Charging for Freelance SEO Writing

I get asked about my rates a lot - both by writers and by prospective clients. So what does an SEO writer charge these days?

Sorry-there is no blanket answer here. Even with a single provider, in my experience it is going to vary a bit depending on the project you are doing and who it is for. So as the provider, you have to be aware of what your skills are worth, and why. For example, if you have a couple years of dedicated experience in code, it can translate into something billable to augment what you write - you might write something and then render it for the client using html, php, asp, or a specific language compatible with their website. You may be able to find and add images to your posts/work, and have an extra to present to the client. The point is, it is not always simply SEO copywriting for me, and so it gets harder to pull this out as a single service. Not that I can't; just that most of my clients hire me for a wider range of services than just the writing part - so the cost of the writing is affected by the project scope.

Most often, the cost of seo-driven writing will be dictated by the expected returns. If it is a simple link campaign where you are article or blogpost-spewing, the cost will typically be in line with the targeted sites. This means if it a place where anyone can post, you can pay anything at all to post there - there is almost no bottom to the market cost if you shop for labor worldwide. Pennies spent, but the writing is usually commensurate with what you pay.

If you are targeting better sites for the work (say in guest posts or something like that), the cost for the writing to get there is also going to scale. Unlike the cheap efforts, there is going to be a market price here, and right now, I see it at around $40-80 for a solidly written post somewhere with a bit of strategy and thought behind it. This is on the lower cost side, and would normally be tied into a bulk pricing...but not always. I think most people could spend this on a piece of written collateral (like a keyword-specific blog post or article) and be happy with it.


To get more than that as an seo writer, you typically have to be bringing something stronger to the bargaining table...like experts quoted, a following (you bring your audience with you), a spin unique to the niche, audience built-in somewhere to be tapped, viral support, social media or something like that. Not that a strong piece on its own merits can't fetch a stronger price tag - just that today's buyers have more competitive options than in years past, so the expectations and demand for work that WORKS in a tangible way is becoming much more common.

If you are a specialist in some field, it can mean a better fee. Generalist copywriters will tend to think more about hourly rates - maybe setting fees on how much they can do in a given day. Once you have more experience in different methods of writing, you'll know that there are different fees that are going to apply, because there are different levels of thought and mechanical application involved in everything you do.

Personally, I use a sliding scale. I have fee ranges for the different types of stuff I do - and a couple of hourly-with-retainer rates, based mostly on the time a client has been with me and the type of work they usually need. I haven't taken on too many new clients since about the middle of last year, because my roster is pretty full with the great folks I have...so my "normal" rates are affected a lot by the discounts I give to repeat clients.

Charging a competitive, yet affordable rate for the seo writing services you offer is a big part of staying alive as an seo copywriter. Base it on your experiences, pro-rating it on the types of work you have done in the past and the successes you have claimed. The more you can point to something that has been proven effective, and say "I did that" the more you can usually charge (be careful!) to do it again for someone else. Like I said at the start of this, there is no blanket to crawl under here, and make all your pricing dreams come true. But if you (as a copywriter offering seo) are aware of how your skills can be used effectively in a larger project, it will help you to set realistic price points where you are compensated for your time, your talents, and related prior experiences.