Simplifying SEO: Everything you need to know about SEO copywriting

SEO Copywriting

Want to build the ultimate online presence for your brand?

Then you need to be clever with your copywriting.

The idea that “content is king” might be a little cliché at this point. However, the truth is that you’ll never accomplish anything without the right copy. SEO copywriting is the key to simultaneously enhancing the technical side of your web design strategy, and setting your marketing plan up for success.

Unfortunately, SEO is currently the most misunderstood topic online. It’s something that companies know they need, but they have almost no idea how to take advantage of it.

But, here’s the deal…

SEO copywriting isn’t as complicated as it seems. All it means is that instead of simply writing whatever you feel like when you’re building up your website, you write with a strategy in mind. Copywriting for SEO is all about accomplishing two specific goals:

  • Entertaining, engaging and informing your target audience.
  • Helping search engine algorithms understand what your website is all about.

By the time you’ve finished reading this article, you’ll know everything you need to know about SEO copywriting, and how you can use it to your advantage.

SEO Copywriting

What is SEO? (search engine optimisation)

To understand the universal need for SEO copywriting services, you first need to know why “SEO” or search engine optimisation is important. SEO is a technique that involves:

  • Designing and developing your web assets to rank well in search results: This means they show up first when someone searches for a word linked to your company.
  • Improving the volume and quality of traffic coming to your web pages and blog posts.
  • Boosting your promotional strategies by understanding both search algorithms and how your target audience thinks.

One of the things that makes SEO so complicated is the fact that it’s constantly changing. As search engines like Google continue to update their algorithms to deliver a better experience for users, digital marketers must enhance their online strategies. For instance. In the past 10 to 20 years, we’ve seen some astronomical changes to standard SEO copywriter best practices:

  • The end of keyword stuffing: For some time, the best way to get to the top of the search engine result list, was to stuff your content full of keywords. This meant adding so many critical terms to your blog posts, that they barely made sense anymore. In 2011, Google launched an attack against spammy and annoying content with the “Panda” update. The new algorithm gave rise to the popularity of useful, meaningful content.
  • Leveraging link-schemes: SEO copywriting today still takes advantage of linking and back-linking practices (something we’ll cover below). However, Google and other search engines have begun to crack down on link strategies that deliberately attempt to manipulate the search algorithms. Like everything else in modern SEO, link-building must now be natural.
  • Going mobile: As mobile devices have emerged as the ultimate way for modern consumers to browse the web, Google has even introduced algorithms that push companies to consider the needs of people on smaller devices. Today’s SEO copywriting UK services must think beyond the desktop.
  • It’s all about quality: According to the Content Marketing Institute, 85% of B2B marketers say high-quality content drives their success. Modern SEO Copywriting puts the experience of the visitor or reader first. In other words, it’s making the web a better place for everyone.

The ever-changing nature of SEO means that SEO copywriting experts need to be masters of everything from customer intent to evolving algorithms.

SEO Copywriting

What is SEO copywriting?

As mentioned above, copywriting for SEO is half science and half art. It’s about learning from the latest trends and algorithm changes, staying ahead of the curve and appealing to an increasingly-demanding audience.

An SEO copywriting company devotes their expertise to walking the tightrope between technical SEO strategies, and creative copywriting techniques. When used correctly, SEO copywriting ensures that companies have what it takes to appeal to both visitors, and search engines simultaneously.

Of course, SEO copywriting gets a little bit tougher every day. Currently, Google receives over 63,000 searches per day, from people all searching for the best insights and information. If you want to get ahead of the curve, then you need to choose an SEO copywriting company that can use words that resonate with both your audience and the search engines. Since search engines often speak a different language to your consumer base – this can be tough.

We have some good news, though.

Many businesses still assume that SEO copywriting is all about keywords and backlinks. However, while those elements are important, there’s more to writing the right content than you might think. In fact, SEO copywriting is all about creating strategies for specific goals. For instance, a common SEO goal is to improve the amount of time your readers spend “engaging” with your brand.

If your ambition was to boost engagement, then your SEO copywriter might:

  • Plan strategic content that encourages readers to spend more time on the page.
  • Use techniques like “bucket brigades” to keep people reading for longer.
  • Embrace informative subheadings to keep content flowing smoothly.

All the while, the same SEO copywriting company will still be thinking about keywords and schema tags that make your pages more search-engine friendly.

The overarching purpose of SEO copywriting is to create copy that speaks to two masters – your audience, and the search engines.

SEO Copywriting

Tips from an SEO Copywriter: How to adjust copywriting for SEO

There’s more to SEO than copywriting. However, content is potentially the key factor in any search engine optimisation campaign. Improvements in content quality can increase website traffic by up to 2,000%.

Now that you know the answer to the question “What is SEO copywriting?” it’s time to start thinking about what copywriting for SEO entails. Remember, on the one hand; your readers need to love what you share and see it as a credible resource. On the other hand, you need to make sure that the search engines can crawl and index your content with ease.

So, how do you create content that suits both audiences?

1. Start with titles and subheadings

From a search engine perspective, your title tags are crucial to helping Google figure out where you should rank for specific keywords. Including a focus keyword that’s competitive enough to attract the right audience your way, but not too over-used can help significantly with the technical side of your SEO copywriting.

On the other hand, for your human readers, headline content is how you convince people to click on your links and read the content you share. Your title is the tasty bait drawing people into your website. To improve your SEO copywriting headers:

  • Add a number: Numbers draw the eye on a cluttered search engine result page and show your audience that you have specific data to share. Try a number-focused headline like “10 Tips for improving your SEO copywriting.”
  • Answer a question: Tap into your customer’s natural curiosity by asking a question you know they have, like “How can I improve my SEO strategy?”
  • Keep it clear and concise: Remember that people are browsing through search engine pages on their phones today, so your header needs to be clear, concise and straight to the point.

While you’re working on your titles, remember that sub-headings matter too. Since only 16% of people read every word in an article, your subheadings can be a great way to attract attention and remind people of the value in your content.

2. Know your keywords and phrases

Keywords are probably the component of copywriting for SEO that businesses struggle with most. A keyword strategy is all about choosing the words and phrases you want to rank for in the search engines. Using the right terms in your SEO copywriting lets the search engines know what your content is all about, so they can situate you properly in the SERPs.

At the same time, keywords let your audience know that you’re covering the topics they’re most interested in. Of course, as any SEO copywriting company will tell you, there’s more to ranking than plucking obvious terms out of a hat. For instance, if you’re a digital marketing company, it’s easy to assume that your main keyword for a blog might be “digital marketing.” However, you could get better results from more natural phrases like:

  • “How to use digital marketing.”
  • “What is digital marketing?”
  • “Digital marketing companies.”

Finding the right keywords and phrases is all about understanding your audiences and what they’re looking for. At the same time, remember not to get obsessed over your keywords. You need to be natural with your placement, and only use terms where they flow organically within the text.

SEO Copywriting

3. Make your content valuable and engaging

In the past, SEO copywriting was a paint-by-numbers task that involved following a set of rules, so you can gradually climb your way to the top of the search results. Today, it’s a game focused on quality and visitor experience. If you want to get ahead of the competition, then you need to ensure that you’re constantly producing the right content. In fact, 72% of marketers say the most effective tactic in SEO copywriting is relevant content creation.

Once you’ve checked Google to find out whether your keywords are competitive enough, you can make sure that you’re creating the content your visitors want to see by:

  • Checking the auto-complete section of Google. This can help you to figure out which questions customers are asking about your products and industry.
  • Surveying customers about what they want to see on your website.
  • Conducting competitive analysis to find out what your competitors are talking about.

Once you have your content topics in mind, you can use strategies like “bucket brigades” to keep visitors entertained as they browse through your SEO copywriting. Bucket brigades increase “dwell” time, by keeping people reading for longer. They include phrases like:

  • Let’s begin.
  • Here’s the deal.
  • So, let’s get started.

The right phrases entice your readers and prevent them from abandoning your site.

4. Don’t overlook the technical side of SEO copywriting

Although copywriting for SEO should always start with an exploration into the needs and expectations of your audience, it’s important to remember that you need to address the search engines too. SEO works because search engines use “bots” and “crawlers” to evaluate your pages and pick up on crucial factors that help to determine where you should rank on the search results.

While there are numerous components that you can use to help boost the technical side of your website with an SEO copywriting service, one good place to get started is with your meta description. A meta description is a summary of content that appears beneath your link in the search results. After reading your title, your meta description is the first thing your visitors will look at.

Using a compelling meta description complete with the right keywords and phrases both inform your audience and helps the search engine bots too. Remember to:

  • Use action-oriented language.
  • Offer solutions to customer problems.
  • Include both your main keywords and alternative (semantic) keywords where possible.
  • Keep it short and sweet.
SEO Copywriting

The latest SEO copywriting secrets

By this point, you should have a pretty good insight into what SEO copywriting is all about.

When it comes to SEO copywriting, London professionals and experts all over the world know they need a strong strategy to constantly captivate and influence their human audience, while informing search engines too. In other words, your SEO copywriter needs to create content that does a lot more than simply “read well.”

An SEO copywriting company uses content to build brand integrity, inform audiences and boost your chances of reaching the top of the ladder with your keywords and phrases.

Since the nature of SEO is constantly changing, it pays to be ahead of the curve with your copywriting techniques.

Let’s take a look at some of the latest ways to boost your copywriting for SEO.

1. Make your content shareable

Today, there are countless ways that you can boost the impact of your SEO copywriting. One of the best solutions to help you get the most value out of your content strategies is a social media marketing plan. With social sharing buttons built into your content, you can encourage your customers to advocate for your brand and attract new customers to your pages.

Since today’s online consumers love sharing content that makes them seem clever or useful, the key to “viral” content is making sure that you write the right things. Cover trending topics and answer key questions your customers have with exclusive insights. Once you’ve created your content, add “Click to Tweet” or “Share on Facebook” buttons to urge readers to share quotes and critical data points in your articles.

2. Keep it simple, but not too “short and sweet.”

In the past, SEO copywriting was often about getting to the point. Plenty of companies doled out a few 500-word blog articles a week and assumed they were doing enough to get their audience’s attention. However, while copywriting for SEO today requires a slightly different approach.

While sentences and paragraphs need to be straightforward and concise, the actual content you produce must be full of entertaining and useful information. Deliver plenty of succinct and effective messages, but don’t go too short and sweet. Remember, Google prefers “long-form” articles over short ones.

3. Try latent semantic indexing

We mentioned above that keywords are a critical part of SEO copywriting. However, there’s more to modern keyword strategies than you might think. For instance, Latent Semantic Indexing keywords, or “LSI” terms could be a great way to get ahead of the competition.

In simple terms, LSI keywords are terms and phrases related to your primary keyword. Let’s say that your primary keyword is “SEO copywriting” for instance. LSI keywords related to that term might be:

  • SEO copywriting London.
  • SEO copywriting company.
  • SEO copywriting UK.

These additional semantic terms help to give Google more context into your website and where you want to rank.

SEO Copywriting

4. Use long tail keywords

Speaking of keywords in SEO copywriting – shorter isn’t always better. According to statistics, around 50% of search queries are more than four words long. The chances are, as we approach an era where more people search for the answers to their questions through smart assistants like Siri and Alexa, audio SEO will demand more long-form keywords.

Think about what kind of questions your customers might naturally ask when they’re looking for solutions to their problems. For instance, as with the example above, if your main keyword phrase is “SEO copywriting”, long tail terms might include:

  • How to get better at SEO copywriting.
  • What is SEO copywriting.
  • Tips for SEO copywriting.

5. Leverage a linking strategy

As we noted back at the beginning of this article, the nature of linking strategies has changed in recent years. As Google continues to prize credible, authority content, links from spammy websites unrelated to your company will no longer drive SEO success. While you do want backlinks to improve the authority of your SEO copywriting, you’ll need to make sure they come from high-quality websites connected to your industry.

At the same time, when you’re adding links to your content, make sure that you’re using them properly. Internal links can make your website easier to crawl, so make sure that you use them to reference other pieces of content in your portfolio. At the same time, link back to authority sites when you’re referencing statistics and studies. This will not only get the attention of businesses with a high domain authority, but it will also show your readers that you do your research.

6. Be mobile friendly

Around the world, more Google searches are beginning to take place on mobile devices than they do on computers. There’s a reason why Google has focused so heavily on putting mobile-responsive content at the top of the SERPs for the past few years.

Designing copywriting for SEO that appeals to this new mobile-first approach means figuring out how you can provide better experiences for your audience, regardless of where they interact with your brand. Remember to:

  • Use plenty of visuals to capture and maintain your audience’s attention.
  • Write concise headlines and sub-headings.
  • Keep sections short and compelling.
  • Show bullet points.
  • Help your users scan your content with lots of white space.
  • Use a summary or conclusion.
  • Make CTA buttons easy to click.
SEO Copywriting

Time to invest in SEO copywriting UK?

SEO copywriting is one of those digital marketing terms that everyone has heard of – but few people truly understand. We all know that ranking high on the search engines is important. Organic traffic can be critical to keeping your business top of mind for your target audience. The trouble is, few companies know how to use SEO copywriting to their advantage.

While all the tips above will help you to come to terms with copywriting for SEO, you’ll also need an SEO writing strategy – something we’ll cover in a later blog. After all, as algorithms and consumer trends continue to change, the right strategy will help you to evolve to suit the needs of your audience.

For now, remember that SEO copywriting isn’t just about writing for search engine bots, and it’s not all about engaging your customers either. An SEO copywriter is someone who knows how to find the balance between both worlds.

If you can find an SEO copywriting company that gives you the engaging and insightful content you need to both build customer loyalty and seduce the search engines, then you’ve got a sure-fire strategy for success.

Of course, if you need a little extra help – that’s what your friends at Fabrik are here for. Reach out to us to start building your own SEO copywriting strategy from scratch.

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy these too:

— Adding short tail keywords to your search strategy

— Evergreen content: Sowing the seeds of success

— Sensational SEO: Leveraging long tail keyword

— Your secret search engine formula for SEO

Rebekah Carter
Chief content writer
Rebekah Carter
Chief content writer
After achieving her creative writing degree, Rebekah delved into the business world – taking business, marketing, and SEO courses. As the chief content writer at Brand Fabrik, Rebekah creates informational articles related to creative copywriting, media and PR, fundraising, employee communications and more.

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