How to Start Your Career as an SEO Content Writer in Nigeria

 

The internet has become a saturated marketplace and everyone is always searching for information on virtually anything you can think of. The demand for SEO content writers keeps increasing. If you are considering taking up a career as an SEO content writer as a freelancer or a full-time job, you will find this article very helpful.

SEO content writing is producing optimized content that will rank among the top results on the google search engine which increases the visibility of the website on the search engine. This is quite different from regular content writing and requires that you understand the details involved in SEO writing.

Most businesses in Nigeria are beginning to utilize this marketing strategy to retain their customers and increase visibility on the internet space.

But lets me establish the fact this is no rocket science and if you have the first thing as a flair for writing, you’re hardworking and passionate then you are good to go the rest will depend on your determination and consistency as with every other thing in life.

    1. Pick a Niche

This is a very necessary step to take. Picking a niche will make your work easier and gives you credibility. This means you’re not everywhere but known for something and it’s easier for you to grow your expertise when you choose a particular niche. And as time goes you grow a loyal audience that your niche seeks to address or speaks to. You might want to pick from a niche you’re more comfortable or knowledgeable about. 

    2. Build an Online Portfolio

Employers don’t take people for their word when it comes to work skills; the best thing is to show them proof of your previous works. A portfolio does not mean your perfect work. You can start with the knowledge you have and improve on it as you grow. You can be a guest writer for free or start your blog. You should look out for writing opportunities that will help you grow and take up writing jobs no matter the pay. Your main focus should be building your portfolio. This will also help you to practice every day which ultimately improves your writing.

You should put a lot of effort into writing valuable content that can help solve a problem for the reader or provide a solution to their pain point. Structure your content and it should be loaded with information. Bear in mind that you’re writing to attract more visitors to the website.

You should utilize social media platforms as well. Go on platforms and showcase or share your work and put a good profile because most employers like to know who they are employing and your social media handles are their first place to go. 

3. Study SEO 

You’ll need to get practical knowledge on SEO whatever that means to you. Get to understand the basics of SEO, it works and the term used. There is tons of information available online. You should leverage that to get practical hands-on what SEO is all about. You need to keep studying even after starting the career proper because the trend is always changing and SEO is a broad concept that requires constant study to get a hang of it.

You can enroll in an online course, read blog posts, and binge on Youtube videos. You will also need to familiarize yourself with SEO tools that are vital to helping succeed in churning out SEO content and you need to decide which works for you. These tools will help you in your keyword research and just like every tool; it makes your work less tedious. 

You should pay attention to 

• Attractive headline
• The keyword your target audience uses regularly
• Research on the topic and how it benefits the audience you are writing for.

4. Research

To be a professional SEO writer is to be a researcher because you need the knowledge to guide you on what to write and how to write. Your writing should be in-depth and not generic.

Your keyword, fact, statistics, trends, or data shouldn’t be guesswork but be backed up with proper research. And where you can’t get enough information online then get someone who is knowledgeable or an expert on the topic and interview them.

Fortunately, research skills can be learned if you think you don’t have the skill.

5. Put yourself out there

Generally, writing is a competitive skill to break into and the demand keeps increasing. But you need to get out there and let people know what you do. This is why I mentioned earlier that you need to make sure your content is valuable, that way you stand a chance of being considered.

If you’re looking at taking this career as a full-time venture then consider getting a cold pitch to companies or clients who might need your service but if you want to freelance then there are various platforms to choose from like Upwork, Fivver, Freelance, LinkedIn. Opportunities abound but you need to have the capacity to deliver.

Conclusion

 

At this point, you should have a clear path to follow in starting your career as an SEO content writer in Nigeria but understand that most part relies on you. Get to work and start writing consistently, practicing. It’s not going to be easy but if you persist long enough you will achieve amazing results.