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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Online Writer

💰 $40,000 - $85,000

WritingContentMarketingRemoteSEO

🎯 Role Definition

The Online Writer crafts high-quality, search-optimized long-form and short-form content tailored to target audiences and business goals. Working closely with content strategists, SEO specialists, designers, and product teams, the Online Writer owns end-to-end content production from ideation and keyword research through drafting, editing, CMS publishing, and performance measurement. This role demands strong writing and editing skills, familiarity with SEO best practices and content management systems (CMS), and the ability to translate technical or complex topics into clear, user-centric copy that ranks and converts.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Content Intern or Editorial Intern
  • Junior Copywriter or Assistant Content Writer
  • Social Media Coordinator or Marketing Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Online Writer / Content Specialist
  • Content Strategist or SEO Content Manager
  • Content Marketing Manager → Director of Content → Head of Content

Lateral Moves:

  • UX / Product Writer
  • Social Media Manager
  • Email Marketing Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Produce well-researched, original, and SEO-optimized long-form articles, pillar pages, and evergreen content that align with editorial calendars, target keywords, and audience personas while meeting quality and brand voice standards.
  • Conduct detailed keyword research and topic opportunity analysis using tools such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, or Google Keyword Planner to inform content briefs and maximize organic search potential.
  • Write clear, concise meta titles, meta descriptions, headings, and on-page elements that improve click-through rates (CTR) and align with on-page SEO best practices and schema where applicable.
  • Develop content briefs and editorial outlines in collaboration with SEO specialists and subject-matter experts that include target keywords, search intent, internal linking strategy, and recommended content structure.
  • Optimize existing library content through content audits, pruning, merging, and rewriting to improve rankings, reduce content overlap, and increase organic traffic and conversions.
  • Maintain output targets (e.g., weekly or monthly word counts and published pieces) while delivering error-free copy and meeting project deadlines in a fast-paced editorial environment.
  • Craft persuasive, user-focused landing pages, product descriptions, email copy, and calls-to-action (CTAs) that support lead generation, subscription growth, and sales funnels.
  • Edit and proofread content to ensure accuracy, grammar, style consistency (AP, Chicago, or brand style guide), tone, and legal/compliance considerations prior to publication.
  • Format and publish content into CMS platforms (WordPress, Drupal, Contentful) including proper use of headings (H1–H3), alt text, internal links, canonical tags, and image optimization to improve page load and SEO performance.
  • Collaborate with designers, developers, and multimedia producers to produce integrated content that includes images, infographics, video captions, and interactive elements to support engagement and accessibility.
  • Monitor content performance metrics (organic traffic, bounce rate, dwell time, conversions) through Google Analytics, Search Console, and other analytics tools and iterate on copy and structure to improve KPIs.
  • Manage and maintain editorial calendars, coordinate publishing schedules, and work cross-functionally to prioritize content requests and campaigns with business owners and stakeholders.
  • Conduct original research, interviews, and expert outreach when necessary, synthesizing findings into authoritative and trustworthy content that supports E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
  • Implement internal linking strategies and collaborate with outreach/PR teams on content promotion and link-building campaigns to increase domain authority and referral traffic.
  • Localize or adapt content for different channels and audiences, including social media snippets, newsletters, and short-form content while ensuring brand voice consistency across touchpoints.
  • Apply conversion rate optimization (CRO) principles to copy, leveraging A/B testing and user behavior insights to increase subscriptions, downloads, or purchases driven by content.
  • Stay current on search engine algorithm updates, industry trends, and content marketing best practices to proactively adjust content strategy and tactical execution.
  • Produce content that adheres to accessibility standards (WCAG-friendly language, descriptive alt text) and legal/regulatory requirements for specific industries (financial, healthcare, legal).
  • Create and maintain content documentation, templates, and reusable style resources to scale content production and onboard new writers efficiently.
  • Manage freelance or contract writers where applicable: write briefs, review submissions, provide constructive editing feedback, and ensure deliverables meet quality and SEO requirements.
  • Troubleshoot publishing issues and work with engineering/IT teams to resolve CMS or SEO technical problems such as duplicate content, page speed, redirects, and structured data errors.

Secondary Functions

  • Support content strategy by contributing insights from keyword research, audience feedback, and competitive analysis to influence topic prioritization and content formats.
  • Assist with cross-channel content promotion by creating social copy, email subject lines, and excerpts for newsletters to maximize content distribution and user acquisition.
  • Participate in weekly editorial meetings and sprint planning to align content production with product launches, campaigns, and business milestones.
  • Help develop and maintain content performance dashboards and monthly reporting to communicate results and identify optimization opportunities to stakeholders.
  • Provide ad-hoc subject-matter expert support for PR, customer success, and sales teams by creating thought leadership pieces, FAQs, and technical explainers.
  • Contribute to voice and tone evolution, testing variants to improve audience resonance and search performance while safeguarding brand consistency.
  • Train or mentor junior writers on SEO writing techniques, CMS workflows, and editorial standards to scale the writing team's capacity and quality.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • SEO content writing and on-page optimization (meta tags, headers, keyword placement, internal linking).
  • Keyword research and topic clustering using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Google Keyword Planner.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS) proficiency—WordPress, Drupal, Contentful or similar.
  • Familiarity with Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and basic SEO reporting and dashboarding.
  • Strong command of HTML basics (headings, links, image attributes) and ability to work with developers on technical SEO fixes.
  • Experience with keyword intent mapping, content gap analysis, and competitive SERP research.
  • Copywriting for conversion: landing pages, CTAs, and email copy that drives measurable outcomes.
  • Editing and proofreading with knowledge of AP or Chicago style guides and the ability to enforce brand voice and style.
  • Ability to create and optimize images/ALT text and collaborate with designers on visual content.
  • Experience with content marketing tools and workflow platforms (Trello, Asana, Airtable, Notion) for editorial planning.
  • Knowledge of accessibility best practices (WCAG) and experience writing inclusive content.
  • Familiarity with basic analytics A/B testing frameworks and CRO principles to iterate on copy effectiveness.
  • Experience using SEO plugins and tools for CMS (Yoast, Rank Math) and implementing structured data/schema.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain complex topics clearly and persuasively.
  • Strong research skills and curiosity to rapidly learn new industries, technologies, or product features.
  • Attention to detail and commitment to error-free, high-quality publishing under tight deadlines.
  • Time management and project prioritization skills to handle multiple concurrent content requests and deliverables.
  • Collaborative mindset with experience working cross-functionally with SEO, design, product, and marketing teams.
  • Adaptability and continuous learning orientation to keep pace with evolving SEO and content best practices.
  • Critical thinking and editorial judgment to decide when to optimize, prune, or create new content.
  • Feedback receptiveness and mentoring capability to coach junior writers and contributors.
  • Results-driven approach with a focus on KPIs (organic traffic, engagement, conversions) and continuous improvement.
  • Empathy and audience-first mindset to write for user needs, search intent, and accessibility considerations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Communications, Marketing, or equivalent practical experience in professional content production.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Marketing, or a related field with coursework or certificate in SEO/content strategy.
  • Certifications in SEO, content marketing, or analytics (e.g., Google Analytics Individual Qualification, SEMrush Academy).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Journalism
  • English / Creative Writing
  • Communications / Media Studies
  • Marketing / Digital Marketing
  • Technical Writing / UX Writing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years for mid-level Online Writer roles; 3–7+ years for senior positions with ownership of content strategy and mentoring responsibilities.

Preferred:

  • 2+ years of professional SEO-driven content writing experience for digital publishers, SaaS, e-commerce, or agency environments.
  • Proven portfolio of published long-form and short-form content that demonstrates organic traffic growth, improved search rankings, or measurable business impact.
  • Prior experience collaborating with cross-functional product, design, and SEO teams and managing editorial calendars or freelance contributors.
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