[GreenEyes]

If you were a ghostwriter or freelance writer what information would you want from your client.

Besides the topic, of course.

I guess what I'm trying to find out is:

What if I'm not sure how to go about finding the best keywords or key-phrases for the article(s) if I ask will the writer help me with that? Is this something they usually do or not?

And what if I want the article optimized should I ask or does that go without saying?

Any information you think I should know to help make the relationship between a novice marketer and her ghostwriter most profitable would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[GreenEyes]

Come on guys...where are you? As of this writing 19 views no comments.

If you are a freelance writer what would you want from your client to make sure the relationship runs smoothly?

Somebody, please post something!

[GT]

Hello, Mirza:

Please forgive me for my tardiness in answering your question. It's been a busy month for me so far with offline writing clients.

Regarding help with keywords and phrases, if it is an offline writer, that person may or may not be familiar with the importance and value of keywords to online marketers. You would definitely have to do the research yourself, then provide the writer with the keywords and a bit of coaching on how to use them.

If your writer is familiar with writing for the Web, he or she would probably offer some assistance in selecting apropriate keywords, but I wouldn't take a chance on that. If the writer includes that as a definite part of the service, great. Otherwise, it would be best for you to determine your keywords and phrases and clearly outline to the writer how you want them used.

Now, having said that, personally, I do not market my writing services online. And I do not purchase online writing services. So it is possible that more and more online freelance writers are including keyword research and optimizing in their services. But that is something you should not take for granted, even if you think the writer includes those services. Always ask and make it clear to the writer what you need, what you want and what you expect.

Never be afraid to ask. It will save you grief and aggravation in the long run, and a writer you hire will feel more comfortable, and will be able to do a better job, if she or he has a clear understanding of the needs and expectations right up front.

I recommend you do a little research into the value and purpose of keywords and phrases, then get some experience or practice doing your own keyword research.

Of course, many PIPS member have (paid) resources to recommend, and I do, too. (Suzanne Morrison is my primary SEO (search engine optimization) coach and on my website and blog, I promote Suzanne's most recent SEO guide - a great resource that includes keyword training and recommended tools.)

Here are two free sources for keyword research that I know of:

- 68 Online SEO Tools and Resources - I haven't used the tools at this site, but members in another popular forum have recommended it.

- https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Other PIPS members can probably recommend other resources.

So, to help your ghostwriter:

- you will want to either provide the exact keywords you want used in an article (and those keywords will be determined in part by where the article will be posted and where you want your signature links in that article to direct people), or;

- give the writer a clear indication of where the article will be posted, what the main purpose of the article is (for example, to help point people to your marketing website), what topic the article is to focus on.

- you will need to give a certain word count to aim for

- give a clear deadline for the article to be completed and delivered to you

- as suggested earlier, establish a clear contract with the writer that defines exactly what services the writer is providing and what you are expecting from the writer

- (if applicable) provide the writer with recommended links or sources where the writer can get more details or insight on the topic they are to write about. The links may even simply be your website, blog or one of your sales pages. But any additional info you can provide to the writer as research info is helpful.

The content I write for my local offline clients is primarily newsletter content. What I require of my clients is the topic; an authoritative source to interview as the subject, authority and focus of the article; and any additional support or resource material available that I can review to get a feel for the story and the direction it should take.

With these clients, I do not have to worry about keywords or optimizing the articles.

All right. That's probably more info than you wanted and in a different direction than you expected! But I hope it helps in some way. And I am hoping to see what other PIPS members have to say in reply to your questions.

Keep plugging away, Mirza. It all takes time and much of it is very confusing when you are new to it. But the more you learn, the better you understand it and in some respects, the easier it does get.

GT

[GreenEyes]

THANK YOU GT!

And no, it's never too much information. Not in this case, anyway. That was very informative and exactly what I wanted to know. I will print that one out and tape it to my forehead.

[GT]

Hello, Mirza:

You are welcome! And thank you for the positive feedback. It's always good to know when someone appreciates a comment you make.

Oh. By the way. Be sure to cut eye holes so you don't run into things!

GT

[GreenEyes]

Originally Posted by GT

Hello, Mirza:

Oh. By the way. Be sure to cut eye holes so you don't run into things!

GT

Ha Ha Yeah, I guess I should tape it to my desk wall instead, huh?! It would be easier to read, too!

I was surprised there were not more comments but then again what more can you say about this topic, really? Meaning, you covered it all.

Well, it definitely helped me to know exactly what a writer generally expects, and what I need to do on my end. What questions to ask, etc.

I hope other newcomers to the PIPS program benefit from this tiny but very helpful thread.

I truly wish I had understood more about outsourcing a long time ago. For all the money I've spent, I should have used some of it for freelance outsourcing instead. I believe I would have gone further in my business in a shorter amount of time.

The same is true of Article Marketing. It is such a fundamental part of Internet Marketing but also the most intimidating if you are new to this line of work and especially if you don't know how to write. I know for me I avoided the topic like the plague! Too bad, too! It could have saved me countless hours of struggle and wasted time that is now lost forever.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my advice to the new kids on the block would be to find out ALL you can about article marketing and outsourcing and how it all fits into the big picture. You'll be glad you did.

When you think about it if you had a brick and mortar business offline, 9 out of 10 times you would have hire employees to help you run your business. Same thing goes for Internet Affiliate Marketing.

While it's still good to learn how to do all these things yourself, it's perfectly alright to hire help in the meantime. And once you do learn how to do these things yourself, you may still want to hire someone to help free up your time to work on something else depending on your talent.

Well, I think that's about it for now. Take care!

[Craig Fenton]

Hi Green Eyes:

There are ghostwriters that can write in the traditional sense of the word the book, article, copy ad. As a professional writer I fall into that section. However there are those that can excel in the keyword phrases.

In your search look for people that don't make you take column A or B. It needs to be well written and also achieve the results you desire for traffic, links, etc.

It was much easier in the dark ages when I was young. If the words sounded good they were!

Good luck and I hope you find the perfect result!

[Mark Francis]

thank you GT !!! happy found this thread i do article marketting a lot as well

[Ian25]

I tried looking for a Ghost writer but I could not find any ghosts, even though I looked in all the usual haunts-Hampton Court etc