Content writing is any form of text-based communication that informs, entertains, inspires, or persuades a specific audience. It’s an increasingly important marketing skill that can be used in a variety of formats—from blog posts and articles to white papers and e-books. In the digital era, content can be used to promote brands online and support SEO efforts by helping search engines recognize the relevancy of a business’s website for certain keyword searches.

A great way to get started with content writing is by reading and consuming as much information as possible on the subject. This is a good practice regardless of whether you’re looking to become a freelance writer or just want to improve your own skills. Reading industry blogs, studying social media strategies and successful campaigns, and picking up the nuances of language mechanics can all be helpful for your journey into becoming a better content writer.

For many businesses, a strong content strategy is essential to reach and inspire their audiences—and it starts with high-quality written communication. This is why content writers are in such high demand. A recent study by Salesforce and Pardot found that consumers place more trust in brand-created content than they do in an organization’s employees. Having an in-house or freelance content writer on staff can help businesses create the right kind of content for their target audience and meet goals around organic traffic, conversions, and engagement.

The type of content that’s needed can vary from company to company, but in general, it should be informative, relevant, and engaging—and ultimately help to drive conversions. Often, this means that the content is a part of a larger campaign, with each piece supporting a particular goal or call to action.

Getting started with content writing can be a challenge, but it’s something that anyone can learn to do with some practice and a solid understanding of the fundamentals. By focusing on quality and learning as you go, you can eventually become an expert at creating content that communicates your brand’s message effectively to your audience—and drives results for your business.

It’s also important to remember that content writing is a form of SEO copywriting, and the two are intertwined. Writing that doesn’t take SEO into account can hurt your business’s online visibility, causing it to appear below competitors in search results. On the other hand, writing with SEO in mind can help your content rank well for specific keywords—which leads to more organic search traffic and potentially more sales.

Depending on the type of content, some writers will do their own keyword research as they write, while others will use an internal SEO guide to ensure that the right keywords are included in the right places. In either case, it’s a good idea to start with a large list of keywords (and the related questions and phrases) and weed out the ones that don’t make sense as you create your piece. This will allow you to focus on the most important keywords, and will give you a clearer picture of how your content is performing after publication.