“Help please! Am I hurting my chances of SEO success?” Q from an SEO Copywriter Answered

February 16, 2010

Back in early January, I received the following email from a fellow SEO writer. The subject line was “Help please! Am I hurting my chances of SEO success?” So, it got my attention. (Sorry T for taking so long to answer this).

Basically, she was worried that she was possibly losing clients because they felt she was too busy and/or because she worked for the competition. I’ve posted the entire email because it relays how stressed she obviously was about the situation. Of course, her identifying information has been removed. My response follows.

Let me just say up front, prospects won’t ever think of not hiring you because they think you’re too busy. Obviously, if you’re marketing, you want the work so they presume that unless you say otherwise, you can handle it.

The exception is if it’s a really big project and they need it fast, eg, 100 articles in a week. Then, they’ll probably query you about whether you can handle it or not. This is why it’s always a good idea to have the contact info of a few other SEO copywriters on hand, just in case you have to outsource.

FYI, don’t put yourself out there as “just a freelance SEO writer” – not if you want to grow. Operate your SEO writing business like a small business which means, “Of course we (you/your firm) can handle bulk projects.” And, be sure that you build in resources so that you can.

QUESTION FROM AN SEO COPYWRITER
 
Hi Yuwanda,

I know you are currently relaxing somewhere in the tropical confines of Jamaica and are super busy (can you sense my envy? LOL! My husband is actually from Jamaica and it’s been too long since we’ve been back…but I digress), so I will try to make this as quick as possible and please feel free to respond at will.
 
seo-writing-helpI just finished corresponding by e-mail with a potential SEO/SEM client who seemed “surprised” that I wrote for a certain SEO company (I’d submitted samples upon request) and they even went so far as to say “So ——- hired you to write these for them? I would have thought they do copywriting themselves from the looks of their site. Are you a regular contractor for them?”
 
While it sounded like “hateration” on the potential client’s part to me, after confirming that I am a freelancer for that company, I was left feeling like the potential client was taking a dig at my current client (or myself) for using me as a freelancer, but more importantly that I’d inadvertently done something wrong by revealing this info.
 
On my copywriting site, [her site URL]I currently have samples of blog posts/copy in my portfolio that I’ve done directly for current SEO/SEM companies (these are some of my best samples, as I have only recently graduated to acquiring better paying clients and am still currently developing a more comprehensive portfolio). While this isn’t in violation of any of my NDA’s, I’m sensing that this may be a hindrance of some sort to acquiring new SEO/SEM companies as clients.

[Editor Note: For those who don’t know, an NDA is a non-disclosure agreement.]
 
I’m feeling that maybe some companies are hesitant to hire me because they feel I will be too busy or because I write for the “competition.” I’m not quite sure how to tackle this issue or if it is one at all, since even without the portfolio samples I’ve included, companies will want to see examples of my work and/or my resume (which will include the names of these very same SEO companies) and many who’ve contacted me seem to find my posting of online samples refreshing and helpful.
 
Could you please let me know if you think that I am potentially hurting or jeopardizing my chances by using (or removing these samples), or in the way I am submitting samples in general? (emphasis added)
 
P.S. As you will notice, my site is heavily based upon yours. I’ve done this only because in the past you’d stated that you weren’t offended by it (please let me know if I’m wrong on that) and because prior to recently, I’ve ignored the importance of differentiating myself.
 
So, I say all that to say, please let me know if I am offending you by borrowing heavily from your site’s style (emphasis added) and I will change it immediately. And please know that I am actively incorporating all of your advice in 2010, including branding! :)
 
Thanks for your time and please have a cocoa bread and a beef &cheese patty with a Ting for me! :)
###

MY ANSWER

I bolded the sections that highlight what her questions to me are.

QUESTION #1

In answer to the first question — ie, is she hurting or jeopardizing her chances with future clients by using clips from current client projects and/or by submitting samples at all — the short answer is . . . maybe. Why?

Because clients don’t like it when you use the work you’ve done for them to snag other clients. This is why I never do this. And it’s a surprisingly easy thing to fix. Following are two ways to get around this situation.

(i) Create “Like” Samples. Let’s say you write copy for a drug company – and you think it’s some of your best work and you want to use it as a sample – don’t. Instead, create a like sample.

For example, you could create a fictional drug and write about it just like you would a real drug. If it’s a drug that helps with diabetes, talk about it as if it was a real drug. You can use real statistics, draw from real case studies and mention real publications where the “drug” was featured.

Just point out to clients that this is a sample. However, because everything else you’ve used is real, the sample will clearly demonstrate your writing and research ability, as well as your knowledge of the subject matter; in this case, pharmaceuticals.

See what I mean?

(ii) Get Permission: If you do want to use actual client copy in your samples, then get permission from the client. Ask them if it’s okay if you have it as part of your portfolio. Over and beyond asking the client for permission to show the sample request to potential clients, ask them if it’s okay that you list it on your website.

While they may give you permission to send a piece out as a sample when prospects ask for it, they may not want you to put it on your website for all the world to see at any time.

In my opinion, it’s not something you should do.

How I Handle Client Requests for SEO Writing Samples

I’m lucky in that I rarely receive requests for SEO copywriting samples. When I do, I have a few pieces that I send out. Funnily enough, when I first started out, I didn’t even have SEO copy in my portfolio. If you know my story, then you know that I pitched myself as a real estate/mortgage writer primarily. So when I first started marketing for SEO writing work, I just sent along some old articles on those subjects that I had.

One client wrote back saying, “This is nice writing, but it’s not SEO writing.” So I simply rewrote a few articles I had using SEO guidelines (ie, choosing a keyword, optimizing it for 3-5% keyword density, chopping it down to 500 words, etc.).

Over and beyond this, I’ve never had to provide other samples. This is why I tell all new SEO copywriters to create a few samples in each niche they want to target.

Remember, what clients want to know is that you know how to write SEO copy; they don’t care if you’ve worked for X company or Y firm. And to me, this is what makes SEO content writing so easy to get – as long as you can prove you can do the job, and all other factors are okay with a prospect (eg, your SEO writing rates), then you have a good chance of snagging gigs.

How to Handle Writing for Clients Who May Be Competitors

Most SEO writers will never have to deal with this problem, so don’t let it bother you in the least. I’m just touching on this just in case you ever come across it.

As a general rule, if you write for more than one internet marketing firm, then you’re writing for competitors. So what do you do? Offer to sign a nondisclosure agreement. I’ve had exactly two companies ask me to sign one in my three years of writing copy. One of them never even used me (go figure, huh?). The other client I worked with for over two years on a weekly basis– and I still get work from them from time to time.

Note: You are under no obligation to tell prospective clients who your current clients are, unless it’s covered in your NDA. And even then, you don’t have to give specific names.

For example, your NDA might say, you can’t work with our leading competitor in such and such industry. It may even spell out specific companies. THEN, of course it’s okay to divulge. Or if you don’t want to give specific company names, you can simply decline to work with that client.

I have never divulged the names of companies I work with. I simply tell prospective clients about the types of companies I work with, eg, internet marketing firms, real estate companies, computer services firms, etc. And I tell them the types of content I provide, eg, SEO copy for their websites, for article marketing campaigns, for industry blogs, etc.

This is more than sufficient.

SEO Writing Testimonials

On my SEO writing company site, I have testimonials. You’ll notice that most of them list names (usually a first or last name and an initial) and types of firms; not the actual names of the firms. This is because clients want – and expect – confidentiality.

The few testimonials there that list actual names/website URLs are those where the client actually sent in the testimonial, and I asked if I could list it on my site, including their identifying information. I’ve found that most small companies and/or individuals who operate websites tend not to mind giving you permission to list their indentifying information.

Mid-size to large firms do mind.

The bottom line on using client samples/testimonials is to ask permission. If you ask, you can never go wrong because all they can say is yes, or no.

That sums up the first question. Now, on to the second question, which was . . .

QUESTION #2

Please let me know if I am offending you by borrowing heavily from your site’s style. (Thanks T for asking this . . . which gives me the opportunity to explain as it’s happening more and more).

You know, as much as I hate to admit it, it does bother me when others copy my site’s style and wording. Before I offend anyone, please let me explain.

When I say to other SEO writers, “feel free to use my site as a guide,” it never occurred to me that so many would do it so directly. I thought that people who had no idea about how to go about it would borrow some ideas from my site, but go on to put their own imprint on it.

I’ve run across SEO writing sites that look exactly like mine – in words and in design. While borrowing my design doesn’t bother me as much, it really does rankle me when others use my wording – almost verbatim. You are a writer; so to me it’s almost like stealing when you borrow wording so heavily from someone else.

This brings me to a later email from this writer. She wrote:

I will also be editing the copy on my services to reflect my own personal brand, instead of yours. You’ve taught me well, so I can take off the training wheels now (besides the more I thought about, the more I realized that it just didn’t sit well). . . . I’m declaring that 2010 will be the year I make it happen. It’s amazing what you can and will do when you resolve to put on your “big girl panties” and handle business. But you already know this.:)

Hilarious!

As for my site’s design, why anyone would want to copy the site is beyond me. It’s so plain and so simple that really (at the risk of repeating myself), it just never occurred to me that it was worthy of being “copied.”

Since I’ve put it out there though that I don’t mind others using my site “as a guide,” I can’t very well get too upset about it because it is what it is. But, people . . .you can do so much better. My SEO writing site is a reflection of my limited web design abilities. Anyone with even a tiny bit of web design talent can do better – as this writer’s site proves. It’s gorgeous, which makes me jealous.

In conclusion, as the writer here said, you have to “put on your “big girl panties” and handle business” if you want to grow. This is what being a small business owner is all about.  At the end of the day, the decisions you make — good or bad – are all yours — and so is all the glory!

SEO Writing Ecourse News

FYI, the next SEO writing ecourse is scheduled for April 26th. As of today, there are 17 slots remaining. Get full details on the SEO copywriting training this ecourse offers. In next week’s post, I’m going to talk about making money with minisites. The little experiment I’ve been conducting is going really well. The SEO writing eocurse teaches you how to use your SEO writing skill to make money in four different ways, one of them being creating minisites. Stay tuned for next week’s post.

Best,
Yuwanda
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P.P.S.: Want an easy, fast way to get started in affiliate marketing, making as much as $50, $100 or $150/day? Get How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites (ie, Backpage.com). If you want to make some easy money promoting affiliate products on free classified ad sites, this ebook is for you. I routinely make $100-$150/day.

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