Do SEO editors squash the "freedom" in your "freelance" writing?
By Annie2
@Annie2 (594)
United States
August 5, 2009 7:52am CST
I do SEO copy writing. By the time the editors get done with me, I begin to seriously doubt my writing ability. I am a senior majoring in professional writing on the creative track. SEO copy writing is definitely different than creative writing. I have perfect grades in my classes, but my SEO writing is slashed to shreds with red marks. This, plus the boring subject matter, makes it hard to be motivated to write more, but I just keep on doing it.
Do any other freelancers out there feel beat up by editors? How do you overcome the feeling?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
29 Aug 09
I'm really getting burned out on SEO writing I think it totally interrupts my creative flow so have been trying to switch things up a bit, write one SEO and then write something creative :) I have written a few things SEO than I have already set aside for 'future rewrite' the way it 'should be written' :)
@Annie2 (594)
• United States
29 Aug 09
I am suffering serious burnout for my SEO copy writing job. The research part seems the worst. I can't find good information in a timely way. My boss was even questioning the number of hours vs. the number of completed articles . . . the majority of that time is used for research.
Now, between the editors' comments and the boss' questions about the hours, I am having a hard time making myself do the work at all. I have to get out of this slump and fast!
There is no time for me to do any of the creative writing that I like to do. I have my college courses to get done, too.
I hope you and I both manage to get past our burnout one way or another. Good luck, Faith.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
6 Aug 09
It used to really bother me. I thought that writing for SEO really hurt creativity, but eventually I got used to it. Now I see it as a challenge to express myself in a certain way. If nothing else, it's good practice for a writer to be required to write about "boring" subject matter in a particular way. It helps one to be very aware of the power of each word.
1 person likes this
@Annie2 (594)
• United States
6 Aug 09
You are exactly right. Maybe I should have used "cut and dried" rather than boring. It certainly has its constraints. I know I can express myself in other writing, but with the SEO job and my college courses, there seems to be no time or energy left for creativity.
Again . . . it is paying the mortgage. So, I'm happy.
@starlight70 (316)
• Malaysia
5 Aug 09
Wow.. I thought only I have a problem with such a thing, and I am not even writing for anyone. I have to respect you and your patience for willing to bear with such task. Well, I guess you don't really have a choice, right? The editors have a certain expectation, where the companies earn from the better work you can produce.
I am sticking to my full time job. ;p
@Annie2 (594)
• United States
5 Aug 09
Yes, they certainly do expect writing to generate business for them. The odd thing is that you have to write in a way that key words are used often without it being "obvious" that you are doing that. Sometimes the given key words or phrases are quite awkward.
You are to be concise and have good grammar skills. However, at times, you have to throw your knowledge out the window . . . for instance, capitalize words that wouldn't normally be capitalized . . . because they are the key words. Whoo boy.
Oh well. It pays the mortgage.
