SEO Copywriting Tips That Work – For Real
4 Essential SEO Writing Tips To Optimize Your Content For Search Engines and Readers
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the bread and butter of online marketing. While pay-per-click (PPC) advertising receives a lot of attention, SEO is the unsung hero that can make or break your digital marketing efforts. After all, what’s the use of driving traffic to your website if no one can find it? That’s where good copywriting comes in.
The following tips will help you write copy that not only pleases your human readers but also helps your website rank higher in search results.
So whether you’re a small business owner looking to do your own SEO or a content marketer who wants to brush up on your skills, read on for some helpful tips!
Use Keywords Strategically
One of the most important aspects of copywriting for SEO purposes is using keywords strategically. A keyword is any word or phrase that potential customers might use to find your website.
For example, if you sell artisanal cheese, some relevant keywords might be “handmade cheese,” “local cheese,” and “artisanal cheese.” You want to include these keywords in your copy as often as possible without sacrificing readability.
A good rule of thumb is to use each keyword 2-3% of the time. So, for a 1000 word blog post, you would want to use your keyword(s) 20-30 times. Use them too much and you risk coming across as spammy; too little and the search engines won’t have anything to latch onto.
How to target the right keywords for your website
It is important to understand the difference between a target keyword and a semantically related keyword. A target keyword is a word or phrase that you want your website to rank for in a Google search. Semantically related keywords are words and phrases that are related to your target keyword but are not identical.
For example, if your target keyword is “cat food,” some semantically related keywords might be “food for cats,” “cat food brands,” or “best cat food.”
There are a number of SEO tools that can help you with keyword research, such as Google AdWords Keyword Planner and SEMrush. Once you have identified some semantically related keywords, you can start working them into your website’s content.
However, be sure to use them naturally, as too many keywords will result in your content sounding stilted and artificial. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can soon start ranking for the keywords that matter most to your business.
Make Your Headlines Count
Your headline is one of the most important elements of your article. A good headline will create interest and encourage readers to click through to your article. It should be clear and concise and make use of rich keywords.
Keep in mind that your headline is like a movie trailer—you want to pique curiosity and get people interested in reading more, without giving away too much information.
In addition, crafting compelling headlines makes it easier than ever to promote your work through social media and other marketing channels. Plus, they will even improve your click-through rate.
Finally, remember to always keep your audience’s search intent in mind when creating any kind of content. By following these tips, you can create content that will attract more readers and improve your chances of ranking well in search engines.
Use Synonyms and LSI Keywords
If you’re a content writer, you’ve probably heard of the term “LSI keyword” before. But what exactly is an LSI keyword? And why are they important? LSI stands for latent semantic indexing, which essentially means using synonyms and related words in your copy to give search engines a better idea of what your content is about.
For example, if you’re writing an article about artisanal cheese, some LSI keywords might be “food,” “dairy,” “culinary,” etc.
LSIs are especially important if you’re targeting a particular keyword that is highly competitive—using LSIs can help you rank higher without resorting to shady tactics like keyword stuffing (which we’ll talk about next).
By using LSIs, you can ensure that the people who do click on your content are actually interested in what you have to say—which means they’re more likely to convert into leads or customers. Finally, LSI keywords are simply good writing. Using related words and terms makes your copy more readable and understandable—and that’s always a good thing!
Reserve Keyword Stuffing For The Birds
These days, keyword stuffing is more likely to result in a Google penalty than a top ranking. In the past, some marketers would stuff as many keywords into their content as possible in an attempt to game the system.
However, Google’s algorithm has come a long way in recent years, and this tactic is now more likely to result in a penalty than anything else. Not only will this make your content difficult to read, but it will also likely result in Google penalizing your website.
The takeaway here is to focus on quality over quantity—a couple of well-placed keywords will do more for your rankings than an entire paragraph stuffed with them ever could. title tag and call to action are two essential elements of any good piece of content, so make sure to include them!
Learn more about content marketing strategies by reading our blog – How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy.
5 Ways to Make Your Content Stand Out in the SERPs
1. Target Long-Tail Keywords
One of the best ways to make your content stand out is to target long-tail keywords—keywords that are very specific and niche. For example, if you sell women’s clothing, you might want to target a long-tail keyword like ” plus size mother of the bride dresses.”
Long-tail keywords tend to have less competition than more general keywords, so it’s easier to rank for them. And when you do rank for them, you’re more likely to get targeted traffic because people who use long-tail keywords are usually further along in their buying journey.
2. Optimize Your Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Your title tag is the text that appears in the search results as your link’s headline, so it’s important to make sure that your title tags are interesting and clickable. Your meta description is the short paragraph of text that appears beneath your title tag—it’s what convinces searchers to click on your link instead of someone else’s.
When it comes to writing effective title tags and meta descriptions, clarity is key. Your goal should be to create a concise, keyword-rich description that accurately reflects the content of your page. In addition, your title tag and meta description should work together to encourage organic traffic and improve your ranking in search engine results pages.
3. Structure Your Content with Headings and Subheadings
The contents of your blog post may be great, but if they’re just one big wall of text, nobody’s going to stick around long enough to read them. That’s why it’s important to structure your content with headings and subheadings.
Breaking up your text makes it more scannable and easier to read, which will keep people engaged with your content longer. It will also help search engines understand what your content is about so they can index it properly and surface it in relevant searches.
4. Incorporate Visuals
In a fast-paced world, it’s important to grab people’s attention and hold it. That’s why visuals are such an important part of content marketing. People are more likely to remember information when it’s presented alongside an image, so incorporating visuals into your blog posts can help increase dwell time and decrease bounce rate—two metrics that are important for SEO.
Adding a visually appealing element can also help break up blocks of text, making your content more scannable and engaging. So if you’re looking for a way to make your content more effective, consider adding some visuals. They just might be the key to success.
5. Promote Your Content
Just because you’ve published a great piece of content doesn’t mean people will automatically see it. You have to promote it if you want it to rank in the SERPs. There are a number of ways you can promote your content, including social media, email marketing, and paid advertising.
The key is to be strategic about where and how you promote each piece of content so you’re reaching your target audience where they’re already spending their time online.
For example, if you’re promoting a blog post on social media, make sure to share it on the platforms where your target audience is most active. And don’t forget to use hashtags, as they can help increase your reach.
If you’re emailing your list about a new piece of content, make sure to craft a compelling subject line that will entice them to open the email. And if you’re running a paid ad campaign, make sure to target your audience carefully so you’re not wasting money on ads that no one will see.
By being strategic about how you promote your content, you can ensure that more people will see it—and that it will have a better chance of ranking in the SERPs.
Want to learn more about blogging for your business? Check out our blog post – Why Have a Blog For Your Business?
So What are You Waiting for? Get Writing!
As anyone who has ever tried to create an online presence knows, ranking well on search engines is essential if you want people to be able to find your website. And one of the most important ranking factors is content—specifically, the copy on your website.
Search engine algorithms are designed to surface websites that provide relevant, useful answers to searchers’ questions. So if you want your website to rank well, you need to make sure that your content answers the question that potential customers are asking.
Luckily, by following the tips outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to writing content that pleases both your human readers and the search engine algorithms. So what are you waiting for? Get writing!
However, if writing isn’t your thing, or you simply don’t have the time to do it yourself, that’s where we come in. At Website Genii, our team of experienced copywriters can help with all of your written needs. We offer top-notch SEO copywriting services designed to help your website rank on SERPs!
We’ll work with you to understand your business and what you’re looking to achieve, and then we’ll craft content that gets results. So if you’re ready to take your business to the next level with great copy, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more.