Finally recognized as an important vector of the quality of a portal, a traffic generator in its own right and a criterion for recognition with Google search engine, the text is now taken seriously by ambitious sites on the Internet.

However, it is the notion of “quality text” that remains to be interpreted and that I try to define at the beginning of the training.

What is a quality text on the web?

The training begins by defining this notion of quality that is so subject to interpretation: are we writing for the visitor or for search engines? What are the differences between

• Write correctly?
• Blogging ?
• The job of a copywriter ? and
• SEO Optimized Copywriting?

These questions are answered in this small module that allows you to understand the different categories of web writers.

Plan your content

Your site cannot be reduced to the founding pages, a site that lives is a site that publishes, that moves, that informs and from which we expect the articles
A site that publishes okay but at what pace? And above all about what? This aspect must be worked on and planned

• Content Strategy
• Content Marketing
• Plan the editing of your texts
• Use mind mapping wisely

Writing for the Internet user

This is the starting point, which leads to reflection on the following elements:

• Adapting vocabulary to the audience
• Presentation of an article with high readability
• Have a sense of the formula
• Illustrate… but not too much

The key expression, master on board

Optimized writing rhymes with keyword (in alexandrine!), without it no benchmark, no goal, no targeted query.

• Definition of the keyword ( keyphrase )
• Statistical realities
• Long tail, what about it?

And in the process, we open up to the technical tools

Tools and statistics

Once I have understood this notion, I develop a chapter on the web writer’s tools as I use them daily

• Choosing your keywords
• Leverage statistical tools (adwords, keyword planner)
• Query VS result return: the KEI
• What is the lexical field?

Once the expression and its lexical field have been defined, the training addresses technical writing itself.

Structure a text for the web

Without structure, writing is just a series of words that are difficult to read

• The chapter and the chapter
• The keyword density? it’s totally outdated!
• The tags of SEO writing
• Cross linking and outbound links

Text and context

A text that is poorly served by the architecture of the site that publishes it loses its SEO effectiveness. The writer should always have a view of the wireframe, the architecture of the site before writing his pages.

• Strengthen the themes of a site
• Web architecture? Not to be confused with navigation/ ergonomics or tree structure

At the end of the training you are able to

• Analyze statistics and take advantage of them
• Write a search engine-oriented text
• Find key phrases, their variants, their lexical field and use them
• Use the basics of SEO

See my SEO lesson plan

Example of proposal to companies / agencies

Customized training

Customized training plan according to needs

Intended for web agencies, covers writing, SEO and netlinking
Duration: spread over 1 or 2 days
Number of participants: up to 10
Price: on quote
Location: at the client’s site

Request a quote

Private lessons

Training plan as per request

Intended for individuals, copywriters, corporate
webmasters Duration 3 to 9 hours
One to three people
At the SME
SEO office Cost: $1500

Request a quote

Conferences

Focus on a particular topic
Duration: 3 hours
Number of participants: numerous

Price: $3200

* Search Engine Response Page

Kristof, a member of the Doyouseo association, which brings together Quebec SEOs.

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• Is your compliance with the Panda update?
• Is your content rich?
• Web content writing and site architecture
• Web Writing Training
• Advanced SEO content production

Read also about training

• SEO Training
• SEO Lesson Plan
• Optimized Web Writing Training
• from 16 to 48500 visits per month

If you want a web copywriter training that goes beyond the pure aspect of SEO, I recommend the online one of this training website

This is an excellent more complete training that addresses 100% of the questions about the profession.

Maybe you’re just discovering this job, but you don’t really know what it is. While doing research, you have certainly come across articles that talk about content marketing, keywords, tags, platforms… Everything gets mixed up in your mind, doesn’t it? Then it’s time to understand what web writing is all about exactly!

Writing for the web, a fairly recent profession

Web writing appeared with the advent of the internet of course. But it is over the years that it has gained momentum. If in the beginning, websites produced

They quickly realized that the task was tedious… Today, they often use web writers to write their pages or blog posts.

Nowadays, the web is overwhelmed with content. In fact, to find one, you probably use a search engine. And I bet it’s Google, which is currently used by 91.5% of French people*. When you do a search on the internet, Google will present you with articles or website pages. If you do what the majority of Internet users do, you will click on the first results on the first page.

The job of a web writer will therefore be to ensure that the content he or she writes pleases the reader but also Google, so that the article is placed on these famous first results.

• Source: https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/chiffres-google/

What is Content Marketing ?

When a brand or a company wants to make itself known on the internet, it creates its website. Its goal is of course, to attract Internet users, please them and turn them into customers. There are several ways to do this, including paid advertising or social media animation.

But in recent years, content marketing has worked best. It is simply a question of offering Internet users relevant, fun and high value-added information. You may have already noticed that some sites offer a blog with regular articles.

For example, let’s imagine a childcare brand that sells customizable strollers. This new brand will first create its website, with “fixed” pages that it will surely order from a freelance writer. But she will also create a blog section, with a new article per week. The topics will of course have a link with early childhood: How to calm baby’s colic, 5 walks to do with the family in Paris, what childcare equipment to bring for a weekend at a friend’s house, etc.

A good web writer will therefore write these topics so that they are well placed on Google (I’ll explain how later). An Internet user may be looking for walks to do in Paris with his family and come across the famous article. If the article is well written and provides good information, then this user may decide to read other articles on the brand’s website. He will then discover that this site sells great strollers! He will eventually take a look at it… and buy in the more or less long term. This is what we call Content Marketing ! Attract readers with real information, to turn them into potential customers and make yourself known.

The 2 aspects of web writing

A web writer must therefore know how to write with a good level of French, but he must also know the techniques that will allow the content to be well ranked by Google. There are therefore 2 aspects to master in web writing:

• The writing itself: However, you need to know the codes of web writing, because you don’t read on a screen like you read a book.
• Natural referencing, also called SEO (Search Engine Optimization): You need to know how to place content in a good place on Google.

What qualities should a good web writer have?

Apart from a good spelling level, a web writer must have ease in writing. Curiosity is also a great quality because you will be required to write on many themes during the same day. For example: a travel article, a newsletter for a cosmetics store, a homepage for a photographer’s website, etc.

You must also be organized and rigorous, because you will have deadlines (delivery dates for content) to meet, invoices and quotes to prepare. Finally, you should know that a web writer can work as a freelancer or as an employee (usually in companies in large cities).

Chapter 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing?

The majority of web writers are freelancers. This means that they are self-employed and entrepreneurs. Some were employees before and have therefore changed paths. But before you jump in, it’s good to know what to expect. Here are, in my opinion, the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing!

The disadvantages of freelance web writing:

• The biggest disadvantage is that you won’t have a salary that will fall every month… You will be paid at the end of each mission. Expect the first few months to be difficult, as you will have to make yourself known. But afterwards, customers are very loyal and you will have less need to look for new assignments!
• A freelancer usually works from home. It is therefore sometimes difficult to make a barrier between private and professional life… especially if you have children! But I reassure you, it is quite doable, by adapting. The proof, I have 3 children at home, who don’t go to school since I teach them myself. Otherwise, you have the coworking solution, which is developing more and more. It is about working in a space dedicated to freelancers. This allows you to meet great professional people.
• You also need to stop procrastinating, i.e. putting things off until tomorrow! You will need to be organized and motivated. You will have to write every day, but also plan time for prospecting (looking for customers) and administration (invoices, quotes, etc.). In short, having an entrepreneurial soul!

The advantages of freelance web writing:

• You can set your own rates, which can only go up. As the weeks go by, your schedule will fill up and you will be able to increase your rates with your new customers.
• You can work from home or on the other side of the world. You will be in control of your schedule ! It’s up to you to organize your schedules and your working days as you wish. You can work on Sundays and keep one day of the week free. Some work in the morning, others in the evening… Since the freelancer has no hierarchical superior, you will be free to choose your own schedule!
• Your general knowledge will be enriched thanks to web writing. You won’t be bored! You will have to write on various themes and different content. You can also continue to train to acquire new skills: proofreading, community management, website creation, transcription, etc. You will be able to offer several services!

For my part, I see as many disadvantages (even if these can be rectified) as advantages. It’s up to you to write down yours on a sheet of paper, making two columns. This will allow you to see if you are really ready to become a freelancer!

Chapter 3. What is SEO?

Remember Content Marketing. A website will ask a freelance web writer to write content that will be well placed on search engines, mainly Google. The web writer must therefore optimize his text, i.e. he must master SEO. Let’s see it together!

The 3 ways for a website to make itself known

A website must absolutely make itself known if it wants to hope to make sales. To do this, it can rely on 3 pillars:

• Paid advertising: This is called SEA (Search Engine Advertising). When you go to Google, these are the first results with an “ad” box. These sites pay to be well placed. But it can be very expensive and many SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) cannot afford it…
• Social networks: A company must be present on the various social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.). This brings traffic to his website. The animation of social networks is the job of the community manager.
• Natural referencing: This is called SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The texts on a website must be optimized, so that Google can analyze and rank the content correctly. This is the work of the web writer.

How does Google’s algorithm work?

As I told you above, Google is the most used search engine in France but also in the world. In web writing, we therefore rely solely on him. To analyze the content of a website, Google will send bots (robots). They will “scan” the page or article and analyze it. What is this content about? Which keywords stand out the most? Subsequently, Google will rank this content in its search engine, judging its relevance among other things. No one knows exactly what its algorithm is…

In addition, Google regularly changes it. But what is certain is that it is trying to decrypt the main message of the article, in order to show it to the corresponding request of Internet users. The web writer will therefore have to sow clues for Google’s robots, using a keyword and its lexical field.

Recently, Google has also insisted on the quality of content and its length. Pages and articles of more than 500 words are preferred and must provide real information that will appeal to readers.

SEO is therefore the most technical part to be mastered by the web writer. But rest assured, it is not insurmountable and it can be learned!

Chapter 4. What are the tasks to be carried out in web writing?

You’re going to tell me, that’s all well and good… But what exactly should a freelance web writer do on a daily basis? What are the tasks that fall to him? So here’s a list of the work you’ll have to do if you choose this route. Because, indeed, it is not just a question of “writing” ! The parts highlighted in red correspond to tasks that you will not necessarily do (especially at the beginning)… It all depends on your customer’s request.

The tasks of the editorial staff

• Regular monitoring: You have to know how to “monitor” on the net, new information on the job of web writer, SEO or even to spot very quickly the new missions to be filled.
• Research: You will have to research your writing topic. So you have to learn to synthesize your research, like a journalist!
• Content writing: Of course, you will have to write texts based on your research and/or your knowledge. You will have to learn all the techniques of pure writing (chapô, subtitles, call-to-action, etc.) and know the characteristics of reading on screen.
• Proofreading: Once your content is complete, you’ll need to spend some time proofreading and correcting it. A little advice: let your text rest for a few hours or better, a few days, in order to better spot your forgetfulness and mistakes.
• Prepare quotes and invoices: You will have to know how to make quotes and invoices according to the rules.
• Prospecting: You will have to include in your schedule time dedicated to looking for new writing assignments. You will also need to know how to conduct a briefing with a future client.
• Searches for royalty-free visuals: A client may ask you to provide visuals to illustrate your content. It’s up to you to see if you accept! In this case, you will be paid extra, but you need to know where to find royalty-free visuals.
• Layout and content integration: Here too, a client may ask you to do the layout and integration of the content directly on his site. You must therefore master a minimum of WordPress and know how to fill in the tags.

The tasks that fall to natural referencing (SEO)

• Primary Keyword Research: You’ll need to find a main keyword for each of your content. So you need to know where and how to find it… but above all knowing how to analyze its relevance, its volume of searches and its level of competition.
• Integrating the keyword into the content: Once you’ve determined your keyword, you’ll need to incorporate it into your content. But be careful, you have to know how to place it in strategic places! It should not be abused either and it should be placed discreetly and naturally.
• Work on the semantic field: To help Google understand the meaning of your content, you will need to work on the semantic field of your keyword.

• Writing the meta description: You can offer your client to write their meta description. This is the short text that summarizes the article, on Google. Here too, it is an additional charge to be charged and you need to know its specificities.
• Writing the other tags: If you integrate the content on the client’s site, you will have to write the tags for titles, subtitles, photos, etc. So you need to know the basics of html.
• Setting up internal and external links: If you completely manage a client’s website, you will have to set up internal and external links in the content. It is therefore necessary to know the technique of hyperlinks.

Chapter 5. What content can a web writer write?

You may think that a web writer only writes articles. Well, not at all! There are different kinds of content that you will have to write if you go down this path. This is what is interesting, you can learn how to write these different contents and therefore expand your services.

Content that can be found exclusively on the web (therefore with SEO):

• Website pages: These are the fixed pages of a site (homepage, about, etc.).
• Blog posts: These are the articles that will be published regularly on a company blog.
• Product sheets: These are short texts that present the characteristics of an object for sale. They can be found on e-commerce sites.
• Thematic files: These are very long contents, divided into several articles.
• Press releases for the web: These are texts that announce a site opening or a product launch.

Content that you download from the internet or that you receive by email (so no SEO):

• Newsletters/Emailings: These are the emails that the website sends to its subscribers.
• White papers: These are the ebooks that Internet users can download.
• Press releases for journalists: These are texts sent to journalists, especially for major brands.
• Letters of sale: You can specialize in copywriting or the art of writing to incentivize sales.

Beginner web writers often start by writing articles and web pages. But it is interesting to know the other techniques in order to expand your services!

Chapter 6. Why is web writing booming?

Nowadays, a company must be present on the web. Whether it’s a craftsman, a small company or a large group… People are increasingly going online to find what they need. They compare, read information, reviews, look at photos before going to the store to buy. In addition, many products can now be ordered on the internet. The phenomenon is not that old and the trend is towards expansion!

A few figures to better understand

• 94% of companies consider it necessary to be present on the Internet: Normal, the digital age is booming and the younger generations consult their mobile phones for information.
• 37% of VSEs/SMEs (All Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) have a blog on their website: Putting out articles regularly improves SEO, so they have everything to gain.
• 63% of them publish less than once a month: So not regularly enough!

What can we conclude from this?

Companies know that they must be present on the web. Website creation is also exploding! Especially since at this level, France is behind…

But entrepreneurs of VSEs/SMEs are not necessarily familiar with content marketing and SEO. In addition, they do not have the time to devote themselves to it. They have a business to run!

This is why more and more companies are using freelance web writers. Since Google favors long, relevant and regular content, business leaders prefer to delegate this task to a third party. In the coming years, the creation of corporate blogs with regular articles will explode. This is already starting to be felt!

Chapter 7. What are the different statuses in France?

If you decide to start web writing as a freelancer, there are different statuses in France. It is therefore necessary to know them in order to make a better choice! We are fortunate, in our country, to have significant advantages, especially thanks to the microenterprise (the new name for the autoenterprise).

Microenterprise (Self-employed), the most common choice

This status is indeed the number 1 choice of freelance web writers. What for? There are several reasons for this:

• Ease of setting up and stopping (everything is done on the internet)
• Since January 2019, the RSI has disappeared! All new micro-entrepreneurs are affiliated to the CPAM (Social Security), like an employee
• Also since January 2019, all new microentrepreneurs are entitled to a start-up aid: The ACRE ! This greatly reduces the accruals to be paid (between 5 and 7% only in the first year, 11% in the second year and 16% in the third year approximately)
• You pay your charges according to your income (If you don’t earn anything… you don’t pay anything!)
• You can combine this status with a salaried job or unemployment. That

which is practical at first, because it is better to keep your job at first.

• The turnover is capped: 70,000 euros per year for the provision of services (VAT exemption up to 35,000 euros of turnover)
• There is a Business Property Contribution to be paid from the second year (about a hundred euros per year… it all depends on your municipality)

Wage portage, if you wish to keep your employee status

This status allows you to work as a freelancer (you are free to set your own hours and it is up to you to look for clients), but you are an employee of the umbrella company.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You receive payslips but remain free to set your own rates
• No accounting to do, no invoices
• However, beware of the cost of wage portage : the company keeps a good commission (it’s up to you to compare between them) + it deducts employer and employee contributions. In the end, you only receive 40 to 60% of your benefits
• For digital nomads and expatriates, there is international portage. More advantageous, because the costs are lower (no employer and employee contributions). You have to live abroad for more than 6 months to benefit from it!

Other statuses exist: the EURL, SASU, CAE, etc. But they are much more restrictive and cumbersome to put in place.

It’s up to you to find out and sort it out! For your information, I am under microenterprise for my training and under international portage for the rest of my activities.

Chapter 8. How do you find assignments and make a living?

Can you make a living from web writing? Yes! As long as you know the tricks of the trade and are motivated. I don’t hide the fact that the beginnings will be difficult. It will take you several months before you earn a decent income. People who tell you otherwise are lying to you… That’s why I always advise my students to keep their current job at the beginning or to switch to part-time.

In short, plan an additional supplement for the first few months

How to make a living as a web writer?

First of all, try to specialize in a few themes (tourism, sports, real estate, law, early childhood, etc.). To do this, choose the ones you like and the ones you master. This may be related to your past education or work experience. It will be easier for you to prospect later and you will write faster if you have knowledge in these areas.

Then, I advise you to start with a reasonable price. Don’t start too low. With each new customer found, don’t hesitate to increase your price. The goal is to increase its prices as you go along. This way, you will earn more, while writing less.

Vary your services too! Don’t hesitate to get into proofreading, translation if you are bilingual, transcription, community management, etc.

You’ll see that some customers will ask you for all of these at once! Also offer content where there is less competition : Product sheets, newsletters or press releases.

But where exactly to find assignments

To find assignments and new clients, you are spoiled for choice:

• Writing platforms (but I don’t advise you to dwell on them, because this is not where you will make a living. But it can give you a little experience and you will gain confidence)
• Communications and marketing agencies
• Microservices sites (also known as jobbing)
• Freelance sites
• Direct sale of items on specialized sites
• Word of mouth: friends, family, close shopkeepers, etc.
• Direct prospecting
• Social networks

In any case, make yourself known ! You can create your own website or just a LinkedIn or Facebook page.

While getting started may seem difficult… Afterwards, customers are rather loyal and recommendations do their work. You just have to keep your arms in the first few months and it pays off in the end ! Over time, you will gain experience and it is the customers who will come to you.

Chapter 9. Why is training essential?

Even if you can start in web writing on your own, training allows you to know all the techniques of writing and natural referencing. It also allows you to have a concrete opinion on your writing level and to be able to progress before getting started. But above all, training before starting your business allows you to generate income more quickly !

Why invest in training?

Training necessarily has a cost. But you have to see it as a long-term investment. All professions have specificities to be aware of. Receiving instruction from an expert allows you to know the tricks of this trade, his personal tips and a boost to get off to a good start. Also tell yourself that your first income will pay for this training.

Your trainer will be there to support you in the long term. You will certainly have exercises to do to receive advice and advice, which will help you evolve.

My training: Becoming a Web Writer

You will find the complete program of my training in chapter 10. Know that this is a 100% online training where you can progress at your own pace! Some of my students have finished it in 1 or 2 months… others in 6 or 10 months. You have 12 months in total to see it through. Which is more than enough.

Here is in a few words, what you will find on the training platform:

• 50 written lessons, divided into 10 Modules
• 24/7 online access
• Quizzes and practical exercises (including topics to write, which I personally correct)
• Support 7 days a week by me
• A training “room” where you can write texts and correct those of other members
• Lifetime access to the members’ private group on Facebook (you will find kindness and lots of advice!)
• 2 Bonuses at the end of the training: A list of tools that will be very useful to you and the Checklist of writing steps so that you don’t forget anything

What is the content of the “Becoming a Web Writer” training?

As you can see, there are a lot of things to learn when you want to become a web writer! Web writing is not just about opening a Word document and writing… It’s much more than that. The tasks are varied and all deserve to be acquired. You will become a professional web writer, recognized by all! Working with the other members of the team will already allow you to establish contacts in the profession. Don’t see others as competitors, but rather as colleagues who can pass on assignments to you and vice versa.

Why a training in web writing?

The job of a web writer and the specificities of the web

• What is web writing?
• The pros and cons of the job (and how to fix them)
• The specifics of reading on the screen
• Internet users’ behaviour towards online reading
• Readability of texts
• Interactive writing
• The law of proximity
• Exercise: Write a presentation text

Get organized before writing

• Knowing how to organize your work
• Tools that allow you to monitor effectively
• Know how to do research before writing
• Exercise: Setting up your organization

The rules of web writing

• What is the inverted pyramid?
• The building blocks of web content
• The importance of the title
• The rules of writing the chapter
• Write the paragraphs
• An effective call-to-action
• Exercise: Write your first article
• The importance of the lexical field
• Tools to help you with spelling, grammar and conjugation
• The special keys on the keyboard to know
• The rules of punctuation
• Typography and colours
• Know how to proofread/correct your text
• Exercise: Find errors in the text

Natural referencing (SEO)

• What is SEO?
• SEO in web writing
• How to find the right keyword
• Hypertext links
• The meta description and other tags
• WordPress and SEO
• Beware of over-optimization
• Exercise: Write an SEO article

The different types of content

• The blog post
• The showcase page
• The newsletter
• The product sheet
• Exercise: Write an SEO Product Brief
• The thematic file
• The press release
• The White Paper
• The sales letter
• Exercise: Write an SEO article

Finding and creating visuals

• Copyright in Visual Media
• Where can I find royalty-free visuals?
• Enrich your content with visual creations
• Integration of multimedia content on WordPress
• Exercise: Write an SEO article by integrating 1 royalty-free visual and 1 created visual

Starting your career as a web writer

• How to get started in the business
• Becoming self-employed as a freelancer
• Where to find your first customers?
• How to calculate your rates?
• Learn how to make contracts, quotes and invoices
• Becoming a digital nomad
• Exercise: Writing an SEO article

Module 10: How to make your business known

• Create your own professional website
• How to make yourself known
• Final tips to get started without fear