What Does an SEO Content Writer Do?
Content writers help businesses create effective blog posts, articles, and pages that rank well on search engines such as Google.
Considering working with a content writer, but aren’t sure if that’s a good fit for your company? First, you may be wondering what an SEO Content Writer actually does - and is it worth investing in one?
So, let’s break it down. Use the menu to jump ahead to learn more about a specific point below:
Continue reading to get an in-depth understanding of all the points above. Or, if you would like to personally chat with a content writer - send me a message and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
1. What Is SEO?
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” SEO encompasses a lot of different techniques that marketing professionals use to help businesses show up on Google when someone searches for a related search term.
For example, I hope that my website shows up when someone types in the search phrase “Freelance Writer in Ontario” or “Freelance editor near me.”
Take a look at the infographic below to learn a bit more about SEO.
An infographic about SEO that I designed for the company Profitworks
As you can see from the infographic above, search engine optimization includes a wide range of activities that businesses themselves or their marketing team do on their websites in order to help them “rank” better on Google.
How many times do you go to page 2 on Google when you search for something? Not very often, right? Businesses want to ensure that their company shows up on page 1 - since that will ensure their potential customers and clients will easily see and find them.
SEO includes a lot of different techniques, including:
Businesses choose to invest in SEO because ranking well on search engines such as Google will drive more visitors (traffic) to your website and ideally, increase your sales.
2. What Exactly Does an SEO Content Writer Do?
Now that you know the basics of SEO, let’s look more specifically at an SEO Content Writer. An SEO content writer is pretty much what it sounds like - it’s a writer who focuses specifically on adding SEO articles, blog posts, and meta data to your website.
A good SEO writer thinks first and foremost about your audience. They aren’t simply following some formula they’ve found online.
Instead, they carefully craft content based on targeted keywords and your ideal customer to, hopefully, make great, helpful content that users want to read. User experience should always be top priority.
Some SEO writers simply write, and that’s it. Usually, if you work with a large marketing agency, there will be multiple marketing professionals on the team who are responsible for various aspects of the writing.
However, when you work with a freelancer, they will do it all - from the initial keyword researching process to the writing of the final draft of the article or blog post.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is usually the first step of content writing. When I perform keyword research, I use tools such as Ubersuggest or Google Search Console to find keywords that are related to the client I am working with.
Screenshot From Ubersuggest - Ubersuggest allows you to easily do keyword research
For example, when I was working with my brother, a Creative Director who was just getting his business off the ground, I found keywords such as:
“Freelance animator Toronto”
“Videographers near me”
“Illustrator for Children’s books”
When we use the term “keyword” what we’re really saying is “search term.” When someone is looking for your business, what do you think they will put into Google (or Amazon, YouTube, Bing, whatever) to find you and your products or services?
A freelance SEO content writer will do the research that answers this question. Then, they will take a look at certain metrics, like how competitive is the keyword, how many people are actually searching for that term per month, and other statistics that will help them determine whether or not a keyword is worth using in their content.
Planning Content
The next step for an SEO writer is to actually plan content based on the keywords that they’ve researched. Once a writer has a decent number of keywords, they will typically begin planning blog posts or landing pages based on those terms.
Content planning helps you plan high-quality written work
For example, for “Freelance animator Toronto,” an SEO content writer may plan an article titled “Your Trusted Freelance Animator In Toronto | Company Name.” Then, they might brainstorm what type of content to include in that article.
If I was looking for a freelance animator in Toronto, what would I want to know?
SEO content writers are skilled at putting themselves in the shoes of their client's ideal customers. If I was looking to work with an animator, I might want to know what they typically charge, what their animation looks like, what type of work they usually do, and how experienced they are. So, I would plan to put that information in the article or blog.
Content Creation
Finally, the last step for an SEO writer would be to, you guessed it, actually write the article! Now that they know more about the target audience, the topic, and what information to include, it’s time to write.
I personally very much value transparency. So, let me tell you - right now, you are reading an SEO article (which you may have already suspected, since pretty much everything on the internet is optimized for search engines these days!)
The final step for an SEO writer is, you guessed it, writing!
I work with small businesses that need SEO content writing and other related work done on their websites, such as editing and design. So I took a look at the search terms these small businesses would be most likely to search - and “SEO Content Writer” popped up!
Since I am, of course, hoping to find new businesses to work with (I do have my own small business after all) I wrote this article primarily to create helpful content that these small businesses can use, but also to generate more traffic to my website.
If someone thinks it would be nice to work with me while here, that’s great! But my primary goal is simply to create the type of content that would be helpful to my ideal customers and hope that they arrive at my website while searching for these types of terms.
If you’re here, it means that it worked.
3. Should I Hire a Content Writer?
After learning more about SEO and content writing, you may be wondering if you need to hire a content writer for your small business.
Some businesses have an in-house marketing team. If you have someone on your team who is a professional writer or is willing to learn, then you may want to simply try in-house marketing and see how that goes first.
Small, local businesses can greatly benefit from working with an SEO writer
However, if you don’t have an in-house marketing team and you want to grow your website traffic and sales, hiring a writer who specializes in SEO is one of the best ways to help your business grow.
SEO is a proven marketing technique to help businesses increase their sales. This is especially true for local businesses that can showcase their products and/or services online.
Here are some things to consider when deciding if working with a content writer is right for you:
What is your budget - Freelance writers & marketing agencies may charge about the same, but freelance writers can often offer a bit more flexibility
What is your capacity - If you are stretched thin right now or don’t have the capacity to increase your sales, you may want to hold off on hiring, because within a few months, SEO usually results in a significant increase in inquiries
What are your goals - Are you looking to grow your business, increase brand recognition, or expand? Sharing your goals with your potential writer can help you decide if this is a good investment for you or not
Still not quite sure if hiring an SEO content writer is the best choice for your business? Feel free to reach out to me and we can chat more about what a content writer can do for you and if it may be the right choice for your business at this time.
Hey, I’m Lauren, a Freelance SEO Writer. Let’s Chat.
Hey, I’m Lauren. Nice to (virtually) meet you! I’ve been a freelance writer, editor, and designer for over 10 years and have worked as a marketing manager for over six.
I’ve worked with a wide range of local businesses, carefully crafting high-quality SEO content for their websites. I’ve worked with creatives like photographers and videographers, contractors, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers.
I love watching small businesses grow. I see all of my clients as partners - I am thoroughly invested in their businesses. I love learning more about each and every client I work with, and It’s amazing getting to grow together
If you’re wondering if my SEO content writing services would be a good fit for your unique business, feel free to learn more about me or send me a message now. I work with businesses all over Southern Ontario, and because I work remotely, can work with anyone across North America.
“Lauren is a gifted writer and editor! She is reliable, efficient, and incredibly skilled. I would recommend her 1000 times over. Having her take care of all of my writing and web copy has taken so much off my plate as a business owner and has been helpful in continuing to grow my reach to my target audience. She’s the best! Highly highly recommend.”
Julie B, Lifestyle & Wedding Photographer
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