Business

SEO Basics for Freelance Writers to Succeed in 2024

Published

2 months ago

November 28, 2024

No one would argue if we described SEO as the oil that makes search engines run smoothly. It helps organize all the billions of pages online. At this point, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have an idea of what search engine optimization means or what it does. Everyone, especially writers and marketers, knows that SEO writing is one of the best ways to get the attention of your target audience and win them over to your side.

Today, there is more and more demand for SEO-savvy freelance writers, but the competition is also tough. This means you need to make yourself more attractive in the job market. How? By nailing SEO. Yet, even though there are tons of resources online already, figuring out where to start or what actually works can be a challenge. So, in this post, we are looking at the best starting point for the world of search engine optimization and share tips that will help you get tangible results for your clients.

Table of Contents

What Is SEO Writing and Why Is It Crucial for Any Copywriter?

Writing takes many forms, but if you want to succeed at almost any of those – SEO writing should be your best friend. What makes it special? Search-engine-optimized content has a very specific and clear goal – getting ranked high in SERPs. For this, you have to create content that both provides value for your audience and satisfies Google’s requirements. And this requires a fine balance. This process involves a lot of steps, which may look extremely daunting, especially for a newbie. So why would anyone bother with it?

Well, just like businesses, freelancers also want to be noticed. This is how you get to attract clients at the end of the day. Turns out that SEO content writing is non-negotiable if you want to improve your online visibility as a brand or freelance writer. Whether you are writing for a client or for your own personal brand, you want your work to rank high in search engines, gain the right exposure, and attract more leads.

Think of it as a more sustainable way to get all the benefits of paid advertising but at a fraction of the cost or even for free. Of course, getting your content to rank is not an easy task. There are many equally good blogs, all jostling for the same spot. This is why so many freelance writers buy backlinks. Without link-building, your blog won’t rank fast (more on that later).

SEO Basics That Freelance Writers Must Know to Succeed in 2024

Every writer wants to get SEO conversions for their clients. While there are many aspects to consider, here is a breakdown of the most crucial SEO basics you need to succeed:

#1 Nail the Keyword Research to Know What You Should Aim For

Keyword research is the foundation of most SEO tactics. It is how you get to really understand your customers and learn what they struggle with and what they want to see online. You can use pretty much any SEO tool for this part, and it will help you uncover the specific phrases and search terms your target audience uses in their online searches.

It will also give you important insights about those keywords – like how popular and competitive they are, semantically related words that should be used next to your main keywords, and much more. Overall, there is simply no way to create quality content that resonates with your target audience and follows Google’s E-E-A-T without keyword research.

That’s why it is important to check what keywords you can target in your content. You can do it in any SEO tool (e.g., Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz, SurferSEO, etc.) you have access to. For example, below, we are using Semrush to find keywords for a blog on the best SEO software. First, pay attention to the search volume (i.e., is it worth targeting this keyword?) and keyword difficulty (i.e., can we target this keyword and rank well?).

Source: Semrush

Next, check keyword variations, questions users ask, and related keywords.

Source: Semrush

You can also use the Google search box, specifically the suggestions underneath the search bar, to see other relevant keyword ideas:

Source: Screenshot from Google search

This keyword research will help you write content that will rank better. As a result, more people can see it. Besides, you will understand the why behind those search queries, which is essential to creating truly useful content. This motive is what SEO specialists call search intent. The search intent can take any of these four main forms:

Informational. This is when your target audience is just looking to get some details or learn more about something. For example, “What is digital marketing?”
Navigational. This time they know exactly what they want. They just need directions to a physical location or a web page that explores a specific topic. For example, “Amazon returns.”
Commercial. A person using keywords from this category is strongly leaning towards making a purchase but needs additional information on the best products or deals and reassurance that they’re on the right track. For example, “Best SEO software.”
Transactional. The keywords in this category show that a user is ready to buy or sign up for a service. For example, “Buy iPhone 15 Pro.”

Pro tip: Keywords change with time, so if you want to keep up with the top freelance writers, do regular keyword research. This way, you will never miss any relevant trends or changes in the digital marketing space.

#2 Use Your Keywords Wisely (aka Keyword Optimization)

Now, you have all these keywords, but how do you use them? One word – strategically. You have to think of them as some tiny details in a detective movie – little sneaky clues, pictures, etc. Most people don’t even notice them, but when you do, you feel special. That’s how your keywords should feel like. They must seem so natural that an untrained eye won’t even pay attention to any optimization going on.

You also want to use your main keyword in the title, as well as the meta title and meta description. Plus, throw in a couple of keywords to your subheadings. As for the body text, spread your keywords evenly and organically. Make sure they blend in with the rest of your copy. Robin Waite recommends adding a keyword to your URL slug as well. This can help improve both user experience and search ranking.

This is how Semrush has integrated keywords into their blog on toxic backlinks. You can see keywords in their title, H2, H3, URL slug, and, of course, in the copy itself.

Source: Semrush

And this is how their meta title and meta description look:

Source: Screenshot from Google search

Pro tip: There is a fine line between keyword optimization and keyword stuffing. It’s important not to cross it. If your content is over-optimized, Google can remove your web page from search results completely (aka unindex it). The rule of thumb is to keep your keyword density at 1-3%, which means 1-3 keywords per 100 words of copy.

#3 Watch Out for Good Readability

Getting your content to show up on the first page of search results is great. But don’t get so invested in impressing the search engine that you forget about your human audience. This is where readability comes in. You want your readers to actually enjoy the time they spend going through your work. How can you pull this off?

Let’s see how it works in practice. Here is an excerpt from a blog post by Brian Dean on “Blogger Outreach”:

Source: Backlinko

And here is the readability score:

Source: Hemingway

A grade 5 readability score is a sweet spot and easy for anyone to understand. How can you get the same results?

Write in a clear, simple, and conversational language. No one wants to break out a dictionary every few lines. And no one will, they will just close the tab and move on.
Use subheadings (H2, H3, and H4), and keep your sentences short and sweet. Bullet points and numbered lists can make your text scannable. This makes it easy for both people and search engines to understand your message better.
Structure your content in a logical way so it’s easy for your readers to follow along. There should be a logical progression of your information from the very beginning until the end. You can use an inverted pyramid strategy for that.
Avoid passives at all costs. The more direct your copy is, the better.
Try to make your content engaging and less of a cliche. You can add some jokes, stories, or questions to connect with your audience. Be creative and it will pay off.

Pro tip: You can use SEO tools like Hemingway and Grammarly to improve your grammar and readability. Make sure your readability score is no more than grade 8. Also, despite the controversy about using AI tools for writing, you can definitely improve your copy with that type of software if you know what you’re doing.

#4 Make Your Content Visually Appealing

The right image, SM post, video, diagram, and other visual assets in your content are like the perfect dessert after a full meal. It can add something quite enjoyable to the readers’ experience. It helps them grasp the message of your post and perceive the text better. But this only happens when you use images that are relevant to the topic explored in your article.

Here is a blog post by HubSpot with lots of quality visuals:

Source: HubSpot

And here is the traffic from the same page:

Source: Ahrefs

In the same way, you can leverage the power of images to grow your organic traffic. Just don’t forget to compress your media files so they don’t slow down your website’s loading speed. And, oh, adding alt texts with your keywords can also help make your content more visible in search results.

Pro tip: Always make sure that every visual you use is copyright-free and don’t forget to mention the source with a link.

#5 Do Your Link Building to Improve Visibility

SEO freelance writing can’t be complete without link building. Apparently, all the top-ranking pages in SERPs are those with at least 3.8x more backlinks than the others. So, how do you plan a link-building strategy that really works? The best advice is for you to focus only on links that:

Come from relevant websites with good organic traffic and low spam scores.
Have a natural backlink profile. This includes backlinks from diverse sources with different DR/DA ratings (but mostly high ones).

Links only go together with quality content. So make sure your copy is great and actually useful (not plagiarized or AI-generated). Besides, when you send your guest blog for publication, make sure you use diverse anchor texts – a mixture of brand anchors, keyword-based anchors, and general anchor texts.

For example, check out Ahrefs’ article on blog post ideas (something that freelance writers are constantly looking for).

Source: Ahrefs

And here are the backlinks leading to this page alone. Not bad, right? This is what quality content can do.

Source: Semrush

Pro tip: There’s more to link building than just publishing guest posts. You have to build a system with clear and transparent tracking. If you do link building by yourself, make sure you track every backlink you get. You don’t even need any fancy tool, even Excel can help you organize your external website optimization. Keeping an eye on the data that shows you how people interact with your content will let you know what works and what strategy to ditch.

Conclusion

SEO writing is a big part of any modern marketing strategy, and freelance writers nowadays must have a solid grasp of how it all works. This will not only boost your portfolio but also help you grow your credibility as a writer. Besides, if your writing can help businesses gain more awareness and conversions, you will never lack work.

Business

Everything You Need to Know About EA FC 25 Coins

Published

2 days ago

February 1, 2025

Prime Star

EA FC 25: What You Need to Know

EA FC 25 represents a major shift in the EA Sports franchise, marking the end of its partnership with FIFA and the start of a new chapter under the EA Sports FC brand. This change brings new features and improvements to enhance the gameplay experience.

Key Features and Changes

New Branding: EA FC 25 moves away from the FIFA name, allowing EA to innovate and create a more personalized football experience.
Improved Gameplay: With HyperMotion V technology, the game offers more realistic player movement and animations.
Enhanced Customization: Players can enjoy greater customization options for teams, kits, and player styles.
New Game Modes: EA FC 25 introduces exciting additions to Ultimate Team and career modes, offering more depth and progression.
Real-World Partnerships: The game continues to feature global leagues and teams, along with new collaborations at the grassroots level.
Coins and Digital Strategy: EA FC 25 enhances in-game purchases, including the option to buy coins on platforms like BuyMMOG, offering players more ways to enhance their experience.

Release Date and Platforms: When and Where to Play EA FC 25

EA FC 25 will be officially released on September 29, 2025, with early access starting a few days prior for players who pre-order special editions.

Supported Platforms:

EA FC 25 will be available on a wide range of platforms, ensuring players on different systems can enjoy the game:

PlayStation 5 (PS5)
PlayStation 4 (PS4)
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox One
PC (via EA App, Steam, and Epic Games Store)
Nintendo Switch (though with some feature limitations compared to next-gen versions)

The game is also expected to support cross-platform play, allowing players on different systems to compete against each other, making it easier to connect with friends regardless of their platform choice.

EA FC 25 Pricing and Pre-Order Bonuses

Pricing Breakdown:

EA FC 25 will be available in several editions, each offering different features at varying price points:

Standard Edition: Priced around $59.99 USD for the base game on PS4 and Xbox One, and $69.99 USD for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Ultimate Edition: Priced at $99.99 USD, this edition includes early access, exclusive in-game content, and additional bonuses such as rare player cards for Ultimate Team and exclusive kits.

Pre-Order Bonuses:

Players who pre-order any edition of EA FC 25 can expect the following exclusive bonuses:

Early Access: Play the game up to 3 days before the official release date.
Bonus In-Game Content: Pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition grants extra player packs, exclusive kits, and a special stadium item for Ultimate Team.
FIFA Legends: For those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition, exclusive access to iconic football legends in Ultimate Team mode.

Purchasing on BuyMMOG:

For those looking to purchase EA FC 25 or EA FC 25 coins, BuyMMOG is a reliable platform offering the game and its in-game currency. Buying EA FC 25 coins through BuyMMOG may offer discounts or bundle deals, making it a great option for players who want to boost their game experience with extra coins to use in Ultimate Team or other in-game purchases.

What’s New in EA FC 25: Exciting Features and Changes

EA FC 25 introduces several key upgrades that set it apart from previous entries in the franchise, enhancing gameplay and adding fresh content.

HyperMotion V Technology

With improved player movement and animations, HyperMotion V makes gameplay more fluid and realistic, enhancing dribbling, ball control, and overall match dynamics.

Smarter AI and Tactics

The revamped AI offers smarter teammates and opponents, allowing for more strategic control over your team’s playstyle, whether on offense or defense.

New Game Modes

Football Creator: Create custom teams with personalized kits and logos.
Ultimate Team Enhancements: Dynamic player items and deeper progression systems.
Live Match Events: Participate in real-time events based on ongoing football seasons.

Expanded Customization

Customize stadiums and matchday experiences, from crowd sounds to atmospheres, for a fully personalized experience.

Enhanced Career Mode

Career Mode now includes better player progression, contract negotiations, and deeper interactions, making it more immersive.

Cross-Platform Play

EA FC 25 supports cross-platform play, allowing players from different consoles and PCs to compete together in online matches.

With these new features, EA FC 25 offers a fresh, exciting experience for both new and returning players.

EA FC 25 on EA Play and Game Pass: How to Access the Game

EA Play and Game Pass Access

EA Play: EA FC 25 will be available on EA Play from launch, with a 10-hour trial for members to try before the full release.
Xbox Game Pass: EA FC 25 will be included for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on both Xbox and PC, offering full access.

Subscription Impact on Cost

Both EA Play and Game Pass allow players to access the game as part of their subscription, reducing the upfront cost. EA Play offers access on console and PC, while Game Pass includes cross-platform play for Ultimate members. These services offer flexibility and a cost-effective way to enjoy EA FC 25.

EA FC 25 Coins: What They Are and How to Use Them

EA FC 25 coins are the in-game currency used primarily in Ultimate Team mode to buy player packs, upgrade teams, and acquire other items. Players can earn coins through match rewards, daily/weekly challenges, and completing Squad Building Challenges (SBCs). Coins can also be purchased through platforms like BuyMMOG, allowing for quicker team progression. To manage them effectively, it’s wise to save for high-value player packs, be strategic with purchases, and use SBCs to get the best return on investment. Understanding how to earn and spend coins will help you build a stronger team faster.

Business

The Importance of Pre-employment Assessments in Hiring

Published

5 days ago

January 29, 2025

Prime Star

Hiring the right candidate for a job is a crucial decision that can significantly impact an organization’s productivity and overall success. While resumes and interviews are traditional methods for evaluating candidates, they often fail to provide a comprehensive understanding of an applicant’s abilities, personality, and potential for success within the company. This is where pre-employment assessments come in, offering a more effective way to assess a candidate’s qualifications and suitability for a role.

Table of Contents

What is a Pre-employment Assessment?

A pre-employment assessment is a test or series of tests administered to candidates before they are hired, designed to evaluate specific skills, cognitive abilities, personality traits, and behavioral tendencies that are important for success in the position. These assessments can be tailored to various job roles and industries, ensuring that the right qualities are measured for the specific needs of the company.

Why Are Pre-employment Assessments Important?

Objective Evaluation: Pre-employment assessments provide an objective, data-driven evaluation of a candidate’s abilities, reducing the influence of unconscious bias during the hiring process. By using standardized tests, hiring managers can make more informed decisions based on facts rather than subjective opinions.
Improve Hiring Accuracy: With the help of pre-employment assessments, companies can make more accurate predictions about a candidate’s success in a particular role. These assessments give insights into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, communication skills, technical expertise, and cultural fit. This level of insight is difficult to gain from an interview alone.
Increase Efficiency in the Hiring Process: Pre-employment assessments streamline the hiring process by helping companies narrow down the pool of applicants. Instead of spending time and resources on unqualified candidates, hiring managers can focus on those who have demonstrated the necessary skills and competencies through the assessment.
Enhanced Candidate Experience: Pre-employment assessments can also improve the candidate experience by providing a clear and transparent evaluation process. Candidates appreciate when they are assessed fairly based on their qualifications rather than relying on gut feelings or subjective judgments.
Reduction in Employee Turnover: By accurately assessing whether a candidate is the right fit for the role and the organization, companies can reduce the risk of hiring individuals who may not align with the company’s values or performance expectations. This, in turn, leads to lower employee turnover, as employees who are well-suited for the job are more likely to stay long-term.

Types of Pre-employment Assessments

There are several types of pre-employment assessments that companies may use, depending on the position and the skills required. Some of the most common types include:

Cognitive Ability Tests: These tests measure a candidate’s problem-solving, logical reasoning, and critical thinking skills. They are particularly useful for roles that require analytical thinking and decision-making.
Personality Assessments: These tests evaluate an individual’s personality traits, such as their level of extroversion, agreeableness, or emotional stability. Personality assessments are valuable in determining if a candidate’s behavioral tendencies will align with the company culture.
Skills Assessments: These assessments measure a candidate’s proficiency in specific skills required for the job, such as coding for technical roles or writing for communications positions.
Behavioral Assessments: These assessments focus on understanding how candidates are likely to behave in different work scenarios, providing insight into how they might approach challenges or interact with colleagues.

How to Use Pre-employment Assessments Effectively

To maximize the benefits of pre-employment assessments, it is essential to use them strategically:

Tailor Assessments to the Role: Select or design assessments that align with the specific skills and traits required for the job. For example, a sales position might benefit from a personality assessment to evaluate persuasive abilities, while a software developer role would require technical skills testing.
Use a Combination of Assessments: Using a mix of cognitive, personality, and skills assessments can provide a well-rounded view of a candidate’s qualifications. This approach helps avoid overreliance on any single type of test.
Communicate the Purpose to Candidates: Be transparent about why assessments are being used and how they will benefit the hiring process. This will help candidates approach the assessments with a clearer understanding of their importance.
Integrate Assessments with Other Hiring Tools: Combine pre-employment assessments with interviews, reference checks, and background screenings to build a comprehensive view of the candidate’s qualifications.

Conclusion

Pre-employment assessments have become a valuable tool in modern hiring practices. They help employers make more informed, unbiased decisions, improve the efficiency of the hiring process, and ultimately lead to better employee retention and performance. If you’re looking to enhance your recruitment strategy, consider implementing pre-employment assessments to ensure you’re hiring the best candidates for your organization’s needs.

Business

Why Magento Is the Perfect eCommerce Platform in 2025

Published

2 weeks ago

January 20, 2025

Admin

It’s hard to believe that Magento, the popular eCommerce platform, is closing in on its twentieth anniversary. In tech terms, that makes it an elder statesman of Silicon Valley. But despite the program’s longevity, it remains not just one of the most widely used but also one of the most nimble and adaptable eCommerce platforms on the market. In fact, Magento is the perfect eCommerce platform for 2025.

Magento was founded in 2007 and went on the market in 2008. Over the last 17 years, Magento has grown into a powerhouse platform, commanding a market share of more than 2% of all global eCommerce sites. More than 150,000 stores run on Magento’s platform.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the reasons you should consider Magento for your project and the reasons why Magento is best-suited to meet the needs of today’s eCommerce.

Table of Contents

Flexible and Customizable

First and foremost, Magento’s open-source nature makes it one of the most flexible and customizable eCommerce platforms. This means that when you use Magento, you are in complete control of your online store. Nearly every part of the platform can be customized, allowing you to develop eCommerce solutions that are optimized for your business and its unique needs. Additionally, you can add to the performance of Magento with third-party add-ons and extensions that give you additional flexibility to transform Magento into your exact vision of the ideal eCommerce platform. Magento supports a large marketplace of third-party extensions, add-ons, and themes, giving you a nearly unlimited range of options.

Scalability

Magento really shines when it comes to scalability, meaning that it’s the perfect platform to grow along with your business. Many businesses select an eCommerce platform that is right for the size of the company they are today but don’t always consider what their needs might be tomorrow or the next day. If your company is growing—and we all want our businesses to grow—it only makes sense to choose a platform that can expand seamlessly. And if you move into international markets, Magento’s multi-store functionality can allow you to manage stores in multiple countries, languages, and currencies from a single administrative panel.

Robust Security

Cybersecurity is at the top of mind for any eCommerce site, especially with the growing threats of hacking, phishing, and spoofing. Customers want to feel secure that the data they provide to your store is safe and that their orders are private. Magento’s robust security features can help you to provide your customers with both security and peace of mind. Magento receives regular security patches and updates to guard against the latest threats. This will help to keep your store safe whenever a new cyber threat rears its head. Additionally, Magento provides tools to help businesses achieve PCI-DSS compliance for secure payments, so your customers can purchase with confidence and know their financial details will be safe.

Integrated SEO and Marketing Tools

Magento features an array of integrated tools to help you market your store to potential customers, whether you are working with Magento on your own or have a developer you hired from a Magento agency. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains the gold standard for online marketing, despite the decline in search engine use, and Magento can help you to manage your SEO strategies easily with customizable URLs, meta tags, sitemaps, and the ability to create SEO-friendly product pages. When you make use of these tools, you can boost your site’s search engine rankings, helping to drive traffic to your eCommerce store. Beyond this, Magneto’s integrated tools allow you to run promotions and discounts easily, so you can attract customers. Magento also makes it easy to create dynamic content personalization so you can tailor your site experience to your customers’ needs and their shopping histories.

Mobile Optimization

When we talk about SEO, you’re probably thinking about viewing your site on a laptop or desktop device. But we all know that this isn’t how most people shop online anymore. According to recent statistics, between 2018 and 2023, the share of eCommerce conducted on a mobile device rose from 43% in 2018 to more than half of all eCommerce in 2023 and is expected to account for nearly two-thirds of all eCommerce by 2028. Magento helps you to stay ahead of this growing segment of the eCommerce market with mobile optimization and responsive design, allowing your users to have a seamless experience whether they are shopping with you on a laptop, a tablet, or a phone.