How To Become A Website Content Writer
To become a website content writer, it is very obvious that the first thing you need to have is sharp writing skills. But safely stating that one has great writing skills will is actually an overstatement for a beginner aiming to become a professional website content writer. At the same time, to prove your worth for the job of a website content writer, you need to be much more than just a good writer.
But, first thing first; Here, we will discuss ways how you can build your writing skills. Then, we will move on to the next steps you will need to take if you wish to become a website content writer.
Sharpen your writing skills
Read more, listen more, and practice more.
If you are someone who wants to become a website content writer but doesn’t like to read much, I have some bad news for you!
Good website content writers are also avid readers. They don’t just read for leisure but also to perform to the best of their capabilities at their jobs. Researching relevant material for an article requires exhaustive reading and comprehension of the text. So, buckle up and start reading more to prepare yourself. The first thing you can do as a beginner is to pick up novels having easy language but an engaging and consuming storyline. Try to parallel this task with reading newspaper editorials. It might seem a daunting task initially but soon, you will get comfortable with this activity. There are also many free online platforms like Reddit, Quora, Medium you can join to read content that you will find interesting. The end goal here is to increase your reading capacity with time.
Good website content writers are also good listeners. You can hone your writing skills if you have a good listening capacity. Every person you listen to has something to teach you. Listening more and talking less helps you to understand the behavioral patterns of people in general. The more you understand people, the more you can craft content that resonates with their thinking and speaking patterns. For this reason, it is always advised to surround yourself with people that can add positive value to your life. Listening to motivational and knowledgeable podcasts and videos is highly recommended. Increasing your listening capabilities is a choice at the end of the day. So, the next time a family member or a friend wants to have a chat, listen carefully and try not to interrupt unnecessarily.
Practice makes a human perfect! As a web content writer, you will have to create content as frequently as possible. If you are not accustomed to writing about 1000 words on a daily basis, chances are high that you will not be able to survive in the industry for long. Being able to write these many words as frequently as possible requires a good background of being able to craft a write-up on any topic in a short span of time. The first step to building this essential framework is to start writing. To carry out this task effectively, I highly recommend you start a blog. Creating an account on free platforms like Quora and Reddit is also equally acceptable. Creating an account on such platforms is not enough. You have to be disciplined enough to write and post content daily. Repeating this activity over and over again for an extended period of time will surely give your remarkable results. The key here is to stay patient and disciplined.
As I have already mentioned, great writing is surely a prerequisite but unfortunately, not exactly enough. You have to be willing to go beyond and master a specific skill set to become a good fit for the position of website content writer.
Learn SEO
The importance of having an in-depth knowledge of Search Engine Optimization can’t be emphasized enough. The main job of a website content writer is to craft write-ups on the subject the website revolves around. There is an unimaginable diversity in the type of subjects for which a website is built. The main aim of putting up content is to attract a particular set of readers and convince them to take the desired action, usually a purchase.
There is a lot of content out there and to get recognized by the readers in the ocean of information is a tricky job. The practise of increasing the visibility of a webpage in the field of online publication is called Search Engine Optimization. This is done by optimizing the content of a page to achieve higher ranks on a search engine result page.
Keywords and Keyphrases are words that readers use to search for a subject in a search engine. It is crucial to use these keywords and phrases in the articles to allow Google to index the webpage. However, care should be taken to maintain the keyword density between 1% to 3% of the total word count. Using font options like bold and italics for these keywords is extremely useful. Further, structuring the article in paragraphs under headings, subheadings are also recommended. Including relevant hyperlinks also helps to achieve the desired objective.
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Build a portfolio and take up internships
I have already mentioned the importance of starting a blog and writing on platforms like Quora and Reddit. Not only does it help you in improving your writing skills but also gives your write-ups a platform to get subjected to constructive feedback from an online community of like-minded people. It also proves to be a great way to monitor your progress. This practice helps you to build up a basic framework of writing experience which comes in handy when you go out to secure a position as a content writing intern.
The charm of being a website content writer is in the flexibility of doing work from any corner of the world; from the comfort of your home or a full-fledged office. Because of this reason, location is generally never an issue. It is your skills and amateur writing experience that help you land a good internship. The importance of an internship is the learning experience and platform it provides to eventually carve you to become a better fit to take on the role of a full-time website content writer anytime in the future.
Online job seeking portals like Internshala, LinkedIn, AsaanJobs are great places for finding such relevant website content writing internships. Even closed social media groups have a trustworthy network of employers who are looking for content writing interns. All you need is to apply to as many internships as possible and wait to get approached by the employer. I strongly suggest even accept unpaid internships as a beginner. The end goal of securing an internship is to gain valuable learning experience that will help you in the future when you take a full-time role as a website content writer.
Apply for the roles meant for website content writers
Most of the roles of a website content writer require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Usually, students who have majored in English language or communications are preferred but it does not mean that people from different educational backgrounds will not be considered. To be really honest, age and past work experience pose no hindrance because the role of a website content writer requires relevant skills and until you have it in you, no limitation can harm your chances of securing a full-time job of a website content writer.
Again online job seeking portals like Internshala, LinkedIn, AsaanJobs, Naukri.com, closed social media groups are the places you are supposed to land on, to search full-time roles of a website content writer.
Also, if you did a great job as an intern, chances are very high that you will get offered a full-time role at the organization before your internship gets over.
Another channel of securing full-time jobs is to directly visit some websites that employ content writers and click on the “careers” page to see if there’s a vacancy. Even if they are not hiring, it is always a good move to submit your CV on their page for future prospects.
Earn an official certification of content writing
It is also a smart move to increase the chances of your employability as a website content writer by earning an official and trusted certification in content writing. The main objective of such a certification is to build your credibility in the industry as a skilled content writer and further refine your persona to perfectly fit in the role of a website content writer.
