3103), step 1. Close to $3,000/mo, Self-Reported
Research with GPT-4
He asks GPT-4 specific questions about the topic and checks the sources it links.
From Tony Dong, step 1. CA$238,000 projected for 2023 (about $180,000), Independently Documented
Understand the text
He reads the AI draft closely and researches unfamiliar topics.
From Sultan Ali, step 1. More than $3,500 total, Independently Documented
Spot the demand
Clients started asking whether she edited AI-generated content.
From Gabrielle Gerbus, step 1. $33,200 so far in 2023, Independently Documented
Get API access
He got GPT-3 access by tweeting an OpenAI co-founder.
From nichesss (Malcolm Tyson), step 1. ~ $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Build hype
Grew a waitlist before launch.
From Kleo (Lara), step 1. $62K MRR, Self-Reported
Buy or build a base product
He started by buying Unicorn Platform and learning bootstrapping from its founder.
From John Rush (Unicorn Platform, SEO Bot), step 1. About $3M a year combined, Self-Reported
Spot the moment
They saw AI content was about to go mainstream when ChatGPT launched.
From Cuppa AI (Ryan Darani, Chris Riley and Dan Beynon), step 1. $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Spot a gap in early AI tools
He found existing AI writers overwhelming with weak output.
From Rytr (Abhi), step 1. Seven figures in ARR, Self-Reported
Build an audience first
He grew a blog, YouTube channel and agency for years before launching.
From RightBlogger (Ryan Robinson), step 1. $350K ARR, Self-Reported
Ship rough MVPs
He shipped early versions quickly.
From Vasco Monteiro (Journalist AI), step 1. $70K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Use deep experience
12 years of SEO shaped the product.
From Mark Gadala (Post Cheetah), step 1. A little over $3K MRR, Self-Reported
Pick a niche carefully
He chose topics with care when using AI.
From Casey Botticello, step 1. About $21K in one month, Self-Reported
Generate content
About 500 AI-written pages for about $467.
From James Oliver, step 1. Just under $4,000 total, Self-Reported
Spot the shift
Search traffic moved toward AI answers.
From Jackie Chow (Trackings.ai), step 1. $25,000 to $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
What they did next
Collect updates
Clients send news through a Google Form.
From Sean, Provo, Utah (Side Hustle School episode 3103), step 2. Close to $3,000/mo, Self-Reported
Draft with ChatGPT
Prompts tailored to each client.
From Sean, Provo, Utah (Side Hustle School episode 3103), step 3. Close to $3,000/mo, Self-Reported
Outline
He asks for an outline with titles and subheads.
From Tony Dong, step 2. CA$238,000 projected for 2023 (about $180,000), Independently Documented
Write it himself
He takes over fully for the analytical writing.
From Tony Dong, step 3. CA$238,000 projected for 2023 (about $180,000), Independently Documented
Correct and rewrite
Grammarly fixes errors, then he rewrites each sentence by hand.
From Sultan Ali, step 2. More than $3,500 total, Independently Documented
Check citations and detectors
He confirms references are real and runs plagiarism and AI checks.
From Sultan Ali, step 3. More than $3,500 total, Independently Documented
Price it separately
AI editing starts at $100 for 2,000 words, almost double her usual rate.
From Gabrielle Gerbus, step 2. $33,200 so far in 2023, Independently Documented
Prove the change
She shows detection scores before and after her edit.
From Gabrielle Gerbus, step 3. $33,200 so far in 2023, Independently Documented
Ship an MVP
He built a working version in about a month.
From nichesss (Malcolm Tyson), step 2. ~ $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Launch on AppSumo
The deal sold $100,000 in its first month.
From nichesss (Malcolm Tyson), step 3. ~ $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Private beta
Launched to the waitlist first.
From Kleo (Lara), step 2. $62K MRR, Self-Reported
Convert fast
Turned the waitlist into paying users in days.
From Kleo (Lara), step 3. $62K MRR, Self-Reported
Build tools for one audience
Every product targets busy founders, so the products can promote each other.
From John Rush (Unicorn Platform, SEO Bot), step 2. About $3M a year combined, Self-Reported
Cross-promote across the portfolio
Free and smaller products bring audience to the paid ones.
From John Rush (Unicorn Platform, SEO Bot), step 3. About $3M a year combined, Self-Reported
Price for scale
They say costs fall as new models arrive, so users can publish at scale.
From Cuppa AI (Ryan Darani, Chris Riley and Dan Beynon), step 2. $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Ship new models fast
Each new text or image model is added within days.
From Cuppa AI (Ryan Darani, Chris Riley and Dan Beynon), step 3. $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Launch lean
A small team launched in April 2021.
From Rytr (Abhi), step 2. Seven figures in ARR, Self-Reported
Grow a large free and paid base
He says it now serves more than 300,000 customers.
From Rytr (Abhi), step 3. Seven figures in ARR, Self-Reported
Launch an AI tool for that audience
RightBlogger had paying customers in its first week.
From RightBlogger (Ryan Robinson), step 2. $350K ARR, Self-Reported
Pivot to automation
Product fit came after moving to full blog automation.
From RightBlogger (Ryan Robinson), step 3. $350K ARR, Self-Reported
Document on YouTube
He shared the build on YouTube.
From Vasco Monteiro (Journalist AI), step 2. $70K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Grow via YouTube
The channel became the growth engine.
From Vasco Monteiro (Journalist AI), step 3. $70K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Build on ChatGPT
He started building after using ChatGPT.
From Mark Gadala (Post Cheetah), step 2. A little over $3K MRR, Self-Reported
Launch without ads
Early growth came without paid ads.
From Mark Gadala (Post Cheetah), step 3. A little over $3K MRR, Self-Reported
Draft with AI
GPT-3.5 produced first drafts.
From Casey Botticello, step 2. About $21K in one month, Self-Reported
Edit and fact-check
Heavy editing and original visuals.
From Casey Botticello, step 3. About $21K in one month, Self-Reported
Leave it alone
No link building; traffic grew on its own.
From James Oliver, step 2. Just under $4,000 total, Self-Reported
Avoid breaking it
Changing too many URLs de-indexed pages in month eight.
From James Oliver, step 3. Just under $4,000 total, Self-Reported
Build a tracker
Track brand visibility across AI assistants.
From Jackie Chow (Trackings.ai), step 2. $25,000 to $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Sell to SEO buyers
Use an existing SEO audience.
From Jackie Chow (Trackings.ai), step 3. $25,000 to $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
How they grew
Edit, fact-check, schedule
Human review before scheduling in tools such as Buffer.
From Sean, Provo, Utah (Side Hustle School episode 3103), step 4. Close to $3,000/mo, Self-Reported
Polish
He runs drafts through Grammarly before sending them to editors.
From Tony Dong, step 4. CA$238,000 projected for 2023 (about $180,000), Independently Documented
Deliver with reports
He sends the edit with the check reports and revises until the client is happy.
From Sultan Ali, step 4. More than $3,500 total, Independently Documented
AI Writing, SEO & Ghostwriting: common questions
How much do people make with AI Writing, SEO & Ghostwriting and AI?
Across the 9 of our 15 sourced cases that report a monthly figure, amounts range from $3,000 to $70,000 a month, with a median of $25,000. These are what each source reports, not typical results.
How much does it cost to start?
From about $32 a month (a GPT-4 subscription plus Grammarly) to domain and hosting only, in the cases that disclose a cost. 3 of 15 cases disclose a startup cost.
How long until the first dollar?
From the first weekend of sales to a few months, in the cases that say. This comes from what our cases report.
Which AI tools do these cases use most?
ChatGPT (7 cases), Fiverr (2 cases), OpenAI API (2 cases), Claude (1 case). Only tools named in the sources are counted.
How reliable are these income figures?
3 of 15 cases are independently documented, meaning a news outlet says it reviewed records. 12 are self-reported. Every case links its source.
What are the main risks?
Clients may decide to use AI themselves instead. Search engines can demote low-quality AI content. Rates for basic writing are under pressure.
How many of these cases say when they made their first dollar?
7 of 15 cases state a time to first revenue. For example: Sean, Provo, Utah (Side Hustle School episode 3103): "Within the first month"; Sultan Ali: "First order in March 2023, a few months after ChatGPT launched"; Gabrielle Gerbus: "AI editing requests started soon after ChatGPT launched in November 2022". The rest do not say, so treat any single timeline as one example, not a norm.
What went wrong or held these cases back?
15 of 15 cases list limitations or risks drawn from their sources. Examples: Sean, Provo, Utah (Side Hustle School episode 3103): ChatGPT sometimes invented statistics and names; Tony Dong: The figure is total freelance income, so it does not isolate what AI added; Sultan Ali: Low prices mean modest total income for the hours involved. Each case page lists them in full.
Do I have to report this income to the IRS if I never get a 1099-K?
Yes. The IRS says that whether or not you receive a Form 1099-K, you must report all income from selling goods or services on your tax return. Payment apps and online marketplaces must send a 1099-K when payments for goods or services total over $20,000 in more than 200 transactions, but they may send one for lower amounts. Source: IRS, "Understanding your Form 1099-K" (irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k), checked 2026-10-20. General information, not tax advice.
Do I owe self-employment tax on side hustle income in the US?
According to the IRS, you must pay self-employment tax and file Schedule SE if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more. The rate is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare), and you may need to pay estimated taxes quarterly. Source: IRS, "Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes)" (irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes), checked 2026-10-20. General information, not tax advice.