Freelance writing and SEO

Some freelance writing clients specify that writers who want to write for them should have some knowledge of SEO, or search engine optimization. They don’t specify that they should be fully-fledged SEO copy writers, they just ask that they have some basic knowledge of SEO.
This might be because the client feels that it’s unreasonable to expect freelance writers to be experts at SEO copy writing. He might have presented the writer with a pretty long list of requirements for his project, and might feel that it’s asking too much to add SEO copy writing skills to the list.

Advantages of freelance writers using SEO

For whatever reasons, it seems to be advantage for freelance writers to have at least some knowledge of SEO.  The problem is, this covers a couple of areas: there is what is called `on-page optimization’ and `off-page optimization’. But the good news is, writers usually only have to be concerned with on page optimization. It might be worth researching this, unless you already familiar with it incorporate it into your writing.

Disadvantages of freelance writers using SEO

You should be aware that `experts’ sometimes maintain that on-page optimization is irrelevant, and may even denigrate your article - or rather your client’s article. The reasoning is, an article which has been `SEO’d’ is un-natural.
Whether it’s a good idea to mention all this to your client is debatable; it might give the impression that you are trying to avoid optimizing the article because you don’t know how to do it. If on the other hand you don’t mention it to him you are in a way failing in your duty to him.

Possible solution

One solution might be to write a sample article which you have SEO’d and mention the above `un-natural’  argument to him.

Freelance writing and off-page SEO

Although freelance writers don’t usually have to consider off-page SEO, it might make them more competitive - might even help them win a writing contract, if they can demonstrate some knowledge of it.
With this possibility in mind, it might be worthwhile writing a sample article about it, like this sample freelance writing article about off-page SEO.