“Unlock the Secrets: 5 Must-Have Qualities That Make Editors Rave About Freelancers!”
Other questions to ask early: Do you have SEO keywords to incorporate? Is it okay if I go over word count? Do you have examples of other stories that the client likes? Is the style guide and audience description up to date?
Tip: Even if you don’t start the writing process immediately, get to work on outlining and researching your story as soon as possible. It’s usually at this stage that questions crop up and will give you enough time to get an answer before the deadline.
4. Suggest SEO keywords
Good briefs usually have one or more SEO terms to include in the copy. Writers who can integrate those terms organically, and even better, align the article with search intent, are a prized group. Best practices say the term should be used in the headline, the first paragraph, the body copy, a subhead, and the meta description. If you don’t see a required SEO term or know that they’ll be adding it after you submit your story, this is a great opportunity to suggest SEO keywords to your managing editor via the comments. Highlight where the term could be added or where you’ve already used it.
