SEO Writing Rates: How I Set Higher Rates – and Got Them!

Contact the Source Directly: Many of the low rates I saw offered were on bid-for-pay sites and forums. And, while I don’t knock these as far as looking for work, from what I could gather, these were frequented by other freelance writers looking to outsource work.

Hence, they were really the middle man. So I targeted the businesses themselves. By targeting the source, I could command higher rates.

Experience: I know what I bring to the table as a professional. Experience has taught me that working for pay that I wasn’t comfortable with would only lead to misery. And, I’m not in this to be miserable.

So, I set my rates according to what I needed to make, fully realizing that if I didn’t get work at those rates, then this was not the field for me. Realizing this, I was fully prepared to walk away from the niche – something I think many freelancers are afraid to do.

You have to make a decent wage to feel good about yourself. While we may all occasionally take on projects we wish paid more, there’s no reason to do it day in and day out. So, if you’re working in a sector that doesn’t pay well, don’t be afraid to stop doing it and look for work in other – better paying – sectors.

Charge in the Middle: I charge $25/per 500-word article. For some, this is high, for other’s it’s low. But, it works for me. I can usually write an article in 30-45 minutes. My all-time low was 20 minutes (this doesn’t happen often and the subject matter is topics I’m extremely familiar with). Most articles take me about 40 minutes to write.

This translates into an hourly wage of $75 on the high end, and $33 on the low end. That’s comparable to an average salary of $68K to $156K (hourly rate x 40/hours week x 52 weeks/year).

This is more than many make on full-time, 9-5 jobs.

I wanted to charge enough to make what I needed to live, but not so much that I had to struggle to bring in clients. This rate has allowed me to do that, which brings me to my next point …

Why You Should Never Be the Lowest or Highest Bidder

I know I could probably charge more because of my experience and marketing expertise. But, you know what? When you charge near the top, projects take longer to come in. Charge near the bottom, and someone will always beat you out on price.

The rate I charge allows me to seamlessly bring in new clients – and make a more than decent living without stressing. In fact, I’ve recently started to outsource projects because I’m so busy. If I was charging “top dollar,” I don’t think I’d be at this point yet.

How to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates to Bring in the Most Clients

A rule of thumb is, the more you charge, the more you will have to spend to land clients – and the longer it takes for you to land clients.

Furthermore, clients expect more when you charge top dollar. Think about it, if you stayed at the Holiday Inn, would you expect the same level of service you’d get at The Ritz?

The nice surprise here is you can provide your clients with “Ritz” service, while billing Holiday Inn rates. Your referral rates will go through the roof, and when you do decide to raise rates, practically none of them will jump ship because you ask for a few extra dollars.

To be successful in business, you have to consider all components, not just rate. For me, I’d rather be super busy charging mid-level rates, than slow charging top dollar. And that’s exactly where I am.