Forbes Magazine called Heather Lloyd-Martin “the pioneer of SEO copywriting.” Over 24 years ago, Heather was the first person to discuss SEO writing best practices -- long before Google was everyone’s favorite search engine. Today, she continues to stay on the SEO leading edge, helping marketers understand Google’s latest updates and create standout content.
Heather has consulted with and trained leading brands across various industries, including publishing, travel, SaaS, search engines, and education. Her specialty is breaking complex information into bite-sized chunks, helping marketing teams learn to love (and master) SEO content writing and strategy.
Heather lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two cranky cats. She loves working out, hopping on planes, rafting the Colorado River, and Starbucks almond-milk lattes.
I had to fire a freelance writer today. When it comes to giving someone the ax, I am a far cry from Donald Trump. Did I get pleasure from the experience? Heck no. Did I lose sleep over the decision? Sure. Did it need to be done? Yes. Fortunately, I’ve (finally) learned when to fire […]
Remember when I provided some SEO copywriting tips in Haiku? Well, I thought it would be fun to give freelance writers some advice – but do things a little differently. The result? Here are 14 life, business-building and marketing tips for freelance writers – all in Haiku. Enjoy! Don’t you think it’s time To build a […]
It’s time to call your dream prospect and sell her on your freelance copywriting services. What do you do first? Breathe, relax and pull out your notes. Last week’s blog post outlined how to prepare for a prospect call. Today, it’s time to pull out your notes, get on the phone and close the deal. Nervous? These […]
What can be the scariest part of a freelance copywriter’s job? Picking up the phone and talking to a prospect for the very first time. Writing web copy? Piece of cake. Sending an email? Easy peasy. Calling a lead to make sure they’re a good client for you? Ouch. Email seems so much easier. Phone […]
Yesterday, during what seemed to be my 100th pushup, my trainer said something interesting… “I know you’re beat. You don’t want to do this. It’s time to find the fun and keep going.” My first reaction was something like &##$&#. But then I saw her point – and realized the application “find the fun” has […]
Does your stomach tighten up when someone asks, “What are your copywriting rates?” The initial “money talk” can be hard for some freelance copywriters (both experienced and newbies.) I’ve seen copywriters go from confidently talking about their successes to saying something like, “I charge $150 per page – is that OK with you?” Argh. I’ve […]
Earlier this month, I was honored to speak at SMX West. I was originally going to chat about how content strategies have changed over the last year. Then, Chris Sherman (one of the conference organizers) said, “I really like your Tweets and how your firm repurposes content. Can you talk about that?” Sure thing! My […]
When’s the last time you broke free from your comfort level and forced yourself to grow? When I originally wrote this post (wow, way back in 2008,) I was thinking about how people tend to settle into their copywriting careers and get (too) comfortable. They stay in a job they don’t really like, but they […]
I’ve been talking about how to write a meta description and the “Google snippet trick” for a long time. In fact, this blog post originally ran in 2008… …And now it’s time to update it. A couple weeks ago, Bill Slawski posted about a patent Google was granted in March 2012. His article, How Google […]
When I say that I’m OK, they look at me kind of strange… Surely you’re not happy now, you no longer play the game – John Lennon, Watching The Wheels I recently watched a television show about John Lennon’s career trajectory. For years, he lived the hard partying, rock-and-roll lifestyle. Then, after a life-changing trip, […]
I’ve been teaching writers for over 20 years. Want to learn my secrets?