Who Is an SEO Content Writer

Many people have a vague idea of the job of an SEO content writer. It is often confused with other writing services, especially SEO copywriting. 

This post explains all you need to know about this type of writing. 

What Is SEO Content Writing? 

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It involves technical or content creation activities that make it easy for search engines (like Google or Bing) to discover, index, and rank the pages of a website. These activities include website design, mobile-friendly interface, load speed, content creation, etc.

For example, if you write a blog post, no one will find it without making it easy for search engines like Google to discover, crawl, and index it in their data storage. If Google finds it valuable, they will put it in front of people looking for what you write. 

SEO makes it possible for search engines to find, go through a website, and show it to people when they search for specific terms or solutions online.

SEO content writing focuses on the content creation part of SEO. It involves writing content that educates, entertains, or creates awareness about a brand. It does more by using tactics or strategies that enhance discoverability on search engines. 

In practice, this type of writing focuses on knowing your audience and what search engine crawlers want and writing for both parties. 

Who Is an SEO Content Writer?

An SEO content writer is a guy who writes for a specific audience and understands search engine algorithms. 

  • Knowing your audience
  • Understanding the search engine algorithm 

So when I say I’m an SEO content writer, I mean I have been observing search engines for a long time, know what qualifies as quality, and write content that creates awareness about a brand. That’s what I do, but in this job, the longer you have been working with brands that get their content ranked, the better qualified you are. 

The search engine algorithms are updated regularly, but the foundations do not change. So, an SEO content writer stays knowledgeable about the changes while working on how to create content that readers or users will enjoy.

This is where amateurs make mistakes. You can’t focus too much on the algorithm’s likes and forget you’re writing for people. The user comes first and the algorithm second. If you focus on one without the other, your content will not be found, or it will be boring for people to read when it’s found. 

Read this if you want to write more interesting pieces

SEO Content Writing vs. SEO Copywriting 

Growing a business is hard. You need a lot of things in place, and some of them are SEO, content writing, and copywriting.

SEO Copywriting is meant for sales or written for people to take specific actions. 

Copywriting is one of the most essential elements of effective online marketing. (It) is the art and science of strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that get people to take some form of action. Copywriters are some of the highest-paid writers in the world.

Copyblogger

So, SEO copywriting is the process of writing content that gets ranked on search engines and converts the user or reader to buyers of a product or service. 

As a freelance SEO content writer, my job is to create awareness. To educate, inform, or make people laugh while ensuring that they remember our brand is creating this content. Tell the world that “we exist and are right here if they need us.”

SEO copywriters take it a little further by making people dip their hands in their purses and buy the product or take action like subscribing to an email list. 

The Overlap Between SEO Content Writing and SEO Copywriting

The other day, I wrote about a place I dreamed of as a child. (You can read about it here.) I explained how the dream stayed with me till adulthood and how I kept remembering the fantasy, even in random conversations. 

Towards the end of the post, I insert a link pointing to my service or ask people to reach out if they need help.

That’s what most SEO content writers do. They make a brand unforgettable through content. They make the reader look forward to their content or response. 

It is a difficult task because there are a lot of distractions on the internet. But the brands that get discovered use SEO and have more interesting content will have the most attention. And then this can be converted to sales. But what’s the hard work about if people don’t buy a brand’s product? 

That’s where good copywriting skills come into play. While writing to entertain, educate, or inform (or create awareness about a brand), the content writer is still working towards selling the brand’s product. It doesn’t mean they are great at conversion. It means they must do it well enough to make people notice the product.

Businesses don’t survive because they are interesting. They survive for long because they are interesting enough for people to buy their products, so they can pay bills, keep creating content, cover logistics, and stay in business. 

So, you want to hire an SEO content writer?

Skills of a Professional SEO Content Writer: 

  • He understands search engine optimization. Not by reading about SEO or some certification, but he has worked on a website(s) and organically brought a lot of traffic. 
  • He is creative and creates fresh content. Every day, about 4.3 million blog posts are published. There are probably a thousand other websites writing about the same thing. Are you going to rewrite those or create something new? 
  • He actively listens to or studies the audience. His job is to create content that the audience can find when they search for a particular query/problem, and more than that, his content must speak to the specific audience as he understands them. 
  • His writing skill is top-notch. For instance, most people will only bounce after reading the introduction and move to the next or the next until they find what they want to see. So, the SEO content writer had to write engaging content at all times
  • He must know how to use a couple of tools. There is so much talk about using Artificial intelligence. Some said there could be penalties from search engines. I have never created AI-generated content, but a professional knows the importance of SEO tools and invests in them.
  • He works on other aspects of SEO after the content has been published. This includes content distribution or promotion, link-building, and finding new ideas for the next content. 

Awareness Vs. Conversion

Professional SEO content writers usually have some copywriting skills. Similarly, SEO copywriters do have content-writing skills. 

As a business owner, you must stay consistent to get results. So, if you are looking for a long-term writer who will create awareness about your product or service, what you want is SEO content writing. Examples include blogging for business

If you want to create an offer, then you need SEO copywriting. Examples include writing ads or landing pages. 

It is important to know that a person can do both well enough, but they will likely perform better in one area than the other. So, you have to hire wisely based on your goals.

You might find this post helpful when hiring a freelance SEO professional.

Hire the right person

Knowing the differences can prepare your expectations. For example, if you hire an SEO content writer, they might find it hard to create offers that convert as much as you want. But they’re your best bet if you want to create brand awareness by consistently creating content. Often a professional can be qualified in both areas because the roles overlap.