How to Become an SEO Content Writer

Are you interested in expanding the services you offer as a freelance content writer? While we’ve previously discussed how to become a content writer, this post will take a more in-depth look at a popular content writing niche – search engine optimization (SEO). Expanding your repertoire to include SEO services is a great way to attract potential clients and build your business.

But how do you become an SEO content writer and capitalize on this in-demand (and profitable) niche? In this post, we’ll explain how you can specialize in SEO content writing. We’ll also provide an overview of the typical daily tasks involved.

What Is SEO Content Writing?

SEO is a set of procedures aimed at improving a website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The primary goal of SEO is to increase the organic (unpaid) traffic a website receives from search engines like Google and Yahoo. SEO content writing as a service is the creation of online content, such as blog posts and articles, that implements SEO strategies to boost a business’s visibility and increase website traffic.

Why Is SEO Content Writing Important?

SEO content writing is essential for businesses, especially e-commerce businesses. The higher a website ranks on SERPs, the more likely it is to be seen by potential customers who are actively searching for related products or services. Publishing SEO content is a key component of a business’s marketing strategy. And, it can be more cost-effective than other methods. It’s a way for businesses to attract traffic to their websites without solely relying on paid advertisements.

It also offers long-term sustainability for a business. Quality content can continue to drive traffic and generate leads for years after it’s published. You probably know this firsthand if you’ve ever clicked on a blog post you found through a Google search only to find it was written over a decade ago!

What Does an SEO Content Writer Do?

But what does an SEO content writer actually do? While the daily tasks vary depending on the nature of the business, SEO content writers generally:

• Implement keywords into content. To boost SEO, content writers identify relevant short and long tail keywords that users are likely to search for and incorporate them naturally into content.
• Write meta tags. SEO content writers usually include meta tags, such as meta descriptions and meta titles, in their content. These appear on SERPs and encourage users to click through to the article content.
• Incorporate relevant internal links. To boost SEO, content writers may incorporate a selection of internal links (links to other areas of the company’s website) into their content. They typically use relevant anchor text to encourage the reader to click on the link and visit other areas of the site.
• Optimize content for mobile devices: These days, many people read blog posts and articles on a mobile device or tablet. SEO content writers take user experience into consideration when creating material. This could mean breaking up large chunks of text, adding headings/subheadings, and making content easily scannable.

In general, SEO content writers also need to stay up-to-date on current industry trends and algorithm changes. For example, Google’s Helpful Content Update. This may require collaborating with marketing specialists and web developers to analyze the performance of their content and (possibly) make improvements where necessary.

How to Become an SEO Content Writer

Are you interested in expanding your content writing services to include SEO? Here are some steps you can take to get started:

Develop Your Writing Skills

Of course, the first step to becoming an SEO content writer is to develop a strong foundation of language skills, including grammar, punctuation, and overall writing capabilities. High-quality content (i.e., content that’s authoritative, unique, and engaging) is an essential part of any effective SEO or marketing strategy.

Learn All You Can About SEO

Besides working on your writing skills, you should also take the time to learn as much as you can about common SEO techniques. You can even review highly ranked articles to see what they have in common and consider how you can apply those same elements to your own writing. Familiarize yourself with essential SEO tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, and learn how to conduct keyword research.

Fill in the Gaps in Your Skillset

You don’t necessarily need a relevant degree to become an SEO content writer, but it’s beneficial to fill in any gaps in your skillset by taking a writing course, pursuing professional certification, or attending local professional development events (speakers, conferences, etc.).

Gain Experience

If you don’t have much previous content writing experience, seek out volunteer opportunities or write sample articles to build your writing portfolio. Reach out to people you know (in-person and virtually) to connect with anyone in your network who could benefit from your services. Creating a profile on an online freelance marketplace like Fiverr can also be a great way to gain experience as a new writer.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

Are you interested in learning more about how to become an SEO content writer? Check out our Becoming A Freelance Writer course! It teaches you everything you need to know about launching a freelance writing business, including essential SEO techniques and how to choose a specialization. Don’t miss out – claim your free trial today!