Nine top tips for SEO copywriting

Tim Mitchell Copywriting Blog

With the dominance of the internet as a marketing and communication medium, search engine optimisation (SEO) has become an indispensable element of any business’s marketing strategy. In turn, copywriting is an essential part of the SEO process.

What SEO copywriting is NOT, is peppering your copy willy-nilly with keywords and phrases. It takes understanding of the topic (as with any medium) and the ability to tailor both content and tone to your target audience. It also takes planning and a basic understanding of how SEO works. Otherwise, your copy is in danger of being staccato and repetitive … not what your reader wants to see.

To avoid this, set yourself and follow some basic principles. But remember, be flexible, as no two pieces of copy content are (nor should be) the same.

1. Tailor your copy length
The length of your copy should be driven by several factors:

  • Whether or not what you are writing about is a new product/service or concept
  • The amount of time your target audience has to read the detail
  • Whether your website or page needs to explain the subject in detail, or you want it to provide just enough information for its readers to want to contact you.

2. Keep your language natural
‘Natural language’ is SEO copywriting phraseology which means that the reader should not be able to detect what key phrases the page is being optimised for, and that the copy should flow as if it were not written for SEO. From the outset, use your key words or phrases in the copy so that they won’t be obtrusive. To me, natural language means that which will be easily read and understood (and acted upon) by its readers.

3. Don’t substitute generic terms with keywords or phrases
Using key words or phrases as substitutes for generic terms will make your copy read badly and make it obvious to the reader that you are desperate to include them at every possible juncture. For example:

“If you’re looking for one of the new generation of 3D Smart 40 inch televisions, you will be astounded by our selection of 3D Smart 40 inch televisions which you can try out in any of our showrooms. All of the 3D Smart 40 inch televisions on display are wired for surround sound.”

4. Use three key words or phrases per page
Three key words or phrases per page enables you to employ a flexible style and helps to avoid repetition. Choose your key words or phrases before you start writing because they can have a direct impact on the focus of the page.

5. Use key words and phrases in headlines and sub-headlines where it makes sense to do so:
Headlines and sub-headlines often sound contrived when populated with keywords. You won’t jeopardise your search rankings if you have no keyword-filled or other tags.

6. Use key words and phrases in bold, italic or bulleted lists
Don’t automatically embolden or italicise every instance of your keywords. They are there for SEO purposes – not to make them more visible to the human eye. Instead try including them in bulleted lists, it will look more natural than peppering them throughout the copy.

7. Use keyword phrases as anchor text in links, if possible
If your primary key phrase were “3D Smart 40 inch televisions,” you should not write every link to include that phrase. Instead, include key words or phrases in anchor text within body copy or in text navigation links where you can.

8. Read, and read again
Read your finished copy carefully for all of the above points. Sleep on it. When it’s been published, read it on the page, in the context that your website visitors will read it.

9. Test and track your copy
Remember that unlike a brochure, the words on a website can be changed easily, and in real time. Try different keywords and phrases, and different use and frequency of them. Measure the response, and do what works best.

Happy SEO copywriting!

Tim Mitchell of Adhoc Creative Copywriting has more years’ experience than he cares to admit, in writing B2C and B2B copy for all channels. He worked with Althea Taylor-Salmon in a previous ‘life’, and has contributed to several Fortune PR projects.

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