The Editorial Architect: Selling Content Planning Services for Blogs

Writers are everywhere, but businesses struggle most with *what* to write. By providing high-level content planning, keyword research, and strategy, you can position yourself as an indispensable, high-value editorial architect.

Content planning is a strategic service that sits above the actual writing. You save clients time and guarantee their content is optimized to attract traffic and revenue.

Your Service Package: The Content Blueprint

Instead of charging per word, you charge per **Strategy Package** or **Monthly Retainer**. Your deliverables include:

• **Keyword Gap Analysis:** Researching high-volume, low-competition keywords their competitors are missing.
• **Topic Ideation:** Generating 12-20 specific, SEO-optimized blog post titles and outlines based on the research.
• **Search Description & Slugs:** Writing the optimized meta descriptions and URL slugs for each post.
• **Editorial Calendar:** Providing a full 3- or 6-month calendar in a spreadsheet, assigning dates, writers (if applicable), and publishing status.

Pricing Model (Shift to Retainer)

Your goal is to transition from a one-time project fee to a recurring monthly retainer, as blogs require continuous planning.

• **Project Fee (The Starter):** Charge $300 - $800 for a one-time, 3-month content calendar/strategy document.
• **Retainer (The Sustained Income):** Offer a monthly fee (e.g., $400 - $1,000/month) to provide a fresh 30-day editorial calendar, performance tracking, and ongoing competitor analysis.

Finding High-Value Clients

Target small-to-medium businesses that already have a blog but are getting low traffic. They know they need content but lack the SEO expertise to plan it effectively.

1. **Audit & Pitch:** Find a potential client's blog and use a free tool to quickly identify an obvious SEO mistake (e.g., "They don't have titles for the top 5 keywords in their industry.").
2. **Proposal:** Send a concise proposal titled: "**3 Content Ideas to Capture [Client Niche] Traffic in 30 Days.**" Always lead with specific, valuable suggestions, not generic services.

As the strategist, you save the client thousands in wasted time and effort, justifying a high fee for your planning expertise.