Frequently Asked Questions
On this page, read our SEO writing FAQs. You’ll find information about SEO content writing in general as well as information about our SEO content writing courses.
Looking for something specific? See if we cover it by using the search box below.
SEO Content Writer FAQs
These SEO writing FAQs cover general questions about starting your career, what specific jargon means and more.
For questions about our free SEO writing training and/or the Complete SEO Writer Roadmap Course, scroll down to the next big section on this page.
Can I be a full time SEO writer?
Absolutely! There is so much great work available to SEO writers. If you want to only do SEO writing, I would suggest making your portfolio site completely tailored to SEO writing services.
Here's a blog post about how to make an awesome portfolio: How to Make a Writer's Portfolio That Rocks
Why do I see so many low-paid Upwork and Fiverr job postings for SEO writers?
In this case, the problem may not be the writing work itself, but rather, where you're looking for work.
Job-bidding sites like Upwork sometimes are littered with low-paying jobs as is. While I personally have found some great gigs on Upwork, that isn't always the case.
I'd also suggest you check out this blog post (it's not from the AWS site, but still a good read): A Writer's Transition Guide from Cheap Gigs to Amazing Income
Where can I find SEO writing jobs?
Use SEO to your advantage when finding jobs. Whether you like to job search on Upwork, LinkedIn, Indeed or wherever, be sure to type in important keywords when searching.
Terms like "SEO writer" or "SEO blog writer" can get picked up by the job search engines to help you.
What are considered “expert rates” for an SEO writer?
SEO rates vary based on the type of project, the turnaround time, your ability to deliver and perform well and so many other factors.
Expert rates often start at $0.75 per word. That’s like getting $1125 on a 1500-word article. And if it took a grand total of 8 hours to complete, you’re working at about $140 per hour.
However, even more experienced writers charge $0.90 per word or $1+ per word rates. Various sources indicate that the ideal “goal rate” for high-quality SEO content is in that $1-2 per word range. For more information about SEO writing rates, check out this blog post.
Can SEO writers 100% guarantee results for clients?
Before you get hired to write SEO content for clients, many will ask questions about how your content will perform. You can’t blame them because they want to make sure they’ll get some kind of return on their investment. So, how are you supposed to handle this question? And, can your writing have a guarantee?
You have to remind the client that your content will be just one part of their overall SEO strategy. With the right skills and training, SEO writers can optimize the on-page SEO content. And, if you have the training, you could also offer some additional (and profitable) add-on SEO projects. In this case, you could help them a little more.
However, since SEO is influenced by so many different factors, we advise against giving your client a 100% top ranking guarantee. To make sure you can ace additional SEO writer interview questions, check out this post: 10 SEO Writer Interview Questions to Prepare For
What programs can SEO content writers use for keyword research?
Luckily there are a ton of great options for SEO keyword research tools. It’s up to you if you want to purchase subscriptions to keyword research tools. However, I’ve gotten great results and use out of the free ones (these have limitations, of course).
Once you land some ongoing monthly work, you’ll want to consider purchasing subscriptions to these tools. Or, you may be able to convince your client to purchase a subscription, and you use it solely for their work.
Our favorite SEO keyword research tools are Ubersuggest, Moz and WordStream. Each is a little different, and each has its own set of pros and cons. However, once you understand how to best use each tool, you can expedite keyword research and get it done in a matter of minutes!
What does “SEO optimized blogs mean” as a service by a freelancer?
Here’s a little more context to this question. This person wanted to know what exactly to include in their SEO writing services. Should they only focus on the writing? Should they also offer keyword research? Basically, they want to offer SEO writing services, but they weren’t sure what should be included in the scope at baseline.
And… here’s the answer: As an SEO writer, it is 100% up to you what you will offer as your “standard” project scope. You can still be a successful and well-paid writer, even if you just offer the actual on-page written content. If you don’t want to touch SEO keyword research, you don’t have to do it.
However, by offering additional mini projects of add-on services (i.e. keyword research, titles and meta descriptions, URL naming, etc), you can boost the project price significantly – potentially adding several hundreds or even thousands of dollars onto your original content quote.
We actually detail some of this in our free SEO training video: “How to Land Monthly, High-Ticket SEO Writing Work – without the Low Rates, High Competition and Burnout.”
Can you trust SEO helper sites (like Yoast) to correctly grade your SEO content?
Some people like to check their SEO content with a SEO helper site like Yoast, SEMrush, etc. These sites will often give you a grade or some kind of indication about whether or not your content is optimized. So, if you get a “green light” from one of these SEO tools, is your content good to go?
No. While these sites can be extremely helpful, they still can’t replace your human brain and your ability to assess your current situation. You (and your clients) will have the most accurate picture about what the brand needs to succeed online.
For example: Yoast might say that your SEO article about “men’s running shoes” is 100% SEO optimized. But if your target audience isn’t searching for that query, it’s not going to be optimized for that target audience. And if the content is not optimized for your target audience, you can’t expect great results and conversion rates.
Do SEO writers have to learn coding to help clients rank higher on search engines?
No (thank goodness)! Unless you already want to learn coding or have some coding background, SEO writers are not expected to know SEO coding techniques.
Sure, you may have a client approach you and ask if you could do SEO coding work, but they’re looking for a jack of all trades. And, in this case, you don’t have to feel bad about turning down coding work. It’s not the industry standard for an SEO writer to understand SEO coding. There are plenty of other professionals that your client can hire if they want help with that stuff.
Now, for your own website, there are plenty of things you can do to boost the SEO performance of your site. Depending on where you host your website, some hosts make it easier than others to adjust your site for SEO. Typically, sites like Wordpress are a little more coding heavy, although they’ve become more user-friendly over the last few years. In our SEO training we discuss and show you exactly how to optimize your entire site for SEO – all in easy, non-techy terms!
To learn more about our online SEO content writing course, watch our free video training.
SEO writing is techy, right?
You absolutely do not have to be a techy or analytical person to be a successful SEO writer. And you actually can do ZERO keyword research if you want.
There are simple, straightforward and fast ways to analyze and pick SEO keywords (if you do need to do it).
Then, you can quickly dive into the writing portion, and get it done. In fact, we’ve got details in our free 1.5-hour SEO video training, so sign up to watch!
SEO Content Writer Training Course FAQs
This section covers FAQs about our online SEO content writing course (the “Complete SEO Writer Roadmap”).
For additional information about enrollment and more, be sure to watch our free SEO video training.
If you have already watched it, see the emails sent to you from the Ambitious Writer Society. You can also reach out to our team!
How do I know I’m getting the most up-to-date SEO information?
When you enroll, you also get access to our “State of SEO Updates,” which are periodic news and notifications about updates that apply to your SEO writing career. If something significant changes in the realm of SEO, we create new content to let you know about it.
This helps you stay up-to-date, competitive and relevant as an SEO writer. Plus, you won’t have to waste energy signing up for countless SEO newsletters or waste time Googling about a new update. We do that for you!
When and how can I get the lowest price for this SEO content writing course?
The best time to enroll in the Complete SEO Writer Roadmap course is during the fast-action period. This is the initial enrollment period where you can enroll at the absolutely lowest price (ever).
We do not offer any other deals or discounts outside of that fast-action period. (So, no Black Friday deals, no flash sales, etc.) Check your emails for information about pricing and enrollment. But yes, once the fast-action window closes, you will have to enroll at the standard price.
Does this course ONLY teach how to write SEO blog posts?
You definitely will learn how to write blog posts, but it doesn’t stop there! Writers can do all kinds of SEO things: on-page writing tactics, savvy backend hacks, website outlines, content ideas and more. You’ll learn absolutely everything about how to write SEO for clients and how to optimize your own site for more traffic. You also get access to detailed mini courses about video SEO writing + SEO with AI + social media SEO.
How is this SEO course different from other online SEO content writing courses?
This course covers everything you need to optimize your own writer’s portfolio, find SEO writing work using 14+ different avenues and learn all the tactics you need to write for clients.
While some SEO courses touch on writing tactics, you will only get surface-level information – and to be honest – much of it is common sense if you already have a knack for writing.
When compared to other SEO writing courses, none of them offer the extensive client-finding and client-landing training that this course does. So, while other SEO writing courses only cover SEO writing, ours teaches how to write for SEO, where to find clients and how to get hired as often as possible.
Can you explain why the SEO Career Accelerator Course is important?
It covers everything about finding and landing the right clients for you. Since this process can be super draining and take up a significant portion of time, I want to make sure whatever calls or interviews you get on are as effective as possible in landing work. You learn the performance-based skills that you need to become a successful writer.
(Unfortunately you are not solely judged on how well you write, so you need to be able to compel people to work with you.) From tone to the cadence of your voice and beyond, it’s all hashed out within this course.
When will I get another chance to purchase?
Look out for emails from Ambitious Writer Society to determine when the next open enrollment takes place. Open enrollment usually occurs every 3-6 months.
However, if you’re ready to have more freedom, flexibility and fulfillment, why wait another 3, 6, 9 months down the road to get started? If you delay enrollment, you’re also delaying your ability to work at those expert rates. And remember: You could land clients within weeks if you want.
What if I enroll and realize that I don’t want to do SEO work for clients?
Worried you won’t use what you learn? Luckily, you can pay back the cost of this course with just a few SEO jobs – especially since you’ll be eligible to ask for higher rates.
But, even if you’re not totally sold on working as an SEO writer, you’ll still learn how to increase traffic to your portfolio site and monetize that traffic in various ways. Clients can come to you automatically and you can take advantage of passive monthly income.
How can I get higher rates if I only have a few months’ experience with this course?
First: You will learn all the writing strategies that expert SEO writers use: on-page, off-page, technical tactics and beyond. And, if you know how to write content that performs like that of the experts, you should be getting the expert rates for it.
Second: You also learn the performance-based skills that help you seem more experienced beyond your years – and make clients more comfortable hiring you at the rates you want.
Third: You get individualized expert SEO reviews to ensure you’ve actually grasped the concepts and can apply them to your writing. So, you’ll know exactly when you can write like an SEO expert.
And fourth: You have the opportunity to get 5 published pieces under your belt. So, if you already have several published pieces, you are not a brand new SEO writer! You already have experience, and you should be paid accordingly.
Do I need any background knowledge in SEO before I join?
Nope! You can enroll in this course with zero knowledge about SEO.
At the beginning of the program, you’ll go through the SEO Writing Crash Course, which simplifies everything about how SEO works, why it’s important, why businesses spend big bucks on it, all the industry jargon and what profitable projects you can do as an SEO writer.
Stop the Googling, and drop all the free courses. It’s covered in depth right here!