Maybe you’re dipping your toes into the freelance writing world, or you’re a year in and still trying to figure it out. Either way, I bet the big question is…”What do I need to get started?”
There are so many options when it comes to tools and resources for your business. I know I’ve felt overwhelmed doing the research…
What are the “best” writing tools, the right software for SEO research, and just how much should you spend on any of it?
I’ve had lots and lots of questions for my friend, Google.
So here’s the deal. Most of what I use today is FREE, but slowly, over time (and with more clients), I’ve invested in paid plans for some.
You’ve got to decide what’s best for your freelance business. And honestly, I think it’s about experimenting, learning, and even giving yourself the chance to change your mind when you want to go a different route.
Table of Contents:
What does a freelance writer need?
The good news is that starting out as a freelance writer, you need very little. You mostly just need a laptop, access to Google Docs or Word, and email.
Securing clients is often the trickiest part. It was pretty big when I secured my first two clients on LinkedIn in two months. Before that, I had just been writing and building my portfolio on Medium.com
Several writing tools and freelance resources have made it easier for me to build the business I have today and actually make money freelance writing.
Writing Tools
When I started my freelance writing business, I specifically focused on marketing myself as a SEO freelance writer. I enjoyed talking about parenting, health, and lifestyle topics, but I didn’t necessarily call out that niche right away. Instead, I focused on differentiating myself by expertise – SEO.
With that being said, a few tools were essential.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a grammar checker. It is one of several editing tools you can choose from. I pay for it, and it costs about $12/month. It’s absolutely worth it! They even give you email reports on your overall tone and the number of words you type per week. Most of the freelance and content writers I know use Grammarly.
Note-taking app
I’m an Android user, so I’m sure those with iPhones have some different recos.
But I use the Keep Notes app. I find myself going into my notes app while waiting in the carline at my kid’s school or pausing on a run. It’s great when an idea hits me, and I want to jot it down on my phone so I don’t forget.
Lately, I’ve also been trying to do more in Google Docs just to keep everything a little more organized for longer-term review.
Surfer SEO
If you’re a freelance writer and want to focus on writing tools that help you with SEO, Surfer SEO is great for helping you write a blog post optimized with keywords. I subscribed when they had a holiday deal, and it’s around $30/month.
Once I have the long-tail keyword(s) I want to write about, I enter it into their content editor, and they show me a list of related keywords to consider. The content score at the top clearly shows your score as you write, and your goal is to get into the green.
It’s so easy to use, and I’m very happy with it. If you’re looking for a free option through them, they do have a free chrome extension worth downloading to help with keyword research.
Semrush (or Ahref’s)
I primarily use Semrush, although I wouldn’t oppose Ahref’s.
Both are all-in-one SEO research tools that help your websites perform better online. Usually, you can even do a 7-day free trial. I’ve mostly used Semrush because clients have had paid plans I can utilize. Both are pretty pricey.
But what I like about Semrush is that you can dive deep into keyword research and have great visibility into higher-volume, lower-competition keywords focused on the correct intent of your content strategy.
And it doesn’t stop there.
You can enter competitor names and see how they are performing on keywords you may not have considered (that you should) and what their backlink health looks like.
These tools are solid for SEO research and help inform how you approach your content pillars and what you should be writing about online to align with your audience.
Yep…just a regular Google search can provide a lot of information for you.
Doing a search…
- Helps generate topic ideas
- Reveals top articles in SERP so you can see what’s performing well
- Provides great insight into what people are asking under “People Also Ask”
Sometimes I even open up a new incognito window (click on the three dots in the right of the search tab at top), so none of my personal search behavior is considered when looking at a keyword.
Google searches are free, and everyone has access. When I did some part-time work for an agency, writing SEO blog article outlines, another SEO I knew never paid for SEO tools. She only used Google searches to identify keywords and patterns for SEO articles.
Free Google Tools
There are three free Google tools I use pretty often and in priority order:
- Google Search Console (GSC)
- Google Analytics (GA)
- Google Keyword Planner
You have to register your website to start using GSC and GA. To me, these are no-brainers.
GSC shows you how people are searching to discover your website online. I’m in this tool regularly looking at queries.
GA gives you an overall snapshot of traffic type—direct, organic, social, referral, etc. Both tools help you see the overall health of your website and traffic. I’ve sometimes used Google Keyword Planner for keyword ideas as well.
Moz Tools
Moz has several free SEO tools.
I like to use their free domain authority checker quite a bit. All you have to do is enter a website domain, and it quickly shows you its ranking. This is great when I’m trying to assess what partnerships I should prioritize. The higher the domain rank, the higher the priority I want to give to guest posting on their site or having them mention a link to my site.
Answer the Public
When I’m doing content research, this free tool makes it easy to see the type of questions people are “asking” or typing into the browser when searching online.
This helps when I know a topic I want to write about and brainstorm ideas around.
Freelancer Tools
Outside specific writing tools, there are other resources I’ve found helpful on this freelance path.
Project Management Tools
In addition to using Google Sheets or Excel, I use the free versions of Monday.com and Asana, depending on client preference.
Monday.com
Monday.com feels super easy to use as a project management tool. It’s pretty intuitive. You can break out projects by categories (website, social, newsletter, etc.). Then, under each category, you can list the different projects you’re working on, who’s assigned to them, the status, and the deadline.
Every Friday, I give a final update on where my projects are with a retainer client I work with. This helps us stay informed about the workload, what’s happening, and when.
Asana
Asana is also a great task management tool. I like being able to break out a project into the steps needed and assign those individual tasks to the different parties involved.
For example, for one client I was hired to write all of her blog content. For each article, I put in a date for when it needed to be reviewed and approved by the correct task owner.
You can see where each individual has checked off certain steps to see what remains before a project is considered complete.
I also find it pretty easy to use once you’re in it and scheduling out various things.
Customizable Templates (Proposals, Contracts, Invoices)
When I first started out, I remember using the free Google templates under Docs for invoices and creating proposals for clients. Which I would recommend to anyone getting started.
This is the kind of stuff that doesn’t need to look perfect from a design perspective, but it does need to look organized and contain the right information.
Today, I’m updating everything with updated branding to make it look consistent. I’m doing this with Canva through a paid plan.
In my mind, the documents where you want to have initial templates are your proposal, contract, and invoice. These are the ones you use the most with clients.
Voice and Video Calls
I use Google Meet and Zoom most often in my freelance work. Both cost nothing and are easy to set up for remote meetings.
The truth is that I try to minimize the number of calls I make because I like the flexibility of doing my work at any time of the day, but in reality, most clients still appreciate face-to-face interaction on a monthly basis.
Even if you aren’t setting up video calls with clients, it’s great to have what I call “coffee chats” with other peers to get to know them more and build closer relationships as you grow in your career.
Accounting Software
I hear a lot of good things about Quickbooks, but an Excel worksheet works best for me. I can keep track of all my client work and expenses, and then I have all the information I need when it’s time to meet with my tax person every year.
For a long time, my husband always did our taxes, but now that I own my own business, I find this is absolutely an area to delegate to someone else who has the expertise needed. It also gives my husband much more time back that he desperately needs working longer hours in a 9-5.
Other Freelance Business Needs
Sit Stand Desk
After about 6 months of working at home, I committed and purchased a sit-stand desk I ordered from Amazon. I don’t regret it!
I had a sit-stand desk at my 9-5, and it really helps me wake up sometimes when I’m in that afternoon slump after lunch.
Mine was around $130. Depending on your preference for style, size, and features, you can choose from multiple ones.
Spiral-Bound Yearly Planner
As much as I consider myself a very digital person vs. having a lot of printed paper around my desk, I still like a printed planner.
Specifically, a spiral-bound one. There’s just something about being able to flip the pages and fold them under to get a quick view of the last few days of my week.
Social Media Presence
A social media presence has unquestionably made attracting clients possible. Not to mention, I’ve met others who are on a similar path as mine or much further ahead and have been great to learn from.
Writing social media posts and being on the right platforms where your ideal clients or audience hangs out can tremendously benefit your business. But you’ve got to know how to boost your social media engagement with comments.
I attribute LinkedIn to helping me grow as a freelancer and solopreneur.
Supportive Community
Like with most things in life, it’s always more helpful to have people supporting you as you try something new. My family and friends have been supportive.
But even if you don’t have people close to you to be in your corner, you can find online spaces with others pursuing similar freelance dreams as yours to talk with. There are Facebook groups and coaching programs, and again, I’m sure I’m biased, but LinkedIn has been a very supportive community where I’ve found others to talk with and ask questions.
