9 Simple SEO Copywriting Tips for Writing Content That Ranks

Why SEO Copywriting Is Important

Let’s face it; no one is going to come to your website because you use a cool font or have a slick slide show transition. If you don’t have fresh, relevant, and engaging content on your website, you are losing the content marketing battle before you get started. And that’s why SEO copywriting skills are essential for content or search marketing in 2020!

SEO Copywriting is essential for creating the content you need for both the human visitors as well as the search bots and spiders that crawl your website. You need SEO optimized content to get noticed and ranked by search engines. But writing content that ranks involves more than simply writing a quick blog post. Here is how you can implement your own SEO copywriting strategy.

9 Simple SEO Copywriting Tips

1. Write for Humans – Optimize for Robots

Nobody wants to read SEO content, not even search engines! Google keeps reminding us that the search engine prefers original content to obvious SEO stuff. Moreover, there is no point in high rankings if your content does not convert. The best SEO copywriting strategy is to focus on your target audience and help the robots find your content.

2. Forget About Keyword Density

Keyword density is one of the most persistent SEO myths. There is nothing to indicate that Google favors a specific keyword density over another. Of course, it is essential to use relevant keywords as part of your SEO copywriting strategy, but use them naturally. Keyword stuffing not only is a Black Hat SEO practice, but it also makes your content impossible to read.

3. Use Related Keywords, Synonyms + Grammatical Variations

Google and other search engines use Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) to match search results to the intentions of the searcher. Using synonyms, related keywords, and grammatical variations is an easy way to make your content more relevant to your end-user, and without stuffing the exact keyword into your copy!

4. Use Google Tilde to Find Related Keywords

If you are not yet using this, you are missing out on a critical SEO copywriting technique! Add ~ before a keyword and perform a search. Google will show you several related keywords at the bottom of the page that Google finds relevant to your search query. Use these keywords to increase the relevance of your content.

5. Write Long, In-Depth, Quality Content

The average web page ranking on the first page of Google has over 2,000 words. Moreover, evidence points to the fact that in-depth articles get more shares and links than short, superficial ones. Your SEO copywriting should aim for content that delves deep into the subject matter and provides real insight. But do not write lengthy content to please search engines. Do it because you have knowledge and insight to share with your audience.

6. Take Advantage of the Long Tail

The problem with the “big,” “fat,” keywords is that they usually are super competitive, and ranking for them will require a considerable effort. But in many cases, there are lots of related searches that are much easier to rank for, such as “landing page” versus “how long should a landing page be?” Long-tail phrases have a smaller search volume, but the search volume will be much higher as visitors are more motivated and likely to convert.

7. Answer Your Prospect’s Questions

Answering key questions should be a no-brainer for your SEO copywriting. If your prospects have questions about your product or service, they will most likely type these questions into Google. Provide your potential customers with content that delivers credible answers, and they will visit your site. Provide them with better solutions than your competitors, and they will buy from you. Additionally, answering questions is a great way to take advantage of the long tail.

8. Get Your Content Noticed and Shared

Sharing gets you links and traffic, and the more “shares” your content gets, the more relevant and essential it will seem to Google. Getting your content out there and shared via appropriate forums, blogs, influencers, newsletters is vital. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other relevant social platforms need to be part of your SEO copywriting efforts as well. And don’t underestimate the incredible power of guest blogging!

9. Title Tags and Snippets are Still King

Do you include title tags in your SEO copywriting? You should! Your title tag is one of the first things Google looks at when categorizing individual web pages. And the combination of the title tag and “snippet” (meta description) is what searchers looking for your content will see in the SERPs (search engine results pages). So include keywords, but make your titles and snippets sound natural and focus on motivating prospects to click and convert.

Getting Started with SEO Copywriting

Now that you know these nine essential tips for SEO copywriting, you are ready to get started creating the content your consumers expect. If you already keep a journal or write a blog you most likely feel comfortable getting started and creating your own content. But what if SEO copywriting, or any writing for that matter, are not your strong suit? Here are some suggestions for you:

• Maybe you have a writer or blogger in your circle of friends or business associates. Ask around and see what you can find.
• Ask your professional network if they can recommend a copywriter, or know someone who can.
• Most universities and colleges offer writing programs, and students need practice and internships.
• Most temp staffing agencies like Vitamin T or Creative Circle can provide temp or full-time copywriters.

Additional SEO Tools, Tips, and Resources

If you need some more help with your SEO, check out these posts on our blog:

• 100 Google SEO Factors Ranked by Importance
• 10 Common Small Business SEO Mistakes You Must Avoid at All Costs
• 13 Tips for Creating SEO-Friendly Images and Improve Your UX
• 42 Essential SEO Tools to Put in Your SEO Toolbox in 2020
• 9 Essential SEO Upgrades to Help You Rank Higher in 2020
• 21 Essential WordPress SEO Tips for Your Small Business Website

Writing content that ranks is only the beginning. To keep your business website ranking high, you need to keep creating new and relevant content on an ongoing basis. For many of you, this will become second nature. But if content creation is something you would rather not think about, you may be better off engaging professional help.

How Did SEO Copywriting Work for You?

Do you have any SEO copywriting tips you would like to share? Feel free to add your comments below so our audience can benefit as well, and grab our feed, so you don’t miss our next post! And feel free to share our SEO copywriting tips with your audience!

Thank you! We appreciate your help to end bad business websites, one pixel at a time!

By Gregor Schmidt
Co-Founder
@gregorinsendai