I have always been a writer.
Ever since I learned to write with pencil on paper, I’ve been writing stories, poems, plays, and anything that turns my imagination into words.
When I discovered blogging, I quickly realized that SEO and writing are a smart mix. Obviously, if I want readers to find my content, I need to optimize for organic search.
Over time, I turned writing into a lucrative business and later a full-blown SEO career.
Along the way, I’ve learned a few tricks that allow potential clients to find writing portfolios.
If you’re a content writer or copywriter, use these SEO tips to make your writing portfolio more discoverable online.
First, how do you create a writing portfolio?
There are many different types of content combinations.
In fact, you don’t even need a website to showcase your work.
You can use something as simple as a folder Google Drive Store examples of your content and share with clients.
you can post article on LinkedIn.
you can even Save your work as PDF and send them to potential clients.
However, if you want to rank your portfolio in organic search, having a website might be the best option.
This gives you maximum flexibility when it comes to optimizing content, getting referral traffic, linking to live examples, and more.
So for this article, I’m going to show you how to use your website to host and link to specific examples of your published work.
1. Subscribe to SEO Keyword Research Tools
SEO tools such as samlash, Arevesand spy Allows you to identify key terms people use to find services similar to yours.
They can quantify how many people (i.e. “users”) are searching for a term, how competitive that term is, and whether other sites are targeting it.
Subscribing to SEO tools is essential because you have access to real data to inform your SEO strategy.
You will be able to research which keywords to target in your web content and which topics to write about on your blog.
Additionally, you can use SEO tools to discover the keywords your competitors are targeting.
For example, you can enter a competitor’s domain into an SEO tool, view their keywords, and apply them to your own SEO strategy.
Many of these tools operate on a “freemium” model, where you get certain features for free.
Others have monthly subscription fees.
Getting a solid SEO tool will make all the difference!
2. Plan and launch your portfolio website
If you already have a website, you can use SEO tools to determine the keywords you should target on your existing pages.
For example, if you have a page about SEO content writing services, you might want to use the term “seo content writing services” in the page content, title, and description (search volume: 720).
Do this for as many pages on your site as possible.
If you are building a new website, then you can plan your content from scratch.
First, think about all the services you offer.
Next, use SEO tools to find keywords that match these services.
Here’s an example of a sales copy mix:
- Home: “sales copy” (search volume: 170), “sales page copy” (search volume: 50).
- service page: “sales copywriting” (search volume: 110), “sales copywriting services” (search volume: 30).
- Services: Website Copywriting: “Website copywriting” (Search volume: 390).
- Service: Email Campaign: “email copywriting” (search volume: 260).
Above, you can see how each page maps to related search terms.
This ensures that you create content and target terms for monthly search volume, giving you the opportunity to drive organic traffic to your pages.
Seocopywriting.com is a good example of a website optimizing the landing pages of its services; for example, SEO writing consulting and SEO copywriting services.
It also has a blog covering content related topics.
The site generates over 500 organic visits per month!
3. Create a Blog Calendar and Strategy
Competition in the writing industry is fierce.
With so many writers online, many target most of the same keywords on their portfolio pages.
With that in mind, you’ll need to get creative with your blog content to drive more organic traffic, and again, that’s where your SEO tools come in handy.
When it comes to your blog, I recommend not just “wobbly”.
If you put your energy into writing content, you might as well target topics that will drive traffic to your site.
Here’s how to do it:
- Go into the SEO tool of your choice and start searching a wide range of topics Related to “writing”, “writer”, “copywriting”, “content”, etc.
- See a list of keywords that appear in each category. List those keywords that have search volume but have low to medium competition scores.
- Filter these keywords to find the ones that get the best answer in your blog post. For example, “How to Write a Sales Page” is a better blog topic than “Sales Page” or “Blog”.
- Extract these keywords into a worksheet like Google Sheets or Excel. Add a column where you can brainstorm ideas to match keywords of your choice. (For the keyword example above, a good title might be “How to write a sales page in 5 steps.”)
- Specify the dates you plan to write, optimize and publish your blog post. This will help keep you accountable for your schedule.
- After writing an article, add internal links to relevant service pages or a contact page on your website to encourage users to work with you.
Remember, you will want to create content that speaks to your target audience.
So, as a professional writer, you probably don’t want to talk about “Thailand Travel Tips” or “Best Holiday Recipes”.
Instead, you might want to write “how to choose a copywriter,” “where to find a copywriter,” “best content tips,” “what is content marketing,” etc.
4. Leverage LinkedIn Articles and Media
SEO can take time to improve, especially if you have a new website or a small website.
I recommend leveraging platforms that already get a lot of traffic to direct users to your own website.
Moderate is a great platform where anyone can post content for free.
You can write an article and then link back to your website.
Some of my Medium articles have been read more than 10,000 times – far more than I get on my own blog.
is also like this LinkedIn article.
Your article will pop up with your connections and connected connections.
You can then direct users to relevant pages or posts on your own website.
This strategy can help drive more users to your portfolio without waiting for SEO to pay off.
5. Seek Guest Posting Opportunities
Likewise, you can do guest posting on other sites to use their authority and traffic to your advantage.
In fact, I get writing clients directly by posting on other blogs, websites, and online magazines.
Contact other bloggers related to your niche and offer to write for them.
Or apply to become a contributor to more reputable sites and publishers. Many will allow you to link back to your website.
This strategy can help you gain backlinks to your website, thereby improving your website’s SEO.
At the very least, many websites will help you market your content on their platforms and drive referral traffic to your website.
Guest posting brings a lot of benefits, especially if your site isn’t generating much traffic yet.
6. Optimize your Google Business Profile page
Google Business Profile is a free platform that allows businesses to create online profiles and generate local organic traffic.
If you provide writing services to local clients, you can benefit from a Google Business Profile listing.
For example, I have a Google business profile promoting my SEO content service in my hometown of Seattle.
Just know that this list will be associated with physical addresses and phone numbers (or a Google number if you don’t want to use a personal number).
So, if you’re more private, this might not be the way to go.
However, if you’re comfortable with that visibility, a Google Business Profile listing can be a great way to generate leads and drive users to your writing portfolio.
7. Join Writer Job Boards and Directories
While you’re waiting for your website to generate organic traffic, you can generate leads through popular writer job boards.
The most common platforms are work up and five blessings.
Sites like this act as a marketplace for freelancers, where people submit briefs, you apply for one, and you get paid for your services.
Many writers have had success with these platforms—though they tend to pay less than you would be charged as a direct contractor.
A well-known Upwork writer is Alex Fasulo.
She is known for generating over $300,000 on Upwork in just one year.
Still, she has her own writing portfolio to attract clients, teach other writers, and get speaking opportunities.
Submitting profiles to writers job boards and directories can be a smart way to grow your client base and portfolio.
Grow your portfolio with SEO
Search engine optimization is one of the best ways to increase the online presence of your writing portfolio and generate organic traffic.
Used in conjunction with other methods like guest posting and submission to writers directories, you can generate real leads through your website.
The key to having an effective SEO strategy is to use SEO tools to your advantage; it’s the best way to get accurate data to inform what to include on your website.
You can then use these tools to discover blog topics, research your competitors, and analyze your backlinks.
Want to get more writing clients?
Invest in SEO to passively drive organic traffic to your website and attract customers who are actively searching for your services.
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Featured image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock