Why Librarians Make Great SEO Content Writers: Prepare to Be Surprised

You probably already know that libraries aren’t dusty holding cells for books. They contain a wealth of carefully curated and organized print and digital resources. You may not have thought about how these knowledge repositories are created or the skills required to develop and make them easily searchable. 

If you’re a marketing expert or business owner, you’re likely always looking for ways to master SEO. You want to make your product or clients’ products known and easily findable, so you hire SEO experts, and honestly, that’s great. 

But what if you’re looking for a different approach and want to hit the intent of your message with more depth? Read on to find out if a librarian is the missing piece of your SEO strategy.

Research Expertise

Librarians help searchers find what they're looking for, but to do that, we need a level of expertise. We’re experts in: 

Source assessment — Librarians are trained to assess information. Is the website you want to link to a high-quality source? Are those stats you’re referencing coming from a reputable organization? Is there bias in your writing based on the information you’re referencing? If you’re creating more in-depth content, you could use a librarian to make sure you’re not creating a misinformation omelet, costing you leads and credibility. 

Info-hunting — Librarians want to find the correct answers. We don’t like being told, “There’s nothing on that topic.” — this makes us more hungry. We don’t just Google information (though we’re pretty adept at that). We search through academic journals and databases, government information, and unpublished literature to find answers and the data you need for credible content. Call us obsessive, but the integrity of your content matters to us, and probably to you too.

Software Adaptability

While you may imagine a librarian hunched over a card catalogue, let me assure you that this is an outdated stereotype. Librarians today are agile, tech-savvy professionals working with complex systems, databases, and digital tools — frequently updated and replaced by newer, more sophisticated systems. This technological adaptability translates well to the world of SEO, which demands knowledge of various content management systems (CMS), analytics programs, keyword planners, and communications platforms.

Ethical Content Creation

Librarians are committed to accuracy and credibility. This means protection for you as a business owner or marketing agency when it comes to copyright. Having a librarian on board strengthens a brand’s authority and builds trust with clients or an audience. 

Understanding User Intent

Sometimes, searchers have difficulty explaining what they’re looking for — so do online searchers — that’s why it’s important to tailor content to the community seeking it and make it easy to understand. 

Business clients sometimes find articulating their needs challenging, too — they know they want people to find their product or service and have great ideas. However, librarians are skilled at what we call a reference interview. We’ll ask you questions until we have a concise plan describing your goals. We use tools like concept mapping to help you explore and flesh out a topic.

Source: University of Toronto Libraries

Alt text: An example of concept mapping using the example of the Gulf War as a topic

Keyword Mastery

Librarians know keywords. No, really — we use them all the time as metadata in catalogs and other information repositories and develop standards to ensure users can easily find information. Sound familiar? Here are some ways librarians develop keyword strategies:

Keyword relevance — We know searchers use different keywords and optimize metadata to ensure material is findable through long—and short-form keywords and synonyms. We even have a name for it—“Patron-Driven Subject Access.” You don’t have to remember that, but it means we use search terms that are relevant and meaningful to the community of searchers. 

Boolean logic — This is a librarian specialty. Aside from being fun to say, boolean logic means using search terms to narrow or broaden the results of a search, usually through operators like and, or, not. Guess what — internet searchers use these, too. Have you ever used a search technique like “college or university that teaches business administration”? Your search will capture results that contain either word — this is boolean logic. 

Controlled vocabularies — We know specialists have their own language (you might call it industry jargon or lingo). We develop controlled vocabulary (standard search terms) to describe the material and make finding it more straightforward. 

Attention to Detail

Precision matters in metadata, citations, SEO, and writing. Librarians are trained for accuracy in everything from formatting to strategic keyword placement. We know it matters not only in results but also in reputation.

Knowledge of Marketing Principles

Many librarians have a strong marketing skill set. A significant part of the traditional job is outreach and engagement. Library users need to know what services are available, when, and how to access them. This means the ability to craft compelling messaging for social media products and websites. We know how to target specific audiences and tailor our messaging to attract and interest them. 

Content Organization 

We can all agree that keyword stuffing creates terrible content — it’s hard to read and immediately recognizable to your readers as a poorly written ad. Librarians are specially trained to develop findable information. This might mean choosing specific keywords to describe a topic or material, organizing complex information, and making it easy to understand and navigate. We even teach classes on how to do this effectively and create easy-to-follow guides to help searchers find what they want.

Adaptability Across Topics

While some librarians are subject specialists, we’re trained as generalists and are incredibly adaptable to various subject matters and work styles. 

There are topics I’m more comfortable writing about, sure — but I’ve crafted short and long-form content for clients on:

• Social media skills

• Fashion

• Environmental issues

• Personal and business finance

• Software evaluation (payroll, WMS, ERP, video editing, AR/AP)

• Crafting techniques and technology

• Censorship and copyright

• Food and beverage

• Automotive

• Gaming

• Health and wellness

I love variety and impressing clients with well-researched copy that their audiences will gravitate toward and understand. 

The SEO Advantage of Hiring a Librarian

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you that librarians bring a unique perspective and skill set to content writing — one rooted in client service, evidence-based research and marketing approaches, and technological knowledge. 

When you hire a librarian to write SEO content, you’re also investing in a researcher, editor, and strategic thinker to help improve your brand’s credibility with content that performs.

If your SEO strategy is stagnant and you’re looking to optimize content — look beyond traditional candidates and consider a librarian. Check out my digital content writing portfolio and find out how I can help you reach your SEO goals.