5 Traits of a High-Paid SEO Writer
If you’re a high-paid writer, chances are you’re pretty successful. Here are 5 essential traits that will get you from here to there, even if you’re just starting out.
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The beauty of higher-paid SEO writing work is that everything gets easier as the pay gets better.
To be a high-paid SEO writer, you’ll have to stay up-to-date on all SEO changes, but many writers don’t want to put in extra work, especially if it cuts into personal time.
You need a system that enables you to scale your business predictably.
You don’t become a high-paid 6-figure SEO writer in a day, and the skills you need to be successful won’t develop in a day either.
However, with comprehensive writing training and a repeatable SEO framework, you can build your technical skills within weeks or months. And that’s cool, but what makes writers excel in their work?
Why are some writers a 6-figure success and others quit? In this post, let’s talk about 5 essential traits that high-paid SEO writers possess. And, these traits actually have nothing to do with one’s formal SEO training.
These traits pertain to one’s personality and work stamina. And hopefully, this list will give you a better sense if you’re cut out to be one of those high-paid SEO writers!
5 Traits of High-Paid SEO Writers
If you already possess these traits, amazing! You are well on your way to building a successful, profitable and fun SEO writing career. If you only have a few of these, don’t worry! Many of these traits can be groomed into your work and lifestyle as time goes on.
#1 Smart Worker
Notice that I didn’t use the term “hard worker.” Unlike the traditional American Dream, working hard doesn’t always equate to more success.
Working hard would be writing your ass off every day like you do in content mills. You’re tasked with writing two 3000-word articles every day for months on end. And most of the clients who ask you to do this hard (draining) work are the lowest paying clients you can get.
I should know! When I started out as an SEO writer in 2017, I was writing content all day and all night for pushy clients. One time, I was even stressing about my pitiful blogs as I was sitting in the ER with my mom! More on that little story here.
But even though I was writing upwards of 20 articles per month for this client, I was working at a rate of $0.05 per word. So the checks coming in were just a few thousand dollars per month. Luckily I was living with my mom, because I couldn’t support myself, even though I was working full time.
Once I increased my rates by 15X, I was able to work for higher quality (and more respectful) clients. I was working less and making way more money for myself. That’s working smarter.
And any writer who wants to work smarter will do great as an SEO writer. Why? With the right training, SEO writing gives you the ability to adapt your skills to any project that you take on. For you, SEO skills are malleable, repeatable and strategic. So, you’ll know exactly how to be successful – regardless of the project you take on.
The beauty of higher-paid SEO writing work is that everything gets easier as the pay gets better.
#2 Spongy-Brained
Okay, yes, a made up word. But… the most successful SEO writers are continuously learning how to improve their skills. Plus, you’ll need to stay abreast of all the changes that occur in SEO.
Almost every month, there seems to be new and significant changes. While SEO writing fundamentals will always remain the same (because they’re human-centric), there are plenty of advancements and improvements to prioritize the best content.
Having to “keep up” with all the SEO changes can sound overwhelming. After all, to be a high-paid SEO writer, you will have to be working – and you probably don’t want to spend your off-time researching all the latest updates. You want to be enjoying your day after work, right?
That’s why the Ambitious Writer Society has taken the initiative to provide SEO updates to our students enrolled in the Complete SEO Writer Roadmap. We monitor and track all sorts of SEO changes, select the applicable topics and boil them down into concise video lessons.
#3 Organized and Systematic
It’s okay if you’re a hot mess occasionally, but the most successful SEO writers do thrive in a little bit of structure. After all, SEO writing work tends to follow some pillars of organization and consistency, even if you have to adapt the work to yours or your clients’ needs.
Do you need to have every hour of your day accounted for in a calendar? No. Do you have to do the same thing every day? No way! But, high-paid SEO writers will approach every SEO project in somewhat the same way.
But that’s not to say your days as an SEO writer will be redundant. Whether you want to write blog posts or do additional high-profit SEO projects, your day is exciting but predictable.
#4 Reclusive (but Happy)
Some people thrive in social work environments where the efforts of others directly affect how you work, minute by minute. Think about marketing teams who need to simultaneously blend themes, ideas, visuals and copywriting all together, all at once.
This happens all the time when I do copywriting. I’m constantly on calls with my clients – brainstorming, branding and piecing things together to make sure it works with the design. I don’t mind that, but meetings and client calls are super draining for me.
SEO writing work, on the other hand, can be very refreshing for a recluse. Sure, you may get on an initial client discovery call, but then you can go years working with a client and never getting on a live call again. All you do is get the monthly work request, write the content and send it back. I love it, and other successful SEO writers love it too!
So, if you enjoy writing by yourself on your own time, SEO writing is the perfect career for you.
#5 Has a Life
We all “have a life,” but some people – possibly the younger, kid-free writers – have both the drive and time to work extra hours in order to make even more money for themselves. And that’s great! I was like that too in my early 20s.
I was even putting in a good amount of hours as I was working as a traveling performer. Back then, I had the energy and mental capacity to write a quick article after a full day of performances, especially if it meant I’d earn a few extra hundred dollars.
However, if you are someone who has a life or wants to have a life outside of working, SEO writing is the way to go. First, there’s the actual time working. Once you know how to write with SEO, your long-form articles become predictable. Or, you may choose to take on profitable SEO writing mini projects. You can plan out your week with confidence – working as much as you want and then having time in your personal life for family, fitness, fun – whatever!
And second, there’s the mental load aspect. I always compare my SEO projects to my copywriting work.
When I’m copywriting, I have to brainstorm and come up with the absolute best options. I have to think about all sorts of scenarios in which to present the copy, think about how to persuade people to convert and then think about how I can say all that in the shortest, most punchy way possible.
The amount of thinking and strategizing I have to do is insane! And, my best ideas often come when I’m not at the computer. I’m thinking about phrases when I’m playing with my son, while I’m in the car and when I’m in bed. That mental load is taxing. With copywriting, I don’t necessarily “turn off” my brain when I’m not working. Now, I’m more “used to it,” but it was immensely draining as a new writer.
With SEO writing work, you can literally stop thinking about work once you turn off your computer. Then, you have time to rest, refresh and not think about work.
Why? Sure, you want your SEO writing to sound intelligent, interesting and concise, but you aren’t constrained to 30 characters or 5 words. You have some flexibility to get your point across, and for most writing-oriented people, that’s easy for them to do.
So, if you have a family or you want to work from home but “leave your work” when you’re not working, SEO is the way to go.
Missing a Few of These Things? What to Do
Even if you don’t currently possess all 5 of these traits, that doesn’t mean you will never become the successful SEO writer that you dream to be. Your first step is to build a solid SEO writing foundation through training and practice.
Then, as you’re landing jobs (maybe not your dream jobs) you have the ability to continuously refine and uplevel who you work with, how much you charge and how many hours you work.
It took me about 2-3 years to earn a 6-figure income. But now, 7+ years out, I’m just starting to feel like I can “take a breath” and reap the benefits of everything I did in the beginning.
