Becoming an SEO Content Writer: The 4 Hardest Things about This Career and How to Overcome Them

Jan. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- SEO content writing is a hot niche in freelance writing that pays really well. How well? According to a recent survey by Robert Half, which is one of the largest staffing agencies in the world, web content (SEO) writers with at least five years of experience can expect to earn between $60,500 and $90,750. Those with less than this can expect to earn between $45,250 and $66,250. Not too shabby, no?

Why SEO Writing Will Remain Hot for Years

This helps to explain with this type of opportunity in freelance writing is so popular – and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Even though search engine optimization (hence, SEO content writing) has been around for the last couple of decades, many businesses are just getting around to incorporating it into their marketing strategies.

Now that you hopefully see why SEO writing (http://inkwelleditorial.com/seo-content-writing-package) is such a viable work-from-home business, let’s get to some of the challenges many face when starting.

4 Challenges Many New Freelance SEO Writers Face – and What to Do about Them

(i) You have to continually market for jobs: FYI, this is true with any type of business you start by the way.

Solution: Create – and stick to -- a marketing schedule. When I first started out in 2007, I contacted at least 20 companies a day for work – sometimes more.

(ii) Writing SEO content is not easy: It’s not the technical part of it (that’s pretty easy to learn). The hard part is staying focused enough to write on subjects you know (or care) little about.

Solution: What I did to overcome this early on is to think about the financial reward, eg, 10 articles at $35 per article is $350. I can (finally!) pay off that Visa balance with this.

The other thing you can do is outsource the writing to other freelance SEO writers.

(iii) Burnout! You can get so busy – so quickly – as an SEO writer that you find your working for days or weeks on end non-stop. This is a blessing, of course, but it’s a curse too because burnout is a real possibility.

Solution: Raise your rates; let me explain. When I first started, I charged $25 per article. I got so busy that within a couple of months I had to hire other freelancers to help me out. Eventually, I raised my rates to $35, then $45, etc. I got less busy, but my income remained consistent because I picked up better-paying clients.

(iv) Dry spells: Instead of being very busy, you could have a dry spell. FYI, this happens to even the most experienced freelancers.

Solution: Get BACK on that marketing schedule. In my experience, the number one reason many freelancers face prolonged dry spells it’s because they fall off the marketing wagon at some point. So, redouble your efforts, eg, instead of contacting 20 companies, spend a whole day and contact a hundred. Do this for a few days, and things will pick up again.

Why I Wouldn’t Trade Being an SEO Writer for Anything

It’s relatively easy and cheap to start; you can start with $0 if you already have a computer and an internet connection. Furthermore, the work is plentiful (if you continually market for it); and you really can control your own financial destiny. There simply aren’t many career choices -- especially work-from-home businesses -- you can say this about.
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About the Author: Yuwanda Black has been a freelance writer since 1993. She owns New Media Words (NewMediaWords.biz), an SEO writing company, and is the creator/instructor of one of the leading SEO content writing (http://www.seowritingjobs.com/seo-copywriting-training/) classes online. The course teaches you everything you need to know about not only how to become an SEO copywriter, but how to earn $50,000 to $75,000 per year – your first year. You can take the class online – or in person in Jamaica!