You may have heard of SEO.
You might have even heard of content writing.
But how have those two things been mushed together, and what the heck is it?
In this article, I’ll explain exactly what an SEO content writing service is. And more importantly, how SEO content writing can be an absolute gamechanger for your business.
Firstly, what is an SEO content writing service?
An SEO content writing service is the process of creating content for your website that helps you rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).
The company or freelancer who offers this service will usually create content in the form of blog articles (just like this one).
Some companies can also create guest posts that are added to other websites (not just the client’s website). The aim of this is to increase the number of backlinks to your website, increasing your authority in the eyes of Google.
What does an SEO content writing service include?
At the heart of it, an SEO content writer should be able to produce compelling content written in your tone of voice and style.
The content should be highly engaging and get your reader to take action. This is the same for all content writers, whether they specialise in SEO writing or not.
So what’s the difference between an SEO content writer and a content writer?
The main difference is in the extra ‘stuff’ included within the SEO content writing service and the overall aim of the content.
An SEO content writer should have a deep understanding of SEO. They should know how to optimise your content for your chosen keywords and phrases (without it sounding like a repetitive mess!)
They should know how to get you ranked on Google and advise you on the best ways to do it.
What is the goal of SEO Content Writing?
Just like content writers, SEO content writers should create compelling, engaging content that users love to read.
If you use an SEO content writing service you should expect the overall goal of the content to focus on website traffic and search engine rankings.
Any good SEO content writing service should:
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- Increase your search engine rankings for a variety of keywords
- Increase your website traffic
- Increase your backlinks from high-authority websites
As stated in Search Engine Journal, the main issue with SEO content writing services is often they focus too much on rankings but don’t know how to convert that traffic into customers.
Are you thinking of hiring a company or freelancer to help you with SEO content writing? It’s a good idea you look for a company that can create compelling copy that converts AND help you rank on search engines.
What are some key elements an SEO Content Writing Service could include?
Writing is just a part of what makes a successful, high-ranking blog. There’s actually a lot more that goes on behind the scenes.
Some SEO content writing services will include:
Keyword research
SEO content writing services may also include keyword research.
Keyword research is the process of finding out what topics and specific keywords and phrases people are searching for around your products and services.
If someone is doing this on your behalf, they will identify the topics you can realistically rank for that get a healthy number of searches each month. If they offer this as part of the SEO content writing service, then they’ll go ahead and write the content based on this research. Simple.
Content strategy
SEO content writing services are primarily focused on getting more traffic to your content via search engine rankings.
But good SEO content writing services should also focus on the entire buyer’s journey. It shouldn’t just be about getting people through the door (or finding you from Google), you also want to convert people too.
That’s why some SEO content writing services also offer content strategy as part of the service. They’ll help you form a strategy that guides people through the entire customer journey–from finding you to buying from you. This means they may create some content that isn’t designed to get website traffic, it’s designed to convert people into paying customers.
On-Page Optimisation
Some SEO content writing services will include on-page optimisation as part of the service. This means they’ll upload the content for you and ensure it’s optimised and formatted correctly for SEO. For example, they’ll optimise your URL, title tag, imagery, meta description and select your categories and tags.
This will increase your chances of ranking in search results. Optimising your content for your keywords is only part of what will help it rank, a lot of work also has to happen on your website itself too!
If you want to learn how to do this yourself, check out our article on how to optimise your blog post.
Measuring success
Some companies will track your search engine rankings as they continue to create content for you. They’ll also track things like the number of backlinks to your website, website traffic and leads coming through the site.
This is helpful as you can see what is working and what isn’t working so well and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Creating imagery
Some SEO writers or companies will even create bespoke imagery and optimise it for search engines. Some will also use stock image websites and ensure these are optimised for search engines too.
Who offers SEO content writing as a service?
There are a few types of freelancers or companies that offer SEO content writing as a service. And they all differ slightly in price, process and approach.
1. SEO Content Writers
These are typically freelance writers who have knowledge and experience in SEO. They are able to write blog articles and optimise them for search engines.
Some of them will offer keyword research as part of their service, which means they will research the topics, keywords and phrases that your audience is searching for.
Others won’t offer keyword research. They will ask you what keywords or phrases you’d like to rank for or what you think people are searching for. They’ll then optimise your blog post for these keywords and phrases.
Many don’t upload your content to your website and optimise your SEO settings. They will leave that part to you. But some will write things like the meta description for you, leaving you to add that to your website.
Some may upload the content to your website if it’s a platform (or content management system) they are already familiar with. There are a lot of different website platforms, and writers tend not to have knowledge of them all (nor should they need to!)
A quick overview of SEO Content Writers and what they do
Generally, this is what SEO content writers do and/or specialise in
- They are professional writers, often with experience in writing for business
- They have knowledge of SEO
- They are able to optimise your content for keywords and phrases
- Some will offer keyword research as part of the service
- Often they don’t upload your content to your website
- Often they don’t create imagery
How much does it cost to hire an SEO Content Writer?
SEO Content Writers can typically charge anywhere between £250 – £1000+ per blog article. I know that’s wildly different amounts!
I also understand that this can sound expensive. But remember, both writing and SEO are highly-skilled work, and it’s likely that the SEO content writer has a lot of experience and expertise. Plus, it will take them time to research and write each article. Hence the price tag!
2. SEO Agencies
Many SEO agencies offer content writing as part of the service. This is often part of a broader service where they’ll also offer things like keyword research, an SEO audit, technical SEO, improving your website’s performance, and increasing backlinks to your website.
Some agencies will outsource the content writing they do for clients, as writing isn’t their specialism. Some will have in-house writers.
SEO agencies are highly focused on getting traffic to your website, and as many are not expert ‘writers’, you may find they place less emphasis on your brand voice and style. The content is merely a means to an end, and that end is website traffic.
They will usually upload your content to your website and optimise it for search engines, but may not have the skills required to create fancy graphics.
A quick overview of SEO Agencies and what they do
- They are experts in SEO and focus on all aspects of SEO (such as technical SEO or increasing backlinks)
- They may outsource content writing or have writers in-house
- They are able to optimise your content for keywords and phrases
- They will offer keyword research
- They will upload and optimise your content
- Often they don’t create imagery
How much does it cost to hire an SEO Agency for this service?
They are usually more expensive than SEO content writers. A lot of SEO agencies have 6-month contracts and prices will vary from £1000 – £10,000+ per month (if they’re a pretty decent agency). And the more content they create generally the more expensive it is.
Remember that’s not just for creating content, that’s for an entire SEO service.
We know of a lot of great SEO agencies, but we also know that there are a lot of problems in the industry too. If you’re thinking of hiring an SEO agency, you might want to check out our article on the problems with SEO agencies.
3. Blog Management Agencies
This is where we sit.
Blog management agencies are less well known than content writers or SEO agencies, but they do similar things.
A blog management agency does exactly what it says, they manage every aspect of your blog. That means everything from keyword research and strategy, to content writing and creating imagery.
If they have a focus on SEO (like we do), they should hit the balance between creating compelling content and ranking on search engines.
Some of them will also be able to advise if there’s anything technically on your website that will hinder your rankings (like us!)
They may also write guest blog posts in order for you to build your backlinks to your website, building your authority with Google.
A quick overview of Blog Management Agencies and what they do
- They are expert writers and can write in your tone of voice and style
- They understand content strategy and should create content that helps people go through the entire buyer’s journey – from finding you to buying from you
- They should do keyword research for you
- They will upload your content to your website and optimise it for you
- They are knowledgeable in SEO
- Some (like us) should be able to create custom graphics for your blog posts
- Many don’t understand technical SEO (such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, broken links etc) so they can’t advise on that
How much does it cost to hire a Blog Management Agency?
There aren’t that many blog management agencies out there, and the ones that do offer this service don’t give a price unless you get on a call with them (annoying).
But a blog management agency would usually sit between an SEO content writer and an SEO agency.
We charge a minimum of £1397 per month for our blog management service.
Is an SEO Content Writing Service right for you?
Whether you choose an SEO content writer, SEO agency or blog management agency, SEO content writing can have HUGE benefits for your business.
Not only can you use that content to rank on search engines and deliver traffic to your website, but you can also repurpose it across your social media channels too. In fact, I can get 4-8 LinkedIn posts just from one blog post! You can learn more about how to repurpose a blog post here.
So yes, it’s an investment, but for many businesses, you’ll certainly see a good ROI from it.
And don’t forget to check out our SEO blog writing service for more information.
Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.
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