I've been a freelance writer since 1993, but my career really took off once I started writing SEO content for clients in 2007. I got so busy within the first couple of months that I had to hire other freelancers to outsource work to. This birthed my SEO writing company, New Media Words.

One of the questions I'm often asked is "how much do SEO writers make." This depends on quite a few factors, but a ball park figure is around $66,000, according to SimplyHired.com, a popular job search site.

Following are five things you should know about how much it's possible to earn as an SEO content writer. Some just may surprise you.

I. Earning is not tied to experience: One of the things the digital economy has ushered in is a plethora of jobs that pay well, but require little experience, for example, social media management consulting.

SEO writing is one of the opportunities spawned by the digital economy that pays well. You DO have to know what you're doing (ie, get trained as an SEO copywriter); but you don't have to have five or 10 years of experience to earn a very good living.

II. Learning how to set your rates is critical: As a freelance SEO writer, it's not unrealistic to earn between $50,000 and $75,000 your first year. But in order to do this, you must learn how to set your rates. Too low and you risk losing clients; too high and you price yourself right out of the market.

When I first started out in 2007, I charged $25 for a 500-word article. Nowadays, my firm charges $85 for this. It's harder to land clients at this price point, but my income has remained the same because while I have fewer clients, I earn significantly more per client.

III. Staying up to date on Google changes is important: Writing SEO content is a skill that must be constantly updated. All this means is staying abreast of the changes that search engines make (eg, Google's Penguin 2.0 update). If you don't keep your skill set current, you risk ruining your reputation. And of course, this affects how much you can earn.

By keeping your skill set current, you prove your value to clients – and that's what they're paying you for because they likely won't know as much about how to write effective SEO content as you do.

FYI, here's a website that lists all of Google's algorithm changes; it's worth it to bookmark this site and check it regularly.

IV. Specializing in a niche will earn you more: I've always been a believer that you earn more as a freelance writer if you specialize. And the reason is simple -- specialists in almost any trade out-earn generalists.

For example, I landed my first SEO writing client because I knew how to write about mortgages. Not everyone can write – with depth, skill and expertise – on certain topics. When clients are invested in their online image (their brand), they want someone who can create content who knows their industry inside and out.

If you specialize in a niche, you can write engaging, informative content that will stand head and shoulders above a lot of the "general garbage" that can be found all over the web. And, you can charge more for it.

V. Marketing is an ongoing thing: Most freelance writers live a feast-or-famine existence because they don't market consistently. There's a lot of money to be made in SEO writing, but you have to be proactive about going after the jobs.

So create a marketing calendar – and stick to it. I advise freelancers who take my SEO copywriter training course to put together a marketing plan that requires them to do something every day.

How to Earn Almost $5,000 Per Month as an SEO Writer

Even if you only reach out to five new prospects per day, that's 100 per month (marketing M-F); or 1,200 per year. With just a 2% response rate, that's 24 clients. If each one orders just $200 worth of content from you per month, that's $4,800 ($57,600 per year).

The Demand for Qualified SEO Professionals

See how consistent marketing pays off and can significantly increase your earnings as an SEO writer? And the demand for this type of writing is only increasing. Proof?

According to a study by Content Marketing Institute in 2012, more than 68% of Chief Marketing Officers of B2B companies planned on increasing their content marketing budget this year. And they have by almost 10%. . . . [and] 62% of companies today outsource their content marketing — that's up 7% from last year! [Source: SocialMarmalade]

Is This Opportunity for You?

I'm still amazed that we live in a world where you can earn a very good living – from the comfort of home – with just a computer and an internet connection. Is it easy? No; it's a lot of work and don't let anyone tell you any different. But it's so worth it.

So, if you've ever wanted to start your own home-based business, SEO content writing is an excellent career opportunity – if you're willing to put in the work.

Author Bio
Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com, an authority site on how to start a successful freelance writing career. Yuwanda is famous for saying, "Online (SEO) writing is one of the easiest and cheapest home-based businesses to start because if you have a computer and an internet connection, you can start right away" Don't know where to start? Take Inkwell Editorial's in-depth online writing eCourse – in Jamaica! You'll not only learn how to help clients drive traffic to their sites via your SEO writing skill, but how to make money promoting your own products and services online as well.