Freelance writing covers a wide spectrum. There are so many different types of writing you can do that it can be difficult to know where to start and what to specialize in; in fact, if you must specialize in any genre. FYI, in my opinion, you should specialize (niche), but that’s a discussion for another day.

I have been a freelance writer since 1993. I have written everything from case studies, e-books, client-friendly web articles (SEO) and I can say without question that if you are new to this career, you specialize in SEO. Content writing is one of the easiest ways to start landing jobs.

FYI, the following are just some of the types of writing jobs that freelancers tackle and / or specialize in.

Overview: types of freelance writing

E-book writing

Case studies

White papers

Writing magazine

Infographic writing

Social media writing

SEO Articles / Web Content

Direct mail copy

Technical writing

Why SEO Content Writing Is An Ideal Niche For New Freelance Writers

Below are three reasons, in my opinion.

1. The need is there: Content marketing has made the need to copy greater than ever.

In case you didn’t know, content marketing is any type of marketing that involves creating and sharing media and published content to get customers. This includes everything from web articles, white papers, case studies, and videos.

You see, the way businesses market online has moved away from direct selling through, say, an ad. Today’s tech-savvy consumers want information in advance before they buy. That is why many of them do their research on the web before making a purchase. Test?

GE Capital Retail Bank’s Second Annual Survey of Large Purchasing Buyers indicates that a growing number of consumers widely Do your research and compare prices and financing offers before making any major purchases.

According to the study, 81% of consumers go online before going to the store, 20% more than the previous year, and spend an average of 79 days gathering information before making a major purchase. [Source: Study: 81% research online before making big purchases, RetailingToday]

This means that the need for web copy, sales copy, white papers, infographics, blog posts, newsletters, etc., is greater than ever.

2. You can start without experience: Unlike many niches where you must have a defined set of skills and experience (for example, case study writing), it is fairly easy to get hired with no experience to write SEO content, IF you can show that you have excellent SEO skills. research along with good copywriting skills.

How do you prove this? Killer Writing Samples (SEO).

3. Websites that get paid to write: There are many sites on the web that will pay you to write SEO content, for example, BlogMutt, Helium, Yahoo! Network of collaborators, etc.

While many criticize these sites for their “low salary” (which can be very subjective depending on your circumstances), others are grateful that they exist so that they can get an immediate experience and also earn some immediate income.

Conclution

Like I said earlier, I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993. I stumbled upon SEO copywriting in 2007, when it was still a relatively new niche. Now, it’s pretty much the only type of writing I do for clients because the need is huge. So if you’re just starting out, it’s a great way to get started landing freelance writing jobs quickly.