02 Mar How to Be an SEO Copywriting Champion
We live in an era of abbreviations. Consequently, terms like LOL, BRB, and ASAP are commonly seen in social media and online conversations – used by both young and old. One of the terms that has become quite well-known in the digital, advertising, and marketing industries, is something called SEO.
SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimisation, is unfortunately not as well understood by everyone, even copywriters.
So what is SEO?
Simply put, “it is the process of getting traffic from the free, organic, editorial or natural search results on search engines,” describes Search Engine Land.
By combining principles of SEO with the practice of copywriting, one aims to write copy that ranks well when it comes to searches on search engines, such as Google. Although terminology like algorithms can make SEO seem extremely intricate and complicated, it can be relatively easy to write for this purpose.
Here are some key things to consider when writing copy for SEO optimisation:
Research before writing
Before you put pen to paper, or in our digital era – fingers to keyboard, the first crucial step is to decide what to write about. It is vital to choose what topics you want to be discovered for and linked to. This will in turn dictate the keywords you use. Keywords and phrases are what your potential target market is most likely to type into search engines to find websites relevant to their needs.
This is how SEO copywriting can assist to put your brand into the mix of candidates that are considered by the search engines.
Google’s keyword planner is a great tool to use. Although the tool is mainly used for Google AdWords campaigns, it gives helpful insight into the words being searched for. It can also give search volume and data on keywords and phrases.
Structure your text
An important element for SEO writing is the structure of your text. The content needs to be clearly structured – this will increase your ability to rank higher in Google. To be the most effective, plan the structure of your copy before you start with the writing.
The structure isn’t only important for SEO optimisation; it also assists in boosting your conversations on your website. If your target audience can clearly understand your message, chances are higher that they will buy your product or use your services.
Keep it fun and simple
It is vital that your copy is readable. If your copy is too hard to understand or read, your reader will search for a site that’s simpler and easier to understand. Copy that is fun and easy to read is more engaging, so it can lead to a higher conversion rate.
Search engines want to provide the ‘searcher’ with the most relevant content, so make sure that is exactly what you give them as readability is a key factor when it comes to SEO.
The key to keywords
Don’t spend all your time focusing on keyword density. You are writing content for people, not robots. Your copy needs to appeal to your target market and your content needs to sell your brand. This won’t be possible if the copy is so keyword heavy that it doesn’t make sense anymore.
Ready, set, SEO
Although there are many complexities around SEO, there are many tools out there that simplifies the process and can assist in optimising your copy for SEO, while still maintaining the integrity of good copywriting principles.
Try to keep to keep Leonardo da Vinci’s words in mind when you tackle the sophisticated world of SEO:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”