10 Years and 1000+ Articles Taught Me These Content Writing Lessons

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

If I say writing is in my genes, it wouldn’t be wrong. I loved writing way back in 6th or 7th grade, mostly for fun. But over time, the fun-filled writing gradually evolved from funny short stories to poems, then to an internationally published novel, and finally to SEO writing.

I tried a marketing job at a giant company and a sales job, but every time I came back to writing. And finally, on the 17th March, 2016, I decided I would make a career in content writing. Since then, I have never looked back.

The past 10 years as a content writer have passed like an arrow. Why? Because I love what I do and it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do in my life.

In the past 10 years, a lot has changed on the online platform. The content writer’s landscape has changed: how websites used to rank has shifted, and how companies view content writers when hiring has changed as well.

I learned a lot, and I also had to unlearn many things to move further in the competitive market. This is why I decided to help other fellow content writers with whatever little or much I have learned in the last 10 years.

1. Approach Companies with Proof

This is especially necessary for new content writers. When I started content writing back in 2016, companies didn’t ask for samples, portfolios, or published articles online. All they asked was -

“Write an article on XYZ topic; we will review the article and then give you confirmation.”

But that’s not the case now. Whether you are applying for an entry-levelcontent writing job or a senior position, you need to have a solid portfolio.

So, my suggestion for new content writers is to start by writing blog posts on free platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, and Blogger. Be consistent and maintain proper blog structure.

This will make you stand out from other beginners who have nothing to support their interest in writing.

At least publish blogs and answer on Quora for 1–2 months. This will build a solid base of writing proof you can use to strengthen your resume when applying for the job.

2. You need to know SEO

Do you know what writers were expected in terms of SEO back in 2016?

• Know the character limit of the meta description
• Use the provided keywords with a keyword density of 1.5%
• Use keywords in the heading and meta description

That’s it. If you know these things, congratulations, you can be hired as a content writer. Back then, SEO and content writing were two different jobs.

There used to be an SEO team that provided the content writer with an Excel sheet filled with blog titles, keywords, and usage. But that’s not the case now.

Now, SEO and content writing have become inseparable, and they have been stirred into a single job profile bowl.

You need to know the basics of SEO if you really want to grow as a content writer. But this doesn’t mean you will be assigned to handle the entire SEO aspect of a company’s website.

But the company now expects content writers to improve the website’s visibility and traffic through their work. And for that, you will need to cover the content-writingaspect of SEO.

As a content writer, now you need to know-

• Keyword Research Process
• Keyword Clustering
• Google’s Ranking Factors
• Impact of AI on SEO and How to Utilize It?
• Search Intent Analysis
• Content Structure as per SEO
• Keyword Gap
• Use of SEO Tools
• Google Search Console
• Google Analytics, and much more

But don’t get overwhelmed by the long list; start with the basics and opt for a couple of SEO courses for content writers. Just keep in mind that you can skip SEO as a content writer in today’s world.

3. Stand Out with a Portfolio

The competition in the content writing industry is neck-wrenching. It’s so high that even experienced writers are ready to work at 30–40p/word. So how do you stand out?

Build a Portfolio…….

Here is an example of the portfolio I built for just Rs. 5,000/year (includes the domain name and hosting).

https://wishforwords.com/portfolio/

Even if you don’t wish to spend a single penny, you can build an intriguing portfolio using free drag-and-drop website builder platforms like Wix.

But please… build a portfolio if you are a content writer.

Why am I emphasizing building a portfolio? Here is what it offers-

• A professional dashboard of your career for companies to skim and scan your work, experience, and skills.
• An opportunity to attract new clients and establish yourself as a freelance content writer.
• Establish yourself as a brand instead of just another content writer. This makes you stand out.
• Shows the list of clients you have worked with.
• Companies can easily understand your career growth and understand what you have achieved in your career.

Apart from the portfolio, I have also built an SEO writing website where I help content writers with SEO writing and blogging tips. This further strengthens my portfolio and provides me with a solid base of content pieces to demonstrate.

4. Build a Style of Writing

How do you know the difference between the taste of Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut’s pizza? Because both companies have maintained a specific style that people can recognize even if they eat the pizza blindfolded.

This is what you have to achieve as a content writer. Even if a blog post doesn’t have your name in the author box, readers should be able to easily guess it’s written by you from your style of writing.

This doesn’t happen instantly; writing style develops over years of writing, but only if you take the right approach. Here is what you need to do-

You should always write everything in your own words and style. It’s obvious that you will look at others’ blogs and articles for information, but put that information into your brain, mix it, process it, to filter out the style, and only the info remains. And then craft that information into your own writing style.

Developing a writing style has become of utmost importance for writers because we live in an AI-driven world. If you write generic content lacking style and emotion, it will be flagged as AI-written content even if you didn’t use AI for a single word.

5. Alter Your Resume According to the Company

Do you use the same resume for every company? That might be the reason why you are being filtered out every time you apply. This is the same mistake I used to make during my early days.

You must understand that most of the companies are looking for specific types of writers. Some are looking for sports writers and tech writers, while others are looking for finance writers and lifestyle writers.

Before applying for any job, visit the company’s website, understand the job profile, and adjust your resume accordingly. Ensure your resume includes the points that make you a good fit for the job profile.

Provide stats that make sense for the company’s domain; include certifications that are right for the job profile. These minor tweaks make a big difference and make you stand out from the thousands of other applicants who use a one-size-fits-all approach while applying.

6. Learn Different Formats

When I first started content writing in 2016, I wrote only blog posts and was confined to this single format for almost 8–9 months. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make to slow down your career growth.

As you start working as a content writer, begin exploring different formats like-

• Blogs
• Articles
• Website Content
• Press Releases
• Inforgraphics
• Emails Newsletter
• Social Media Posts

Most companies don’t hire a separate content writer for each format; they expect the same content writer to deliver content for all formats. Well, you have to adapt to the content writer’s landscape and master different content formats.

No need to go for all the content formats at once. Begin with one, then move to another only when you feel confident about the first content format.

7. Transition into 10-finger typing

I have seen only a few blogs and articles suggesting that content writers improve their typing speed. Well, you don’t need to set a Guinness record for your typing speed, but it still needs to be good.

When I first started working as a content writer, my WPM (Words Per Minute) was only 35. And yes, it used to slow down my productivity.

One of the best decisions I made early in my content writing career was to switch to 10-finger typing. And from 35 WPM I improved to 87 WPM in just 3–4 years.

You can check your typing speed at Typing.com. After reaching 87 WPM, I saw a significant improvement in my productivity. I was able to deliver 3X as much as I used to before switching to 10-finger typing.

In the beginning, 10-finger typing might feel awkward, slow you down even from your current speed, and lower your productivity. But believe, in the long run, it will make you a champ.

I didn’t do anything fancy, just followed the right 10-finger typing method, was ready to compromise my current speed, and didn’t switch to my comfort zone of two, three or four-finger typing.

Content writing has changed a lot in the last 10 years. What used to be a writing-focused job has now been expanded to include SEO, structure, social media, and much more.

The widening scope of the job, AI, and ever-changing SEO have made content writing a very demanding role. If you can’t make adjustments to your skills, perception and process according to the changing market, surviving in the content writing industry is tough.

But the one thing that hasn’t changed in content writing for the past 10 years and will not change in the next 10 years is the need of “exceptional writing skill”.

So, if you write well, are creative, and can outplay others with your drafting process, every other skill can be added over time. And you can establish yourself as an excellent, skilled, and result-oriented content writer.