I have always loved writing. It has always been the way that I express myself best. From writing weird and wonderful stories as a child to now following my career path as an SEO copywriter. It’s been an interesting journey getting to where I am today, one I never would have foreseen, and that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Archetype Copywriting became an official thing in 2007, but there was a long back-story before that.
School Taught Me One Thing
Okay, school taught me a few things, but the one nugget that I remember clearly is that writing was easy for me. It was an escapist moment that I enjoyed venturing into. Whenever we had English projects that revolved around some level of creative writing, I hid my joy from the cool kids who hated the idea. This was an area where I could excel, and it was effortless.
I didn’t know I could make a career out of writing unless I was an author of a book. I knew I would write a book one day (that is yet to come). But it seemed like something I would do in my later years, curled up on a couch in England, pouring my heart and soul onto a page. It wasn’t until I started writing newsletters for my Pilates and Yoga business that I started to see the business value in my writing skills. It wasn’t long before I found out that writing email marketing newsletters was an extension of a career in copywriting and that website copywriting was a thing.
[ninja_form id=’4′]
Website Copywriting
My health and fitness business was always the guinea pig that had me testing my writing prowess. The internet was taking off then. Yes, this was a while ago; back in the age of dial-up connections and using Netscape as a search engine. I had a website designed and developed to which I handled all the website copywriting.
I helped friends with various copywriting tasks such as press releases and emailers but didn’t know I could get paid for it. That was until my husband told me about Odesk, which is now called Upwork. An online freelance portal where jobs were posted – including website copywriting jobs – people could apply for them, do the work, and get paid. This was the game-changer.
SEO Copywriting – Leaning Into The Art
Anyone who has ever worked on Upwork knows how many suppliers are vying for attention. It’s difficult to get going. When I joined Odesk, it wasn’t very well known. The competition wasn’t fierce, and it was easy to get started and begin earning a reputation. All you needed was a positive reputation and the job offers would come flowing in. I landed a job writing an E-book on SEO and SEO copywriting. I had no clue what that was, but I had to research it to make the project work. This was my first encounter with SEO.
I researched the content and wrote about SEO copywriting and how keywords can be used to help websites gain traction on the web. It was fascinating and it all made so much sense. I could fully visualise how a search engine would categorise information to feed users with the search results they needed. SEO and SEO copywriting were almost non-existent in South Africa at the time. No one was practicing it bar a few savvy digital agencies and online casinos. I had found my niche.
I took on a full-time role at a digital marketing agency that specialised in the promotion of online casinos to gain experience and learn from people who already knew more than me. This led me to heading up the content team in Johannesburg at a company called Quirk, now bought out by Mirum. I mentored a few copywriters, helping them learn the ropes of SEO copywriting, while I started to learn more about the technical aspects and how on-page SEO ties in with this.
Technical On-Page SEO – Learning New Skills
The lead SEO at Quirk had a background in online casinos, which meant that he had ventured into every aspect of SEO including black hat. I was very fortunate to work with and under him for a few years. He helped me become proficient in the link between SEO copywriting, on-page SEO, and the technical aspects that hold everything together.
Never a brain for numbers, it was odd that I took to this analytical side of my SEO copywriting work so easily. It’s because it all fits together into a tight, ethical ecosystem. Understanding technical SEO, being able to conduct SEO audits, and devise strategies all led up to me executing on my role as an SEO copywriter much easier.
Communications Management – The Full Spectrum
Over the years I noticed how the full spectrum of communications management tied in with SEO and SEO content writing. Any form of inbound marketing, including social media content, would help my clients gain traction and brand awareness to elevate their businesses. Offering all levels of content writing and management allowed me to cater for businesses both big and small.
Now in 2021, I can honestly say that I’m so grateful for the path that led me this way. I have incredible clients dotted all over the world and can work from anywhere that has an internet connection. The flexibility of my SEO copywriting career has also enabled me to be at home watching my kids grow up. As the world of SEO changes and Google updates their algorithms, there is always something exciting to look forward to. So long as my clients see their keyword rankings go up after my SEO copywriting takes root, I am happy. Simple pleasures.
Now that you know my story, let me help you tell yours.
Click here to hire me for your SEO copywriting or communications needs.
