Freelance writing covers a wide spectrum. There are so many different kinds of writing you can do that it can be hard to know where to start and what to specialize in; in fact, if you must specialize in any genre. FYI, in my opinion you should specialize (specialize it), but that’s a discussion for another day.
I have been a freelance writer since 1993. I have written everything from case studies, e-books, simple web articles (SEO) for clients and I can say without a doubt that if you are new to this career majoring in SEO content writing is one of the easiest ways to start getting jobs.
FYI, the following are just some of the types of writing jobs that freelancers tackle or specialize in.
Overview: Types of Freelance Writing
e-book writing
case studies
white papers
MagazineWriting
infographic writing
Social Media Writing
SEO Articles / Web Content
direct mail copy
technical writing
Why SEO content writing is an ideal niche for new freelance writers
The following are three reasons, in my opinion.
1. The need is there: Content marketing has made the need to copy greater than ever.
In case you don’t know, content marketing is any type of marketing that involves creating and sharing media and published content to get customers. This includes everything from web articles, white papers, case studies, and videos.
You see, how companies marketing online have moved away from direct sales through, for example, an advertisement. Today’s tech-savvy consumers want information up front before they buy. This is the reason why many of them do research on the web before making a purchase. Test?
GE Capital Retail Bank’s second annual study of major purchase buyers shows that a growing number of consumers widely Do your research and compare prices and financing offers before you make any major purchases.
According to the study, 81% of consumers go online before going to the store, 20% more than the previous year, and spend an average of 79 days gathering information before making a major purchase. [Source: Study: 81% research online before making big purchases, RetailingToday]
This means that the need for web copy, sales copy, white papers, infographics, blog posts, newsletters, etc., is greater than ever.
2. You can start with no experience: Unlike many niches where you must have a defined set of skills and experience (e.g. writing case studies), SEO content writing is fairly easy to hire with no experience – IF you can show that you have excellent research skills alongside with good writing skills.
How do you test this? Killer Writing Samples (SEO).
3. Pay-for-writing websites: There are many sites on the web that will pay you to write SEO content, eg BlogMutt, Helium, Yahoo! Network of collaborators, etc.
While many criticize these sites for their “low pay” (which can be very subjective depending on your circumstances), others are thankful that they exist so they can get immediate experience and also earn some immediate income.
conclusion
As stated above, I have been a freelance writer since 1993. I stumbled upon SEO writing in 2007, when it was still a relatively new niche. Now, it’s pretty much the only type of writing I do for clients because the need is so great. So if you’re just starting out, it’s a great way to start landing freelance writing jobs fast.