Hello, fellow content peeps!

There is still a lot of turmoil in the SEO/content world right now. We’ll get into that, but I’ve also got some tips for freelancers here this week.

But first, a word from our sponsor.

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Google Updates: The Harsh Truth. There are NO Recoveries from the Helpful Content Update

It’s been six months since Google rolled out the Helpful Content Update, which demoted many smaller indie publishers and content websites in the SERPs.

Many of these site owners and publishers have been improving their sites in the past six months.

I know many site owners who have been doing all the things that Google and other industry SEO leaders recommend:

• Removing unhelpful content

• Improving UX and offering a better user experience for the reader

• Updating content

• Making sure all the EEAT recommendations are followed

Just to name a few things.

For six months, we’ve waited for another core update to correct the wrongs. If our sites didn’t see some turnarounds, surely someone, anyone, would have done ‘all the things’ and figured out a way to recover a site.

Nope. ZERO recoveries.

Well, my friends. I really don’t want to be the one still talking about this.

I’m tired of Google having such a chokehold on our industry.

In the past decade that I’ve been working in SEO and content, I’ve never seen anything like this.

What message does Google want to send to publishers if there is ZERO chance that their site will recover?

I really wish this wasn’t the reality of what we’re dealing with as publishers right now.

I know that there are entire sectors of our industry that are not feeling this pain right now, namely:

• Ecommerce sites

• Big brands

• SaaS sites

• Services

So yes. If you have a legit business in front of your content and are a big brand or legacy publisher (Sports Illustrated, Forbes), you play by a different set of rules.

I know. I know.

We’re still officially in this update. Things may change. But, I’m not holding my breath.

I’ve seen too much.

Time to Act: What are publishers doing now?

A few notable industry leaders in the blogging and publishing sphere have joined forces to create a collective non-profit association, the Web Publishers Association, to hopefully inspire change.

They are looking for members and maybe this might be the move forward the industry needs. There are great resources available for all those who join as well.

Tony Hill shares his thoughts on this here:

I love the indie media community so much. Many of us have spent years honing our craft, and we care a lot about our content and audiences.

There have been a ton of shifts in publishing over the years, but I still believe in the little guy.

Let’s pivot a bit for now, shall we?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the unsung heroes in our industry—the freelancers. I know many of you reading this newsletter are freelancers, and it’s time to show you some love, right?

Some Freelance Pitfalls to Avoid (Hiring or Looking for New Opportunities)

I absolutely love the freelance life.

I’ve hired a ton of amazing freelancers over the years.

Now, with the job market in flux and our industry experiencing major shifts (AI, macro economy), many are turning to the wild world of freelance work to either take on side work or hire amazing part-time talent.

And that is fantastic!

But not all freelance opportunities are created equally, and I want to share a couple of pitfalls to avoid that I’ve been seeing recently:

Companies hire full-time ‘freelance’ writers to avoid the W-2 classifications.

There have been a ton of freelance job postings floating around these days that really should be W-2 employees.

Why does this matter?

Misclassification hurts freelancers and can have real consequences for companies as well.

It is a slippery slope for a freelancer to commit to a ‘full-time’ role, without the flexibility that contractors should command.

Contractors should be able to work with other clients, control their own schedules and working environment, and they are responsible for paying their taxes.

If you are new to freelancing or just hiring freelancers, it’s good to understand these classifications. There are also different rules for hiring contractors in different countries to be aware of.

People advertising for freelance jobs that do not exist!

I’ve seen this a lot recently in my LinkedIn feed: Someone announces that they are hiring. The post says, ‘DM me’ or leave a comment if you know of someone great.

Only, the person who posted it cannot be reached.

It’s just another case of people using the popular ‘we’re hiring’ posts on LinkedIn to increase engagement and followers. Because they all follow the same script, you can usually spot these fairly quickly.

It’s infuriating for freelancers and it gives those of us who are actually hiring writers pause when posting our opportunities publicly.

These are just a couple of pitfalls to avoid in freelancing these days, but let’s talk about where some of the opportunities are in freelancing now!

The Best Places to Find New Freelance Opportunities

I originally posted this advice in an internal writers' newsletter for our writers, but I thought it would be good to reshare this here with some additional resources!

If you are looking for some additional freelance opportunities, here are some great places to expand your search:

1. LinkedIn Jobs

We love posting new writing jobs on LinkedIn and have found some really quality candidates here. Use LinkedIn to your advantage by setting up some industry and job search term alerts so you get the jobs in your feed as soon as they are posted.

Pro tip: Ignore the number of candidates reported by LinkedIn as well. This number just reflects the number of people who clicked the job, not who applied.

Even if there are hundreds of applications, if the job is a good fit for your skills, apply! We've received hundreds of applications for writing roles, but quickly narrow that down to less than 5% of qualified candidates who actually fill out the application form.

I also included a tip on how to find hidden job opportunities on LinkedIn in a past newsletter. Check that out here!

2. Superpath Job Board / Slack Group

I love what the Superpath team is doing to help content creators! The job board is quickly becoming an industry go-to for companies that want to hire exceptional writers and editors. The Slack group is an active community where you can connect with other writers and editors as well.

Pro tip: Writers who apply through Superpath tend to be more professional copywriters and often apply at higher than industry rates. You'll be competing with more generalists there, so lean in with your niche and demonstrate quality writing abilities to stand out.

You can check out the Superpath job board here: https://jobs.superpath.co/

3. Industry-Specific Slack Groups

While not every niche has a dedicated Slack group, many do. You can do a quick Google search to find these groups. I happen to love the Women in Tech SEO Slack group, which has an active freelancer community. Members often post new roles and opportunities here first before publicly sharing.

4. X, Formerly Known as Twitter

There is a strong community of freelancers on Twitter to connect with. People often reach out to their Twitter followers with new opportunities first before posting a job. I have seen jobs for all kinds of writers, editors, and video editors posted on Twitter. If you haven't been there in a while, maybe it's time that you come back.

Pro tip: Google loves Twitter and will display your Twitter account in the SERPs when you search for your name. Update your Twitter info and tell the world who you are, and what you love to write about, and recruiters might reach out to you. I've done that to find writers!

5. Binders Groups on Facebook

Did you know that there are many dedicated Facebook groups to help women and non-gender-conforming writers and editors who want to find more opportunities? There are Binders Facebook groups for entry-level writers and editors, and many of them have rules for posting new jobs that include minimum rates. Many of them aggregate job postings from around the web, saving you time on your search!

If you are hiring writers, you can also post in many of these groups as well.

You can do a Facebook group search to find more, but here are some examples:

Binders full of Entry Level Content Writers & Jobs

Binders full of Finance and Investment Writers

There are also Facebook groups dedicated to writers as well:

Writers Helping Writers

7. Email Newsletters

We get a lot of applications lately from aggregated newsletters that scour the web for writing roles and then share it in a newsletter. One of the more popular ones is from Kaitlyn Arford, who shares over 100 job opportunities each week.

You can sign up for her newsletter and get some helpful freelance writing resources. Two of my personal faves:

Freelance Opportunities: Kaitlyn Arford has been helping brave freelancers for a few years now and curates one of the best job posting newsletters out there!

Freelance Framework: Chris does a great job aggregating and finding new freelance roles. He shares all types of roles as well.

8. Remote Job Boards

As remote work grows in popularity, so do the remote job boards. If you are looking for some new freelance opportunities, try the remote job boards.

Here are some to try:

remote.co -- They have a section for remote writing jobs here.

flexjobs.com -- There are currently over 5000 writing jobs posted here.

weworkremotely.com -- There are not as many writing roles here, but there are some content roles. Worth a look!

Freelance Writing Job Board — This is a job board dedicated to freelance writing roles, worth checking out.

Bonus tip: Bonnie Dibler has some amazing resources on her Stan Store, with a list of her fave remote job boards as well. Check it out here!

9. Other Freelancers

Another way to find new writing opportunities is to connect with your fellow freelancers. We hire a ton of writers from referrals. Connect with other writers and ask if they have any clients who are hiring.

Subject matter experts tend to stick together, so make sure you build a great network of people in your niche as well. Most new freelance opportunities never make it to the job board because they find an internal candidate or referral candidate.

I hope these tips are helpful for you. If you are looking to hire some freelance talent right now, know that there is a lot of talent out there!

🤔 Content Musings of the Week

❤️ Caring about your craft matters. It's what gives you the edge when the chips are down. Keep caring.

💁It's okay to say, " I don't know." Most of us are just figuring things out as we go.

Things to Read, Watch, and Ponder

▶️ What differentiates one SEO from another? Soft skills. That’s what Eli Schwartz discusses in this piece on The Mindset Shift that Unlocks SEO Success — it’s a great read!

▶️ There is always something new to learn in SEO. Check out what we missed at the Women in Tech SEO Fest in this article here.

▶️ The media landscape is not all doom and gloom these days. There are a handful of digital media startups that are finding success. Check out this NY Times article to find out more!

▶️ Having issues with Google Search Console? It’s not just you. The super smart Gianna Brachetti-Truskawa, Product Manager, breaks down some of the most frustrating parts of using Google Search Console in this in-depth guide. Read it here! 

Thank you for joining me here again this week.

Cheers! Amy

Some Bonus Newsletters You’ll Love

If you want to get into the weeds on these topics, here are some newsletters that I read regularly that I think you’ll enjoy: