Digital marketing is taking on many forms, but the ultimate goal is SEO copywriting. This is where you craft website content that focuses on search engine optimization.
Many companies find that they don’t have qualified professionals who can handle creative writing, so they turn to freelance writers to get the job done.
However, content writing isn’t as easy as it used to be. All search engines now have better algorithms to help people find the information they need. This means that SEO content writing is at the heart of everything you do.
Before you decide to hire us, you may want to learn more about SEO!
What Is SEO?
When you type something into major search engines and hit enter, you receive a list of results that are relevant to your term and are considered organic traffic.
The goal of SEO is to get more organic traffic to your site and provide website visitors the information they need. Typically, SEO content is the way to do that, which helps you soar higher in the search engine rankings.
In a sense, SEO helps you optimize the content for the search engines so that it ranks higher and gives you more website traffic.
What Is SEO Content Writing?
SEO writing is sometimes called writing SEO copy, and it’s the process of creating, planning, and optimizing content to increase organic traffic from search engines.
There are so many things SEO copywriting can handle, such as Google Ads, social media posts, website landing pages, brochures, Facebook ads, product descriptions, sales pages, and more. Most entrepreneurs aren’t skilled with all that, so they hire an SEO writer to take care of it for them!
Why Is SEO Writing So Important?
High-quality content is crucial to rank in Google, and SEO copywriting should be part of your marketing campaign.
The goal is to rank higher for content on your site, and optimizing content is the way to do that. Though great content is crucial, it requires SEO writing to really shine.
You have amazing content from creative writing plus on-page SEO to promote SEO content writing.
That way, you get the best website content that draws visitors to you. Alternatively, if you have low-quality content, Google ranks you lower, and people can’t even see you on the results page.
Best Practices
Content Topics List
It might sound strange, but the process for SEO writing begins before typing a single word. To succeed with SEO content writing and digital marketing, you must craft content that the target audience wants to see. When you do that, the process becomes easier.
There are two ways to choose topics for your content. The first is to use Google’s Q&A tool. You can see questions that the target group asks. This is crucial because your content can answer those questions.
Though you can manually look for such questions on Quora and Reddit, it takes time. Instead, you can utilize a free tool, such as Answer the Public. It scrapes the internet for the burning questions people have about the topic you type in.
Another great source of topics is to check Wikipedia, specifically the table of contents. This is an idea goldmine! Alternatively, you can ask us to help you come up with topics before we craft the content!
Turn Topics into Keywords
Keyword research is the most crucial aspect of SEO writing. The right keyword phrases can ensure that you see thousands of visitors each month or craft content that nobody wants.
There are tons of free tools to help you find popular keywords. Keywords Everywhere is a great extension to help you get ideas based on the current page you’re on. For example, if you were on Amazon’s website and type something into the search bar, you also get Google search volumes for the terms suggested.
It’s also important to run the keyword or phrase in Google and check out the listings on the first page. Knowing what’s out there can help you craft content that wows the crowd and becomes worthy of social media.
Outline the Content to Match Search Intent
SEO writing had been about adding more keywords to the web page. While that’s still important, it isn’t enough. Today, you’ve got to think about search intent.
In other words, the content must give the target audience what they want. For example, you need to rank for the phrase conversion rate optimization. Before you write the outline, you check the SERPs for the keyword.
The first page of Google said that those who look for conversion rate optimization need a guide on how to convert visitors within a target market. You probably talk about conversion optimization and all the rest. Therefore, you wrote the content with that search intent. Because you gave Google what it needed, it ranks you higher.
Write Content Comprehensively
Long-form content creation tends to do better for Google, but the SEO writer shouldn’t add filler or fluff to the post. Really, you’re supposed to publish comprehensive information and content that covers the topic in a single line of thought.
Use Keywords
Adding keywords to the content is huge for SEO copywriting, but how often should you use them for content writing needs. There’s no perfect formula for keyword optimization, and Google has claimed that it doesn’t pay attention to the density and all the rest.
In most cases, the location of the keyword in the web content is more important than how often it is used. The goal is to utilize it naturally so that search engines can crawl it and don’t feel that you’ve stuffed the content with keywords.
Even if they are relevant keywords, you must be careful of where you put them. Make sure the target keyword is in the:
- URL
- Title tag
- First 100 words of the page
- H1 tag
- H2 tag
If your keyword was conversion rate optimization, you should make sure that it’s in those areas, including once in the title tag.
With that, the keyword doesn’t need to be in the first paragraph. As long as you use it within 100 to 150 words, you should be good.
The H1 is the title tag, so the keyword should be in the title. Just remember that you only need one H1 tag per page. In a sense, H1 tags are like mini title tags. If you’re using them more than once, it confuses the search engines.
On top of it all, you should use the keyword in at least one H2 heading. That way, the content is fully optimized for SEO. This only pertains to the keyword aspect. You should also ensure that it’s optimized for clicks.
Optimize Title Tags for Search Engines
Organic clickthrough rates are a ranking signal in Google, and that’s exactly what you want to know. Typically, higher CTRs usually mean higher rankings.
Besides adding the keyword to the title tag, you should optimize it for clickthrough rates. Ultimately, the best way to do that in SEO copywriting is to add a number/numeral to the title. That way, the title tags show up better because Google knows it’s a guide or offering of tips that can provide tons of information.
Content writing isn’t all about crafting the piece; it’s also about thinking of the search engine and its needs.
Craft a Great Meta Description
Meta descriptions don’t impact rankings on Google directly, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. As you write content, think about crafting an eye-catching meta description to boost organic clickthrough rates.
We always recommend that you craft a unique meta description for each page on the site. With that, make sure the meta description is something that Google searchers like so that they click on your results.
Remember: SEO copywriting isn’t just about writing. You must also think of ways to optimize on and off the page.
Use Internal Links
Internal linking is an excellent way to optimize the content for search engines and users. This is because internal links help the users find related content on the site. Google also uses it to index the site pages and understand the architecture and structure of the website.
Many SEO content writers don’t understand the importance of internal linking. When we write content, we don’t often include links to internal/external sources unless requested by the client. However, if this is something you want, let us know, and we can handle it!
Link to External Resources and Pages
The whole point of writing SEO-friendly content is so that Google can find you. However, it likes it when you use outbound links in your SEO copywriting and can improve your rankings because of it.
If you think about it, that makes sense. Google wants to give people content that has everything they need. This includes resources from other sites. When you add external links to other authority sites, you’re being SEO-friendly.
Ultimately, you should use quality links and don’t overdo it. However, if you briefly mention a topic, you can include a link so that the reader gets more information if they need it.
Use Related Phrases and Words for Better Search Engine Optimization
LSI keywords are the terms that relate closely to your target keywords, and they’re great for SEO. They can actually help because Google understands the topic. Remember, you want the keyword in the URL and title tag, but Google wants to make sure that you completely cover the topic in the content before it decides to drive traffic to your site.
With that, LSI terms help you rank for the targeted word and those related ones. For example, you want to rank for the phrase “increase organic traffic.” As an SEO writer, you might also include “drive traffic” and “website traffic” into the content. Now, you’re ranking for all three!
There are various free tools to help you find the right LSI keywords. Enter your main phrase or word and locate all the LSI options to sprinkle into the post.
Utilize Multimedia in the Content
Multimedia might not fall into the category of SEO writing, but infographics, images, and videos are actually good for SEO.
Plus, they can make the content compelling and interesting. When we take on an SEO copywriting project, we always try to include charts, screenshots, videos, and anything else we think might help!
Promote the Content Strategically
You’re not finished with the SEO writing process once you hit “publish” on your site. Without promoting the content, all the SEO copywriting in the world isn’t likely to help you rank. This is especially true for new sites or those with less authority.
If you want the content to rank on Google, you must promote it strategically. It’s often best to reach out to those who might be interested before publishing. Put out a little social media tease about what you’re about to offer.
Ultimately, social media marketing is a huge part of the promotion. It doesn’t matter how small it is, promote each piece using every audience and channel possible. That includes:
- Social media followers
- Facebook and LinkedIn groups you belong to
- Email subscribers
Even if you don’t have a large following on every platform, anything helps! With that, you should promote the content to the people who link to your competitors. If your content is actually better or brings up a new idea, you can get links from others who have already linked their content to another site.
Qualities Your SEO Content Writers Should Possess
If you’re not comfortable with SEO content writing, it’s important to find someone to do it for you. We write content all the time, but we realize that you might not know which writers are ideal. Here are the top qualities to look for in a professional writer:
Keyword Research Understanding
Before writing your blog post, a good SEO content writer focuses on keyword research.
You need appropriate keywords so that you’re writing SEO content that interests the audience. Without doing the research, you can’t know how many people search for that term or what they want to gain from the information.
Researching the terms helps you know if it is competitive and how many of the competitors use it. There are tons of tools out there to help you.
No Keyword Stuffing
Google doesn’t like keyword stuffing. It’s a black-hat technique that is only used by an unprofessional SEO writer. In other words, it’s an attempt to manipulate Google to get more web traffic.
Stuffing in keywords can hurt your business because the content doesn’t read naturally. When a prospect lands on the page, they leave quickly because you promised them excellent content in the blog post and didn’t deliver.
This can also increase bounce rates, which are a huge ranking factor in Google.
SEO writing does need to focus on keyword density, which is the number of times the word or phrase appears in the blog post multiplied by 100. Typically, you want a density of three percent. If the post is short, one percent might be better.
Instead of focusing on how often the keyword appears, try to use it naturally or get the writers to do this.
Craft Long-form Content
When you’re focused on writing blog posts, you shouldn’t think about the length. Write what you must about the topic, add a conclusion, and send it for promotion or publishing.
However, research has shown that blog posts with 2,000 or more words rank higher. Long-form content like this is a great way to get noticed. People want as much information as possible, and Google recognizes this. However, in your quest to add tons of words, don’t use fluff just to make it longer!
With that, a content writer must ensure that they’re satisfying the intent of the audience searching the term. A good writer doesn’t just write to meet the word count. They aren’t trading quality to get more words. If you have a topic with a 3,000-word count and the writer thinks that 2,000 words are sufficient, they write for that.
You can always go through and make sure they’ve covered every point or give them ideas on other things to add.
It’s important to note that social media posts are much different than long content. SEO writers can often do both, though they prefer longer posts because they can cover a lot of information.
Technical SEO
An SEO content writer is there to research the information and write. Sometimes, if the topic is in a niche industry, it’s called technical writing. Regardless, writing blog content isn’t enough to rank you on page one of Google search results.
The best writers understand that they must link to other posts within the blog. Though most people don’t call it technical SEO, that’s what it is, and internal links are crucial to relevancy in Google.
It’s often better to go with a single writer or agency who understands the structure of your content and website. That way, they probably wrote most of the information and can easily link back to it.
With that, you should also keep the image sizes small and name them properly with alt tags. That way, Google can also index the pictures and possibly rank you higher in image searches.
Another issue is popups. Some people think they work but others argue that Google demotes the pages with them. Ultimately, we say that a popup or two can’t hurt, especially exit-intent popups. However, you may want to use trial and error to see what works for your site and needs.
Those who use WordPress for their website and/or blog may find that WP Rocket can assist with technical SEO automatically. It can help with:
- Database optimization
- Deferred loading of your JS files
- CSS or JS minimizing
- Google Font optimization
- XML sitemap loading
- Lazy loading for images
- Much more
The benefits and features of WP Rocket are plentiful. It can automatically apply the top 80 percent of performance optimization best practices. You don’t have to configure it. When it’s activated, the website benefits from:
- WooCommerce Refresh Cache for carts
- Combines third-party and inline scripts
- Detects and supports many third-party themes, hosting environments, and plugins
- Cross-Origin support for your web fonts
- Browser caching
- Static caching for mobile and desktop
Rank for Keywords on Their Websites
The SEO writer you choose should show you the posts that they’ve ranked for in the search results. Regardless of where they’re located, they need to have published works that prove to you their experience. It’s often better to choose writers who already understand the concept of SEO writing so that you don’t have to train them yourself.
Before you ask them to show you that information, take a look at their portfolio. Search for the keywords they use in a few of their samples and see if they rank high in Google. If not, you may want to ask them why. Remember: some writers don’t own copyrights to their work. They’re ghostwriters writing for a particular brand, so they give up the ownership rights.
Our writers are like that. However, we do allow you to request samples from them, and they all have portfolios.
Editing the Content
Professional SEO writers have an eye for editing, and this means that they can cut words when they don’t fit or flow naturally. Typically, Google Docs and Microsoft Word can underline words that are misspelled or otherwise don’t fit.
However, that’s not enough for SEO content. If the blog writer doesn’t have another pair of eyes to edit the content, there are editing tools out there, with Grammarly being the top choice.
Though it has a free and premium version, both are decent. Professionals can get phrases underlined in the free version about what the premium one caught. If they’re good at their job, they already know what is wrong and can fix it.
Our writers always use Grammarly, and we run through the work to make sure that they’ve done everything requested of them. Therefore, you know you’re getting content that can immediately go on your website!
Formatting
Formatting your blog posts to be appealing is crucial for SEO, and it makes it easier to publish. An SEO content writer doesn’t write huge chunks (walls) of text. Instead, they break up the paragraphs to be shorter and use a mixture of long and short sentences.
Here are a few formatting points to consider for your blog posts:
- Use GIFs, images, videos, and screenshots to break up text (that you provide)
- Bullet points for easy scanning
- Subheadings the way you want them (Word and Google Docs offer heading styles at the top of the page)
- H1 tags that are 50 to 60 characters long to reduce the risk of being truncated by Google
- H2 and H3 tags to make it easier to read
No Plagiarism
Plagiarism is incredibly damaging to a person’s online reputation. It hurts your business because you get demoted by Google to a lower rank, but it also hurts the writer because they appear to have stolen other people’s work.
The issue is that someone can plagiarize without even knowing it. That’s why expert SEO writers run their articles through plagiarism checkers online, such as Grammarly and Copyscape.
With that, the ideal SEO writer cites their sources of information. That could be by saying “So and so says this:” or by using the source as the anchor text for the link.
Can Help You Publish on Content Management Platforms
Most company owners have tons of things to do, so they might not be the best at internet marketing. You may not have the time to publish your content. If that’s the case, then you need someone to create content and handle the social media marketing aspect.
Typically, SEO copywriting pros only handle the creation part. You may need to hire someone else to deal with the marketing aspect. That way, your content is promoted and seen by more people.
On-time Delivery
To win the game here, you must be deliberate and diligent. Therefore, you should have an editorial or content calendar and get the content published on schedule. This is much easier when you have an SEO writer to help you. These professionals always stick to your SEO content schedule.
However, communication is key. Make sure that you tell them when the piece needs to be sent to you. This includes any editing time and all the rest. There may come a time where the person is late; it happens. Still, they should let you know why and when to expect the content.
Craft Engaging and Click-worthy CTAs
The goal of your content is to educate the readers and make them take a specific action. However, the intent of the person’s search determines what CTA you should use in the blog.
Your SEO copywriter should have a basic understanding of CTAs, but it’s still up to you to tell them what you want the reader to do. With that, the content writer must encourage the audience to click it by reinforcing the message with testimonials. It’s also easy to create a fear of missing out.
Above all else, each piece of content crafted should have social media share buttons so that readers can promote your work for free.
Conclusion
SEO writing is crucial if you want to rise above your competition. However, compelling content is only the first step because you also have to take into account other SEO best practices.
A great SEO content writer is there to help you craft amazing SEO content like landing pages or blogs. If you’re looking for SEO content writers, we can help!
Though we don’t assist with web design, our project managers ensure that you have the best writer for your needs. Contact us to get started!
