Summary:
We all know that the lion’s share of web traffic comes through the search engines. We also know that keywords and links to your site are the two things that affect your ranking in the search engines. Your keywords tell the search engines what you do, and the inbound links tell them how important you are. This combination is what determines your relevance. And relevance is what the search engines are after.
SEO copywriting, writing copy for the web
We all know that the lion’s share of web traffic comes through the search engines. We also know that keywords and links to your site are the two things that affect your ranking in the search engines. Your keywords tell the search engines what you do, and the inbound links tell them how important you are. This combination is what determines your relevance. And relevance is what the search engines are after.
There’s a lot of information around about how to incorporate keyword phrases into your HTML meta tags. But that’s only half the battle. You need to think of these tags as street-signs. That’s how the search engines view them. They look at your tags and then at your copy. If the keywords you use in your tags aren’t used in your copy, your site won’t be indexed for those keywords. But the search engines don’t stop there. They also consider how often the keyword phrase is used on the page. To put it simply, if you don’t pepper your site with your primary keywords, you won’t appear in the search results when a potential customer searches for those keywords.
But how do you write keyword-rich copy without compromising readability?
We all know that most web traffic comes through search engines. Keywords and links to your site are the two key factors that affect your ranking. Keywords tell search engines what you do, while inbound links show your importance. This combination determines your relevance, which is what search engines prioritize.There’s plenty of advice on how to incorporate keywords into your meta tags, but that’s only half the battle. Think of these tags as street signs; search engines compare them to your copy. If the keywords in your tags aren’t in your content, your site won’t be indexed for those terms. Additionally, search engines assess how frequently your keywords are used on the page. Without using your primary keywords throughout your site, you’ll struggle to rank when potential customers search for them.
But how can you include keywords without sacrificing readability?
Readability is vital for your visitors, and they are the ones buying your product or service—not the search engines. By following eight simple guidelines, you can make your website copy appealing to both search engines and your visitors.
Readability is all-important to visitors. And after all, it’s the visitors that buy your product or service, not search engines.
By following these 8 simple guidelines, you’ll be able to overhaul the copy on your website ensuring it’s agreeable to both search engines and visitors.
1) Categorise your pages
Before writing, think about the structure of your site. If you haven’t built your site yet, try to create your pages around key offerings or benefits. For example, divide your Second Hand Computers site into separate pages for Macs, and PCs, and then segment again into Notebooks, Desktops, etc. This way, you’ll be able to incorporate very specific keyword phrases into your copy, thereby capturing a very targeted market. If you’re working on an existing site, print out each page and label it with its key point, offering, or benefit.
2) Find out what keywords your customers are searching for
Go to www.wordtracker.com and subscribe for a day (this will only cost you about AUD$10). Type in the key points, offerings, and benefits you identified for each page, and spend some time analysing what words customers use when they’re searching for these things. These are the words you’ll want to use to describe your product or service. (Make sure you read WordTracker’s explanation of their results.)
3) Use phrases, not single words
Although this advice isn’t specific to the web copy, it’s so important that it’s worth repeating here. Why? Well firstly, there’s too much competition for single keywords. If you’re in computer sales, don’t choose “computers” as your primary keyword. Go to Google and search for “computers” and you’ll see why… Secondly, research shows that customers are becoming more search-savvy – they’re searching for more and more specific strings. They’re learning that by being more specific, they find what they’re looking for much faster. Ask yourself what’s unique about your business? Perhaps you sell cheap second hand computers? Then why not use “cheap second hand computers” as your primary keyword phrase. This way, you’ll not only stand a chance in the rankings, you’ll also display in much more targeted searches. In other words, a higher percentage of your site’s visitors will be people after cheap second hand computers. (WordTracker’s results will help you choose the most appropriate phrases.)
4) Pick the important keyword phrases
Don’t include every keyword phrase on every page. Focus on one or two keyword phrases on each page. For your Macs page, focus on “cheap second hand macs”. For the PCs page, focus on “cheap second hand pcs”, etc.
5) Be specific
Don’t just say “our computers”. Wherever you would normally say “our computers”, ask yourself if you can get away with saying “our cheap second hand Macs” or “our cheap second hand PCs”. If this doesn’t affect your readability too badly, it’s worth doing. It’s a fine balance though. Remember, your site reflects the quality of your service. If your site is hard to read, people will infer a lot about your service…
6) Use keyword phrases in links
Although you shouldn’t focus on every keyword phrase on every page, it’s a good idea to link your pages together with text links. This way, when the search engines look at your site, they’ll see that the pages are related. Once again, the more text links the better, especially if the link text is a keyword phrase. So on your “Cheap Second Hand Macs” page, include a text link at the bottom to “Cheap Second Hand PCs”. If you can manage it without affecting readability, also include one within the copy of the page. For example, “As well as providing cheap second hand Macs, we sell high quality cheap second hand PCs”. TIP: If you don’t want your links to be underlined and blue, include the following in your CSS file:
<style type=”text/css”>
<!–
a {text-decoration: none;}
–>
</style>
Then format the HTML of each link as follows:
As well as providing cheap second hand Macs, we sell high quality <a href=”pcs.htm” style=”text-decoration:none”><font color=”#000000″>cheap second hand pcs</font></a>.
7) Use keyword phrases in headings
Just as customers rely on headings to scan your site, so to do search engines. This means headings play a big part in how the search engines will categorise your site. Try to include your primary keyword phrases in your headings. In fact, think about inserting extra headings just for this purpose. Generally this will also help the readability of the site because it will help customers scan read.
8) Test keyword phrase density
Once you’ve made a first pass at the copy, run it through a density checker to get some metrics. Visit https://smallseotools.com/keyword-density-checker/ and type in the domain and keyword phrase you want to analyse. It’ll give you a percentage for all the important parts of your page, including copy, title, meta keywords, meta description, etc. The higher the density the better. Generally speaking, a density measurement of at least 3-5% is what you’re looking for. Any less, and you’ll probably need to take another pass.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be well on your way to effective SEO copy.
Just remember, don’t overdo it. It’s not easy to find the balance between copy written for search engines and copy written for customers. In many cases, this balance will be too difficult to achieve without professional help. Don’t worry, though. If you’ve already performed your keyword analysis, a professional website copywriter should be able to work your primary keyword phrases into your copy at no extra charge.
In conclusion, mastering SEO copywriting is essential for increasing your website’s visibility and attracting the right audience. By following these 8 simple steps, you can create content that balances both keyword optimization for search engines and readability for your visitors. Remember, while SEO is important, the ultimate goal is to provide valuable information to your audience. With the right strategy, you can boost your search engine rankings and keep your readers engaged, driving more conversions and long-term success for your website.
Here’s a set of FAQs that can complement the article:
FAQs about SEO Copywriting
1. What is SEO copywriting?
SEO copywriting is the process of creating content that is optimized for search engines. It involves using relevant keywords throughout the content to improve visibility in search engine results while ensuring the content remains engaging and valuable to human readers.
2. Why are keywords important in SEO copywriting?
Keywords are crucial because they help search engines understand what your content is about. When your target audience searches for these keywords, your website is more likely to appear in the results, driving more traffic.
3. How do I find the right keywords for my website?
You can use tools like WordTracker, Google Keyword Planner, or Ubersuggest to research the keywords that your potential customers are searching for. Focus on long-tail keywords (phrases with more than one word) that specifically describe your products or services.
4. How many times should I use my focus keyword in my article?
Aim for a keyword density of 3-5%. This means your focus keyword should naturally appear multiple times in the content, including the introduction, headings, and conclusion, but avoid keyword stuffing, as it may negatively impact readability and SEO performance.
5. What is keyword stuffing, and why should I avoid it?
Keyword stuffing is the practice of overusing a keyword in your content in an attempt to manipulate search rankings. This can make your content difficult to read and may result in penalties from search engines, causing a drop in rankings.
6. How do headings help with SEO?
Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help both search engines and readers understand the structure of your content. Including your focus keyword in headings improves your SEO and makes it easier for readers to scan the content quickly.
7. How can I balance SEO and readability in my content?
The key is to incorporate your keywords naturally without disrupting the flow of your writing. Focus on providing value to your readers while subtly optimizing for SEO by using keywords in strategic places like titles, headings, and throughout the copy.
8. How can I check the keyword density of my article?
You can use free online tools like the [Small SEO Tools Keyword Density Checker](https://smallseotools.com/keyword-density-checker/) to analyze your content and see the percentage of keyword usage. Adjust your copy accordingly to reach the desired density.
9. What is the ideal length for SEO-friendly content?
While there is no strict rule, longer articles (typically 1,000-2,000 words) tend to perform better in search engine rankings. However, the content must remain high-quality and relevant to the reader, regardless of length.
10. Should I hire a professional SEO copywriter?
If you find it difficult to balance SEO with creating engaging content, hiring a professional SEO copywriter can be a great investment. They can help incorporate the right keywords without compromising the quality and readability of your content.