01

Sep

How SEO Helps The Freelance Writer

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is a great tool for freelance writers. When used properly you, the writer, will be able to add more traffic to your blog or website. It is about optimising your work by carefully using certain keywords or phrases that are more likely to appear on search engines. Consider what you type into Google (other search engines are available) and chances are other people are entering similar. Then consider what search terms people may use to reach something you have written. Ensure that your article contains the keywords you think people are likely to search for. As a freelance writer you want to attract readers to your work and SEO is the way to do it.

You may be put off by SEO. You might think it will ruin your creativity. As a writer you want to let your fingers flow at the keyboard rather than constantly ensuring you are using wording that is likely to pop up on a search engine. You do not want to painfully grind through each and every sentence putting in popular phrases and keywords. Not every paragraph needs to be tailored to Google. Write as you always right and then return to your work and where appropriate consider SEO. Pay special attention to your headline. It is here where your keywords are more important. Make the headline short and to the point. The headline is also the first thing that readers see when they come to your article. It is the wording that will help them decide if your article is worth reading and relevant to them.

When trying to decide what keywords are useful consider Google Trends. Type in your topic into the search engine and it lets you know what terms are popular. For example I typed in ‘summer films’ for an article I recently wrote and discovered that it was 100% perfect for search engines. The site listed similar terms including ‘summer films 2015’ which was another trending search term and perfect for a headline. You can also use your common sense when choosing a headline or phrase. For example people are more likely to type in ‘summer films’ into Google rather than ‘films to watch between May and August’. Consider the reader and imagine what you would words you would use to search for your article.

Using SEO correctly is another tool that will help you stand out from other freelance writers. By ensuring that your article is searchable, you will generate more readers and interest in your work. Begin typing in any search engine and it will automatically let you know what search terms are popular. Learn from this and fit your work around it. It doesn’t have to stifle your creativity. Instead SEO will help you market your work to the reader. It takes time to work at it but the benefits are worth it as your readership and possibly bank balance grows.