The title of this post doesn’t really make sense. Copywriting should never be for SEO. In fact, Google’s own SEO advice very clearly says that web copy should be written for people, not search.
So, really, we didn't need to write this post. Read all the other posts on our site and your copy will already be great for SEO.
But that’s not what you came here for is it?
So, let’s start at the beginning.
What is SEO copywriting?
Search Engine Optimisation is about improving your content to make sure your page ranks highly in organic (i.e. not paid) search results. SEO copywriting deals with the written element of that optimisation – the words you read on the page, along with the meta description and tags that show up on the search listing.
Why should I bother?
Ranking highly on search results is pointless unless there’s a reason behind it. So, SEO should always be driven by your business goals. Do you want more sales? Sign ups to an event? More awareness of an issue you’re highlighting? That’s all possible with a strong SEO strategy as long as you’re clear what you want.
So, adding keywords to my page will achieve my goals?
No! This has never been the case. There’s not a dumb algorithm in the background trying to match the search term ‘news’ to the page with the most mentions of the word ‘news’. Google knows that if someone is searching for ‘news’, they’re looking for a trustworthy site that has a selection of articles about the latest world events. Context and intent are far more important than specific keywords.
What are keywords for then?
Popular, relevant keywords can inspire new content – if you identify some keywords you want to rank for, you could create a blog post about the topic, for example. It’s far better to use keyword research to define a new page than to write a page and try to fit it in as an afterthought.
Keywords are also useful for understanding what your audience is looking for. Your keyword research might uncover things about your products or services that people want to know more about or are having problems with.
How do I write copy that ranks well?
Simple: read every blog post on our website and go to one of our workshops!
The better you can write, the better your chances at ranking highly. Searchers (and by extension, search engines) are looking for useful, interesting, informative content. If your copy is waffly and misses the point, no amount of SEO can save it.
Dividing your content up with descriptive subheadings is also really important. It tells readers and search engines what your page is about and the topics you’ve covered.
As for structuring your information, try to answer people’s questions early on the page. People want reassurance that they’re in the right place and they’re more likely to keep reading if they know your content matches what they’re looking for.
How should I incorporate keywords into the page?
The most important thing to remember is to keep it sounding natural. If your copy sounds stuffed full of variations of the same phrase, it won’t be any good. Think quality over quantity.
Also, remember that Google’s algorithm is so advanced that you don’t need to trick it with lots of keywords. A well-written piece of content will naturally have 99% of the right words in it anyway. Just make sure that if you’re trying to rank for a specific word or phrase that it’s included in the heading or subheadings of the page if possible.
Don’t worry about including every variation. People often misspell words or rephrase things and the algorithm still knows what they mean.
SEO vs PPC
Your PPC strategy should work alongside your SEO strategy. If you have an idea for content and want to test if it’s something people will be interested in, pay for ads. If you’ve identified something you know people are searching for and want to try to rank for it, organic search is better.
Also think about the return on your time and money. Organic search is useful if your audience is looking for more information about you, but ads are good if people are ready to buy and need a nudge to push them in the right direction.
What is EEAT?
Google employs real people to test search engine results to see how the algorithm is performing. They judge content based on how well it shows Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.
Basically, that means you can’t blag your way to the top of search results. Your content should be the result of your own specialist knowledge on the subject, and your site should demonstrate your credentials.
What about Featured Snippets?
If you want to make it into the Featured Snippets, it’s even more important to answer people's questions as clearly as possible and early on the page.
However, AI results are increasingly taking over the top of the results page. AI results probably won’t help your business, but if you keep making your content relevant and useful, hopefully your readers will trust you more than the dubious answer they get from AI.
How can I get more help?
If everything you’ve read here is obvious to you and you’re confident your writing can’t be improved any further, we’d recommend getting in touch with a specialist SEO agency. There are usually backend tweaks or small structural changes that might help as SEO and web technology evolves.
However, improving the quality of your content is the best place to get started if you want to rank higher on search. Get in touch with one of the monkeys for advice on next steps.
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