• By Yuwanda Black
• Published 02/23/2012
• Article Writing

In SEO writing, there are a myriad of questions that every freelance writer should ask clients before beginning any job. Following are three of the most important. They will help you get a clear outline of what’s expected of you as a freelancer so you and the client are on the same page from the beginning. This article was inspired by a question I received from a fellow SEO copywriter who emailed me asking, “What questions should I be asking [clients]? Other than asking if they have a specific time frame, subject matter or keyword, is there anything else you routinely ask? SEO Writing Questions That Maximize Income, Save Time and Retain Clients Other than the above obvious questions that every SEO article writer should ask clients, following are three that I routinely ask? What is the content for? For example, it could be for a website, an article marketing campaign, a newsletter, their blog, etc. This makes a difference in how you would approach the material because, for example, if it’s going to be for the client’s website, you may want to make the content more in-depth (eg, foundational). If it’s for an article marketing campaign, you may want to make it more general, ie, give just enough info to pique the interest of the reader so they click through to the client’s website for more foundational (eg, in-depth) information). See what I mean?

What is the purpose of the content? Eg, is it to drive traffic, to get immediate sales, to get more

subscribers, etc.? Again, this will make a difference in how you approach the material. Do you want easy/breezy or foundational content? What’s the difference? Foundational content is more in-depth and tends to be longer copy; 400-600 or more words. Research is usually required and the content is usually only found on the client’s website. Easy/breezy content is the opposite. It’s shorter (anywhere from 300-400 words) and is more general in nature. It’s usually written to drive traffic back to more foundational content on a client’s site. Many new freelance writers are afraid to ask questions (too many questions) for fear of appearing unprofessional or “green.” Don’t. The more questions you ask up front, the better, for it helps to clarify what the client wants and cuts down on questions down the line. It also means you have a good chance of “hitting the mark” on your first try. Let me just say that search engine optimization writing is a maturing field. Hence, many clients are getting accustomed to working with freelance web writers and are very clear about what they want. In most cases, you’ll find that beyond clarifying the obvious like rate and deadline, you won’t have to ask many questions. Why Asking the Right Questions Can Lead to More SEO Writing Jobs

When you land clients who are new to the process, asking the above questions can help you and the client get on the same page. It shows them your skill and professionalism (ie, you know your trade), which leads to trust. Once a client trusts you, this leads to more SEO writing jobs; so keep these questions handy.