I’m always talking about how great it is to be an SEO copywriter. I’ve had great success doing it and because of my foray into this niche of freelance writing, I’ve been able to achieve a lot of my business (and personal) dreams.

But in this post, I want to flip the switch. I want to outline some reasons for you not to become an SEO writer. This post came about because I was going over some lessons turned in from a couple of student who enrolled in Inkwell Editorial’s SEO copywriter training course.

As I was giving my feedback, I started to think, this is not a career path everyone should go down. Following are a couple of major reasons why.

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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 © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

QUESTION FROM ASPIRING SEO WRITER

URGENT!

I purchased and am putting into action your SEO content writer book but have come across a bit of an issue!

Based on your example you wrote about “Mortgages Texas” I *assumed* the key words would be one or two. In your material you listed a sample of your first client which included a TON of key words and in my research to reach out to companies to hire me, I see their mentioning this as well.

So my question is… if they send me a list, heck, even 7! key words, I am meant to use ALL of them at a 3-5% density for the same short 350-500 word article? I’m so unclear on the list of key words as I was thinking it was one or two or a phrase!

HELP! I’m freaked out to send the emails to pitch (since I have hoped of getting immediate responses but don’t want to be lost with this dilemma!

Sincerely,
SB
###

I get this question a lot from new SEO writers. I sent her the following response:

MY ANSWER

You must be a subscriber to read this post in its entirety. See the sign-up box on the right-hand side of every page of InkwellEditorial.com, this site’s parent site. Once you subscribe, you will immediately be emailed this post, as well as all previous posts where a subscription is required.

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.

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

In yesterday’s InkwellEditorial.com newsletter, we discussed some time-saving tools freelance writers should invest in to make more money. I broke the list down into two categories – tools to invest in immediately, and those to purchase a bit down the line – after you have more of a business/life plan in place.

Today, I’m going to outline some simple guidelines for determining if/when you can afford it.

Note: Like most of the information I dispense, these guidelines are from my personal experience. Your situation may be different. So use the info I’m about to dispense and apply it according to what works best for you as a freelance writer, ok?

Freelance Writers: 4 Guidelines for Determining “If You Can Afford It”

Long-Range Plans: How does an expenditure fit into your overall business/life plan? For me, this is the most important guideline, for it goes to the very heart of your business and your life. As I said about in the post, Freelance Writers: How to Cut Your Workday in Half (Literally!) and Still Increase Your Income:

One of the things I quickly realized when I tweaked my five-year plan a few months ago is that I could cut out a lot of what I was doing or planning to do.

What I want my life to be like in a year, three years, five years, etc., is reflected in my business plan. My business plan includes what I need to spend money on to reach my goals.

I got an interesting email yesterday from a freelance writer who participated in the first ebook writing tournament last October that highlights this point brilliantly. She wrote in part:

The tourney was important in more ways than just producing an ebook. It was a catalyst that allowed me to see what I really wanted to do with my writing skills: change people’s lives for the better through my writing. Through ebooks, to be specific. Fiction and nonfiction ebooks to be even more specific.
 
This decision also meant I needed to start closing up my business writing shop. Putting aside a couple hundred dollars’ worth of copywriting educational material, saying no to incoming freelance projects so I could concentrate on my ebooks — all that was a bit of a painful move. I have a backup; I have money coming in from other sources while I get this ebook thing off the ground. But I have to tell you, for the first time in a long time I am so, so…what is the word? Content! I am so content right now, it’s dreamy.
 
I really disliked writing for other people. I have for a long time. But I didn’t want to admit it because it was a good way to make money. And a good way to prove to myself that I actually was a ‘real writer’.(Whatever that means. Insert mental image of rolling eyes.)
 
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for all your help with this whole who-I-am-as-a-writer shifting paradigm thing. It’s really cool to feel like I am finally, finally on the right track in my life.

When you KNOW what you want out of life, every decision you make should move you closer to that goal – and that includes whether or not to spend money on something for your freelance writing business.

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.

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

Reminder: The ebook writing tournament starts Monday. If you’re ready to write and publish an ebook in as little as 3 days, this is the way to scratch that goal off your list this year!

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In last week’s newsletter, we discussed SEO copywriting rates.

The newsletter was inspired by an SEO writer who was having some marketing success and wanted to raise his rates. However, before he’d sent me that question about rates, he’d sent in the following commentary, which inspired this newsletter.

As a side note, the vast majority of Inkwell’s newsletters are inspired by readers like you, so if you have questions, please send them in. My goal is to always give you content that you can use to start or grow a successful freelance writing business. So when you send in your questions, you not only get that benefit (hopefully), but you help a whole lot of others as well.

Now, to today’s content.

Hi Yuwanda,

. . . You hit the nail on the head when you said there are times when it seems “no one is listening.” I have those days when I send out emails and get no responses and it can get discouraging, but then I remember your ebook and how it’s all just a numbers game and the more doors I knock on the more work I’ll get.

The real blessing for me is that I love to write and I’m SO close to being able to do for a living what I love to do. How many people ever get to do that?

For the longest time, I assumed that there was no money in SEO writing cause of all the 3rd world (and even some American) $3-$5 an article writers in places like Warrior Forum. Your ebook opened my eyes to the proper way of marketing and now I’m closing in on making what I once thought was a pipe dream a reality.

So again, thanks for the ebook and support/encouragement. I really would have had no clue about this opportunity without it. I will certainly contact you in the future when my business is better established to give you a real success story. Till then, it’s back to pounding the daily marketing pavement and taking whatever jobs come my way.

May you and your family have a wonderful and blessed holiday season.

Take care and God bless!

MY RESPONSE

Note: Following is my exact response back in early December, which I want to expand on a bit here today — just as a reminder before we get too deep into this new year and you start to formulate your marketing strategies.

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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.

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without my written consent (linking to is fine).

SEO COPYWRITING TRAINING:  FAQs

What’s the difference between your SEO writing ebook and the SEO copywriting course? The SEO ebook teaches you how to get SEO writing work, particularly if you already have experience as a freelance writer.

Even though it is complete and specific enough to give those with no experience as a freelance writer a leg up in getting SEO writing work, many seem to be terrified of taking the leap; they want someone to hold their hand and walk them through the process.

They want to be led through what SEO is all about, what to expect from clients, how to price services, how to write SEO content, how to market for work, the terminology of SEO, how to talk to clients, what kinds of questions to expect from clients, what types of assignments to expect — and on and on and on. This is what the SEO copywriting course will cover — in painstaking detail.

Again, I put off teaching this kind of course for a long time because it is very time-consuming. Many have bought the ebook and have gone on to very successfully start getting work in this niche, as witnessed by the testimonials on the page discussing the ebook. And yes, every one of those are actual testimonials I’ve received from those who bought the ebook and implemented the tactics I discussed.

But, if you want complete SEO copywriting training — from the ground up and beyond — then this course will give it to you.

Cost: $797. Get full details.

How Do I Get the Lessons Once I Pay for the Class? Lessons are sent via email as .pdf files (5 modules, as discussed below). All lessons are deliverd within 24 hours after payment (if you order M-F). Note: If you order the class on a weekend, the files will be delivered the next business day. 

How Lessons are Dispensed: Lessons are sent via email in 5 separate sections (modules). You willl be sent all modules at once. This will allow you to work through them at your leisure. You will have two weeks from the time you get the course files to turn in your writing samples and marketing plan. I will personally review your SEO writing samples and your marketing plan.

Note: My feedback is very personalized and in-depth, averaging anywhere from 8-15 pages.

As the class is interactive, you can email me questions at any time during this two-week time frame (and beyond). If you don’t submit your marketing plan and SEO writing samples within this timeframe, we are under no obligation to review them.

With enrollment, you get the ebook, How to Make $250 or More Per Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles free*.

I already bought your SEO writing ebook; will you give me a discount if I want to take the SEO copywriting course? Yes, I will. I’ll deduct the $39.95 you paid for the SEO ebook from the cost of the course. Note: You must provide your PayPal receipt for proof of purchase.

Payment: Send payments to payment@inkwelleditorial.com. Put “SEO Copywriting Course” in the subject line (extremely important).  You must have a PayPal account to send funds; it’s free and easy to open one. As course is delivered electronically, no refunds are offered once the files have been sent to you. No exceptions. 

*Free ebook is delivered along with course files.