Victoria Kurichenko, an SEO writing expert believes in the power of small wins. Every little step counts. The more you write, the more likely you’ll write well.
What makes you write even better is a curious mind. Ask your WHY and see if there is a better way to get yourself more readers. Read on to find out how Victoria gets her posts on the Google front page quickly and successfully.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Victoria Kurichenko.
I am an SEO writing specialist, a top writer on Medium, the founder of Self Made Millenials, and a voracious reader.
I started writing on Medium at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Back then, I did not know how impactful online writing could be and that it would change my life in two years.
I used to be a full-time online marketer working 9–5.
Now, I am a solopreneur who manages my schedule, priorities, and my life on my own.
Today, I work with startups and established businesses, helping them attract visitors through organic search results. Besides, I help content creators monetize their writing skills.
It gives me energy and makes me happy. It’s my “dharma,” a person’s calling, according to the author Jay Shetty.
The “I can write too” mindset opened up a new world of opportunities and gave me the confidence to publish my first ebook on “How to Write Blog Posts That Hit The Google Front Page.”
Through writing, I met inspiring and successful self-made millennials. I’ve learned to be grateful for every opportunity I grab that helps me become better and build my dream life.
How do you schedule and prioritize your task as a solopreneur?
As a solopreneur, I work with clients, run my website, write on Medium and manage several digital products simultaneously.
It takes a lot of my time and effort. I often create gigantic to-do lists in the morning and feel guilty for not crossing every task in the evening.
It used to bother me a lot. I thought everyone around me was highly productive, but I was the one who could not finish my daily tasks on time.
Over time, I learned to schedule tasks according to my most productive hours and plan for weeks instead of days.
My most productive hours are in the morning. Therefore, I allocate my writing sessions to morning hours.
Besides, I use time slots instead of to-do lists for weekly planning. This way, I know exactly what to focus on daily and don’t waste my mental capacity on shallow work.
Here is what my weekly schedule looks like.
Could you tell us a bit more about the ebook you’ve published?
My SEO writing ebook was an experiment that turned into a success story.
I did not know if I would be able to sell it, and I did not have an ebook promotion plan. Nevertheless, I wanted to create an expert guide to help marketers and content creators better understand the topic of search engine optimization.
In a way, I created this guide for my younger self, who was eager and motivated to learn but struggled to find clear and fluff-free tutorials.
I’ve learned SEO the hard way (and keep learning it continuously).
I am convinced that any tutorial, guide, or book should be impactful. It should lead readers from point A to point B, giving clear guidance and showing what they can achieve if they follow it.
That’s how my ebook is structured.
I packed it with my step-by-step SEO writing process, impactful case studies, and proven-to-work optimization strategies.
How do you successfully increase blog traffic?
I worked as an SEO specialist full-time for several years before getting physically and mentally ready to create my website.
I knew that running a successful website required a lot of work, including strategy, content planning and writing, keyword research, link building, and more. It is usually managed by a team of experts, but I had to deal with all these tasks on my own.
I followed the Pareto principle to handpick and prioritize 20% of tasks which would bring 80% of desired results.
So, I prioritized keyword research and content writing above everything else.
The first step in my content writing process is to find keywords with decent search volume, low competition, and business potential.
The keyword metrics, content quality, and optimization determine whether the article will perform well in search results. Therefore, choosing the right keyword is a challenging but exciting process.
Then comes writing.
I carefully examine search intent to understand what people want to read under each topic. This way, I create well-researched, optimized, deep content people enjoy reading. As a result, many of my website pages rank on the first Google search result page.
Here is how my website traffic has grown in one year:
Organic search is my website’s main traffic generation channel, even though I dedicate the least time to it.
Besides, I effectively leverage Medium and Quora for traffic acquisition. Although, it requires adapting existing content to the needs and formatting of each platform individually. These platforms work well for me. Therefore, I continue managing all of these channels to grow my website as well as my personal brand.
I only dedicate a few hours weekly to my website because I manage many projects in parallel. Nevertheless, the traffic, as well as website income, grow.
Why?
Because well-written and optimized pieces will attract users from organic search for a while, even if I don’t actively publish new content.
How do you usually organize your writing workflow?
I start my working days with a morning writing session.
As a content writer and solopreneur, I have to create a lot of content for myself and my clients.
A well-written article is born when creativity combines with expertise and motivation.
Therefore, I have to be productive.
My morning writing session lasts 2–3 hours in a calm and clutter-free environment. I don’t listen to music, check notifications or chat with someone during these hours. It’s easy to get distracted, yet it takes time and effort to get back to the writing flow.
I can write up to 2,000 words in my most productive mornings, which equals one full Medium article or part of an optimized content piece for my website.
What do you like most about Effie? Are there any features that you find useful while using?
If you’ve tried to focus on writing in Google docs when Twitter is open next to your writing tab, Gmail sends email notifications, or the phone flashes all the time, you know how challenging it is.
Therefore, I started using a distraction-free writing app — Effie.
I downloaded the Effie mobile app and installed it on my Mac to avoid using a browser during my focus hours.
Today, Effie helps me write and store ideas that can hit me any time of the day. I write them down on the go in the Effie app and work on them later from my laptop.
Furthermore, I wrote my newest guide on “How to sell ebooks on Gumroad” using Effie mobile and desktop applications.
Effie automatically saves my writing, so I don’t need to worry that something will be accidentally lost. This handy feature helped me a lot during ebook writing!
If I could highlight a few of most prominent features of Effie, I’d highlight these:
- Writing on the go. I draft my ideas anytime, anywhere, and continue exploring them from my laptop during my working hours.
- Decluttered user interface. Effie’s writing app is simple and intuitive.
- No need to open a browser. An open browser tempts me to open various tabs, but I want to avoid doing it while writing.
- Automatic content saving. The app saves my content automatically, letting me focus on the most important thing — writing.
- Content export. You can export content in PDF format, JPG image, and Google document. It’s handy when I need to send drafts to clients for review.
Other than Effie, what other tools you often use when writing?
After two consecutive years of daily writing, I believe the power is in simplicity.
I simplify my writing process and minimize the number of tools to eliminate distractions and be more productive.
In reality, you don’t need much to create an outstanding article. A pen and paper are often enough to produce a masterpiece.
Therefore, I believe that less is actually more.
I only use Grammarly and the Hemingway app when I write articles for my blog on Medium.
Medium has a built-in editor, which I use for writing, while Grammarly and the Hemingway app help me spot and fix tiny errors and improve readability.
WordPress content management system is an essential tool that helps me write, format, optimize and publish content on my website.
It takes me less than an hour to publish a well-formatted and optimized article with zero coding skills. I can even schedule content publication for a particular day and time if needed!
Another tool worth mentioning is Canva.
I often create custom images for my articles that help make my content unique. Readers love unique content, and so does Google!
I use Canva templates, icons, fonts, and mockups to create professional-looking visuals.
These are all tools that help me make my writing top-notch.
What would be your suggestions for someone who is new to content writing?
When I read my content from two years old, it does not sound like me anymore. Over time, my tone of voice and writing style changed a lot.
Even though I tried to improve my writing by taking courses, reading books, and mimicking someone else’s style, the visible improvement came with practice.
If you want to become a content writer, the only way to do it is through daily writing.
Over time, you’ll develop a writing routine that fits your schedule, understand what resonates with your readers, and find your writing niche. P.S. it took me 100 unsolicited pieces on Medium to achieve it.
Remember, everyone who claims to be a successful writer started from zero one day.
If you have a desire and motivation, you can become a great writer too.
Writing is not a privilege anymore.
The world has changed.
Anyone can become a writer without being an expert in any particular niche.
The truth is that people don’t always look for an expert. They look for someone approachable and relatable who was in their shoes and figured a way out.
That’s where your thoughts, life experience, communication skills, and unique worldview can help you stand out.
Want to be better at content writing? Feel free to check out Victoria’s latest post on Medium or her personal website for more tips and tricks on how to get your blog posts to the Google front page.
