How To Become An SEO Content Writer? (Step-By-Step)

Last Updated on July 31, 2023 by Jordan Alexo

Are you wondering how to improve your skills to become an SEO content writer? But perhaps, you don’t know where to start!

See, for a website to reach its target audience, it isn’t enough to pump out content. No, this content needs to be search engine optimized (SEO). Otherwise, it won’t rank well on Google and other search engines, and the website won’t receive visitors.

For this reason, businesses need expert content creators. Also, this is one of the highest in-demand skills right now, making SEO content writing a great career choice.

It doesn’t matter your background. If you just graduated from college in something that has nothing to do with writing. Or if you have never written professionally before. 

You can learn how to become an SEO content writer if you learn the right skills.

In this guide, you’ll learn the essential skills and techniques to become one. You will also understand what it takes to succeed in this field.

5 Key Takeaways

• SEO content writing is a specific type of content production that requires a combination of technical and creative talents to become successful. This includes creating high-quality, keyword-rich material optimized for search engines to increase a website’s Exposure and traffic.
• Writing for SEO is essential for businesses because it helps their site get more traffic from search engines. It can increase brand awareness, sales, and more.
• Keyword research, content optimization, link building, on-page optimization, and content quality are the five fundamentals of SEO writing. For this reason, you must consider these factors when creating SEO content that performs well in search engine results pages.
• An SEO copywriter writes search engine-optimized material such as blog entries, articles, product descriptions, social media postings, and other types of online content. They are in charge of producing high-quality material that ranks highly in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specified keywords and phrases.
• A career as an SEO content writer may be very lucrative. An expert may dramatically help a company make more money online. For this reason, they’re willing to pay well for the right person. 

What exactly is SEO writing?

SEO writing involves creating high-quality, keyword-rich content that ranks on search engines.

The main idea is to help a website get more organic traffic from:

• Google
• Bing
• Yahoo and other ones

These search engines have an algorithm determining which web pages are most relevant to someone’s search query. For example, Google uses over 200 factors to decide what search results people get.

To improve a website’s ranking, SEO writers must understand how these algorithms work and create content that these search engines love. This includes:

• Conducting keyword research
• Optimizing meta titles, descriptions, and web page URL
• Adding specific keywords to the content
• Including internal links

Besides these technical aspects, you must write relevant and captivating content for the audience. In a way, people who read your post shouldn’t notice that it’s optimized for search engines.

Also, you need to understand your audience’s needs and interests and create informational material to help them.

So, SEO writing requires technical and good writing skills.

Why Is SEO Writing Necessary?

 Let’s go over the significance of SEO writing in greater detail: 

1) Boosts organic traffic 

SEO writing is essential since it can boost a website’s visibility and rankings in search engine results pages, resulting in more organic visitors.

2) More Discoverability

It makes websites more discoverable to potential consumers or readers and aids in developing trustworthiness.

3) Increases Exposure 

By writing content optimized for search engine algorithms, a website can attract more attention and increase overall exposure.

What Exactly Is An SEO Copywriter? 

An SEO copywriter is someone who specializes in writing material that is search engine optimized. 

Your main goal is to create high-quality content that ranks well on the search engine results page (SERPs) for specific keywords.

Usually, businesses, digital marketing companies, and other organizations that want to attract more people to their websites need to have SEO copywriters.

So, you are in charge of producing online material, such as:

• Blog posts
• Product descriptions
• Social media posts
• And other forms of online content.

You must understand SEO basics, produce engaging content, and use a set of tools, which some I’ve already mentioned. 

10 Essential Basic Skills All SEO Writers Must Have

Now let’s see what you need to learn to become efficient at your job.

1) Keyword Research

Keyword research is a critical aspect of SEO writing. It involves identifying the keywords and phrases that are relevant to the target audience and using them strategically in the content.

SEO writers should use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find relevant keywords and phrases that are likely to drive traffic to the website.

2) Content Optimization

Optimizing content for SEO involves using keywords strategically in the content, as well as in the page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt tags. The content should be well-organized, easy to read, and informative while also incorporating the target keywords in a natural and meaningful way.

3) Link Building

You also need to understand how to create inbound links. An inbound link (aka backlinks) is a link from another website to yours. They are important for SEO because they provide a signal to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant.

4) On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization involves optimizing the technical aspects of the website to make it easier for search engines to index and crawl the content.

This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and internal linking structure. SEO writers should also ensure that the website is mobile-friendly, as this is a key ranking factor for search engines.

5) Content Quality

The quality of the content is an essential aspect of SEO writing. The content should be informative, engaging, and well-written, with a clear focus on the target audience.

SEO writers should avoid using black hat techniques like keyword stuffing or duplicate content, as these can harm the website’s ranking and reputation over time.

Instead, they should focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to the target audience and builds trust and credibility with search engines.

6) Topical Cluster Understanding

You should understand how topical cluster works. This consists of several related posts interlinked together.

Doing this around a specific topic helps search engines more easily understand the content and rank it higher in search results. This also helps readers more easily navigate through your website and find the content they want to read.

7) Analytical Skills

You need to understand analytics, such as Google Analytics and Search Console. This will help you monitor the performance of your content and make adjustments if necessary.

By understanding the data, you can understand how your content is performing and what needs to be improved. You can also see which keywords are driving the most traffic and adjust your content accordingly.

8) Use Appropriate Formatting

Most people nowadays don’t read a full post. Instead, they skim for the information that is useful to them.

For this reason, you should use appropriate formatting, such as subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs. This helps readers quickly find the information they’re looking for.

9) Keep Content Fresh And Updated

Search engines prefer fresh content, so make sure to update your content regularly. You can also publish new posts on a regular basis to keep the content fresh and up-to-date. This will help keep your website ranking in the search results and attract more visitors to your website.

10) Optimize Image And Other Media

In addition to text content, SEO writers should also optimize images and other media. This includes using descriptive file names, alt tags, and captions, as well as compressing images for faster load times.

8 Steps To Become A Professional SEO Content Writer

Becoming a professional SEO content writer requires skills, experience, and knowledge. Here are five steps to help you get started:

1) Learn the basics of SEO writing:

Before becoming a professional SEO content writer, you need to understand the basics of SEO writing. This includes understanding the importance of keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and other SEO strategies.

2) Hone Your Writing Skills

Writing skills are essential for any professional content writer, and SEO content writing is no exception. To hone your writing skills, you can take writing classes, read books on writing, or practice writing on your own.

Another solution is to build a WordPress blog where you can start writing and practicing SEO. Also, you can use this blog to show potential employers your SEO content writing skills.

3) Develop Your Research Skills

Learning to use keyword research tools is essential. In most cases, you must find low-competition keywords and phrases to target for your content. This requires the ability to use research tools effectively.

You have paid and free tools. I suggest picking one and watching video tutorials to learn everything you need to know.

Also, you can find courses on Udemy, Coursera, etc., that will teach you the basics of keyword research and more advanced topics.

4) Learn The Basics Of SEO

After all, that’s why someone would want to hire you. So, you must understand the basics of SEO.

You can find awesome content on YouTube to help you get started. I enjoy watching Matt Diggity and Niche Pursuits. I’ve learned a lot from their videos.

Also, you can check out courses on Udemy to learn more about SEO and digital marketing in general. Often you can get some for 20 dollars or less.

5) Get Experience Under Your Belt Gain

What a professional without experience? I already suggested building a website and practicing keyword research. That’s the best way to gain some experience.

But you can also join a forum related to SEO content writing and start writing articles. You can also write guest posts for other sites and see how your article performs.

6) Monitor Your Results And Refine Your Strategies

Once you have some experience, it’s crucial to monitor the results of your efforts and refine your approaches accordingly. This can include tracking rankings, website traffic, conversions, etc., and using that data to refine and improve future SEO writing efforts.

By monitoring your results, you can make sure that your strategies are working and that you are creating content that meets the needs of your readers and helps you reach your SEO goals.

7) Network With Other SEO Content Writers

If you work from home full-time, it can become quite isolating. That’s why you should network with other SEO content writers, even if it’s only online.

This can be done through social media, forums, or by attending conferences and events. By networking with other SEO content writers, you can learn from their experiences, share tips and tricks, and get feedback on your writing.

8) Look For A Job

Once you have some experience, it’s time to look for a job. You can start by searching job boards and applying for jobs that fit your skill set.

You can also network with other SEO writers and agencies, as this will increase your chances of getting hired. If you have a good blog and work you did for other people, you can use this to create a portfolio and showcase your skills.

You can also contact SEO agencies directly and offer your services. This will help you get started faster.

What Are The Best SEO Tools?

Like any expert, you will need the right tools to do your job well. Here are some of the best SEO tools:

• SEMrush – great for keyword research and competitor analysis
• Surfer SEO – This is a great tool to help you quickly optimize your content for SEO. If you like to learn more about Surfer SEO, read here.
• Ahrefs – great for link building and content optimization.
• Screaming Frog – use this to crawl your website and analyze its technical SEO.

These are just a few of the best tools I use commonly. I suggest doing some research to find the tools that work best for your needs and budget.

Last Thoughts

As you can see, becoming an SEO content writer can make you a lot of money if you have the right skills.

Your main goal is to improve a website’s ranking, and for this, you must understand how search engine algorithms work and create content they love. This skill helps businesses get more people to their websites and more sales.

So the key is to practice your writing skills day and not. You can also check other blogs to understand what works and what doesn’t. Also, you have plenty of free resources online to help you learn everything you need to know.

A good way to put everything into practice is to build a blog. You can use this blog to test your SEO strategies and later showcase your skills to potential employers.

Last but not least, don’t forget to network with other SEO content writers and get the experience you need!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!