To become a successful SEO content writer, you need to understand how to write valuable content that is optimised to rank on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo etc. In this article, you will learn what it takes to become a highly paid-SEO content writer.
What does an SEO content writer do?
An SEO content writer understands Search Engine Optimization and organic traffic methods, they write content that provides value and generates organic traffic for a website or blog. Their scope of work extends to content marketing.
In simple terms, an SEO content writer’s job is to write content that is optimized for search engines and to drive action by readers.
Content written by an SEO writer is capable of;
- Ranking on search engine search results like Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo etc.
- Attracting quality link clicks and website visits
- Attracting sales, leads, or sign-ups.
- Increasing organic traffic
- Building quality backlinks from high-authority websites (Source)
Is SEO content writing a good career?
SEO content writers are high in demand, this is because Content is what powers digital businesses.
Big brands use content to drive traffic, these contents are SEO compliant and written by humans, not robots.
You will notice that AI technology allows content writers to generate content in minutes using artificial intelligence but human-written content outshines AI-generated content.
Google’s guidelines frown on AI-generated content. This further validates why content writers will always be in demand.
An SEO content writer’s primary objective should be to create helpful content and provide an awesome reading experience for website/blog visitors
Is SEO content writing hard?
SEO content writing is not hard, it requires knowledge and skill in on-page and off-page SEO.
What is off-page SEO?
Off-page SEO has to do with everything that happens before a website’s content is written. In simple terms, it is the preparatory activities leading to quality content creation.
Off-page SEO also extend to other activities that optimize your content to be discoverable.
Examples of off-page SEO items;
- Keyword research
- Search Analysis
- Backlinks from authority sites to your blog
- Blog promotion on social media, forums etc.
Primarily, an SEO content writer focuses on search analysis and keyword research to discover what people are looking for, and the volume of monthly searches for the article they intend to write.
What skills should an SEO content writer have?
In-depth knowledge of Search Engine Optimization, an understanding of Google’s guidelines for publishers, good command of grammar and research skills are required.
A good SEO Content writer must be ready to create original, correct and valuable content.
Checklist for SEO content writing;
The content must be;
- Plagiarism free
- Free from typographical errors
- Focused on the topic and addressing the problem
- Free from keyword stuffing
- Written in simple and correct English
- In-demand with high search volume
- Optimise content for SEO
- Consistent with either UK or US grammar.
How do I learn SEO content writing?
YouTube, SEO blogs and online SEO courses are good places to start.
Neil Patel’s blog and Youtube channel have valuable resources on digital marketing with valuable resources on SEO.
Brian Dean (founder of Backlinko) digs deep into SEO with a focus on link building.
Income School (a youtube channel for blogging ) teaches new blogging techniques to build a sustainable blogging business.
If you are serious about building a sustainable blogging business without guessing, download this Blogging Income secret ebook.
How long does it take to learn SEO content writing?
It takes practice and consistency to build your capacity as an SEO content writer.
The best time to learn is now.
Most newbies begin to write good content in their first two weeks of practice.
The idea is to learn from the right experts and practice often as you make progress.
Beginner Friendly SEO content writing jobs
These are the 7 places to find SEO content writing jobs online;
PeoplePerHour: This is a freelancing website where people post projects for freelancers to apply for. PeoplePerHour houses good SEO content-writing projects. You. need to sign up and submit proposals to potential clients.
Bestwriting.com: This website publishes writing jobs frequently and features some cool SEO content writing opportunities. The cool feature of this website is that all expired jobs are marked as “Expired”, while newly posted jobs appear with the publication dates. Giving you an idea of how fresh or old the opportunity is.
Upwork: Upwork is a household name for freelancing jobs. Daily Content writing opportunities are posted daily. Similar to PeoplePerHour, Upwork requires freelancers to submit proposals and bid for jobs. To stand out from the competition, you need to write good proposals.
Hirewriters.com: Has fast writing jobs with less competition. To start, visit hire writers.com to sign up. The bottleneck with this website is that it restricts writers from some regions of the world.
LinkedIn: The job search feature on LinkedIn allows writers to define their job search. SEO content writers can use this feature to get job-specific alerts about the latest jobs from recruiters. A well-optimized LinkedIn profile can also attract clients to you.
Onlinewritingjobs.com: This website is best known for handling writing tasks for B2B companies. They serve clients from different industries like Travel, Science, Technology, Health, Automotive and Education.
Because of the increasing demand for writing jobs, Online Writing Jobs (OWJ) hires freelance writers to do the job. Writers are paid between $15 to $50 per writing task depending on the nature and complexity of the job.
To become a writer on this website, you need to submit an online application, show writing samples, submit a copy of a government-approved identity card, and a completed tax form.
Fiverr: No doubt, Fiverr is a giant player in the freelancing space, however, it is more saturated and too competitive for beginners.
It maintains its number one position among other freelancing sites, with numerous gigs flooding the platform and many monthly payouts. Succeeding on Fiverr depends on your visibility accompanied by a well-optimized profile.
To stand out as a beginner, sign and complete the registration, choose a niche, add a gig video, and set prices and delivery times. To get discovered on Fiverr, you need to optimize your profile with relevant keywords.
Compose.ly: Here’s another site for writers, with no signup fees and bottlenecks. Compose.ly offers one of the highest rates for writing jobs.
Basic salary for an SEO content writer
An hourly $20 is earned by SEO Content Writers in the United States. This translates to $3,520 monthly, which is 176 hours per month, excluding weekends. Annually, SEO Content writers earn an estimated $42,240.
This does not represent what freelancers earn from gigs.
Key Takeaways for SEO content writers
- Focus on providing value with original content
- Learn SEO
- Be consistent
- Find SEO content writing opportunities on remote jobs websites
RELATED ARTICLES:
1. How do I Write Alt Text for an Image in WordPress Blog?
2. 7 High-Paying Remote Jobs Websites for SEO Content Writers
