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Purch

RoleTechnical Content Writer
TypeFull-time
PeriodJul 2010 – Jul 2011

Background​

I wanted web content experience, and Purch--known then as TechMediaNetwork--was about as web-native as it got. They ran TopTenREVIEWS, which ranked in the top three globally for electronics news according to siteRank in 2011. The job was to review consumer electronics and software, and I learned quickly that writing about products at that volume requires a system, not just opinions.

The process had a rhythm. Every two weeks, the team would identify the top ten products in an assigned category, test them against a criteria set, grade them, and write individual reviews. Then we'd submit product lineup reports to management--ranked lists with abbreviated explanations for why things were ordered the way they were. Refreshes happened regularly: new products came in, competitors shifted, and the rankings had to reflect reality. It was content production with the precision requirements of editorial and the pace of a newsroom.

Shortly after starting, I was pulled onto NorthOrion, an internal experiment in lead generation that nobody at the company had attempted before. The concept was to build a content site from scratch that would establish credibility in a topic area and funnel readers into information request forms. The leads went to participating online colleges who paid for them. I was recruited specifically because I'd just been admitted to graduate school, which apparently made me credible enough to write the launch content about career development and degree programs.

I contributed 80 of the site's 100 launch articles within one month--20 articles per week, each 500-700 words, all with SEO keyword research baked in. After the site was on its feet and I'd trained two employees to maintain the workload, I went back to TopTenREVIEWS. (NorthOrion was eventually shut down and its content migrated to TopTenREVIEWS.)

The social media work was a side achievement I'm still proud of. I ran the Facebook and Twitter accounts under the corporate identity and helped grow the Facebook page from zero to more than 40,000 likes in three months. That number feels quaint now, but in 2011 it was a significant milestone for a review site.

After I left the full-time role, Purch asked me to continue as a freelancer--which I did for another five years.

What I Did​

Product Reviews & Content​

SEO & Analytics​

  • Performed SEO research to identify primary, secondary, and tertiary keywords aligned with market search behavior.
  • Analyzed keyword effectiveness, search frequency, visitor session duration, and traffic patterns using Adobe SiteCatalyst on both site-wide and page-level bases.
  • Interpreted SEO trend data to assess algorithm shifts and gauge placement rates for targeted keyword phrases.

NorthOrion Lead Generation Site​

  • Recruited as staff writer for NorthOrion, a new lead-generation content site--the first internal project of its kind at the company.
  • Contributed 80 of 100 launch articles within one month, writing 20 articles per week at 500-700 words each, all with SEO keyword research.
  • Trained 2 employees in the content processes and writing standards required for the site.

Social Media​

  • Managed company social media presence on Facebook and Twitter under the corporate identity.
  • Grew the Facebook page from 0 to more than 40,000 likes in 3 months through consistent posting and consumer engagement.

Key Skills​

Technology Content Writing · Windows · Knowledge Articles · Evergreen Content · Editing · Web Content · Competitor Research · Topic-Based Writing · Copywriting · Social Media · Copyediting · Content Roadmap · Journalism · Task Management · Microsoft Office · Content Management · Research · Managing Deadlines · Proofreading · Keyword Analysis · User Content · SEO · Microsoft Word · CSS · Corporate Branding · Peer Review · User Persona · Content Management Systems · Content Publishing · Document Templates · Screenshots · iOS · KPI Metrics · Cybersecurity · Smartphones · Hardware · Terminology · Tablets · Product Review · Metadata · WYSIWYG Editor · iPadOS · Consumer Electronics