Why Every Copywriter Should Become an "SEO Expert"
- ARTICLES |
There's a HUGE demand for content in the world of marketing.
While millions of writers try to "make it" the normal route (writing for newspapers, taking internships, etc), the world of online content creation is booming.
And, while some say the competition is fierce, it's really not that bad - especially if you're willing to write for a bit less when you first start. Sure, you won't make a ton of money, but you WILL make some great connections and gain valuable experience that will pay off in the long run.
Most importantly, you'll be working right out the gate, since your main competition will be non-native English speakers. Many entrepreneurs and companies with a big web presence want low-cost content, but they insist on hiring only native English speakers so there is opportunity to get steady work right away if you're priced right.
In today's article, though, I'm going to be talking about something a bit different. Something that'll really help you differentiate yourself from the competition...and it's not what most people would expect.
If you want to truly excel in the world of internet marketing, learning the basics of SEO (search engine optimization) will give you a leg up on the competition.
The Demand for Content Goes Hand in Hand with SEO
Have you ever wondered why there's such a demand for content?
SEO, plain and simple. Getting a website ranking on page #1 takes content - and LOTS of it. In the world of SEO, the more high quality content you have on your website, the greater your chances of "building authority".
Google only wants to display the highest quality, most relevant results to its search engine customers. Their commitment to their core business of search is unflinching and just one of the many reasons they are still the top search engine on the web - despite intense competition from Yahoo, Bing, Ask and others.
One of Google's rudimentary checks to determine the quality level of a website is to see how much content is present. For those just getting started, creating a large amount of relevant content will help them succeed as time goes on.
So when you're on freelance boards looking for work, the vast majority of the jobs posted are from internet marketers and online business owners looking to add content onto their websites. Their goal is to present their website as an "authority" in their particular niche and that takes a lot of high quality, relevant content.
How to Write SEO Content
If you've been freelance writing for some time, you've probably noticed this: the vast majority of writing jobs request "SEO content."
This is basic content used to rank for specific keywords on Google. So if you were trying to rank a website on "Guitar Strings," that would be your main keyword. SEO content would be content based on "Guitar Strings" with the keyword sprinkled throughout the content.
Knowing this basic idea puts you ahead of a large number of other freelance writers. Although the basics concepts of SEO content are rather straightforward, many writers don't know them simply because they haven't done their research.
Here's how you add value to your SEO content writing. Google doesn't just use "main keywords" when choosing where to rank a website. They also use LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords. These are keywords that are related to the main keyword. So for our "Guitar Strings" example, LSI keywords might be "Guitar," "Tuning a guitar," "Neck," "Tuning Pegs," "EADGBE," etc.
When you're advertising your services you can emphasize how you use LSI keywords in your content. Some freelance writers know the basics of SEO but may not be experts in LSI keywords. In fact, some internet marketers looking for content may not even know how LSI keywords work! (It's true, I've seen it. Shakes his head.)
Therefore, if you can explain to your clients what LSI is and how you can do it, it'll put you ahead of virtually everyone else applying for a specific job.
The more you learn about SEO, the more services you can offer to your writing clients. For example, as you learn more about SEO, you'll realize certain article lengths are better for ranking and a specific volume of content is best for a specific site.
Once you know these additional tricks, you can pitch them to a client. This gives you a very good chance of earning their business and keeping it over a period of time. Article writing can turn into blog posting, web content writing and, who knows, maybe even sales writing.
A Constantly Updated Niche
Lastly, the world of SEO is always changing. Just a few weeks ago, Google released the "Freshness Update." This is an algorithm update that changes the way people get results in specific niches.
When these types of updates come along, freelance writers have the ability to take advantage of them instantly. With every change comes a wealth of opportunity.
If you're knowledgeable in SEO, you will make more money writing content on the web. Obviously, if you'd like to go the route of journalistic writing, knowing SEO won't necessarily mean a higher paycheck.
However, if you're looking for work on popular freelance websites, having a working knowledge of SEO will put you ahead of the competition more often than not.
Make $29,327.25 in LESS THAN 20 DAYS...as a Copywriter! See Proof from My Personal Paypal Account...
While millions of writers try to "make it" the normal route (writing for newspapers, taking internships, etc), the world of online content creation is booming.
And, while some say the competition is fierce, it's really not that bad - especially if you're willing to write for a bit less when you first start. Sure, you won't make a ton of money, but you WILL make some great connections and gain valuable experience that will pay off in the long run.
Most importantly, you'll be working right out the gate, since your main competition will be non-native English speakers. Many entrepreneurs and companies with a big web presence want low-cost content, but they insist on hiring only native English speakers so there is opportunity to get steady work right away if you're priced right.
In today's article, though, I'm going to be talking about something a bit different. Something that'll really help you differentiate yourself from the competition...and it's not what most people would expect.
If you want to truly excel in the world of internet marketing, learning the basics of SEO (search engine optimization) will give you a leg up on the competition.
The Demand for Content Goes Hand in Hand with SEO
Have you ever wondered why there's such a demand for content?
SEO, plain and simple. Getting a website ranking on page #1 takes content - and LOTS of it. In the world of SEO, the more high quality content you have on your website, the greater your chances of "building authority".
Google only wants to display the highest quality, most relevant results to its search engine customers. Their commitment to their core business of search is unflinching and just one of the many reasons they are still the top search engine on the web - despite intense competition from Yahoo, Bing, Ask and others.
One of Google's rudimentary checks to determine the quality level of a website is to see how much content is present. For those just getting started, creating a large amount of relevant content will help them succeed as time goes on.
So when you're on freelance boards looking for work, the vast majority of the jobs posted are from internet marketers and online business owners looking to add content onto their websites. Their goal is to present their website as an "authority" in their particular niche and that takes a lot of high quality, relevant content.
How to Write SEO Content
If you've been freelance writing for some time, you've probably noticed this: the vast majority of writing jobs request "SEO content."
This is basic content used to rank for specific keywords on Google. So if you were trying to rank a website on "Guitar Strings," that would be your main keyword. SEO content would be content based on "Guitar Strings" with the keyword sprinkled throughout the content.
Knowing this basic idea puts you ahead of a large number of other freelance writers. Although the basics concepts of SEO content are rather straightforward, many writers don't know them simply because they haven't done their research.
Here's how you add value to your SEO content writing. Google doesn't just use "main keywords" when choosing where to rank a website. They also use LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords. These are keywords that are related to the main keyword. So for our "Guitar Strings" example, LSI keywords might be "Guitar," "Tuning a guitar," "Neck," "Tuning Pegs," "EADGBE," etc.
When you're advertising your services you can emphasize how you use LSI keywords in your content. Some freelance writers know the basics of SEO but may not be experts in LSI keywords. In fact, some internet marketers looking for content may not even know how LSI keywords work! (It's true, I've seen it. Shakes his head.)
Therefore, if you can explain to your clients what LSI is and how you can do it, it'll put you ahead of virtually everyone else applying for a specific job.
The more you learn about SEO, the more services you can offer to your writing clients. For example, as you learn more about SEO, you'll realize certain article lengths are better for ranking and a specific volume of content is best for a specific site.
Once you know these additional tricks, you can pitch them to a client. This gives you a very good chance of earning their business and keeping it over a period of time. Article writing can turn into blog posting, web content writing and, who knows, maybe even sales writing.
A Constantly Updated Niche
Lastly, the world of SEO is always changing. Just a few weeks ago, Google released the "Freshness Update." This is an algorithm update that changes the way people get results in specific niches.
When these types of updates come along, freelance writers have the ability to take advantage of them instantly. With every change comes a wealth of opportunity.
If you're knowledgeable in SEO, you will make more money writing content on the web. Obviously, if you'd like to go the route of journalistic writing, knowing SEO won't necessarily mean a higher paycheck.
However, if you're looking for work on popular freelance websites, having a working knowledge of SEO will put you ahead of the competition more often than not.
Make $29,327.25 in LESS THAN 20 DAYS...as a Copywriter! See Proof from My Personal Paypal Account...