Picking from a list of SEO content writers is a lot like hiring an employee. And with the growing use of SEO content writers, it might just be that you ARE hiring an employee.

As such, there are a number of questions you should ask to get a feel for the content writer’s ability and style as well as for their personality to see if your interaction with them on a regular basis will likely be positive rather than negative.

1. “How long have you been and SEO content writer?” This questions shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. There are very competent content writers out there who have been doing SEo work for just over a year. SEO is something that can be learned quickly given the right tools.

2. “Do you write content for anybody that I might compete with?” A very important question. Nothing says ‘conflict of interest’ like having the same content writer create copy for you and someone you compete with. And these days, your competition could be on another continent. The best solution to this is to ask your prospective writer for the most complete client list he or she can provide. There are cases when clients will ask that a writer not disclose their identity, but usually a light will go off that tells the writer there may be a conflict.

3. “Can you provide samples of your SEO content writing work?”This shoud be a no-brainer, but even I have had people contract with me simply based on my knowledge of SEO and not my samples. I send the samples anyway, and clients appreciate that, but quite often, people will hire someone (doesn’t have to be a writer) based on perceived knowledge.

4. “Can you provide samples of your print work?” This is partially a trick question. If your SEO content writer has never written a print ad, brochure, traditional press release or other non-web marketing material, it may be wise to continue your search for a writer. Web and print are often intertwined int he marketing mix, carrying similar messages and tone. If you’re writer isn’t comfortable, or doesn’t have experience in writing for print and web, you might not get the best work for your money.

5. “Are you comfortable writing content with key phrases that might not be grammatically correct or that sound awkward?” Google doesn’t stop those with poor grammar from searching online. So it stands to reason that some people might use a little “less than English” when they search. Conversely, going outside the bounds of good grammar is also a way to compete in the SEM world. Some phrases are used enough to be competitive…so your SEO content writer should be willing and able to step outside the AP Style Guide as necessary to give you conetnt that will compete.

Obviously, you should have more than five questions for a prospective content writer, but asking these five will give you a good insight into their ability to write good SEO content. There are enough good SEO content writers to go around, so whether you live in Raleigh, NC or Dubai, UAE, there’s a content writer who fits your needs.

In a future post, we’ll look at some of the interpersonal elements that make up a good SEO content writer.

Jason Pedley is a professional SEO content writer based near Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact Jason Pedley today - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.