A crucial part of search engine optimization is well-written content. Let’s dive into what you need to know about SEO copywriting.
We’re going to look at what you need to do and what mindset you need to have to successfully ensure your articles and blog posts are easily discoverable.
What Is SEO Copywriting?
You probably know that SEO is search engine optimization. You can structure any website, blog, audio or visual piece of media, or website to ensure it is optimized for Google. Doing this means Google will rank your page high in its search engine results. Since most people don’t go past the first page of results, or in fact, even the first three or four search engine result pages, more people are likely to click on your page if it shows up early in the SERPs than if it shows up on page two or later.
Copywriting is the written content you produce for an article or keyword. Essentially, it’s the words you are reading in the article you click on (just like the words you are reading right now).
SEO copywriting is the art of crafting an article so that it is optimized around your keywords. This means that when people search for the keywords that you are using, your article will show up high on the list of search engine results if it is designed correctly. If your article is not optimized, it will be more difficult for people to discover it through search engines.
How To Write For SEO
The crucial thing to remember when you are writing for SEO is that you have two audiences:
- The search engine (Google)
- The human (your potential reader)
It’s vital that you understand that you need to write content for both humans and search engines and not just writing for one or the other. It’s not enough to just write something that you think Google likes in terms of algorithms. SEO is also about writing something that a human audience would find useful, interesting, and actually want to read.
When it comes to SEO copywriting, the goal is for the human audience to:
- Have people stay on your page for a long time.
- Get engagement for your article.
- Have people click on your links and videos.
The number one copywriting tip that people often ignore is that your article has to be well-written and well-structured for SEO. It’s not enough for a human user to simply click on your article and then leave the page; as a matter of fact, if your reader opens your article and immediately leaves your page, that will have an adverse effect on your search engine ranking.
In order to successfully optimize your article, you need to write high-quality content that your target audience will want to read and engage with. Consistency, speed and quality are the three key ingredients in SEO content.
What You Need For SEO Copywriting
There are some things that help in optimizing an article for search engines:
- Outbound links that go to a relevant page away from your website
- Inbound links that go somewhere else on your website
- A video
- Images
However, the most crucial part of writing for SEO is your keywords. These are basically the terms you would expect people to search for when they want to find the content you have included in your article.
Finding the correct keyword or keywords requires keyword research, and it’s truly worth putting in the effort to find the right ones. Practice searching for potential keywords to see what comes up for you in your Google results. Effective research keyword research is your first step.
Once you have your keywords decided, plan how you are going to space them out. Include your keywords:
- In the introduction of your article (ideally within the first 100 words and in the first paragraph).
- In at least one main heading.
- As alt-text for images.
- At least on one occasion throughout your course.
What Are Some Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid?
A big taboo in SEO copywriting is keyword stuffing. This is when you cram the same keywords really closely together in your article. It’s best to avoid using the same keyword more than once under the same heading. This is why it’s crucial to plan where you are going to use them. Keep track of where you are putting them to avoid stuffing.
While AI tools are helpful for research and content generation, don’t rely on them solely to create your article. Often times, content written by AI can come off as robotic and very much unhuman, so you need to be sure to rewrite any AI-generated content to sound more natural and be more appealing to your reader.
There’s plenty of SEO advice, and thankfully, in our modern digital age, we have so much potential research and data at our fingertips, so take advantage of that!
10 Important SEO Tips For Higher Rankings
Here are 10 vital copywriting tips for SEO that will enhance your work and ensure it gets seen.
- Focus on creating quality content. Everything should be well-written.
- Have a section where people can comment, rate, or otherwise interact with your articles.
- Space out the usage of keywords; avoid using the same keyword under the same heading or subheading more than once.
- Use slight variations of your keywords so they fit naturally into your paragraph.
- Big blocks of text can be daunting and off-putting, so break up long passages with images or headings.
- Incorporate hyperlinks for inbound and outbound articles into the text naturally.
- Use lists (like this one!); they make it easy to read and digest information, which means readers won’t be tempted to leave the page.
- Once you’ve written your work, take a break and edit your content with fresh eyes.
- Write by balancing educational narratives and reader entertainment.
- Ensure your content is well-structured and easy to read.
In Summary
Copywriting for SEO is more than just creating content—it’s an art form that balances the needs of search engines with the desires of human readers. By mastering this skill, you can craft content that not only ranks higher in search results but also engages and converts your audience.
If you’re ready to elevate your content, consider hiring a vetted freelance SEO writer. An expert in writing for SEO can help you create compelling, optimized copy that drives traffic, builds your authority, and gets your work noticed.
Don’t leave your content to chance—contact us today for expert SEO content writing that will drive traffic, engage your audience, and position your brand for success!