Online Writing: What Clients Want and How to Land Online Gigs Kari Rippetoe Freelance Content and Copywriter

Online Writing Provides a Plethora of Opportunities Promote their products or services Inform and engage their prospects and customers Achieve higher search engine rankings and increase traffic Content is the name of the game, and clients are looking copy and original content for their websites to:

Promote their products or services

Inform and engage their prospects and customers

Achieve higher search engine rankings and increase traffic

Types of content clients typically want: Website copy – navigation pages, product descriptions, sales landing pages Original content – articles, blog posts, forum posts Online marketing & PR materials – press releases, email copy, online ad copy What Do Clients Want? Many content-writing projects can be long-term if the client needs their content to be updated on a continual basis.

Types of content clients typically want:

Website copy – navigation pages, product descriptions, sales landing pages

Original content – articles, blog posts, forum posts

Online marketing & PR materials – press releases, email copy, online ad copy

Basic SEO skills – keyword research and implementation into content at proper density Sales & marketing copywriting – writing to engage the reader and generate sales conversions, writing for readability and “scannability” Email marketing best practices – capturing attention to generate opens and click-throughs, knowledge of “spammy” keywords Technical writing and/or industry-specific knowledge PR and/or journalistic writing styles What Skills Do You Need? Depending on what is needed, different skills are required :

Basic SEO skills – keyword research and implementation into content at proper density

Sales & marketing copywriting – writing to engage the reader and generate sales conversions, writing for readability and “scannability”

Email marketing best practices – capturing attention to generate opens and click-throughs, knowledge of “spammy” keywords

Technical writing and/or industry-specific knowledge

PR and/or journalistic writing styles

Online Tools You Can Use Learning Basic SEO: SEO Fast Start Ebook by Dan Thies – http:// www.seofaststart.com Aaron Wall’s SEO Book – http:// www.seobook.com Keyword Research Tools SEO Book Keyword Research Tool - http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook / Google Adwords Keyword Tool - https:// adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Google Insights for Search - http:// www.google.com /insights/search/

Learning Basic SEO:

SEO Fast Start Ebook by Dan Thies – http:// www.seofaststart.com

Aaron Wall’s SEO Book –

http:// www.seobook.com

Keyword Research Tools

SEO Book Keyword Research Tool - http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook /

Google Adwords Keyword Tool - https:// adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Google Insights for Search - http:// www.google.com /insights/search/

Where to Find E-Signments Online Bidding Sites – great for starting out, but look out for low-paying projects Elance.com Guru.com Freelance Job Boards FreelanceSwitch.com – blog, forum, subscription job board FreelanceWritingGigs.com – blog and free job postings Sologig.com – job site for freelance and contract projects and positions Problogger.com – blog and job board for freelance blogging gigs Working with complementary service providers Online and digital advertising agencies Web designers Social media strategists

Online Bidding Sites – great for starting out, but look out for low-paying projects

Elance.com

Guru.com

Freelance Job Boards

FreelanceSwitch.com – blog, forum, subscription job board

FreelanceWritingGigs.com – blog and free job postings

Sologig.com – job site for freelance and contract projects and positions

Problogger.com – blog and job board for freelance blogging gigs

Working with complementary service providers

Online and digital advertising agencies

Web designers

Social media strategists

What to Look Out For Low-paying projects - most prevalent on bidding sites due to competition and small budgets Writing PLR(Private Label Rights) articles How it works: you write a "pack" of articles for a buyer at a reletively low rate; buyer sells content to other publishers for a profit; content is rewritten or "spun" to avoid copyright and duplicate content issues Buyer is typically not concerned with accuracy of content Not bad or illegal; but a decision you'll need to make from a moral standpoint

Low-paying projects - most prevalent on bidding sites due to competition and small budgets

Writing PLR(Private Label Rights) articles

How it works: you write a "pack" of articles for a buyer at a reletively low rate; buyer sells content to other publishers for a profit; content is rewritten or "spun" to avoid copyright and duplicate content issues

Buyer is typically not concerned with accuracy of content

Not bad or illegal; but a decision you'll need to make from a moral standpoint

Kari Rippetoe Content & Social Media Strategist The Caffeinated Blog : http:// thecaffeinatedblog.typepad.com Contact Me Email: kari.rippetoe@rippetoe.net Thank you, and Good Luck!