SEO SOP

As I contemplated writing this article, I thought, another one on this dreaded topic (freelance writing rates). “Why can’t we all just get along,” is the motto that is running itself over and over in my head right now.

BUT, I’m going to tackle this anyway. Sometimes, progress just takes a while.

When I started to take on SEO writing projects, it was a new niche for me. So, I researched every aspect of it. Rates, of course, was at the top of the list.

Almost all of the research I did was disheartening. Much of what I read about rates on SEO writing was low – very low. Most of the assignments offered pay like $1-$4 for 350-500 word articles. And that’s not a typo.

If $5 was offered, it was like – woohoo! – a “good rate.” I was horrified and this almost put me off entering the SEO writing niche.

But, with 15 years of freelance writing experience under my belt, and almost a dozen as a small business owner, I had a gut feeling that this was a niche where some real money could be made.

So, why am I telling you all this? Because when it came time to set my rates, I didn’t even try to compete with what others were offering. I took the following into consideration when I set my rates for writing SEO content.

SEO Writing Rates: How I Set Higher Rates – and Got Them!

Contact the Source Directly: Many of the low rates I saw offered were on bid-for-pay sites and forums. And, while I don’t knock these as far as looking for work, from what I could gather, these were frequented by other freelance writers looking to outsource work.

Hence, they were really the middle man. So I targeted the businesses themselves. By targeting the source, I could command higher rates. Experience: I know what I bring to the table as a professional. Experience has taught me that working for pay that I wasn’t comfortable with would only lead to misery. And, I’m not in this to be miserable.

So, I set my rates according to what I needed to make, fully realizing that if I didn’t get work at those rates, then this was not the field for me. Realizing this, I was fully prepared to walk away from the niche – something I think many freelancers are afraid to do.

You have to make a decent wage to feel good about yourself. While we may all occasionally take on projects we wish paid more, there’s no reason to do it day in and day out. So, if you’re working in a sector that doesn’t pay well, don’t be afraid to stop doing it and look for work in other – better paying – sectors.

Charge in the Middle: I charge $25/per 500-word article. For some, this is high, for other’s it’s low. But, it works for me. I can usually write an article in 30-45 minutes. My all-time low was 20 minutes (this doesn’t happen often and the subject matter is topics I’m extremely familiar with). Most articles take me about 40 minutes to write.

This translates into an hourly wage of $75 on the high end, and $33 on the low end. That’s comparable to an average salary of $68K to $156K (hourly rate x 40/hours week x 52 weeks/year).

This is more than many make on full-time, 9-5 jobs. I wanted to charge enough to make what I needed to live, but not so much that I had to struggle to bring in clients. This rate has allowed me to do that, which brings me to my next point …

Why You Should Never Be the Lowest or Highest Bidder

I know I could probably charge more because of my experience and marketing expertise. But, you know what? When you charge near the top, projects take longer to come in. Charge near the bottom, and someone will always beat you out on price.

The rate I charge allows me to seamlessly bring in new clients – and make a more than decent living without stressing. In fact, I’ve recently started to outsource projects because I’m so busy. If I was charging “top dollar,” I don’t think I’d be at this point yet.

How to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates to Bring in the Most Clients

A rule of thumb is, the more you charge, the more you will have to spend to land clients – and the longer it takes for you to land clients.

Furthermore, clients expect more when you charge top dollar. Think about it, if you stayed at the Holiday Inn, would you expect the same level of service you’d get at The Ritz?

The nice surprise here is you can provide your clients with “Ritz” service, while billing Holiday Inn rates. Your referral rates will go through the roof, and when you do decide to raise rates, practically none of them will jump ship because you ask for a few extra dollars.

To be successful in business, you have to consider all components, not just rate. For me, I’d rather be super busy charging mid-level rates, than slow charging top dollar. And that’s exactly where I am.

About the Author: Yuwanda Black is a freelance SEO writer. She blogs at InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com and is the author of How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles.

One of the most common mistakes when a company decides to invest in SEO, whether in-house or with an agency is the lack of understanding of the importance of the development of the SEO campaign plan. Often the most difficult core competitive keywords are chosen without considering the issue of profitability, as many companies hope to move up on the search engines for these broad industry keywords. SEO is not just about being seen it has to be about profitability further down the line and this should be central to the development of the SEO campaign plan.

Step 1:
If your company is selling products online the first step is to evaluate which products have a better margin and then go about keyword research. If your company is offering services then the same principle applies, only in evaluating the long-term worth of your potential clients to each service if this applies. The SEO campaign plan should market your most profitable products or services when possible.

Step 2:
Next you need to understand that you must split the keyword that apply to your chosen services or products into core competitive keywords and long-tail keywords. Core competitive keywords will be the more difficult keywords that all your competitors hope to be on page one for as well. The long-tail keywords are less competitive and often by their nature can mean that the person searching is closer to making a decision.

For example a core competitive keyword for a ladies clothes website will be dress, whereas a long-tail keyword for the same website will be one one-shoulder dress or halter neck dress. These long-tail keywords have a higher chance of moving up the rankings of the search engines faster and additionally as the lady searching is looking for a specific style of dress there should be a higher chance that she is ready to buy.

Step 3:
When it comes to deciding your keywords, both the core competitive keywords and the long-tail keywords to include in your SEO campaign plan there are some shortcuts. If you are already running a pay per click campaign you can evaluate the keywords within this campaign in terms of cost effectiveness.

Look at the cost per conversion if you have this information available and you should notice that the long-tail keywords will have a lower cost per conversion, the same principle will apply to your SEO campaign plan. It applies in a different way as you will either be investing a cost in an agency or in-house over a period of time.

Step 4:
Mix and match some different approaches to gathering keyword data. Combine what you have decided from your website and ppc campaign, if you have one and use the following free tools.

You can search on the search engines and you will find a variety of free keyword tools, some of which are very good. In general these offer the more high traffic keywords so to create long-tail keywords you will need to use ppc data or be creative.

Try to step out of your own mindset and put yourself into a potential buyers’ frame of mind. Some search very broadly yet others can be surprisingly specific!

Most individuals who have a professional website are aware that SEO is necessary for any website to remain successful. SEO, or search engine optimization, can be used to help a website’s search engine rankings and enable customers to find their website more readily. SEO is really the most fundamental method of Web advertising and is provided by most online marketing agencies. These agencies typically also provide pay-per-click services. PPC is another crucial step in advertising websites online, and it is something that needs to be done along with SEO.

Some site owners make the error relying on SEO exclusively. SEO gives you the ability to bring increased traffic to any website, but the frequent steps needed to keep up with it are time intensive and need to be handled by someone who knows all the current ways to be in compliance with search engine rules. People who do not possess much experience with SEO make mistakes that keep them from getting their website ranked high enough for customers to find them easily.

Unless you are a SEO whiz, it is highly recommended that you hire an online marketing agency to do the work for your site. These people will implement a mixed strategy that uses email marketing, SEO and PPC. With PPC, the agency will get your site to appear in the advertising column of top search engines. They will also get your site to appear as ad banners on other Internet sites.

PPC management is a challenging process that is best accomplished by a professional agency. You have the opportunity to designate your own cost per click; this is definitely where most people make their mistake. Most inexperienced people assume that they should try to save money and choose the least expensive price for each click through to their website. When the cost is this low, other sites that have set their cost-per-click at a higher rate will be given more consideration and appear more often. Experts know which keywords will bring success and the correct price to select for each click through to your website.

A mix of SEO and PPC is the perfect way to generate the maximum amount of traffic. An effective email marketing plan should be used as well. You can have a sign up box integrated on your landing page and have site visitors submit their name and email. This makes them subscribers who will receive notices, updates and newsletters that you send out. Studies have verified that subscribers are a lot more likely to make purchases or sign up for paid services; they are also more likely to become regular customers rather than a one-time visitor. Increasing conversion rates is a necessity if you are using your site for commerce, and email marketing is the ideal way to increase revenue.

Of the scores of sites on the Internet, an amazing number of them are inactive and are practically abandoned by their owners. People frequently give up on their site because they can’t get enough visitors. Web marketing techniques like SEO and PPC require time for it to take full effect. People often give up within the first few weeks when they do not see any results. Just as you are recommended to hire a plumber for a leaky faucet, you are recommended to hire an Internet marketing firm rather than try to advertise your site on your own.

Choosing an SEO company can be very daunting. It’s hard work to keep in mind over and over again if they have much experience in this field now. If this option the first time to seek the services of SEO here are some things that can help you achieve the best company for all your SEO needs.

Do not be fooled by a company that promises they will reach the number 1 rank in no time. There is no such thing as easy way to get high rankings in search engines. Usually, it takes time before it can reach a high rank and high profits at the same time. Ask friends if they know a reliable company offering SEO services. Ask how credible is the company and if they offer competitive rates as well. Take time to read SEO forums. Typically, SEO companies talk about different experiences and giving feedback from them. If you’re already looking at a particular SEO company, you should read more about the raves and rants in that company. This is to ensure that your money’s worth and get the results you want. Use your search engine trust and find the name of the company. You can never be too careful when it comes to the money you pay or the privacy of your data. If this is really a scam, you can see a lot of websites warning people about the SEO company. Ask the company if they have portfolios. It would be better if they could show other websites that have already optimized. If possible, ask their clients about their previous comments on the SEO services of that particular company. Do not hesitate to ask which would put the links online surfers to your website. Whether it would be to create the content or not, should help to better jobs that will be on your website, ensuring that relevant and important keywords are included in the content.

You must also ensure that they would not request additional personal information such as your contact number, social security numbers and other private information. This is usually the works of fraudulent websites claiming to be a legitimate SEO company. They do this because many are looking for SEO related services-cheap yet reliable today. Do not rush when looking for the right company for you. Taking a little time to find the best partner would give great benefits sooner or later, so you better make sure you choose only the best.

Independent filmmaking is a creative passion I love. Nothing beat the rush I get writing scripts and directing movies. I am a filmmaking junkie. When one movie wraps I’m looking for my next creative high. I head out looking for a money tree I can shake to produce my next movie. In tough financial times it’s very difficult to find money to make a indie movie.

Many indie filmmakers can relate to the story I am about to share. A few deals fell through for film funding leaving me without the backing to produce my next movie. Life is strange when it comes full circle. Before signing a distribution deal with Maverick Entertainment Group for Consignment co-producer Tim Beachum had a insane idea. At least it was insane to me. He made it possible to stream the first 10 minutes of Consignment online for free. A Virginia Beach based newspaper posted an article online about it. Seems there were not many indie filmmakers doing what we did. It worked out good, but it still took time for what Tim told me about SEO marketing for it to sink in and share with you.

Independent filmmaking success can be reached with SEO marketing. When I started producing movies I had a hard time looking at them as a product when they were done. My thinking has since changed. After a movie is done it needs to be handled like a well packaged and promoted product. I am not taking away from the creative art of making a movie. As a screenwriter and director I dig deep to put all I have into making movies.

It’s now crystal clear in mind that movies need to be marketed to viewers or they do not exist. The major brick walls facing many indie filmmakers is they lack a big marketing budget, the distributor they signed with can only do so much, or they are that sure how to use SEO marketing to promote their movie. I sure as hell didn’t coming out of the gate with my first movie. I thought Maverick Entertainment Group as the distributor releasing the movie would make a marketing push, so I laid back waiting for them to spread the word Consignment was a hot urban action movie people had to see.

It was a fast lesson that a movie distributor releasing hundreds of titles has only so many resources it can put into marketing. With staff salaries and overhead to meet they have to be fiscal. Bottom-line is they need to earn the most profit, so they dedicate as much of their marketing budget to hype movies that they feel have name actors or that “IT” factor. That’s just good old fasion business sense in motion. Maverick Entertainment Group has a platinum label to showcase their high profile releases. El Presidente Doug Schwab has earned his respect in the indie filmmaking community and has be kind enough to share a lot of solid insight on the business side of movie distribution with me. I see him as a cool older brother.

I started to pay attention to SEO marketing tools. Consignment Co-producer Tim Beachum has been involved in Internet marketing for over ten years strong. As for me I never gave SEO marketing a second thought because I was consumed with writing, producing, and directing indie movies. I regret coming out the gate I did not think about marketing them. Being an amigo Timbo shared with me what he learned from SEO kingpin Frank Kern. Marketing really started to make sense to me. I saw the boost SEO marketing could give indie filmmakers on how to promote their movies online without spending crazy cash. With people searching for so many different topics online it’s easy for your movie to go undiscovered. Unless you start using keywords and phrases to reach out to viewers about your movie. On YouTube the Consignment trailer has 15,000 views to date. That’s cool because being a grounded filmmaker it’s hard to imagine those people set out looking for the Consignment.

I was able to use the SEO advice Tim Beachum and Frank Kern (salud to these two guys). When uploading videos to hype your movie use keywords and phrases. That sounds like common sense, but when I first started uploading videos to promote my movie I only used the title of the movie as a keyword phrase. Not to savvy considering how often the word consignment is typed into a search engine.

When indie filmmakers use the core idea of SEO marketing they will have a better chance of success. The whole idea of making movies to have people watch them. SEO marketing can go a long away to helping reach that goal. Posting trailers using different keyword phrases will drawn in more viewers. Use your movie plot to help you come up with keywords and phrases that relate to viewers. You can’t rely on viewers finding your movie out of nowhere.