But in this post, I want to flip the switch. I want to outline some reasons for you not to become an SEO writer. This post came about because I was going over some lessons turned in from a couple of student who enrolled in Inkwell Editorial's SEO copywriter training course.

As I was giving my feedback, I started to think, this is not a career path everyone should go down. Following are a couple of major reasons why.

Are You Working Full-Time?

If so, you have to carefully weigh if you can handle what's required to be an SEO copywriter. As I was going through one participant's sample articles from the above-mentioned course, I encountered quite a few errors.

This aspiring SEO writer has a FT job (he told me this). My thinking was, if he's this time-pressed that he can't turn in 2 error-free sample articles for a class, he's not going to be able to handle client projects.

You see, SEO writing is fast-pasted and usually requires a quick turnaround compared to other types of freelance writing. This is what makes it great for those who want to start making money fairly quickly as a freelance writer - and quite possibly leave a full-time job in a few months.

As testimonials highlight, you can get pretty busy pretty quickly as an SEO writer. Freelancers have emailed me saying they got work within hours of sending out queries (this does not happen with everyone); others were able to quit jobs within a few months and definitely within a year.

But, you have to be extremely disciplined so that you turn out quality work. One "bad batch" of articles (or one badly written article) can lose you a client forever. If you're working full-time and don't feel like you have enough gas in the tank to bang out three, four or five articles a few nights a week, you might want to reconsider becoming an SEO writer.

Are You Quality Oriented?

This piggybacks on the above point in that you have to have time enough to produce quality work. Your client won't care that you worked a 10 hour day then had to come home and write the 5 or 10 articles they've given you.  

If you're not disciplined enough to turn out quality work - every time - then SEO writing is not for you.

It can be boring as hell writing on topics you know nothing about, care nothing about and can't wait to be done with. But, your client cares . . . and they're paying you to care to. If you don't approach every article order with this in mind, you won't get repeat business as an SEO writer.

I've written on mind-numbingly boring topics (ie, routers, data packets and drilling equipment) for hours on end. It sometimes takes me twice as long because I take breaks, surf mindlessly and/or do housework - all to break up the monotony of writing on subjects I can barely stomach.

But as a business person, I respect fellow business owners (my clients) enough to give them my very best - every time.

If any of this has resonated with you, maybe SEO writing is not for you - and that's fine. Better to know beforehand before you invest needless time and energy.