If you don’t want (or can’t afford) to invest in a class, learning the fundamentals are easy; all it takes is time. Following is how I went about it.

What Is Search Engine Optimization?

If you want to know something, start from the beginning. When I first started out, I didn’t know anything about concepts like keyword density, blackhat tactics, how to write meta tags, backlinks, etc. So I started from scratch by Google the acronym “SEO” and doing some in-depth reading. Once I’d read five or six articles, I had a good grasp of what this field was all about.

Learn SEO Terminology

When I was researching what search engine optimization was all about, I ran across industry-specific terms like anchor text, long-tail keywords and latent semantic indexing (LSI). As I didn’t know what these were, I wrote them down and looked them up individually.

After gaining an understanding, I tried to figure out how each concept fit into the overall strategy of SEO. As an aside, when you start reading about SEO, you’ll start to get a “big picture” idea of what it’s all about.

I liken it to doing a jigsaw puzzle. You already know what the final picture is going to look like from the photo on the box; but you have to figure out where each puzzle piece (each SEO concept) fits in the overall scheme.

When You Learn SEO, It’s Important to Learn What Not to Do

There’s a lot of info to ingest when you take it upon yourself to learn SEO. Some of it can seem contradictory, which can make it confusing. That’s why it’s just as important to learn what not to, as it is to learn what to do.

To cut down on the confusion, what I did was go directly to the guidelines of Google. Why Google? Quite simply because it is the most popular search engine by far, delivering well over 50% of search results in the world. So for me, it made sense to figure out how not to run afoul of their policies.

I started with their Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (pdf file). Google’s Adwords Learning Center is also another good place to learn more about SEO. Even though the AdWords Learning Center is for advertisers, it’s good knowledge for SEO writers because a lot of the practices you put to use in advertising on Google are exactly the types of things you should know as an SEO copywriter.

Learn SEO: Conclusion

The above is how I got started. But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that if you want to learn SEO – and make money as an SEO writer — you have to be prepared for it to be an ongoing education. This is because search engine guidelines change all the time. Google itself has said that it makes over 500 changes a year to its search algorithm. Hence, to stay informed, I read articles on this subject on sites WebProNews, SearchEngineWatch and DailySEOBlog all the time.

Good luck if you decide to learn SEO in this manner.

Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words, an SEO writing company. Get more info on how to learn SEO at http://www.seowritingjobs.com/become-an-seo-copywriter-how-to-teach-yourself-details-on-upcoming-seo-writing-class.

One freelancer emailed to let me know that she’d earned $1,000 in one day – yes, one day! She wrote, in part, “It’s only 1/20 and I already made $3,000 in revenue for my business! In fact, I had my 1st 1,000 day! . . . and I just signed a contract with an up and coming yelp like directory to write 20 blogs for them at $500 bucks a month for 6 months!”

Following is why it’s relatively easy to earn hundreds of dollars per day (or in this case a thousand) as an SEO writer.

I. Online Businesses are Pouring Money Into Content Marketing

In the past when businesses put up a website, many did so because it was the thing to do. But, they didn’t invest in their web presences; they didn’t have pre-defined plans for what they expected out of their websites (eg, number of leads, direct sales, newsletter sign ups, etc.).

All of that has changed. Now, companies have outlined what they expect in regards to their ROI (return on investment) and how they plan to achieve their objectives. And, much of it begins and ends with content. Proof?.

In August of 2011, the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs surveyed 1,092 B2B marketers. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they planned to increase their spend on content marketing over the next 12 months. All of this means work – tons of work — for SEO writers.

II. Quality SEO Content Rules

Web surfers are becoming more savvy. The more serious they are about making a purchase, the more in-depth research they tend to do. Businesses know this. So, what are they doing about it?

Beefing up their content. No longer can a site post generic articles that are little more than disguised sales pitches. Customers want real, in-depth, quantifiable information to help them make informed decisions. And, if they don’t get it on Business Site A, then they’ll simply head on over to Business Site B.

So, clients are investing in professional SEO content like never before. Proof? The HubSpot article, “8 Reasons You’ll Get Buried Alive Without Quality Content,” explained it this way: “We asked some industry influencers how they thought companies will get found online in 2012. The majority included the importance of content. . . . People will be constantly looking for better, fresher, and more unique content — and if you’re not providing it, they’ll head over to someone who is.”

III. SEO Writing Jobs are Relatively Easy to Land

If you have good writing and research skills, it’s relatively easy to start landing SEO writing jobs. That’s because once you know the rules of writing this type of content (and they’re pretty easy to learn), all you have to do is start marketing. When I first started out, I landed 14 jobs in one week! I got so busy within the first few months that I had to hire help.

The need for freelance SEO writers is only growing. And, as the freelancer who earned $1,000 in one day underscores, there’s plenty of work to be had.

Yuwanda Black heads New Media Words, an SEO writing company. Get specific insight on how this freelancer earned $1,000 in one day writing SEO content at http://www.seowritingjobs.com/seo-writer-1000-day.

This article was inspired by a question I received from a fellow SEO copywriter who emailed me asking, “What questions should I be asking [clients]? Other than asking if they have a specific time frame, subject matter or keyword, is there anything else you routinely ask?

SEO Writing Questions That Maximize Income, Save Time and Retain Clients

Other than the above obvious questions that every SEO article writer should ask clients, following are three that I routinely ask?

What is the content for? For example, it could be for a website, an article marketing campaign, a newsletter, their blog, etc. This makes a difference in how you would approach the material because, for example, if it’s going to be for the client’s website, you may want to make the content more in-depth (eg, foundational).

If it’s for an article marketing campaign, you may want to make it more general, ie, give just enough info to pique the interest of the reader so they click through to the client’s website for more foundational (eg, in-depth) information). See what I mean?

What is the purpose of the content? Eg, is it to drive traffic, to get immediate sales, to get more subscribers, etc.? Again, this will make a difference in how you approach the material.

Do you want easy/breezy or foundational content? What’s the difference? Foundational content is more in-depth and tends to be longer copy; 400-600 or more words. Research is usually required and the content is usually only found on the client’s website.

Easy/breezy content is the opposite. It’s shorter (anywhere from 300-400 words) and is more general in nature. It’s usually written to drive traffic back to more foundational content on a client’s site.

Many new freelance writers are afraid to ask questions (too many questions) for fear of appearing unprofessional or “green.” Don’t. The more questions you ask up front, the better, for it helps to clarify what the client wants and cuts down on questions down the line. It also means you have a good chance of “hitting the mark” on your first try.

Let me just say that search engine optimization writing is a maturing field. Hence, many clients are getting accustomed to working with freelance web writers and are very clear about what they want. In most cases, you’ll find that beyond clarifying the obvious like rate and deadline, you won’t have to ask many questions.

Why Asking the Right Questions Can Lead to More SEO Writing Jobs

When you land clients who are new to the process, asking the above questions can help you and the client get on the same page. It shows them your skill and professionalism (ie, you know your trade), which leads to trust. Once a client trusts you, this leads to more SEO writing jobs; so keep these questions handy.

Want to learn how to earn $50,000 to $75,000 your first year as a freelance writer? Get SEO Copywriter Training at http://www.seowritingjobs.com/seo-copywriting-training.