Interview with SEO Copywriting Certification Grad, Tess C. Taylor

Share with us a bit about your background. How did you come to be a freelance copywriter?

How I began my career as a web copywriter is a bit of a winding road.

After working as a human resource professional in the corporate sector for 14 years, I started getting restless and decided to start writing again – a love I had as a young person. The very first works I created were articles about the job market, which was a hot topic on the minds of many people during the first wave of the nation’s recession in 2006.

The manufacturing industry I happened to be in at the time was hit hard by rising gas prices. Just before Thanksgiving, the owners of the company handed me a list of names of people they had randomly chosen to let go – people I had grown to know well and whom had few marketable skills.

At that point, my heart sank and I decided to resign immediately after the holidays so these good folks could at least stay on for a few more months using my remaining salary.

I had begun my journey as a freelance writer, founding Taylor Resources Writing early in 2007.

Describe your freelance copywriting career, prior to earning your Certification in SEO Copywriting.

My very first real copywriting gig was working for FlexJobs.com, a well-known career website focused on telecommuting initiatives. This gave me the opportunity to not only help others find great work-at-home jobs, but to also share insight into various HR concepts and give advice to those hopefully searching for meaningful work.

This assignment lasted 18 months, during which time I learned a lot about writing in different formats and earned a good many private clients – including web content development projects. Over the next few years, I had the privilege of working with some of the best online marketers and web developers around the globe, all from the comfort of my tiny home office.

I was eventually published on multiple career and business websites, including US News Careers and The Chamber of Commerce.

What I did not realize until later on that was a pivotal factor in my success, was that I focused on my niche and established myself as a content expert in HR early on. This later led to my current assignment as a content writer for a prominent HR and benefits software developer, a role that has further launched me as a copywriting professional.

What sparked your interest in SEO Copywriting?

What attracted me to SEO copywriting in the first place was the chance to share knowledge on a much grander scale directly to the people who need it the most. So much about human resources is a mystery and often looked at with disdain, so I wanted to dispel myths and give people the power to understand what HR is really about. SEO copywriting is a great medium for this.

The second reason I was drawn to SEO copywriting as a career is because it allows for a lot of creative freedom, whilst working with other web and technology professionals.

The one thing I discovered along the way is that many web developers want and need the input of a competent content professional so that the work produced is higher quality. It is important to find others who understand this and never compromise on putting out the best quality websites, as the end result bears a reflection on you as well.

What SEO projects are you working on now?

Currently, I am working on several copy writing projects simultaneously, but all that include some element of writing in the HR vein.

I manage multiple blogs and write weekly on various human resource, finance and business topics. This keeps me up-to-date and on top of trends in this industry, something that is critical to being successful as a copywriter.

One of my bigger projects includes updating a massive library of HR topics for a corporate benefits portal that will become a resource for thousands of HR administrators and employees alike when the roll-out happens later this spring. It has been a challenging, yet very rewarding project so far – I cannot wait to see how it turns out!

What are your impressions of the SEO Copywriting Certification training program?

When I learned about the SEO Copywriting Certificate program, I was so excited to see that there was a way to finally earn a recognizable and respected credential in this market. So much about the SEO Copywriting course looked great, because I knew Heather Lloyd-Martin had put a lot of work into making it the best SEO copywriting course out there and because other leading copywriters have taken the course.

Combining my own experience in copywriting with the information found in the SEO Copywriting course seemed like the next best step in my career as a web copywriter.

While the SEO Copywriting course validated much of the informal training I had received from working with several web developers over the years, I was very impressed with the full range of knowledge that this course included. From the in-depth SWOT analysis and keyword research tools, to the Meta data and SEO editing sections, I learned so much more than I ever expected to. The convenience of being able to take the course around my already hectic schedule was an added bonus.

Any words for those who are interested in the SEO Copywriting Certification program?

If anyone reading this is wondering if the SEO Copywriting Certificate course is worth the investment, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth and so much more from taking Heather’s course.

The support and feeling of community from the online forum and monthly teleconferences, along with detailed lessons and information, can help anyone to become a better web copywriter. I personally recommend SEO Copywriting to anyone struggling in any area of web copywriting or to anyone who wants to take their career to the next level.

Tess C. Taylor, owner of Taylor Resources Writing, is an SEO web copywriter and HR expert living in Charleston, South Carolina. She has been published on multiple career and business websites including The Chamber of Commerce, Dale Carnegie, and US News Careers. When she’s not writing, Tess takes time to experience the world with her husband Eugean through photography, painting and music. You are welcome to follow Tess on her blog or over at Facebook.