Writer Tip

6 quick SEO tips that will help your copy

by Dusten Carlson
September 6, 2020

For writers, good SEO is all about writing content that readers value. Here are some universal tips to help you pull that off.

SEO can be a bit of a loaded term for freelance writers.

Your clients seem to expect you to know a lot about it. They’ll usually have a strong conviction that it’s important to get on the front page of Google, but a vague idea about how.

That’s where you come in. You’re the writer, so you know SEO, right?

Not so fast.

You might know a thing or two. But it’s also possible that some of the things you know are already out of date.

It’s kind of an unfortunate (and unfair) reality that writers often face unrealistic expectations from clients when it comes to SEO. Sure, there is no SEO without content, but that doesn’t mean that writers should carry water for technical, user experience, or reputational issues that might be dragging a site down.

SEO is not magic. One SEO-optimized article isn’t going to save a business.

If there are technical SEO issues (e.g., your client’s site load speed is in the gutter), then it doesn’t matter how good the content you’re writing is.

If your client is suffering from reputational damage, there’s not much your work can do to save them.

I also often hear from a lot of writers that there are ambiguities with clients about who’s responsible for content strategy, like keyword research and figuring out what to write about. You can read our post on that question here, but TL;DR, it’s not you (unless you’re being paid for it).

What are we getting at here?

When it comes to what writers need to know about SEO, the answer is this: you only need to know what you need to know to do a good job with the writing.

For writers, good SEO is about creating copy that readers find valuable.

Good SEO is just good writing that readers love.

Seems deceptively simple, right? How exactly do you create good content that readers love?

By looking at the kind of content that Google rewards.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”#SEOtip Google likes what its users like. That’s why we always say don’t worry about Google, just worry about the reader. #writertip” quote=”Google likes what its users like. That’s why we always say don’t worry about Google, just worry about the reader.”]

Google’s business model depends on putting the best content they can find in front of their users. If you want to be valuable to your clients and offer them that kind of content, which stands the best possible chance to rank in Google Search, you need to know what kind of content Google likes.

To bring this full circle, Google likes what its users like.

That’s why we always say don’t worry about Google, just worry about the reader.

Now how do you do that?

These 6 tips will get you off to a good start.

6 quick SEO tips that will help your copy

No. 1: Improve your copy’s readability

After you write your first draft, put your editor cap on and look at your copy with these things in mind:

  • Are my sentences short?
  • Do I effectively transition between ideas?
  • Are my paragraphs “scannable”?
  • Have I used headings well to break up the copy?
  • Is my copy error-free?

You can also as yourself questions about tone. Are you writing for a general audience? You should, even if you’re writing more technical copy.

Are you using big vocabulary words or excessive industry jargon? This might make you feel impressive to your client, but it drags down the reader.

Try scoring your work against the Flesch Kincaid model. If you have a WordPress account, you can download the SEO Yoast plugin which will help immensely.

No. 2: Put a lot of thought into the title

A keyword-stuffed title won’t help you rank in Google these days. You have to spend extra time crafting a title with a reader in mind.

If your content is the best match for their specific question or has information you think they need, how will you get their attention? How will your title tell them “Hey! Over here! This is it!”?

Consider the following:

  1. The title should be highly specific to the topic at hand.
  2. It should use words that provoke emotion (but be balanced and strategic here, it’s easy to overdo it)
  3. Headlines should be about 55-60 characters long, or roughly 6-8 words.
  4. It should use the focus keyword in the first 3 words if possible
  5. It should have a sentiment of some kind, or a “tone”

You can use tools like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer to help guide your efforts. Shoot for a score of 70 or above.

No. 3: Use keywords strategically

Keyword use is probably the most misunderstood aspect of SEO for writers.

Long gone are the days when cramming a bunch of keywords into copy tricks Google into ranking content highly in search. (Don’t try it. You might get your client hurt.)

Some SEO experts have pointed to this as evidence that keywords don’t matter anymore. And since Google is opaque about how Search actually works, that theory seems as good as any.

Keywords are certainly less important if by “less important” you mean that it’s impossible to spam Google with blackhat SEO.

But obviously keywords play an important role. A keyword like “how to fix sink” isn’t a magic incantation, it’s something a user is actually looking for and needs an answer to.

Google wants to match quality content to users, and keywords are still an important part of that.

So, use your keyword in the title as we mentioned, in the introduction of your copy, and a few times in the body.

You can and should also use related keywords if they’re relevant to the topic.

Do not try aiming for an arbitrary keyword density score, or cramming unrelated keywords into your copy. That will dilute your copy’s ability to rank for the topic you’re writing about.

And don’t sacrifice readability for an exact keyword match. “Good cupcakes Atlanta GA” isn’t going to read well if you just jam it into your copy.

Google is smart enough to recognize it semantically if you write it into a sentence naturally (e.g., “If you’re looking for good cupcakes in Atlanta, look no further!”).

No. 4: Use high-quality links

Linking plays a huge role in what Google values. So much so that there are a multitude of ethically-dubious business models built around trying to “sell” links (“If more sites link to your content, Google will think your site is important!”).

We won’t get too deeply into that mess. But links do play an important role for writers, particularly when it comes to research.

You’ll most likely want to link out to supporting facts, figures, data, and commentary for anything you write. Linking is a good SEO practice.

But what you link to matters. If you’re linking to spammy, low-quality sites with bad information, Google notices, and will penalize your client’s site for promoting shifty content.

This means writers need to perform high-quality research and only link to high-quality sites. This can get complicated since many sites at the top of Google search for your topic may be competitors of your client. It goes without saying that you don’t want to link to them.

But links to published, authoritative studies, or non-competitive sites are valuable, so be judicious in your research and include links where you can.

No. 5: Write a good intro hook

One big signal to Google that content is valuable to readers? They stick around to read it.

Using your first 100-200 words to “hook” a reader is critical to getting them to stick around. Good writers use a variety of tools to keep a reader engaged, including:

  • Framing the article using a real-world anecdote
  • An attention-grabbing opening sentence (a bold claim, something shocking or humorous).
  • A surprising or shocking statistic or data point
  • An intriguing question that your content answers

If a reader clicks on your title, reads the first few sentences, and exits out of the page, that tells Google that the content wasn’t valuable to them, or that they didn’t find what they were looking for.

Some of that is inevitably going to happen. But if the introduction falls flat, is boring, or doesn’t pull in a reader, and most readers bounce off the page, it will hurt ranking.

No. 6: Add stuff your competitors missed

Google wants content that is unique, compelling, authoritative, relevant, and high-quality.

In layman’s terms, this means that your content has to do better than your client’s competitors.

Take a look at the top-ranking posts for a keyword or topic your client wants content written for. Ask yourself, or your client:

  • Do we have unique insights that our competitors don’t have?
  • Do we have data or statistics that are more recent or relevant?
  • Is there supplementary content we can add to give more value to the reader?

Of course, sometimes you will luck out and find results that don’t match the search query very well. In this case, the door is wide open to write a great piece of relevant content that has a strong chance of taking the top spot.

Takeaways

Many writers do eventually come to specialize in more strategic SEO and offer those services to their clients. But when you’re starting out, we think it’s important to laser-focus on the parts of SEO you need to know to do the writing part well.

For writers, that means writing well.

It means don’t worry about Google, just worry about the reader.

If you do want to learn more about SEO, we have a much longer article on this topic here.

If you have any feedback for me, I welcome it! Please reach out on LinkedIn.

 

 

 

 

creative writing techniques
Writer Tip

3 creative writing techniques you can use for almost anything

by Dusten Carlson
August 23, 2020

Is your writing too dry? Here are some creative writing techniques  you can use to add a splash of color to your content.

Working with him was a real headache.

As a writer, he did everything right. His content was organized, meticulously researched, and well-formatted.

Annoying, right? (Kidding. The bad part is still coming.)

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something was … off. Even though his assignments met all of the requirements, I still found myself rewriting chunks of his copy before publishing.

This went on for months. I could not, for the life of me, figure it out. What was I supposed to do?

It wouldn’t be fair to let him go, because he was technically doing everything right. But at the same time, rewriting his content before publishing it wasn’t working either.

How could I coach him on how to improve if I couldn’t figure out what was wrong?

Then one day it hit me like a truck.

The content was just boring.

The assignment? Pop culture listicles. It’s cotton candy content. It’s supposed to be fun and engaging, maybe even a little humorous.

But his read like a dry, Wikipedia article. Just one fact after another in a bland, generic tone.

The facts and information were there. The sentences were short. But there was no flavor to the content. Nothing to keep the reader engaged.

And that’s what I found myself adding in constantly. Humor, personality, fun — the creative flavor that was missing.

Let me clarify something

I’m being very tongue-in-cheek in my retelling of this story about how “annoying” this writer was. It wasn’t the writer’s fault at all.

It was mine, as his editor, whose role it is to help him improve.

But there’s a happy ending to this story.

Once I figured out exactly what was going wrong, it was easy to coach him into the light. He became a better writer, and I became a better editor.

But what happened between us was incredibly instructive.

Indeed, “boring” content is something I continued to run into constantly with other writers.

There are a lot of reasons for it:

  • Writers are unfamiliar with the topics they are given
  • “Young” writers cut personality out of their writing to appear more “professional”
  • The writer is simply disinterested in the assignment

Let me be clear: Your ability to creatively express ideas is a major part of why businesses hire writers.

It’s a real, marketable skill that not everyone has.

But what are the boundaries?

It’s a fair question. How do you know what will be appropriate for a given assignment? How much is too much and how little is too little.

That’s why when I try to coach writers on either adding more creativity to their content (or easing up a little bit) I tell them to stick to the following 3 techniques.

These obviously aren’t the only creative writing techniques you might use in your content, and there are some assignments that just don’t call for a creative touch (technical writing, anyone?).

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Your ability to creatively express ideas is a major part of why businesses hire writers. #writingcommunity #writelife” quote=”Your ability to creatively express ideas is a major part of why businesses hire writers.”]

But these techniques are ubiquitous in most kinds of content you find on the web, whether we’re talking B2C, B2B, blog posts, sales copy, editorials, or those cotton candy listicles we mentioned earlier.

I hope it helps! But if you have any questions or follow-up, I’ll give you some details on how to reach me at the end of the post.

3 creative writing techniques to use in your work

No. 1: Anecdotes

An anecdote is a short narrative intended to illustrate a point or a theme that will be the focus of an essay, book chapter, or article. It’s a fairly common practice for editorials at publications like The Washington Post and The Atlantic and in non-fiction books.

You should recognize this one because I used it to start this blog post!

This is a useful tool because it hooks a reader’s attention and establishes a human connection by “putting a face on a problem.”

Where this is most effective: direct response sales copy, blog posts of any kind, news stories, and editorials, as well as more advanced career assignments like non-fiction books.

No. 2: Similes

“Then one day it hit me like a truck.”

Hopefully no one who read this literally thinks I was hit by a truck with the answer painted on the side.

This is a simile, or a figure of speech that uses comparison (e.g., “like,” “as”) to describe something in more vivid terms.

It would be fine if I’d said “then it hit me,” but by adding “like a truck,” I’m using a concept you can picture (the truck) to illustrate the actual impact I felt when I discovered the answer to my problem.

This is a great tool and you’ll see this one more than any other. Watch how other writers use this in the content you read as well.

Where this is most effective: Pretty much anywhere, though I’d avoid it in something more professional like a press release.

No. 3: Self-insertion

You can also think of this as “breaking the fourth wall.” It’s a quick aside where you as the author step in to say “what everyone is thinking.”

It can be used for humor or irony, but there’s a version of it deployed in more serious, journalistic content as well. For example, if a political figure is quoted saying something that is not true, the writer may, in the next sentence, insert a detail that contradicts the quote.

You might not often have the opportunity to write in first-person, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use self-insertion.

I did it in this article when I inserted the parenthetical (technical writing, anyone?) a few paragraphs up. That’s a human insertion that isn’t technically first-person, which just goes to show there are more opportunities to use this than you may think.

Where this is most effective: direct response sales copy, blog posts of any kind, news stories, and editorials. Anything that calls for a “relatable, human” tone.

Final thoughts

Remember not to overdo it with creative writing.

While these techniques are incredibly useful when it comes to framing an idea in human terms, creating a visual to keep a reader engaged, and breaking tension, they can be abused.

You might make a conscious choice to use something like an anecdote to frame an article in the introduction. Doing so will certainly get readers engaged immediately, which every good intro is supposed to do.

Otherwise, I always tell writers to take a second look at their content before they turn it in, and to look for opportunities to add more creative writing techniques when the content starts to look dry or slow down.

Alternatively, look for creative writing you inserted organically in your first draft that doesn’t actually work on a second look, and eliminate it.

If you have any more questions about creative writing, or anything you think I missed, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn.

 

Freelance writer frustrated
Getting Started

Frustrated with ‘how to become a freelance writer’ articles? Try this

by Dusten Carlson
July 6, 2020

There’s a lot of advice online about how to become a freelance writer, but how much of it actually helps writers when they’re starting out?

Writers figuring out how to start freelance writing with no experience should keep a tight focus on two things.

If you made it here, it means you’ve decided to take your first steps toward becoming a freelance writer.

Maybe you’re in school looking to build up some experience. Or you’re a stay-at-home parent ready to get back to work now that the kids are a little older. Maybe you have a job and are looking for some extra cash.

Whatever your story, your first step was probably Googling something like “how to become a freelance writer” or “how to start freelance writing with no experience” and we’re one of a dozen or so tabs you have open in your browser.

That you?

It’s okay, we’re friends here.

Maybe you’ve already read some of those articles before you clicked on ours. Did they leave you with questions like:

“What the heck does this mean?”

“How does this help me when I’m just starting out?”

It’s understandable. We’ve read most or all of the other tabs you have open, too. We work with freelance writers for a living, so we’re always looking to test new pieces of advice and turn them over to our community if they’re awesome.

But I’ll be honest — I wonder if a lot of the advice out there is actually helpful for writers just starting out.

Most of the resources out there for writers range from generic common sense (i.e., “just sit down and write!”) to too good to be true (i.e., “I make $10,000 a month working from my porch in Costa Rica and so can you!”).

The point is, most advice is not very goals-focused.

And if you want to be a freelance writer, your first goals are pretty simple:

  • Find out what it takes to be successful.
  • Find jobs and start making money.

Sounds like you?

Keep reading.

Learn to spot and avoid bad writing advice

I want to offer a bit of free dad logic that applies to everything in life, including learning how to become a freelance writer:

Just because you read it on the internet doesn’t make it true.

Like I said above, most advice for becoming a freelance writer seems to fall into two camps.

  • “Write every day.”
  • “Read constantly.”
  • “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

Does this sound familiar?

Creating a discipline of writing even when you don’t feel like it is important. And reading is key to developing communication skills that you transition over into your craft. It’s also true that a successful freelance writing career is like Rome — not built in a day.

But how does this advice help you land your first paying job? What if you want to make money sooner, not later?

Then you’ve probably run into the other camp.

  • “Start a blog and monetize it!”
  • “Learn a niche!”
  • “Grow your social media presence!”

Again, not bad advice on its face.

Starting a blog and monetizing it is a strategy for long-term recurring revenue that freelance writers should explore. Learning a niche can arguably help you stand out if you want more specialized jobs with less competition. Growing your social media presence certainly can’t hurt.

But if these all sound like long-term commitments, that’s because they are.

What about right now?

“I want to know how to start freelance writing. What are the first steps?”

Again, none of the above is bad advice. But it’s light on detail, isn’t it? It doesn’t help with your immediate goals, does it?

Maybe a more specific version of that free dad logic is this:

Just because you read it on the internet doesn’t mean it will help you.

What do you need to know that will actually help you when you’re just starting out?

Here’s the rub.

You’re not going to find all of the answers in a single blog post.

I know. But before you rage-quit the window, hear me out.

There are tons of successful freelance writers out there. Many of them do make really good money (six figures-good), and some of them really might write from the breezy porch of their Costa Rican estate.

But almost all of them learned their craft through hard work, resourcefulness, time, and networking.

They’re also a shrewd group. Now that they’ve made it to the Captain’s Lounge, they’re not likely to share their secrets freely.

So be skeptical of promises that sound too good to be true:

  • Unlimited income potential!
  • Get paid to write what you’re passionate about!
  • Take off as much time as you want!

BS, BS, BS.

Freelance writing is a craft. It’s tough to learn it, because most of what you need to know is learned on the job. Trial and error.

This means that a lot of new freelancers spend a long time doing bad jobs and not getting paid or not getting paid what they think they’re worth.

Sounds like a real drag, huh?

Still want to become a freelance writer? Keep reading.

Two main things a new freelance writer should focus on

It took a long time getting here, yes, but instead of trying to offer you an “ultimate guide” of some kind with every last detail you need to become a freelance writer, we’re going to do something else.

Because, if you haven’t figured it out by now, there is no complete, ultimate guide to becoming a freelance writer, and it takes some time to unpack a lot of the unhelpful advice out there.

But it was worth doing because it cleared the runway to focus on what really matters:

  • What it takes to be successful
  • Finding jobs and making money.

The theme of this article, and really ProWriter’s entire blog, is first steps.

  • What should you expect from your first 12-18 months as a freelance writer?
  • How do you avoid getting trapped in low-pay Upwork jobs?
  • What do you need to do right now to set yourself up for higher-quality, higher-paying jobs down the line?

The two things you need to focus on at the expense of almost everything else are simple.

  • Become what employers are looking for.
  • Broadcast it strategically.

“Uh oh, this sounds like more generic advice.”

Don’t worry, we won’t leave you there. Stay with me.

How to BECOME what employers are looking for

No. 1 thing new freelance writers should focus on: learning the skills that show an employer you’re right for their job.

One of the biggest hurdles to success in freelance writing is developing the skills that show an employer you can handle their job and then making it easy for the employer to pick you over other applicants.

Writing is not as simple as just sitting down and “using your voice” or waiting for inspiration to kick. It’s a creative pursuit, but that doesn’t mean employers want to pay for an unorganized stream of consciousness.

Whether you’re writing press releases for tech startups, blog posts for brands, email copy for a marketing campaign, a technical manual, an opinion column, or listicles about TV shows from the 80s —

Every piece of copy needs to have a purpose and a goal.

In order to execute on that purpose, you need to learn what makes content tick.

  • What’s the format of a press release?
  • What kind of email subject line makes people want to open the message?
  • What makes prose easy and enjoyable to read?

Each piece of content has a purpose and a goal.

Executing on that goal means successfully guiding readers through the content.

Freelance writers need to have the skills to execute on that goal.

This might sound daunting, but honestly, you can do a pretty deep Google dive on most of the skills you need over the course of a week.

Of course, you’ll get better over time when you actually put these skills into practice, but do some targeted research into the fundamentals.

Some topics to research to BECOME a well-rounded writer are:

  • SEO and keyword use (stay away from freelance writer blogs; try marketing blogs)
  • Readability (learn what the Flesh Kincaid test is and what it likes)
  • Titles (CoSchedule and Buzzsumo have good resources)

Go down the rabbit hole on each of these and you’ll be surprised how many resources you come out with.

Once you have those skills and start putting them to work in your first gigs, you need to figure out how to spread the word about what you can do and help employers find you faster.

That leads us to No. 2…

How to BROADCAST it

No. 2 thing new freelance writers should focus on: making it easy for an employer to pick you from a stack of 500 applications.

As someone who used to be a freelance writer and later became someone who has hired hundreds of them, I can say at least one thing with total confidence:

Both freelancers and employers have a hard time finding what they want.

As a freelancer, it’s a grind pitching and applying for every job listing you can find. It’s dispiriting to get so few emails back, especially when you’re just starting out.

As an employer, it’s utterly overwhelming to be bombarded with 500 applications from bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freelance writers. Many of which you will never read because you have deadlines of your own.

More than likely, you’re going to settle on the first 2-3 writers that just seem like they can do the job and then take your chances.

Broadcasting is all about putting yourself into an employer’s shoes, and making it easy for them to pick you.

This means being smart and strategic about how you present the information the employer needs, which includes:

  • I have the skills you need for this job
  • I can demonstrate it

Some of the ways you can BROADCAST you’re right for the job:

  •  A brief, friendly cover letter that focuses on the skills you have. Tailor them to the job described to help the employer “connect the dots.”
  • Skip saying things like “I’m willing to learn” or “I’m deadline-driven.” Employers don’t have the time to teach you anything, and meeting a deadline is an expectation, not a skill.
  • Include relevant writing samples. Quality over quantity, and organized neatly on a professional website or writer profile.

“Okay, good tips, but what if I literally don’t have any experience yet?”

You’re not going to like this, but it’s true: You’re going to need to spend some time creating some portfolio pieces.

These should not be Word Documents uploaded to a Google Drive, either. Your samples need to be organized on a professional website, or a professional writer portfolio (the easier route unless you have experience building websites).

If you don’t have experience yet, you need to treat getting your first gig like an American Idol audition, and not the kind that makes Katy go —

WUT

Try to make your samples look as close to what would be published as possible. Include relevant fair use images from a site like Pixabay if they fit the topic. There are numerous self-publishing platforms out there, including:

  • Medium, where you can write about anything.
  • Thought Catalog, for more creative or lifestyle content.
  • BoredPanda, really nice if you’re also a photographer.

You can also try to pitch Huffington Post of Buzzfeed Community. You wouldn’t be able to say you’re a HuffPo or Buzzfeed staff writer, but it would give you a URL with your name on it that will get an employer’s attention.

If you’re looking for something more specialized, you can search for websites in the niches you’re interested in and ask if you can guest post on their blog in exchange for a byline.

I would only pitch concepts here, not finished pieces. But if you go this route, you should have some self-published work on the topic as well that the editor can review.

The point is, you need to be able to broadcast your ability to do the job you’re applying for, and the best way is to show them that you’ve already done it, even if it’s just a portfolio piece.

Key takeaways and more resources for freelance writers

The TL;DR is this:

Instead of focusing on BS advice, focus on two things becoming the kind of writer employers want to hire (this means not skipping out on learning the hard skills), and broadcasting it strategically.

If you’re new to this, there are only two tips for how to become a freelance writer that should guide your first 12-18 months:

  • You need to have the skills to stand out from 500 applications and pitches the employer is looking at.
  • You need an easy, all-in-one solution for showcasing your portfolio and experience.

Don’t worry about the mansion in Costa Rica yet. Focus on these two points and give it 12-18 months. By then, you’ll know whether you want to stick with this or not.

If you’re looking for more resources to help you get started, ProWriter has a free SEO skills resource here, and if you want an attractive portfolio designed to emphasize your skills and experience over time, you can sign up for a free ProWriter writer portfolio at our homepage.

If you have any questions for me, or feedback about this blog post, I’d love to hear it! Find me on LinkedIn.

ProWriter is building a community that helps freelance writers launch, grow, and go pro. Come and join us.