Learn what SEO and SEO writing are, how to become an SEO writer and land jobs, and the skills you need to make a full-time income as an SEO content writer.
“The average salary for a Freelance SEO Writer is $54,216 per year in the US.”
— Glassdoor
SEO writing is one of the most profitable freelance writing niches.
Plus, the demand for SEO content writers will continue to grow as companies learn about the power of search engine optimization.
You do need some specialized knowledge to start a career as a freelance SEO writer, but you can learn quickly and easily.
In this article, you can learn what SEO and SEO writing are, how to become an SEO writer and get jobs, and the skills you need to build a profitable career.
This guide is for those of you wondering “how do I become an SEO content writer?”
What Is SEO?
“SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is a set of practices designed to improve the appearance and positioning of web pages in organic search results.”
— Moz
In other words, it’s the process of getting your website to appear higher in search results than other websites.
Search engines like Google and Bing use algorithms to determine which websites are most relevant to a searcher’s query and then display those sites at the top of their results pages.
The goal of SEO is to get your website to rank higher than other sites with similar content so that more people will see it when they search for your product or service.
What Is SEO Writing?
“SEO writing (also known as “writing for SEO”) is the process of planning, creating and optimizing content with the primary goal of ranking in search engines.”
— Backlinko
It’s called “search engine optimization” (SEO) because it helps websites rank higher in search results.
The goal is to make your page appear in the top 10 results for a given keyword, so you can get more traffic and convert more visitors into customers.
While there are many SEO techniques, the most effective one is creating super valuable and engaging content that naturally attracts people who are searching for what you offer — that’s where SEO writers come in.
SEO writing is a specialized skill, and it requires an understanding of how search engines work, as well as how people use them.
Why Is SEO Writing Important?
SEO writing is important because it’s the key to getting your website seen by people who are searching for your products and services.
“The first organic result in Google Search has an average click-through rate (CTR) of 28.5%.”
— Search Engine Journal
That value sharply decreases by position, with the second getting a 15% CTR and the third an 11% CTR. The tenth position only gets 2.5%.
The average CTR for first-page results is 8.9% while for second-page results it’s 1.5%.
These numbers clearly show the importance of writing for SEO. The higher you rank, the more people will visit your website, and potentially buy from you.
⚠️ But SEO writing isn’t just about ranking high in search engines; it also involves writing in a way that’s easy to understand and navigate, so that people who land on your website actually want to read your content.
SEO Content Writer Job Description
➡️ An SEO writer writes blog posts or articles that help websites rank higher in search engines like Google or Bing.
They might also create landing pages (the first page you see when visiting a URL) or other types of web content like email marketing campaigns or social media posts.
Is SEO Content Writer a Good Job?
SEO content writing is a good job because there are lots of opportunities and a high chance you’ll make a good living from it.
“An SEO expert and professional can easily make handsome money working from home or online without having to look for an office job.”
— Shahzaib Ahsan, DigiSkills
If you enjoy writing, researching, and continuously learning, SEO writing could be the perfect career for you.
Why Is SEO Writing a Profitable Freelance Writing Niche?
Freelance SEO content writers are some of the highest earners of all freelance writers.
That’s because clients are willing to pay more when they see concrete results — when they can directly attribute your work to higher profits.
As I said above, SEO writing allows website pages to rank higher in search engines and aim to engage and turn readers into buyers.
Hence, SEO writing covers all steps from traffic generation to lead capturing and conversion, making it one of the highest-paying freelance writing niches.
SEO Copywriter vs. SEO Content Writer
“Copywriting is the strategy of creating persuasive content for marketing and sales with the goal of generating conversions and sales.”
— Barbara von der Osten, Rock Content
An SEO copywriter mixes copywriting with SEO writing to create content that ranks high on search engines and is persuasive enough to generate sales right away.
An SEO writer also writes content that’s optimized for search but its goals are different.
“The purpose of content writing is to inform, educate, or entertain your target audience. It is the slower approach, gaining the trust of your target audience to keep them coming back for more.”
— Barbara von der Osten, Rock Content Writer
SEO Content Writer Salary
The reality is that how much you make is up to you.
If you want to go for the quantity-over-quality route, you can charge very little, put out lots of low-quality content, and make a decent income.
⚠️ But you can work much less and make a lot more money if you:
- Put in the work to learn the SEO and writing skills needed
- Create a strong personal brand and portfolio
- Work on marketing yourself and your services
- Have an abundance mindset
- And confidently communicate with prospects
Plus, over time, you can start outsourcing some tasks — and even the writing itself — to scale your business.
How Much Do SEO Writers Make?
➡️ A freelance SEO content writer makes between $35,000 and $80,000 per year, with the most common range being $42,000 to $65,000, according to Glassdoor.
How Much Do SEO Copywriters Make?
➡️ An SEO copywriter makes between $38,000 and $87,000 per year, with the most common range being $46,000 to $71,000, according to Glassdoor.
As I mentioned above, clients are willing to pay more for services that directly lead to higher returns.
Copywriting aims to sell now, while content writing is more about educating readers and selling later. Hence, copywriters generally earn more.
How to Become an SEO Writer & Make a Full-Time Income in 2023
Now that you know exactly what SEO writing entails and how much you can make from it, let’s look at some actionable steps to become an SEO content writer.
1. Learn How to Write SEO Content
Obviously, all SEO writers must know how to write SEO content.
I have two full guides where you can learn how to write SEO blog posts and how to find keywords for your content:
- Ultimate Guide: How to Write SEO-Friendly Blog Posts in 9 Steps
- How to Use Ubersuggest for SEO Keyword Research Like a Pro
Still, here’s a quick summary of how to write SEO content 👇
1.1 How to Write for SEO
Writing for SEO might seem intimidating at first, but it’s much easier than it seems.
⚠️ Here are my top ten tips to write content that ranks in search engines:
- Use your primary and secondary keywords to create your content outline
- Focus on the reader — match search intent and provide the information they’re looking for in an engaging way
- Create well-researched, original, and valuable content
- Break up your content with headers and subheaders (every 300-500 words)
- Add images and infographics wherever it makes sense, compress and resize your images to increase loading speed, and add alt-text to optimize them for search
- Include your primary keyword and variations of that keyword in the meta title, H1 tag, meta description, URL, first 50-100 words of text, H2 tags, and alt-text of the featured image
- Include your keywords naturally throughout the text and subheaders
- Add internal links to related posts and pages
- Back up your claims by linking to reputable external sources
- Take a look at similar content in the first SERP to decide on the length of your content
You can use my SEO Blog Post Checklist to easily guide the writing process 👇
2. Choose a Profitable SEO Writing Niche
Yes, SEO writing is profitable but only if you niche further down. By this I mean, you need to pick an industry to work in and slowly build your knowledge around it.
Little by little, you’ll know more and more about that industry, which will help you write faster — and, consequently, make more money.
Plus, you’ll build a portfolio and reputation around a certain industry, meaning you’ll be trusted within that niche, which will allow you to charge higher rates.
“Having a freelance writing niche can help you to market yourself as a freelancer, secure great clients and keep your schedule full.”
— Michelle Guillemard, Health Writer Hub
➡️ To choose a freelance writing niche, consider the following:
- Is there an industry you have experience in or a lot of knowledge about?
- Is there an industry you’re passionate about and would like to learn more about?
Alternatively, you could work as a generalist until you find something that clicks.
However, it’s important to remember that some niches are more profitable than others.
➡️ To choose a high-paying, recession-proof writing niche, look into these two aspects:
- How much marketing budget do companies have? Check if a certain industry consistently publishes content and advertises its products.
- How much competition is there? There are lots of writers for “fun” topics like entertainment and food, but not many want to write about taxes and technology, for example.
3. Practice SEO Writing by Creating Content Writing Samples
Creating your content writing samples will help you practice the skills you learned and, at the same time, start building a writing portfolio to show prospects.
Nobody will hire you to write if you can’t prove you have the skills needed. Consider taking it a step further by guest posting.
To write effective content writing samples, browse the blogs of influential brands in your niche.
Figure out the type of content and tone they most commonly use and write samples that match what your ideal client is looking for.
⚠️ Don’t overcomplicate and “waste” too much time on writing samples, though. Three to five samples are enough. They should be very well-written but simple.
4. Build an SEO Content Writing Portfolio
Ideally, you should create your own website — it shows clients you’re serious about your freelancing business.
➡️ But if for whatever reason you can’t (or don’t want to) get your own website right away, there are a few alternatives to create and display your freelance writing samples, including:
- Writing on Medium
- Creating a Contently portfolio
- Uploading your samples to your LinkedIn profile featured section
Rachelle Gordon is a freelance cannabis writer, here’s her LinkedIn featured section as an example.
5. Set Your SEO Writing Rates
When setting your writing rates, you need to look at yourself as a business.
Start by figuring out how much you need to live, save for retirement or vacations, run your business, etc.
⚠️ You can use this freelance writing rates calculator (and the tips below it) to set rates that’ll make you and your business thrive.
6. Build an Online Presence & Personal Brand
To start, choose one social media platform and master it.
Spreading yourself too thin across multiple platforms will only lead you to be inefficient at all of them and feel overwhelmed — been there, trust me.
LinkedIn is the best platform to get started. That’s where professionals in decision-making positions (a.k.a. your future clients) hang out.
➡️ To create a LinkedIn profile that attracts high-paying clients, make sure you:
- Fill every section of your profile
- Upload a professional-looking profile pic and banner
- Write an enticing summary
- Turn on creator mode
- Include your samples in the featured or publications section
- Add all your relevant work experience
Bonus points if you expand your network, engage with connections, and post at least once a week.
7. Start Landing SEO Writing Clients
There are plenty of ways to get freelance writing jobs.
You can browse job boards, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook groups, for example.
➡️ But the best way to get profitable jobs is cold pitching. Here’s how you do it:
- Find websites you’d like to write for in your niche
- Figure out who’s in charge of their content strategy by browsing their website or LinkedIn page
- Send them an email presenting yourself, your services, and experience — tell them how you can help and include relevant writing samples
- If you don’t get an answer follow up a few days later
⚠️ If you never get an answer, don’t take it personally.
Cold pitching is a numbers game.
You’ll probably never hear from 80% of the people you email, a minority will hop on a discovery call with you, and only around 1 to 2% will actually become clients.
You can learn all these skills (and more) with my FREE Freelance Writing Course. Get it while it’s hot 👇
8. Master All SEO Content Writer Skills
➡️ Finally, to reach your final form and become a great SEO writer, you need to:
- Write grammatically correct content that’s clear and to the point — use Grammarly to make sure your writing is spotless
- Know how to use a conversational tone that engages the reader
- Be able to adapt to different clients’ tones and styles
- Know how to do SEO keyword research
- Focus on search intent and provide as much value as possible
- Use SEO keywords in a natural way throughout your text and headers
- Have top-tier research skills — it’s not just about research; it’s about knowing how to find trustworthy information
- Be able to clearly communicate with clients, set expectations, and meet deadlines
- Be organized and independent enough to run your business and juggle multiple clients and projects at the same time
🤔 Why is this section at the end, though?
Well, you don’t need to be in your final form before you start landing clients. You just need to know the basics.
You’ll learn and improve as you gain experience — that’s also why you won’t start charging high rates from the start.
How to Learn SEO Content Writing
As I mentioned before, to become a freelance SEO content writer, there are a few key skills you need to learn.
🔌 Shameless plug: you can learn all of them and more here, at Free Worker Bee.
⚠️ You can even sign up for my freelance writing newsletter to access my free resources and get weekly tips delivered to your inbox.
Besides reading blogs to learn SEO content writing, you can watch YouTube videos or sign up for free or paid courses.
SEO Content Writing Courses (Free & Paid Options)
If you prefer a more structured approach to learning, there are dozens of courses online.
➡️ Here are some top-rated SEO content writing courses you should look into:
- Simple SEO Keyword Research Course by Morgan McBride
- Creating Content That People Love to Read (and Google Loves to Rank) by Raelene Morey
- How to Write SEO Content and Improve Traffic to Your WordPress Site by Suzanne Scacca
- How To Drive Thousands Of Visitors & Free Traffic To Your Blog Or Website by Mark Furniss
- Content Marketing: Blogging for Growth by Eric Siu
- Become a Better Blogger: Content Planning by Andrea Goulet Ford
SEO Content Writer Jobs
The best way to get SEO content writing jobs is by cold pitching. You can also search Facebook groups, Twitter, and LinkedIn for opportunities.
Plus, there are plenty of job boards you can browse, including:
- Upwork
- FlexJobs
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- ZipRecruiter
- Freelance Writing Jobs
- Freelance Writing
- ProBlogger
- Blogging Pro
How to Become an SEO Writer — Key Takeaways
In sum, to become an SEO writer you need to:
- Learn SEO writing
- Choose a profitable SEO writing sub-niche
- Create content writing samples
- Build a portfolio
- Set your rates
- Build an online presence
- Start applying to jobs
- Continuously learn and improve
If you need more help getting your freelance writing career off the ground, download my free Freelance Writing Course 👇
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