Over the past few years, it is no doubt that content writing has become one of the most prolific jobs. In Nigeria, as content writing keeps advancing everyday from several trajectories, SEO is one of the major skill that most business owners, blog owners and employers expect from their content writers.
Here, we are going to be talking about how to start as an SEO writer. There is so much to being a content writer ranging from being very creative to being very resourceful. Before even considering starting a career of being an SEO content writer, the first thing is to understand what content writing offers, the skills required of a content writer, the several types of content writing as well as the qualities expected of every content writer. Once all these have been figured out, now you can apply the use of SEO in all of your works.
What is SEO?
SEO simply means Search Engine Optimization. According to David Booth, a Consultant, Instructor and founding Partner of Cardinal Path, it is the process of making improvements on and off your website in order to gain more exposure and more searching results.
In the writing industry today, having an absolute knowledge of SEO is now the HOTCAKE.
It is a great feeling for you to write what people are expecting to read. It's a greater feeling for Search Engines to position your web pages on the front pages in an organic search. That is why you are seeking to build a career in Search Engine Optimisation today.
There is so much to know about SEO and the key to its approach is consistency and patience in order to achieve a long term value. When optimizing content, both the people (readers) and the search engine is expected to derive clarity and quality from your webpages; more like killing two birds with a stone.
Now let’s talk about the real deal, how exactly do you start a career as an SEO Content Writer in Nigeria?
1. Develop your Plan or Strategy
In Nigeria, there are thousands of content writer. In Fact, almost everyone is a content writer. Although, it is understandable that not all that write are writers. Still, this field is highly competitive, hence, the need for wisdom to put things in place. You need to take the time you need for you to understand everything you want to do. You need to be determined and put in the required work.
How do you want to start? What do you need to survive in this career? Who are the best SEO content writers? How do you practise? How do you learn? These are things you need to take your time to think about before diving into this. Well, thinking can take forever but think, then act!
Now when you know all the answers to the question, Plan! The key to understanding SEO is based on a lot of strategies, therefore know what you are in for and take your time to prepare beforehand.
2. Create Valuable and useful content
If your content is not valuable you are on your own. Along the way, you will come to understand why some blogs are in the top rankings despite the invaluable content they offer but truth is, your content must be valuable and free of plagiarism. This will earn you higher points and increase the chances of having organic visits on your webpage. Remember, your content is not supposed to be valuable to just your readers alone but also the search engines.
3. Understand how SEO works
If you don’t know how the SEO works and what you need in order to make the SEO work, you will just waste your time. You need to take courses, understand all ideas and practise. You will need to know about how to use and analyse keywords, understand its attributes and distribution, optimising site structure, working with server side factors, developing a unique content strategy as well as interpreting the code behind webpages. It is a lot of work to put in but at the end it provides a long term value.
Read: The Basics of Blog Writing and SEO
4. Be flexible Enough
You need what we call ‘intent’ to survive or even start a career as an SEO Content Writer in Nigeria. The intent you have to make this work is the motivation behind everything. This is because things will always change. Search engines and SERPs (Search Engine Results pages) are constantly changing. It is not going to be a smooth road and you have to be flexible enough to fit into the system and adapt to how everything works.
5. Research
Even when you are being flexible enough, to start your career in this field you need to make constant researches. Researches on how to analyse keywords and what approach is needed to increase traffic on your site. Just like in the business world, where you have to see how and what your competitors are doing in order for you to make unique choices, you will need to apply such theory here also. Check other sites, see what they are doing to be among the top searches, research their strategies and know their approaches. This not make you versatile, it gives you the intelligent approach to take and increases your experience.
6. Repeat the Process
You cannot give up along the way. Repeat the process that provides the quality expected from your content and make use of it consistently.
7. Use Social Media
Social media is very powerful. You can use it to promote yourself and your content, one of the most useful being LinkedIn. You need to put yourself and your work out there to be discovered!
The truth is, understanding SEO and how to effectively it can be used as a content writer is deep but it can be achieved through self-effort and consistent devotion.
Post a Comment
Don't hold back your thoughts! Use the comment box