Do you like to write? And if you were told that you could make money by writing. Not bad is not it ? Discover the profession of web editor that will allow you to practice a job at home, on the internet, without long training, and especially without large initial investment. A simple computer, a word processor, an internet connection, and you are ready to pocket your first euros.
What is the job of web editor?
The job of web editor is to write content for the internet. Content that will appeal to your client's audience as well as Google to improve your SEO. The missions of the web editor are as follows:
- write a blog post, a sponsored article ...
- write a sales page
- create content for the pages of a website (home page, about ...)
- design the text of a product sheet
- create social network posts
- optimize texts for SEO
- design a newsletter
- write tests and reviews on various products
- do storytelling to tell the story of a company (you know, like the story of Steve Jobs in his garage)
- write an ebook that will serve as a product of appeal to collect emails
- publish comments, testimonials and customer reviews (yes, reviews on the internet are often a bit phony and written by web editors ...!)
Its role is to document, group ideas, find a different and relevant angle and then write according to the constraints imposed by the client. He will have to write in order to incite the click, to know how to catch the attention of the Net surfer and to retain his audience. He will find a catchy title or an introductory hat that will suit the target perfectly.
The worst enemy of the web editor is copy and paste. Indeed, by taking such a shortcut to write faster, it exposes his client to a heavy penalty from Google, which will recognize duplicate content and no longer index the site. So do not let yourself go easy and continue writing in a natural way to the delight of your readers.
What are the qualities of the web editor?
Know how to write
Obviously, you have to know how to write and without spelling mistakes! Stay alert to turn phrases, grammatical errors, bad chords. Make simple and powerful sentences instead of getting lost in complicated metaphors. We are talking here about web writing and not literature. It will be necessary to privilege short and striking sentences and ventilated paragraphs for a better legibility. Indeed, we must not forget that the majority of Internet users now consult sites from their smartphone. Ideally, the sentences should be about 20 words long. So finished the lyric flights!
To be curious
But beyond that, being a web editor requires a great deal of curiosity to tackle subjects as varied as gardening, decoration, human resources, tourism or fashion. It takes an open mind and great flexibility to adapt to several themes in a single day.
It is possible to specialize in a thematic (finance, legal, medical ...) if you are an expert in a field. You will be able to price your articles much more expensive and you will lose less time in searches.
Find the right words
You will have to find the right words to fit your target. You must understand the problem of your audience and find the words that will reassure and inspire confidence. Web writing should be fluid and easy to read, to fit the level of language of each.
Write quickly
It is necessary to be productive not to spend 6 hours to write an article of 500 words. Otherwise, you would not really be profitable. Remember that you get paid by the word ... Deadlines are often tight, so you'll have to be efficient.
Good analytical ability
After having long researched on the subject, the web editor will have to synthesize all his readings, with the help of his general knowledge, to write a relevant article and especially not to rehash existing sites.
In order to be better referenced, Google appreciates new texts, different points of view, so that your articles bring a real added value to the user.
Master the web
When writing for the web, you need a good knowledge of how it works and the behavior of users. You have to understand what the user is looking for in order to turn him into a customer.
The mastery of web marketing will save you time and make quality articles that customers will appreciate.
It will also be useful to master the basics of HTML as well as CMS such as WordPress or Prestashop if you have to publish articles on the net yourself.
Be passionate about writing
And above all, you have to be passionate about writing, because writing and searching for information can seem like a real chore when it becomes your daily life.
The documentation part is very heavy, because often the subject is more or less unknown to you. Examples: new trends for your bathroom, what type of barbecue to choose, the side effects of tobacco, which destination to choose for a holiday in the sun in February ... The topics are as varied as there are websites. It takes a lot of resources and does not have a failure of inspiration to deal with such many and different subjects.
Do not have an ego
This point seems minimal, but it is the basis of the profession. In many cases, the web editor does not write in his own name. He writes for a site and sells his copyright at the same time. He must therefore make a perfect job by not signing it with his name. The web editor writes for others. However, you can find sites that collaborate with you in the long term and that mention you as part of the team. But these cases are rather rare.
The best sites to find your first customers
Many sites and platforms allow you to offer your services to write articles on a wide variety of topics.
These platforms or jobbing sites all have roughly the same operation. They centralize ads from customers and managers of websites looking for web editors. You register at home to access the ads. For some, you will have to pass an evaluation test.
The platform collects the funds and gives you your income, with a commission that varies from one to three depending on the sites. The platform has the advantage of securing payment, thus avoiding bad payers or latecomers. These platforms have many customers and can provide you with a satisfactory income if you multiply orders.
Other equally effective solutions
In addition to writing platforms, you can also offer your services directly to clients. You will have to build your image, have a site, a blog or a portfolio to present your work. Sign up on social media as a writer to apply to companies.
It will be necessary to find you to stand out, because the competition is strong in this field. Always deliver quality content, even on topics as simple as a lawn mower. Stay professional while respecting deadlines.
You will be able to propose to your customers a whole range of services: to write his texts during the creation of his Internet site, to design his weekly newsletters, to feed his blog, to animate his community on the social networks, and even to write his scripts for a webinar. In short, all this, I already said at the beginning of the article.
Once in the breach, you will see the range of possibilities expand as you progress. You will become a true consultant for companies and webmasters who do not have the time or the talent to handle the editorial aspect.
What is the salary of a web editor?
It's pretty hard to give a flat rate for an item. Many criteria define the cost of an article. The calculation is the number of words, the quality required and the complexity of the subject.
Customers will often ask you for pricing for a 500-word article (the most classic), 1,000 words or 2,000 words for feature articles or buying guides, and maybe even 5,000 to 20 ebooks. 000 words, depending on the purpose.
The remuneration will depend on your experience and your level as well. In the beginning, you will earn a little per item (around 1 cent the word ... yes, you read correctly), and the web editorial will only be a supplement of income. But by professionalising your profile, and with experience, you will come to have a real salary, just by writing.
Training and knowledge to become a web editor
We do not write for the web as we write a novel. Web writing remains a marketing technique above all, which aims to seduce visitors, turn them into customers and make your text Google-friendly. You will have to learn the specificities of web writing, constraints and SEO (SEO). Training is available on the net to update and develop these skills.
To really earn money as a web editor, you have to master the use of keywords, tags, metadata, long tail, internal mesh ... These words that seem barbaric will quickly become very familiar and will serve support for your texts. Tools are developed to help you refine your SEO. This is the case of Yoast SEO who will analyze the structure of your article as well as its weak points.
What status to be a web editor?
The web editor can be salaried or freelance. You can work from home with the status of auto-entrepreneur. Easy to set up, it will allow you to bill your items and your customers legally. Web writers do not have a lot of expenses and almost no investment to make. This status of auto-entrepreneur is therefore the most appropriate for this profession.
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