SEO Copywriting Rates: How to Get $100/Article or More
Yesterday on my blog, I posted about getting to the $100/article mark for my search engine optimization (SEO) writing. I received a few emails last week from fellow freelance writers that made me realize the need to explain why/how I can command these rates — and you can too!
Emails from Fellow Freelance Writers About SEO Copywriting Rates
I received the following email last Tuesday from a fellow SEO writer. It read in part:
Query: Several times [in your writings] you mention SEO writers taking low paying jobs. I was just offered, and accepted, a large assignment from [company name]. . . . They are paying me $3 per 250 words for 150 computer gaming articles. Some of the articles are 500 words, so $6. I’m thinking about asking for a better rate . . . Any thoughts? It’s a huge assignment, and my idea was to take the work.
My Answer was a one-liner: Wouldn’t do it; too little money — period!
The second email I received was, ironically, the same day. It read in part:
Query: I got a response! [to my marketing emails] . . . It’s somebody wanting to know if I could build a blog and he said that I “would take some revenue share of 50% on a site and would also share in back in resale of site and our overall ad network, which we are building out.”
My Response: Google the phrases “revenue share” and “revenue sharing” and do some reading. Once you know what it is, then you can make a decision. Remember, when you don’t understand something, Google is your best friend.
Command Higher Freelance Writing Rates: How I Got to the $100/Article Mark
These emails highlight two things freelance writers — no matter the niche — need to do to command higher rates, ie:
(A) Set a Bottom Line: When I first started freelancing back in 1993, I did so for a previous employer who paid very well. I didn’t realize the angst of setting bottom line rates until I entered the “free market.”
But, I’m a quick learner!
Once you set a bottom line rate, then it becomes relatively easy to determine if a job is worth it or not. The problem for many freelancers though is that they “need the money,” yet know that an unfair rate is being offered. This is particularly true in the case of bulk jobs.
I’ve gone below my bottom line plenty of times. BUT, not so far below that it’s slave wages. And $6 for 500-word computer gaming articles is definitely slave wages.
Freelance Writing Rates: How to Determine When to Go Below Your Bottom Line
(i) Does it come easy: One of the first things I take into account when I’m considering a job that pays below my normal rate is how easy it will be for me to complete.
There are certain subjects I know intimately, ie, business, real estate, mortgages and marketing are three. I can knock out a 300, 400 or 500-word, general article on these subjects in as little as 20-30 minutes. So if I don’t have anything else on tap, I’ll gladly negotiate.
(ii) Payment up front: If a client is willing to pay up 100% up front, I’ll negotiate. This is akin to giving a “pre-paid company discount.”
(iii) Good door opener for future (high paying) work: If the job is a gateway to future, better-paying assignments, I will also negotiate. And, it doesn’t necessarily have to be future, better paying assignments with the company in question.
It can be because the company is a noted name that will lead to more work with other firms, or it can be because the assignment will give my professional profile a writing sample in a niche that I don’t already have.
(B) Learn Your Industry: The email from the second freelance writer highlights the need for freelance writers to learn their industry. One of the reasons I got to the $100/article mark is because I understand search engine optimization.
When I talk to clients, they immediately understand that I know what I‘m talking about, so they are willing to pay more because I provide more value.
For example, a couple of days ago, I landed a new client. He originally wanted just blog posts. I charge $20/per post (250-350 words). After speaking with him a few minutes, I made him realize that what he needed were articles, not blog posts. I charge $35/article for what I call “easy, breezy” content (350-400 words).
This client has a dating site and ebook he‘s promoting. If you breathe and you’ve dated, writing easy, breezy content of this nature is a piece of cake.
In addition to upselling him on a service, this client signed up for another service –article directory submission. NOTE: Only upsell a client if it’s in their best interest (not yours).
This morning, I wrote the article in about 30 minutes — and that included going through some “research” material he forwarded to me. Not 10 minutes after receiving it, he sent back a “Looks good, payment is on the way” email.
When you know your industry, you can provide clients with all the services they need — which makes them much more likely to use your SEO writing services, instead of your competitor’s.
I find that many freelance writers don‘t take the time to really absorb their niche. When I first started SEO writing last fall, I knew practically nothing about search engine optimization. And because SEO is constantly changing, I still study it fervently so that I can stay current on industry changes.
If you do these two things — set a bottom line and learn your industry — you will be able to command higher rates. This is true whether you’re a generalist, or a specialist (eg, SEO copywriter).
Good luck!
Kevin Muldoon | August 20th, 2008 at 2:10 pm #
Great post Yuwanda. Setting rates can be difficult. I think you make a good point about research though ie. the higher the quality of the post, the more you can charge.
Yuwanda Black (Post Author) | August 20th, 2008 at 2:34 pm #
Thanks Kevin, glad you enjoyed the post.
FYI, I’ve found that many of my clients are less knowledgeable about SEO than I am. As most of them are in high-tech industries, this was a shock to me intially. When they run across an SEO writer who understands the intricacies of the niche, they don’t mind paying for it.
As always, I enjoy posting at BloggingTips. Thanks for sharing your space.
Eric D | August 20th, 2008 at 8:45 pm #
Thank you for this article. It is very informative and makes me re-evaluate some of the writing I do. There does come a time when we have to say no to a job request because of pay. Too often professionals must compete with people who are willing to sell their skills at a bare minimum just so they can have some pocket money. Of course the old adage of “you get what you pay for” certainly does hold true.
I had a personal experience last year where I engaged the services of a well known content writing service who was running a “special deal.” I spent almost as much time correcting the spelling and the sentence structure of the articles written for me as I would have writing the articles myself. That was $250.00 down the drain.
Makes me seriously think about starting my own content writing service.
Yuwanda Black (Post Author) | August 21st, 2008 at 8:26 am #
Thanks Eric for that “validation” if you will (ie, you get what you pay for). Unfortunately, many who need content have to get burned before the realize the value of a good SEO content provider.
If you’re a web business and content is what drives traffic, you can’t possibly expect quality (hence, traffic) from $3 per article content providers. Even fast writers would have a hard time making a decent living writing at that rate, which is why the quality is so low with most bulk content providers.
More and more internet entrepreneurs are starting to realize the value of good content, which is a good thing for freelance writers like me who still remain reasonably priced, yet charge enough to make a real living.
Thanks again for weighing in with your experiences — and if you do decide to start providing content, good luck with it.
Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Louis Liem | August 21st, 2008 at 9:49 am #
Ahem.. just for information. Much paying company give bloggers $10 for one article have 200 words only. And not always the article is write in good english….like how I write this comment
So I’m sure you can charge waaaa…yy more than $10 for professionally written articles. 500 words? That’s $30 minimum for paid reviews
Armand | August 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 am #
It’s an inspiring post. We’ll never know till We’ve tried. I have started to create a blog and it’s important for me to make it as my own professional company. Getting money from blogging is not easy at the beginning, consuming lot of resources. Do you have some tips to get success less than a year? Thanks.
Jim | August 28th, 2008 at 5:32 pm #
I found your post really useful, thank you. As others have said, knowing what fee to charge is sometimes difficult and for me sometimes feels like a balancing act. Surely it is a false economy for clients, when they pay low prices for equally low quality content that does not get results, rather than pay decent prices for quality content that adds value to their business.
Thanks again.
aku jagoan seo | September 1st, 2008 at 11:48 am #
wow.. its true we can get$100 whit blog?
i must learn more
Cesar | September 2nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm #
I am new to article writing but I found your post really helpful for me. It help me how I can better write for a better rate. Thanks
Karri Flatla | September 22nd, 2008 at 11:53 pm #
I think it also depends on whether you consider copywriting the same as article writing. Because truly, they are 2 different things. Though I offer both services. I would argue that good, solid content of any kind - copy or an article per se - is a valuable commodity. But it does seem to me that “copywriting” per se (writing to persuade / incent action / etc) commands a higher rate in general. Adding SEO to the article component, however, is a definite value add!
Interesting article and very relevant. When I see writers charging what their product is worth it makes me hopeful that more good ones will enter the marketplace