How to Hire an SEO Copywriter: Tips and a Step-by-Step Guide

In today's digital landscape, hiring the right SEO copywriter can make or break your online presence. They are the unsung heroes who blend creativity with data-driven strategies to create content that ranks well on search engines, thus driving more traffic and conversions. However, many companies overlook the importance of this role or misunderstand the skills needed, leading to ineffective hires.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about hiring an SEO copywriter—from understanding their responsibilities to crafting the perfect job description and evaluating candidates. Make sure to check our SEO copywriter interview questions for deeper insights.

Table of contents

Why Hire an SEO Copywriter?

To determine if you need an SEO copywriter, start by identifying your content marketing challenges. For instance, you might be struggling with low organic search traffic or poor conversion rates on your website's landing pages.

An SEO copywriter can help by:

• Creating SEO-optimized content that ranks well in search engines
• Crafting compelling copy that engages readers and drives conversions
• Improving your overall content strategy to align with business goals

If you're consistently producing large volumes of content or launching new products/services regularly, it might be time to hire a full-time SEO copywriter. For smaller projects or occasional needs, consider working with a freelancer or agency to test the waters first.

What Does an SEO Copywriter Do?

An SEO Copywriter crafts engaging and informative content tailored to improve a website's search engine ranking. Their role blends writing skills with an understanding of SEO strategies to attract targeted audience traffic.

Day-to-day tasks of an SEO Copywriter include:

• Conducting keyword research to identify terms that potential customers use.
• Creating compelling content that aligns with keyword strategies.
• Collaborating with marketing teams to ensure content consistency.
• Regularly updating website content to maintain relevance and searchability.
• Analyzing content performance through metrics and making necessary adjustments.

For further insights into the skills required for this role, you can refer to our in-depth blog on skills required for an SEO Copywriter.

SEO Copywriter Hiring Process

Hiring an SEO copywriter requires a structured approach to find the right talent. Here's a quick overview of the process:

1. Create a detailed job description and post it on relevant job boards
2. Review resumes and portfolios (expect initial applications within 3-4 days)
3. Conduct skill assessments or assign test projects
4. Interview shortlisted candidates
5. Make an offer to the best candidate

The entire process typically takes 1-2 months, depending on your timeline and the number of applicants. Let's dive deeper into each step to ensure you find the perfect SEO copywriter for your team.

Skills and qualifications to look for in an SEO Copywriter

When hiring an SEO copywriter, it’s important to build a clear candidate profile tailored to your company's specific needs. A common mistake is conflating required skills with preferences, which can lead to attracting the wrong candidates. Understanding the distinction can streamline your hiring process and ensure you find the right fit.

To guide you, here’s a breakdown of both required and preferred skills and qualifications for an SEO copywriter:

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Proven experience as an SEO copywriter or similar role
• Strong understanding of SEO principles and keyword research
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills
• Ability to create engaging, persuasive, and error-free content
• Familiarity with content management systems, such as WordPress

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience with analytical tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Ahrefs
• Background in marketing, communications, or journalism
• Understanding of HTML and CSS basics
• Experience with A/B testing and content optimization
• Proven success in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment

How to Write an Effective SEO Copywriter Job Description

Once you've identified the ideal candidate profile for your SEO copywriter role, the next step is crafting a compelling job description to attract top talent. A well-written JD can make all the difference in finding the right fit for your team.

Here are some key tips to create an impactful SEO copywriter job description:

• Highlight key responsibilities: Clearly outline the day-to-day tasks, such as creating SEO-optimized content, conducting keyword research, and collaborating with marketing teams. • Balance technical skills with creativity: Emphasize both SEO expertise (like knowledge of Google Analytics) and strong writing abilities. • Showcase growth opportunities: Mention potential for career advancement and ongoing learning in digital marketing strategies. • Describe your company culture: Paint a picture of your work environment to attract candidates who align with your values.

10 Platforms to Hire SEO Copywriters

Once you have crafted a compelling job description for an SEO copywriter, the next step is to share it on various job listing platforms. This will help you connect with a broad range of candidates, ensuring you find the right fit for your team.

Upwork

Ideal for hiring freelance SEO copywriters on a project basis. Offers access to a large pool of freelancers with diverse skills.

Freelancer

Best for short-term and project-based SEO copywriting needs. Provides a competitive bidding system to find cost-effective solutions.

Indeed

Perfect for hiring full-time SEO copywriters. Widely used platform that attracts job seekers across various industries.

Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Indeed provide diverse options, catering to freelance, project-based, and full-time roles. Alongside these, platforms such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn offer great networking opportunities for full-time hires. For remote and flexible work conditions, consider FlexJobs and We Work Remotely. If you're a startup seeking niche talent, AngelList is your go-to. Additionally, Creative Circle and Adaface can assist with both part-time and freelance needs.

How to Screen SEO Copywriter Resumes?

Resume screening is a critical first step in the hiring process to help hiring managers zero in on candidates who truly fit the SEO copywriter role. Given the high volume of applications, efficient screening saves you time by filtering out candidates who lack the necessary skills or experience.

To manually screen resumes, start by identifying the keywords that align with the required and preferred skills for an SEO copywriter. Look for phrases like 'SEO principles,' 'keyword research,' 'content management systems,' and tools such as 'Google Analytics' or 'SEMrush.' This process helps in shortlisting candidates who meet the basic requirements of the role.

Increasingly, companies are turning to AI language models to help streamline resume screening. By inputting your desired keywords and allowing AI to analyze resumes, you can quickly filter out candidates who are not suitable while highlighting those who are a good fit. This technology can significantly speed up the hiring process.

Here is an example of a prompt you can use with AI tools to screen resumes for an SEO copywriter role:

TASK: Screen resumes to match job description for SEO copywriter role

INPUT: Resumes

OUTPUT: For each resume, provide following information:
- Email id
- Name
- Matching keywords
- Score (out of 10 based on keywords matched)
- Recommendation (detailed recommendation of whether to shortlist this candidate or not)
- Shortlist (Yes, No or Maybe)

RULES:
- If you are unsure about a candidate's fit, put the candidate as Maybe instead of No
- Keep recommendation crisp and to the point.

KEYWORDS DATA:
- SEO principles (Keyword Research, On-page SEO, Technical SEO)
- Tools (Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs)
- CMS (WordPress)

Recommended skills tests to screen SEO Copywriters

Skills tests are a recommended approach for evaluating SEO copywriters because they provide an objective measure of the candidates' abilities, separate from their resumes. By utilizing these tests, recruiters and hiring managers can identify the strongest candidates with the right blend of SEO expertise and copywriting skills.

SEO Assessment Test: The SEO assessment test evaluates the candidates' understanding of search engine optimization principles, keyword usage, and search engine algorithms. It's recommended to ensure they have the necessary skills to produce content that ranks well in search engines.

Copywriting Test: The copywriting test gauges the candidate's ability to create engaging and persuasive content. This test is vital for identifying those who can craft compelling narratives while maintaining SEO standards.

Content Strategy Test: Use the content strategy test to assess the ability to plan and execute content that aligns with business goals. This is crucial for ensuring the candidate can contribute to an effective content marketing strategy.

Digital Marketing Test: The digital marketing test measures the candidate's understanding of broader marketing principles that can enhance SEO efforts. It helps identify candidates who can integrate SEO within larger marketing frameworks.

Google Analytics Test: With the Google Analytics test, you can evaluate the candidate's ability to analyze web traffic data. This is important for SEO copywriters to understand what content performs well and how to adjust strategies accordingly.

Case Study Assignments to Hire SEO Copywriters

Case study assignments can be valuable for assessing SEO copywriter skills, but they come with drawbacks. They're often time-consuming, leading to lower completion rates and potentially losing good candidates. Despite these challenges, well-designed case studies can provide insights into a candidate's abilities. Let's explore some effective options.

SEO Content Audit: This assignment asks candidates to review a website's existing content and provide recommendations for improvement. They should identify SEO opportunities, suggest content gaps to fill, and outline strategies to boost organic traffic. This task evaluates their SEO knowledge and ability to analyze and optimize content.

Keyword Research and Content Planning: Candidates are given a fictional product or service and asked to conduct keyword research. They should then create a content plan that targets those keywords, including proposed titles, meta descriptions, and brief outlines. This assignment tests their research skills, strategic thinking, and ability to align content with SEO goals.

Rewrite for SEO: Provide candidates with an existing piece of content that's underperforming in search results. Ask them to rewrite it to improve its SEO potential while maintaining its core message. This task assesses their ability to balance SEO best practices with engaging, reader-friendly copy.

How to Structure the Interview Stage for Hiring SEO Copywriters

After candidates pass the initial skills tests, it's time to move them to technical interviews where their hard skills are assessed. While skills tests help filter out unfit candidates, interviews are necessary for identifying the best fit for the role. In the interview stage, asking targeted questions will provide deeper insights into their abilities and experience.

Consider asking questions like: How do you approach keyword research for a new project? to evaluate their strategy; Can you describe your process for creating SEO-friendly content? to assess their technique; What analytics tools do you find most helpful and why? to understand their technical knowledge. Additionally, inquire about their past experience with SEO content challenges by asking, Describe a time when your SEO strategy didn't work. What did you do next? Lastly, exploring their familiarity with updates, ask How do you stay current with Google's algorithm changes? These questions aim to uncover their practical skills and adaptability. For an extensive list of potential questions, you can refer to various resources like SEO Copywriter Interview Questions.

What's the difference between an SEO Copywriter and a Content Strategist?

People often confuse SEO Copywriters with Content Strategists because both roles involve content creation. However, they differ significantly in focus and scope, often leading to blurred lines in understanding each role's unique contributions.

An SEO Copywriter primarily focuses on optimizing content for search engines. Their writing style is keyword-focused and SEO-optimized, aiming to improve search rankings and boost organic traffic. They work closely with SEO specialists and editors to create individual pieces of content like web pages, blog posts, and product descriptions.

In contrast, a Content Strategist is responsible for developing the overall content strategy. Their focus is more on maintaining a consistent brand voice across all content, centering their efforts around audience engagement and conversions. They collaborate with marketing teams and executives to manage the entire content ecosystem, including content calendars, style guides, and multi-channel campaigns. Their career path could lead to roles like Content Director or Chief Content Officer.

To dive deeper into the skills required for these roles, you can explore the skills required for SEO Copywriter for a clearer understanding.

What are the ranks of SEO Copywriters?

In the world of digital marketing, SEO copywriters often get confused with other writing and marketing roles. Understanding the different ranks within this field can help recruiters identify the right candidate for specific needs.

• Junior SEO Copywriter: This entry-level position typically involves assisting the senior team members with content creation. They are responsible for writing basic content optimized for search engines while learning the ropes of SEO best practices.

• SEO Copywriter: A mid-level role, an SEO copywriter has a solid understanding of SEO principles and can produce higher-quality content independently. They not only write but also perform keyword research and track how their content performs in search engines.

• Senior SEO Copywriter: Senior SEO copywriters take on more strategic roles. They create comprehensive content strategies, mentor junior writers, and often collaborate with other teams to align content with overall marketing objectives.

• SEO Content Manager: This is a leadership position that oversees the entire content strategy. They manage a team of writers and ensure that all content aligns with the brand's SEO goals and standards, often analyzing performance metrics to refine strategies.

• SEO Director: At the top of the hierarchy, an SEO Director not only focuses on content but also on broader SEO strategies. They lead initiatives to enhance website visibility, supervise multiple teams, and engage with upper management to align SEO efforts with business goals.

Hire the Right SEO Copywriters for Your Business

As we wrap up, we've explored the importance of hiring skilled SEO copywriters, their key responsibilities, and the hiring process steps. Understanding the difference between SEO copywriters and content strategists, and knowing how to write an effective job description are vital in attracting the best candidates.

The key takeaway is that crafting accurate job descriptions and using relevant skills tests are crucial in making informed hiring decisions. Consider utilizing the SEO assessment test to evaluate candidates' capabilities effectively. This approach ensures you select the most suitable SEO copywriters to enhance your business's online presence.

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