In yesterday’s newsletter, I told you about the abundance of questions I’ve been getting about SEO writing (http://bit.ly/eTSXFX). Here’s yet another one. It’s about SEO writing rates — as in, when and how to raise yours.

The question is rather long, but I like to post them in their entirety/almost in their entirety so you get a full picture of exactly why the question is posed and the circumstances around it.

QUESTION FROM AN SEO COPYWRIITER

Hi Yuwanda,

. . . You may remember that I emailed you a few weeks ago to tell you I’d launched my SEO writing business following the instructions from your ebook [on how to become an SEO writer (http://bit.ly/akL7HZ)]. At the time, I had a couple of clients that were paying lower rates and basically treating me as an employee, but I took their jobs to get some work till I build the business.

Now . . . I have 3 more clients who are paying me my rates-$25 for a 500 word article or web copy. Not only that, but 2 of the 3 are very happy with these prices and one has told me after I did some work for him that I should charge more. Aside from these 3, I have several more who have told me they will be using my services after the new year.

This made me decide to increase my prices on Jan 1 (what better time to do it, right?). I told the one client that I was going to raise my prices to $30 an article/web page up to 500 words, $40 500 to 1000 words, but that I will keep the current rates for existing clients like him. He was very happy to hear that cause now he thinks he’s getting a great deal.

. . . I’m pondering this further. What I really want is to be charging $35 for a 500 word article, and $45 for 500 to 1000 words. However, I’m hesitant to go straight to that price range, because I thought it may be better to test the market at $30 and see how many clients I can gain at that level, and how many think my rates are too high.

If you have time, can you tell me what you think about that? Should I go straight to $35 right away, or should I make it a more gradual jump? (emphasis added)

One last thing-thanks again for all your help and guidance in setting this up. I never would have found this amazing niche without your ebook, and this has given me a career that just a couple months ago I could have only dreamed of! Have a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!

First let me say, readers like you constantly keep me on my toes. You ask such insightful questions — questions that really help others propel their businesses to the next level.

So, keep’em coming!

I always say that if you have a question or are facing a given situation, 9 times out of 10 you are not alone. Hence, you should never feel funny asking if you don’t know.

Now, to my answer.

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In yesterday’s post on InkwellEditorial.com I talked about achieving your freelance writing goals in 2011.

For most of us, this means making more money. Making more money starts with how much you charge — and way too many freelancers don’t charge enough.

SEO Copywriting Rates: Charge Enough, or Get Out of the Game

So today I just want to put a little bug in your ear . . . charge enough, or do something else. And the reason is this, making enough money to live the life you want is not about the dollar amount; it’s about living your best life.

Why Setting Your SEO Copywriting Rates Right Is Important

Money in and of itself is valueless. It’s what it can give you that matters, eg . . .

Freedom from debt collectors;

The basics of having a roof over your head, food in your belly and clothes on your back;

Not having to stress about future financial security (if you save enough);

Being able to go on vacation when you want, for as long as you want;

Being able to stay home with your sick child, without fear of losing your job or paycheck being docked because you have no more personal time;

Never having to worry about being laid off or losing your job altogether again;

Etc.

THESE are the things you put on the line when you set your freelance/SEO writing rates. Never forget this.

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POST CONTINUED BELOW
Write an Ebook in 3 Days — Really! Don’t forget to sign up for the ebook writing and publishing tournament coming in Jan.
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Why SEO Copywriting Rates are All Over the Place

One reason freelance/SEO writing rates vary so much is because all of the above is different for every person. Hence, the “right” rate for you may be the wrong one for someone else.

So do some real soul searching so you can charge enough to pay your bills, save, and still take care of all those things that are important to you.

SEO Copywriting Rates: What’s Your “Happy Life” Number?

Taking on $3 for 500-word blog posts ain’t gonna do it for most of us. So again, figure out a decent rate that allows you to have a life and meet your obligations. This is what I call your “happy life” rate.

If you’re afraid to charge your happy life rate, then please — I beg you — do something else.

Freelancing writing is supposed to be a fun career, but if you don’t charge enough, it’ll be more like a slave-wage job and you’ll be miserable. Just some food for thought as we head into 2011.

Following are some more posts I’ve written on what to charge as a freelance/SEO copywriter. Hope they help you figure out your “happy life” rate.

Posts on Freelance & SEO Writing Rates

SEO Writing Rates: How to Determine What to Charge as an SEO Copywriter

How to Set SEO Writing Rates to Make $250-$500+/Day

How to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates to Make a Real Living

4 Guidelines for Setting Blog Posting Rates (http://bit.ly/c3u4mc

Freelance Writing Rates: And the Debate Rages On . . .

Advice for Freelance SEO Writers: How to Negotiate Rates When Clients Want You to Go Lower with the Promise of More Work

I wish you and yours the very best this holiday season — and beyond.

Sincerely,

Yuwanda

P.S.: I rarely discount Inkwell’s products, but right now you can get some incredible savings on most of our e-books and online classes (2 for 1 special; 50% Off). See all of our holiday only deals and discounts.

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P.P.S.: Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells and make some extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to make $50-$150/day pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites

P.P.P.S.: Train to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter Making as Much as $50,000 to $75,000 Your First Year: You’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

 

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

About a week ago, I received the following email from a fellow freelance writer. Although she didn’t ask about payment for SEO copywriting jobs, I’m couching my answer in these terms because this is a common conundrum among SEO writers.

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Get rare Buy 1 Get 1 Free & 50% Off holiday deals on freelance writing ebooks and classes.
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QUESTIONS.

Hi Yuwanda,

Thank God every minute is a brand new minute. Restart, restart and restart….

I know you mentioned you do “hold the belt of truth” so you can understand how awesome it is he doesn’t hold anything against us. I know your time is valuable so let me get to my question.

Is it common practice that very large marketing firms do not use Paypal? (emphasis added)

I did a newsletter for a very large marketing firm.  They are requesting another newsletter with a different angle. I am grateful for the opportunity to provide the service.  I definetly don’t want to lose any possible work in the future, but not being paid upfront or upon delivery makes me very uncomfortable.   

I trust the company will be ethical and pay because it is a very large marketing firm.  This would be my only reasoning for trust. I am new, naive and looking for your advice as an experienced freelancer.

In addition, I believe I have priced the first newsletter too low (appx. 500 words for $35.00).  

Is there a way to professionally raise the price for the second newsletter without completely losing credibility? (emphasis added)

I thank you for all you do.

-MG

MY ANSWERS

In answer to the first question, ie, is it common practice that large marketing firms don’t use PayPal, the answer in my experience has been . . .

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P.S.: Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

P.P.S.: Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells and make some extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to make $50-$150/day pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites

P.P.P.S.: Train to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter Making as Much as $50,000 to $75,000 Your First Year: You’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

 

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I’m always tellling web writers that they it’s important to stay abreast of SEO copywriting rules because they are not static guidelines; they change all the time. A good example of this is how Google has recently started replacing page titles in search results with on-page headings. What exactly does this mean?

It’s explained really well over on SEOBook.com in the post, “Replacing Page Titles in Search Results With On-Page Headings.” The post states:

This would mean if people searched for a phrase that was mostly in your title (but maybe your page title was missing a word or 2 from the search) then Bing might insert those words into the page title area of your listing if they were in some of the link anchor text pointing into your page.

What This Means for SEO Copywriters

What it means is that the rules for SEO copywriting are changing and that it’s more important than ever to write page titles that are really relevant to the content displayed.

And, as  the above linked-to post states, if if Google does happen to change your page’s title, “consider it a  free analynic tool;” a way of Google telling you how to better optimize that particular page on your site.

SEO Copywriting Tips on Keyword Placment: If Google Changes Your Page Title, What to Look For

Some things you might want to look for on a particular page if Google does happen to pay your site a visit and change the page title is:

Anchor Text: Are the keywords used in it really (really) relevant to the content on the page, or have you gone outside the box and did a little keyword stuffing/keyword inclusion just to work in a particular phrase; and

Keyword Placement: Are your keywords placed properly on the page? Many don’t pay much attention to this, but there are places that keywords should appear to make it easier for search bots to tell what a given page is all about. Some of these places are obvious (eg, in meta tags); others less so . . . ie:

Note: While there isn’t 100% concensus on this, many SEO copywriting experts say that keywords should be in the following places:

SEO Copywriters: Where to Place Keywords in Copy

First paragraph (some say in the first  sentence of the first paragraph; some say in the  last sentence of the first paragraph);

Last paragraph (some even say in the last sentence of the last paragraph);

Subtitles; and

Every 100-150 words.

The overall theme that runs through all of this is that search engines like Google rely on keywords to tell them what a given page is all about. So use them judiciously — ie, make them relevant — throughout a given page (without keyword stuffing) and you should be fine.

Keep this in mind: just like search engines rely on search engine optimized content to bring traffic, your clients depend on your SEO copywriting skills to find the right balance with their content so that serach engines can do their job.

If you stay on top ofthe changing rules of writing SEO content, your SEO copywriting skills will continue to draw traffic (and sales) for your clients.

Yuwanda

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P.P.S.: Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells and make some extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to make $50-$150/day pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites

P.P.P.S.: Train to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter Making as Much as $50,000 to $75,000 Your First Year: You’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

 

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SEO copywriting is one home-based business that many are considering, especially this time of year. Why/how?

As I said in yesterday’s InkwellEditorial.com newsletter, it’s that time of the year where many are, in addition to be focused on the holidays, looking forward to a New Year and contemplating change. Hence, thoughts of starting a business, quitting a job, starting something on the side, etc. are top of mind right about now.

It happens every year.

So once again, I dug into my inbox and came up with questions from a newcomer to SEO copywriting. Following are his questions and my answers.

FYI, if you’re a new SEO copywriter and/or are thinking about starting this career, feel free to send me your questions. It may take me a few days or a few weeks to get back to you. But, if it’s one that you haven’t been able to find the answer to, send it in. Nine times out of ten, if you’re wondering about it, other SEO writers are as well.

SEO Copywriting: Questions from a New/Aspiring Article Writer

Hello Yuwanda,

Greetings!

On the 1st of this month, I downloaded your ebook “How To Make Money Writing Simple 500 Articles” since I am looking to start the SEO writing. Reading it has helped me a great deal, but I am still considering taking up the other book, which is: “Comprehensive SEO Copywriting Training“.

Being a brand new industry for me, I have quite a lot of questions without answers and not knowing whom to ask to. Although I have been doing a lot of reading and research on the SEO industry for some days now, I still am not clear on few areas and I desperately need to know the answers to these questions that I have been asking myself.

You probably might not have the time to write me back . . . However, thinking positively that you might, I have taken the liberty to list my queries below:

1. Can one become a successful SEO writer if one resides away from the US (currently I am in the Middle East), would this be obstacle in terms or getting clients or getting the business ?

2. Where can I find more samples of SEO articles?

3. In my case and in a situation like mine (a starter) do you think your book “Comprehensive SEO Copywriting Training could help me further and put me on the right track?

4. Can general writings be also used as samples?

I look forward to hearing from you at the soonest.

Best regards,
K-

My Answers

Let’s take these one by one. 

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P.P.P.S.: Train to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter Making as Much as $50,000 to $75,000 Your First Year: You’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

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First, I want to say, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday if you celebrate it. I ate too much, slept too much and watched too much TV – and I’m looking forward to doing it all over again in a few weeks come Christmas. Hah!

Now, to today’s post.

As I talked about last week, I happen to love this time of year because I’m able to get a lot of work done without interruption. Besides writing SEO content, I also write and publish my own ebooks, manage a team of four writers, update four other sites regularly, handle all admin tasks, etc. In short, my days are full.

So, being able to put in 8, 10 or 12 hours/day on just my writing projects (which is common for me during this time) allows me to propel my business goals forward.

Do any of the following apply to you – and you’re trying to start (or have started) an SEO writing business?

If you’re:

1) Not at the point where you have a VA (virtual assistant) or other SEO writers who can help you with your workload;

2) Still holding down a full-time or part-time job while trying to get your SEO writing business off the ground; and

3) Have a packed holiday schedule, eg, catching up with old friends, preparing the house for visiting family and meeting deadlines at your job . . .

Following are some things you can do to still stay on top of client deadlines, while still having some fun (and getting some rest) during the holidays.

SEO Writers: 6 Ways to Keep Clients Happy (Meet and Deadlines) During the Hectic Holiday Season

I. Use Time Blocking: For me, this is hands down the #1 thing you can do to meet deadlines – especially during busy times like the holidays. I use it all the time and it helps me to stay hyper-focused on one thing so that I can get it done.

Read more . . .

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P.P.S.: Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells and make some extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to make $50-$150/day pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites

P.P.P.S.: Train to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter Making as Much as $50,000 to $75,000 Your First Year: You’ll learn 4 ways to make money online using your newly acquired skills.

Copyright © 2010: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).