SEO consulting on Upwork

I started off on Upwork as an SEO consultant and writer. I mostly get jobs there for SEO writing. Believe it or not, that is in high demand. I am actually thinking I will start hiring SEO writers on Upwork instead of being the SEO writer. I have tried to train people on this, but people that work on Upwork already have strong SEO skills. From what I can tell, it's one of the best sources for freelance SEO work.

Now that my business is starting to grow, I am getting people contacting me for proposals. I don't even have to pitch that often anymore. If you get enough 5-star reviews, people will start reaching out to you. I really like Upwork for a source, but every time I get a new client it's stressful. I don't know what they expect. My business is still new and I am working on improving my systems.

But the biggest stress for me is the Zoom calls! Yes, even on Upwork they like Zoom. You can actually Zoom directly through Upwork. You don't even have to send an invite. Just go to your messages and click on the phone.

Today I have a phone call for an SEO contract. I am kind of excited, but also extremely nervous. I hate phone calls. I currently do Albuquerque SEO and Santa Fe SEO, mostly local SEO. But, I am also good at organic search so I have been getting contracts to do the on-page and off-page SEO for some bigger companies. Bleh. It's exciting but also stresses me out.

I started out on Upwork taking $20 writing projects and now I am starting to get bigger projects. So, not only am I running my own Albuquerque SEO company, I am doing side projects all over.

Coming up with 1000 words to say about what?

If you are an SEO writer, maybe you've experienced this. I was just joking with a friend about this. When you write SEO content, whether it's Upwork or somewhere else, you inevitably end up writing some really stupid stuff. Like I am waiting for my blog post titled "How to write a stupid blog post in 10 easy steps".

Like seriously there are how to's about just about everything. How to use toilet paper the right way? Come on now.... What surprises me is that when I do a search there are actually tons of articles on this low-interest topic. I have no idea who is interested in this. Sometimes I wonder if the people interested in this crap are other bloggers googling to write an article about it.

I don't know but today I wrote yet another boring article. I enjoy some of my writing but the mind-numbing topics are a pain in the butt. Like seriously, I could answer a lot of these questions in one word.

Oh well, there's clearly an interest in this. Even if it's just bloggers looking for content to write. I am not sure who actually reads this crap. Not me, and I have been known to google some weird random stupid stuff.

Boring snooze fest today, but guess what I got it done.

Finding Freelance Work on Upwork

I discovered Upwork about a year or so ago. I started off with lots of enthusiasm but then found I was doing a lot of work for very little pay, To be honest with you most of the work I find on Upwork is low pay but I have found a few gigs worth my while.

They have a lot of jobs posted there. I am an Albuquerque (affordable!) web designer, SEO consultant, and freelance writer. On Upwork, I only apply for writing or SEO work. And generally not link building or some of the more challenging SEO jobs. Upwork is my side biz. I don't want to take big projects that will take away from my time to manage my business, but it is a great way to fill in the gaps.

People ask all the time how can I work from home. Upwork is perfect for that. But, you have to have some skills. I have quite a few friends that write, but writing SEO content is very different than writing other types of content. I am pretty experienced at this which is why I get a high percentage of the jobs I pitch.

My tips for finding work on UpWork

Be picky.

If the job description is demanding just skip it. Some of the clients I have are very demanding and only want to pay you $20 for something that takes a few hours to do.

Check for jobs several times a day.

Jobs go fast over there. I rarely pitch web design jobs because they are so competitive. Whoever is the first one to send in a proposal has the best chance of getting picked.

Practice your pitch. I am enthusiastic and have a decent resume. But, one of the reasons I get so many of the gigs I pitch is because I present my selling points. I am an experienced SEO consultant. I have SEO keyword tools I use. I do on-page SEO for other SEO companies. Work on building up your skills so you stand out.

Get good reviews. Even if you're a newbie to Upwork you can get jobs. Sometimes you have to take the low-paying ones to get your reviews up. Do a few entry-level jobs and get some good reviews.

Turn around your projects fast! When you first start working with a client you want to be fast. Once you work with someone for a while they are usually more flexible. Make a good first impression. I always tell my clients it will take a few days but try to get it completed faster.

Don't take jobs that are going to stress you out. When I first started I would take any job I could get. Now I read through the description and if I don't have a good vibe or if I think it's going to be demanding or stressful, I skip it.

Get faster! I freelance write. You have to write a lot of content to make money at this. And as cheap as some of the clients are, they still expect high-quality work. I practice writing every day. It started with a goal of one post a day and now I am trying to write 2 a day. This is one of the reasons I started this blog -- to work on my writing speed.

For this blog, it's my personal baby so not stressful. I can write what I want and go at my own pace.

If you use Upwork, do you have any tips?